WELLBEING . FOR EVERYONE .
R80 (incl. VAT)
R68 in other countries
2019
Product Guide LISTING OVER 300 BRANDS, PRODUCTS, GETAWAYS & MORE
LONGEVITY | INSPIRATION | NUTRITION | HEALING WANDERLUST | COMMUNITY | EARTH H OL IST ICA . N ET
“To live my ability to be fully present and compassionate, my ability to be with it all —the joy and the sorrow— I must find the ways, the people, the places, the practices that support me in being all I truly am. I must cultivate ways of being that let me feel the warmth of encouragement against my heart when it is weary.” Oriah Mountain Dreamer, The Dance: Moving to the Deep Rhythms of Your Life
HOLISTICA.NET Wellbeing. For everyone.
BEHIND THE BRAND
FREESWEET “If it’s not delightful, don’t do it!” These are the words of FreeSweet creator and founder, Deborah Good. A natural born creator and now alchemist, Deborah’s intuition has enabled her to create and launch numerous brands over the years. With FreeSweet, however, she has found her life purpose sweet spot.
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BEHIND THE BRAND
FreeSweet has
“FreeSweet is so much more than a well-researched formulation of natural ingredients; this is a product with social conscience that can positively change lives and be a significantly transformative contribution to one’s health,” says Deborah.
* 0g net carbs per teaspoon * no artificial ingredients * deliciously sweet with no bitter aftertaste * bakes and caramelises beautifully * replaces sugar in a 1:1 ratio,
For so long, sugar has been an integral part of everyone’s life but research confirms: it’s the bad guy, causing untold damage to health and wellness. Numerous companies have tried to arrive at healthier alternatives to sugar, but none of them really match sugar. While there are these alternatives, FreeSweet’s unique formulation makes it a matchless replacement to sugar. A healthy one too. “Children need education about how bad sugar is for them, but you can’t teach children to simply say no – you need to give them a delightful substitute, something they will instantly take to,” says Deborah. Her own children and family were the original taste testers in the various recipes Deborah conjured up. Being able to completely remove sugar from her children’s diets made a huge difference to their wellbeing – from energy levels to their ability to concentrate at school.
info@freesweet.co.za | www.freesweet.co.za
Deborah spent years tracking down the right ingredients, one’s that were not only naturally sweet and non-GMO, but also had the right texture, look, smell and qualities she was looking for. As someone who didn’t train in nutrition or food science, she went about the process with an attitude of complete possibility. Deborah’s credo is if you are able to remove all boundaries and not limit yourself, you’re simply able to do anything. Once her product was submitted to, and accredited by international food technologists and nutritional certification bodies, she set to work introducing it to the market. A partnership with Grant Rushmere, creator and founder of Bos Ice Tea and now CEO of FreeSweet, followed. After that, a Joint Venture with Pioneer Foods, a leader in the FMCG food sector, was born.
in any recipe * diabetic friendly, endorsed by Diabetes South Africa * low glycaemic response GI of 3 (sugar - 65) * may assist weight loss * is GMO free Deborah has created a product that combines wellness with the luxury of indulgence. With the integrity and meaningful intentionality that went into the creation of the product, FreeSweet is set to become the only choice for delightful sugar replacement. Now available in all major retailers.
FROM THE EDITOR
“"When the blood in your veins returns to the sea, and the earth in your bones returns to the ground, then you will see, rather than this land belonging to you, it is you who belongs to this land"” It feels so right going to print with this issue on the exact day of the full moon. It’s when things are meant to come into fruition, a time that’s auspicious for the completion of all sorts of things. We were chatting the other day about how we’ve lost touch with our rhythms in the inconvenient 9 to 5 domestication we find ourselves. It’s alienating and prevents us from being connected to more natural rhythms with better wisdom. Thankfully, so many people are recognising a new way forward and it’s heartwarming to see how much change is afoot. Trends that favour working from home, working flexi hours, sitting less, co-working spaces and sustainable business are spreading far and wide. During this issue we got to hear so many of the stories behind the fabulous wellbeing brands and I can’t help marvel at the amount of genius brain power, virtuoso and innovation we’ve come across. From internationally recognised researchers in scientific complexities to home grown foodies, we’re so proud of what we have on offer in South Africa. And also proud of the dedication suppliers demonstrate in these restless and changing times. Heightened consumer consciousness and spending discernment has companies adding sustainable, environmentally friendly and healthy innovations to their offerings. Brands are being held socially liable for overlooking threats affecting the world, especially environmental ones. We love this, it adds positive social pressure and creates conscious consumerism. There’s such rapid change going on and it’s often difficult to hold steady in the midst of it all. More people than ever are questioning their life purpose and struggling to find meaning enough to hang onto. We hope our stories and content reflect that this can be experienced as an enlivening time and an opportunity to connect into deeper wisdom and intuition. We’re delighted to announce we will be launching a Holistica YouTube channel soon so get in touch with us if you want to be seen and heard by people aligned with wellbeing. In 2020 we will be publishing two incredible print magazines so keep a look-out! Thank you for being so supportive and we really hope you enjoy our magazine.
In love & abundance Robyn robyn@holistica.net www.holistica.net
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Now available in South Africa at leading Pharmacies, Health Shops and Medical Practitioners For more information contact Coyne Healthcare: 021 421 9144 | info@coynehealthcare.co.za w w w. c o y n e - h e a l t h c a r e . c o m
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C o ntents NATURAL BEAUTY
16 | FRAGRANT ENCHANTMENT
Flowers, leaves, wood, roots and spices made into resins, incense, oils, powders and perfumes are used as f ragrance, in ceremonies, for healing and noble enjoyment. In celebration of our olfactory sense we delve into healing properties and traditions.
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24 | DIY FLOWER WATER
Create a blend of lavender and rose water and use it around your home, in your laundry, as a spritzer and anywhere else you may desire.
26 | BEAUTY UNMASKED
We present beauty as an expression of the core of who you are; your loves and passions, your sacrif ices, hurts and desires. Revealing yourself and feeling conf ident enough to be exposed can be enhanced with mindful, sensory and nurturing beauty rituals.
FOOD & NUTRITION 34 | CHOOSING ORGANIC
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Giving your body the best and most natural experience of health means choosing products that are organic and chemical f ree. Discover what it really means to go organic as we unpack everything f rom the process to product compliancy.
44 | EATING WITH CONSCIOUSNESS
Eating mindfully supports digestion, balances cravings and enhances wellbeing: be inspired to include the f ive tastes with your meal; satisfy the senses with music and f ragrance; eat with your hands; bless your food and use ‘safe’ pots, pans, utensils and preparation methods.
55 | PROTEIN EMPOWERED
We cover protein sources both plant based and animal derived. What is protein, its role in the body, absorption, preparation and more. This article answers everything you ever wanted to know in a full exploration of this important nutrient.
60 | SHOPPING & SHARING
Adjust your life to shop plastic f ree. From re-usable carry bags, buying in bulk f rom the source, share-buying and growing communities, we show you how. Connect with the producers, minimise your carbon footprint and save money with better decisions all round.
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WELLNESS
64 | IS IT POSSIBLE TO DIE HEALTHY?
You are almost entirely responsible for your state of health. With more accurate research on genes and the power of thought we see how we can remain healthy despite the health history of our parents or what we believe we may have inherited.
INSPIRATION
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70 | THOUGHT GARDEN
Each time we have a thought, the body physically reacts – thoughts unleash chemical messengers to communicate with the nervous system and specif ic parts of the body. We offer 3 ideas to make your thoughts prof itable on all levels.
72 | BE INSPIRED
Inspiration is hard currency for motivation and is the fuel that sets the soul on f ire. We look at how to evoke this ‘inspirare’, the breath that f ills us with excitement and energy.
MOVEMENT
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86 | RUN FOR THE HILLS
Trail running has become an exceptionally popular sport, but it’s not for the faint-hearted – we look at what’s involved, some expert tips and why runners get hooked.
CYCLES 92 | FEMININE POWER
Bring more love into your home with creativity and skill. Make your own stylish macramé plant hanger using hemp string and some nifty knotting.
Women are privileged to give and nurture life, and honouring rather than dreading your menstrual cycle can be immensely empowering. Bio-menstruality innovator Andrea White shows us how to embrace this feminine power.
75 | CONNECT
98 | MOONBATHING
78 | YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
LONGEVITY
74 | DIY MACRAMÉ
Research shows that connecting is one of the major keys to happiness. Use these vouchers to connect or re-connect with f riends, family, loved ones, your neighbourhood and your planet.
Whether you become a teacher or not, going through yoga teacher training is benef icial on many levels. We look at what the syllabus entails and how it enriches daily life.
EARTH LOVE 80 | EARTH: LOVE IT OR LOSE IT
An exploration of where we are in terms of safeguarding our planet reveals a chronic blind spot. This article is an invitation to help save our planet and embrace much needed earth-centric savvy.
Moon bathing is a healing and energising practice used in Ayurveda to calm the pitta dosha, one of the three prevailing energies in the body that governs heat, metabolism and transformation of mind and body.
100 | LONGEVITY, IMMORTALITY & TRANSCENDENCE
Part 3 of our Longevity, Immortality and Transcendence feature is an in-depth look at protocols and practices that support longevity, f rom all ages and states. From daily habits to long term innovations, we include ancient techniques, the latest science and wisdom for longer life.
112 | THE WIM HOF METHOD
Dunking yourself into f reezing cold water may seem like a strange health and longevity practice. We look at why the Wim Hof Method has so many followers and the logic behind the practice.
MORE... THINGS WE LOVE Our choice of products, places and things to enhance your wellbeing journey. WANDERLUST Liberate your existence and delight your soul with a retreat, getaway or spa. BOOK REVIEWS Delve into aspects of wellbeing with our selection of recommended reads. LEARNING Enhance your knowledge by enrolling on a course. PRODUCT GUIDE Find everything you need with our guide to health and wellness products.
MEET OUR TEAM
We’ve all been working so hard to bring you another issue packed full with inspirational content – and because this is our product guide, we thought we’d introduce ourselves by telling you about the things we simply can’t live without.
SUPPORT OFFICE CONTACT Kate on 083 955 8245 Email: kate@holistica.net www.holistica.net
Robyn Wilkinson
Editor My favourite indulgence is fragrance, either patchouli oil or neroli, depending on my mood. If I had to leave the house in a total rush and could only take one thing with me, it would be a bottle of fragrance.
ADVERTISING & SALES
Kate Aitken
Marketing Strategist Shatavari, for me, is the ultimate female tonic, making me feel balanced, supported and more connected. Shatavari blended with warm water, hemp seeds, a few goji berries and a dash of coconut nectar. The sweetest bedtime elixir!
CAPE TOWN: Kate Aitken 083 955 8245 | kate@holistica.net JOHANNESBURG: Leanne Miltiadou 079 355 1531 | leanne@holistica.net
DESIGN & LAYOUT INGE SMIT
inge@ivdesign.co.za
CONTRIBUTORS: Dominica Taylor, Kevin Lentin, Kerry-Ann Aiken, Andrea White
Leanne Miltiadou
Sales & Marketing The best and only way to start my day is with turmeric and ginger tea; I’m completely hooked. This tea and walking my dog wakes me up beautifully and sets me up for a fabulous day.
Jean-Pierre Le Roux
Platform Architect I can’t wake up properly until I’ve had my bowl of cornflakes. To make my mornings even more energised, I always don a pair of pink fluffy socks.
WELLBEING . FOR EVERYONE .
Freshly ground coffee is my absolute musthave. I love thinking about the coffee bean that’s been planted, picked and roasted, and journeyed far and wide to give me the most delicious cuppa I can savour with every sip.
Kirsten Alexander
Art Director A great book is my favourite indulgence – I always have one by my side to take me on adventures, travel to new spaces and delve into beautiful lives. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a brand new book, but I usually get mine second hand.
R80 (incl. VAT)
Fran Kruger Office Manager
R68 in other countries
2019
Product Guide LISTING OVER 300 BRANDS, PRODUCTS, GETAWAYS & MORE
LONGEVITY | INSPIRATION | NUTRITION | HEALING WANDERLUST | COMMUNITY | EARTH H O L I ST I CA . N E T
Cover design: Inge Smit
CTPprinters
CAPE TOWN
Printed by CTP Cape Town Distributed by RNA
Inge Smit Designer My favourite go-to product is tea tree oil. All of the products I use daily on my skin contain it. It truly is a miracle from nature. 8 | holistica.net
Palesa Moletsane
Gauteng Ambassador I simply can’t live without fresh lemons – every day I drink hot water with lemon to energise myself and the sour kick is wonderful.
DISCLAIMER: Kindly note all our advertising material is received in good faith and we have not researched any of the content or claims made by any of our advertisers. If you are unsure of the efficacy of any of the claims made, kindly consult a professional.
Holistica’s Vision We are building an infinitely wonderful, global, multi-lingual, multi-currency platform to connect the players in the growing worldwide movement. This is with the aim of contributing towards radically enhanced personal wellness and planetary ecology through natural, sustainable and conscious means. What Holistica is now… *An online magazine platform www.holistica.net *A searchable holistic practitioner, product and places directory *A digital events newsletter sent to a growing database of 30 thousand subscribers *A wealth of holistic events nationwide *Annual print magazines, which we intend to be the most beautiful and most informative health-oriented magazine this country has ever seen! A marketing powerhouse for wellness brands. We offer social media, print ads, podcasts, campaigns, events and everything required to make your brand top of mind.
Where Holistica is going… * A powerful, sophisticated and elegant practitioner publishing, marketing and collaboration platform. Functional tools for practitioners (including product companies, associations, retreat centers, events creators and educators) to run their business online, including, booking, payment and accounting tools. Podcasting and database management. Mobile App with practitioner search and geolocation. Sophisticated revenue-sharing with practitioners. * Our own, practitioner-editable, holistically-orientated wiki—Holipedia—built on the same platform that Wikipedia runs on, but presenting authentic, accurate and credible information relative to natural health protocols. * Holistica Magazine, in digital format online. Highly functional and easy to use content generation tools with practitioner earnings generated from that. The print magazine syndicated globally including a beautiful annual hard cover collectable version with curated content from the best of the year. * Vastly scalable affiliate marketing. Product sales from within the application. Built-in social networks and forums. Our own cryptocurrency—the Holicoin—for trading onsite and with other practitioners.
How you can be involved… We have a number of exciting opportunities for collaborating with us – sharing in our vision, and sharing in our profits. From strategic partnerships, to crowdfunding opportunities, discounted services and lifetime memberships, if your heart is moved by our vision then feel free to get in contact with us.
You can read in more detail about how we can collaborate at www.holistica.net/partner
THINGS WE LOVE
Some products just make your day better. Between us, we’ve rounded up a few absolute favourites that fit right into a healthy living vibe. Get into a habit of shopping for natural earth-loving goodies and away from anything that could harm your body.
MWAH
LOOK AT ME! Camissa Organic Home Salon is definitely not your typical salon and we love hanging out there – it’s just like being at a favourite friend’s house sipping tea. It’s a beautiful space that’s clean, simple, friendly and relaxed – with organic and body friendly products. Jason is a delight and really cares about doing the very best for your hair’s individual needs, he’s a maestro that always manages to transform damaged hair. Rather than huge mirrors everywhere it feels cosy, embracing and nurturing. Camissa is a haven if you don’t want chemicals in and on your environment, and you want to feel like you are in a space of peace and tranquillity. Plus, I’ve never met anyone able to tame my frizzy locks and personally, I think he is magical. 078 100 7641 | jason@camissa.biz | 197 High Level Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
It was a wild idea at the time. A beekeeper and an artist left city life to live closer to nature in the wilds of Maine, USA. And through a serendipitous meeting, and a little leftover beeswax, Burt’s Bees® was born. It was based on the belief that nature has the best answers. And no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. We’re so excited Burt’s Bees natural beauty care is finally in South Africa. Burt’s Bees® has been offering earth-friendly, natural health and beauty care products for 30 years. They operate with The Greater Good™ top of mind. No parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS and no animal testing. As far as lip balm goes, we rely on their original recipe. Not only is beeswax filled with antioxidant-rich Vitamin E, the stimulating burst of peppermint oil is just divine. Check out Burt’s Bees Facebook or Instagram pages for a stockist near you. @BurtsBeesZA
FREE FROM STRESS I find it’s such a good thing to just practice prevention when it comes to stress. Bio-Logic Stress Control from Phyto-Force is my favourite go-to stress-immunity builder. It has energising adaptogens to neutralise fatigue and enhance mental and physical performance, and some of my favourite herbal ingredients: Rhodiola Rosea, Ashwagandha, Korean Ginseng, Astragulus, Gotu Kola, Liquorice root, Schisandra and Siberian Ginseng. By improving adrenal gland health, we equip our bodies to manage stress more effectively. What more could anyone want? 031 766 0150 | www.phyto-force.co.za
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SWEET WATER Take a cue from the ancients. It’s an Ayurvedic practise to store water in copper vessels, which not only purifies, alkalises and ionises water, but also gives it a smooth feel and clean taste. Once you’ve used a Coppa Wellness water bottle or tank, you won’t want your water any other way. Pure and simple, we also love the elegance and class of the bottles. Follow the custom of reverence for the water you drink by putting flowers on your tank and giving blessings as you pour.
We have a special 10% discount for Holistica readers ordering online from www.coppawellness.com Simply log on to their website and add the code: HolisticalovesCoppa at check-out. www.coppawellness.com hello@coppawellness.com 072 222 2191
BEHIND THE BRAND
RED ESPRESSO J
ust under 20 years ago, it wasn’t easy to live a fully healthy life and still maintain a social lifestyle – going out for a meal or a coffee meant you probably had to stick to water and eat at home later. That’s what Monique Ethelston found when she began her journey in wellbeing. Aside from having to become pretty creative in the kitchen, what she missed the most was hanging out with friends at coffee shops. She was frustrated at the lack of healthy choices everywhere and when Monique and her husband Pete were introduced to the concept of a rooibos espresso, she immediately got excited. That was 14 years ago and within a very short space of time, Red Espresso burst onto the café culture scene. The tea used is farmed on the highest plateaus of the Cederberg mountains, where it grows naturally as nature dictates and develops its strong, bold, rich taste.
The road to wellness is paved with colour and fun Launching a product that sounds like coffee but is in actual fact tea comes with a few challenges however – and educating consumers was the toughest part. To test out how to position Red Espresso effectively, Monique and Pete entered two different competitions, one in the coffee space and one in the tea space – and came away none the wiser because they won both; as Best New Specialty Product 2008 at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s flagship show, and as one of the top ten new products globally at the World Tea Expo. Monique says, “We know what we are now, and so do our many fans – we are a very sexy alternative to coffee that enhances and boosts your wellbeing without negatively impacting your lifestyle. Choosing health doesn’t
mean giving up great taste, style and having fun.” That health boost is quite something too – one shot of Red Espresso has the same amount of antioxidants as 10 cups of rooibos tea, which is down to the way in which the tea is ground, as well as the way it’s brewed, coffee-style. It’s no wonder consumers report feeling energized and uplifted after their shot. For health seekers who need to cut down on their caffeine, the switch to Red Espresso is an easy choice, especially as it can be made with the same equipment you’d use for your coffee (at home or in a café) – whether it’s the finely ground leaves or in a pod. Your favourite barista will also still be able to get creative and proffer up a gorgeous foam-art red cappuccino.
NEW RED ESPRESSO SUPERFOOD LATTE MIXES beet
matcha
turmeric
021 863 1060 | www.redespresso.co.za
Red Espresso has been completely embraced by health-seekers, and new products have been added to enhance the power of rooibos even further. A lot of time and energy goes into creating authentic products made from real, simple and pure ingredients of the highest quality. There’s the option of smoothie powder to give fans their antioxidant boost even without the coffee-style drink, as well as the latest non-rooibos products: superfood latte’s (beetroot, turmeric or matcha) and the new vegan spiced chai options, giving you even more reasons to linger in a café or relax with your favourite café-style drink at home, well into the afternoon and evening. But it’s not just consumers who are jumping out of bed each morning with a special spring in their step – Red Espresso also has the Seeds of Hope programme, re-igniting the historical rooibos farming communities in the upper Cederberg by assisting them with seed, transport, ploughing equipment and agricultural know-how – in short, drastically improving both their production capabilities and their route to market. Whether you’re one of the first fans who are stuck on the Red Cappuccino or Red Latte, or are keen to try out some of the newer offerings, you can find it all online from Red Espresso or at Woolworths and @Home stores.
THINGS WE LOVE
GET KINKY Curly tops rejoice – Inoar’s new range of Afro-Vegan products developed specifically with afro, natural, kinky, coily, curly hair in mind has arrived. It’s cruelty free and vegan-friendly filled with highly effective ingredients like shea butter, a powerful moisturiser that ensures suppleness and vitamin-E rich castor oil that replenishes nutrients, seals the cuticles and hydrates in the most radiant way. Use this natural range of Shampoo, Conditioner, Leave-in and Wetting Oil to start a love affair with your hair. www.inoar.co.za
SUPER IMMUNITY We’re always on the lookout for the latest, most innovative wholefood supplements to take our wellbeing to the next level. Conscious supplementation informed by nature’s wisdom and supported by modern science is a great starting point. It’s also what led us to choose AHCC (active hexose correlated compound) from Coyne Healthcare. Derived from the Shittake mushroom, AHCC is considered one of Japan’s ultimate immune boosting superfood supplements. AHCC powerfully tackles free radicals and facilitates optimal immune system function. Research shows it significantly increases Natural Killer (NK) cell activity and has garnered high interest in efficient and potent support for anyone undergoing chemotherapy. It is rich in alpha-glucans, which increase absorption and bioavailability – pretty important as you only want to take supplements if they actually work. Keep an eye on this one, it’s likely to spread its spores! www.coyne-healthcare.com
HEARTFELT OASIS It seems counterintuitive to discover a gorgeous oasis in the heart of bustling Johannesburg. Conveniently situated between Rosebank and Sandton, Melrose Place offers a warm welcome to holidaymakers and business travellers alike. Deluxe en-suite accommodation surrounded by giant trees provides a beautiful private sanctuary. Lounge around the swimming pool or explore the expansive garden and bird life between trips into the city. Look forward to a nourishing homemade breakfast spread before starting your day. Evening meals can be arranged on request. Additional facilities include secure parking, complimentary gym access, Wi Fi and conference rooms. Melrose Place definitely provides the yin to the yang! Mention HOLISTICA
and receive a special 15% reader discount when booking directly. Contact: info@melroseplace.co.za or +27 11 442 5231 www.melroseplace.co.za
RAWBIOTICS After trying many different probiotics on the market, I fell in love with Rawbiotics. It’s a live liquid form that doesn’t require freeze drying to survive (unlike many others). From their extensive range servicing a variety of needs my personal favourite is the Rawbiotics GUT correct. Focused on supporting the gastro-intestinal tract, it includes healing herbal extracts including Slippery Elm and Rose Hip. Twelve strains and multiple classes of live beneficial bacteria are fermented for 21 days. Beyond inputting the ‘good guys’ into the body, fermentation produces byproducts, including enzymes vital for optimal digestion. Fermentation as a process to make nutrients more bio-available in the body, is an ancient health practice used by cultures the world over. Probiotics are required daily for good gut health, and especially helpful for digestive or skin disorders including bloating, IBS, eczema and acne. Available nationwide at all leading health stores. Give it a try and let us know what you think! 031 266 2935 | info@saem.co.za | www.efficientmicrobes.co.za
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BEHIND THE BRAND
HEMPORIUM I
t’s always exciting to find a company with a truly ethical backbone. Hemporium is one that stands out when it comes to walking their talk. Born out of a desire to positively impact the environment and educate the world about the numerous benefits of hemp – for people and the planet – Hemporium remains true to what it stood for since it began in 1996. As founder, Duncan Parker, who comes from a long line of environmentalists says, “Our passion is broader than hemp; it’s about bringing change to the way people treat the planet and hemp is a tool that people can use to do this. Whether you’re building with hemp, wearing it or eating it, hemp enables you to shrink your carbon footprint. We try to be pioneering – ensuring that we have a triple bottom line approach that doesn’t just focus on profit, but on people and our planet in equal measure.”
A sustainable and earthfriendly crop for nutrition, healthcare, building materials and textiles, hemp is a highly versatile plant that’s been used for millennia. Legislation in South Africa has prevented the cultivation of hemp and while regulations have changed and will continue to change, it’s still not all that viable to grow hemp locally. Since it’s inception, Hemporium has been involved in lobbying for the change, as well as creating trial cultivation projects that have served as important research for the Department of Health and Agriculture. It’s not just about nutrition, either – Director Tony Budden proved another aspect of hemp’s incredible versatility by championing Hemporium’s
efforts in successfully building a low carbon-footprint hemp house in Cape Town. When it comes to textiles, an area that Hemporium’s Managing Director Philippa Mohr is widely knowledgeable and passionate about, the properties of hemp far exceed cotton. It’s three times stronger than cotton and because of its hollow fibre, it has heat regulating properties and is anti-bacterial. It’s also UV resistant. Hemp is considered the earliest plant cultivated for textile fibre – archaeologists have found remnants of hemp cloth in ancient Mesopotamia as far back as 8,000 BC. Access to such an extraordinary raw material has established Hemporium as South Africa’s largest supplier of organic fabrics. It also drives the people and design-centred aspect of the business.
“Hemp becomes a story for the people who work with it. We’ve been blessed to be part of the growth of many businesses and delight in seeing the creativity ignited by hemp’s extraordinary qualities. It’s exciting to be an integral part in creating an environmentally aware industry,” says Philippa.
Hemporium also partners with various manufacturers that provide hemp-based cosmetics, home-ware, nutritional products (from CBD oil and hemp protein to coffee), and accessories in addition to the apparel and textiles. With over 2000 products available, all made within the Cape Town area, Hemporium’s footprint might be seriously local, but their impact is much broader.
Hemporium collaborates with designers to create beautiful and sustainable clothing, bags, hats and a range of other textile-based products. Local designers use up about 60% of the raw textiles while the balance is uniquely crafted into Hemporium’s own brand label. This collaboration enables Hemprorium to bring gorgeous apparel to the world, and importantly, it’s helped spark numerous small manufacturing businesses.
Hemporium, 15 Bell Crescent, Westlake Business Park, CapeTown, South Africa. +27 21 702 4988. www.hemporium.com
THINGS WE LOVE
BETTER WITH BAOBAB This certified organic baobab oil is wildharvested in the Limpopo, where only 10% of the fallen fruit is collected making sure it is sustainable with no trees harmed. Baobab has innate healing qualities with noticeable soothing and repairing effects. The Radiant blend is deeply moisturising with added Jojoba to increase elasticity, and protective pomegranate for UV cover. It’s targeted towards retaining youthful skin and is one of my personal favourite beauty secrets. I am a total believer in using oil on my skin, baobab absorbs perfectly and just feels right. www.baocare.co.za
MAKE YOUR LIFE WORK
I became fascinated by the concept of coaching almost a decade ago. A few courses later and an ever-growing sense of curiosity, I feel I’ve finally found ‘a course for life’. Peter King’s ‘Making Lives Work’ does what it says. Imagine a life more fluid and lived with more integrity and ease. With the right tools, processes and support it’s not only possible, it’s certain. This course will transform you and your life, relationships and business. And if you choose, will set you up as a life coach in your own right to ‘Make Lives Work’ for others. The course is described as ‘the manual to life’ and is continuously changing lives for the better. See course dates at www.peterking.co.za. Reference HOLISTICA to receive a special discount offer.
BOLSTER YOUR PRACTICE MORNING MEDICINE Ancient Aztecs, magic Mayans, holy beans, ceremonial healing… I’ve never come across a bean with more accolades than cacao. It’s the superfood with illuminating and spiritual properties. Perhaps it’s the seductive taste that lures you into a transformative high, I’m not too sure but all I know is that it’s our Holistica staff morning medicine. Our version of heaven is two pieces of Superfood’s raw organic cacao, one date, and a heaped teaspoon of coconut pieces added to a cup of boiled water and blended to a hot chocolately ending. Yum. The path to bliss is definitely paved with chocolate. In love with Soaring Free Superfoods! www.superfoods.co.za
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Deepen your yoga practice with these 100% cotton bolsters from Billy the Bee. Toxin free and eco- friendly, these firm yet soft props are the ultimate accessory for the modern day yogi. Used as part of a restorative practice and essential for a Yin class, the bolster is typically placed under the length of the spine to support the expansion of the lungs. Placed under the knees, it’s also a popular companion in shavasana or ‘corpse pose’. Comfortably surrender at the end of your practice and allow yourself to be gently guided into meditation. Order yours from www.billythebee.com
GOOD DECISIONS GOODWoodstock is a fabulous new innovation in Cape Town. Every time we choose to work from there it gets our creative juices flowing. It’s based on sustainable business practice and has everything we might need all in one space. From a fabulous food hall to package free groceries, yoga, meeting rooms, and open air or private workspaces, the environment ushers in a conscious lifestyle. It even has a handy bicycle stand for carbon-friendly transport adherents. Made up of the layers — GOODWork, GOODFood, GOODBalance and the GOODStore — GOOD strives to consider the environment, what sustainable business practice looks like, its impact on people and communities and what it means to live a conscious life. GOODWoodstock, is GOOD’s proof of concept, found on the ground floor of the historical Iron Works building in the heart of Woodstock. Trading hours: Monday - Saturday | 8am - 9pm Address: GOODWoodstock, 242 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town Contact: connect@peopleofgood.com, 061 606 9114 www.peopleofgood.com
Sleep: our best nutrient
As Patrick Holford says, we have gone from homo sapiens into homo fatigus; with fatigue being such a prevailing factor in so many people’s lives. A hundred years ago we slept 8-9 hours a night, now we average 6-7. Yet sleep plays an essential role in good health and well-being throughout life. Having sufficient deep sleep supports our mental and physical health, and quality of life. A good day, starts the night before! A good night’s sleep is the greatest reward for the efforts of the day passed, and the best way to prepare for the following day. The way we feel while awake depends in part on what happens while we're sleeping. During sleep, our body works to support healthy brain function and maintain our physical health. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps you function well throughout the day. Also, in children and teens, sleep helps their growth and development. Injury from sleep deficiency can be harmful over time. Continuous lack of sleep can increase chronic health risks and affect learning and memory. Sleep quality influences how well we work and get along with others, as well as metabolism and weight. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by altering the levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
HANDCRAFTE D BEDS MADE OF
natural materials SINCE 1989
About COCO-MAT Established in 1989, today COCO-MAT is well recognised as a leader in natural sleep products. They are committed to manufacturing the best beds in the world in the most sustainable way possible. COCO-MAT beds consist of multiple layers of natural materials, providing optimal, elastic support to the human body, without the use of metal springs. All products are made from natural materials from renewable sources, such as coco fibre, natural rubber, wool, cotton, sea grass, horsehair, silk, linen, wood and goose down. In COCO-MAT we share the common dream of offering blissful sleep to every person who sleeps on our beds, our pillows and mattresses. Every time you wake up happy, after a deep, restful sleep, you make our dream come true.
*P o p in t o t h e COCO-M AT s t o re wi t h y o ur H o l i s t i ca ma g a zin e a n d re c e iv e a fre e g if t p er f ect f o r chi l l y d ay s .
1 5 Or a n g e S t , G a rd e n s , C a p e To w n , 8 0 0 1 | 0 2 1 4 2 2 1 1 2 2 w w w. c o c o - m a t .c o m
FLOWERS & FRAGRANCES
While walking in the silence of nature I realise I too, am a part of it. The essence of it runs through my blood. I can see it, touch it, taste it, hear it, be it. But oh, to smell it to inhale the sweet intoxication of its perfume, this is surely a gift laid forth by the gods. And so it is, and so it has been.
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THE WORLD OF For centuries fragrances, perfumes and natural essences have been revered as sacred, healing, and pleasure-giving and while the method of manufacture may have evolved, our intense relationship with fragrance is unchanged. Through sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell we expand conscious awareness, explore our natural kingdoms and make sense of our existence. Scents have been used for millennia to access alternative realms and connect with God in the form of flowers, leaves, wood, roots, spices and resins made into incense, oils, powders, perfumes
and essential oils. Some of the most powerful f ragrances come f rom essential oils – they provide us with the opportunity to experience the life force, the very blood, of the plant f rom which it is extracted or distilled. In fact, the word Chemistry comes f rom the Greek word chemia, which means ‘plant juice’.
BY K ERRY-A NN A IK EN PHOTO S HIRENE LE ROUX
FLOWERS & FRAGRANCES
THE ESSENCE OF SMELL Essence is used to describe the intrinsic nature or vital quality of something. It also refers to an extract or concentrate f rom a plant or other matter, generally referencing its f ragrance. In mediaeval philosophy, ‘essence’ refers to an unattainable, elusive, inner content of a person or thing – something unseen. Yet, through smell we access this elusive inner world and allow it to inform our conscious and subconscious mind. That is the true power and magic of f ragrances.
NOSE-SENSE Our olfactory receptors have important interconnections with memory, language and areas of the brain related to the autonomic nervous system. The impression of smell usually travels f rom the temporal lobe (the part of the brain beneath the temples) to the thalamus, where it is forwarded to other parts of the brain for perception. The thalamus sends the signals to the orbital f rontal cortex, which mediates our conscious perception of the scent we are inhaling – this is when we actually smell the aroma. The thalamus also redirects the scents to the:
Hypothalamus:
This is where our hormones are activated. It affects our fight or flight response and our rest and digest process. Hippocampus: This is where memory is stored. Here smells can be compared against associated memories. Amygdala: This is our emotional processing system. Here smell is tied to emotionality, memory and conscious perception.
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ANCIENT SCENTS There are beautiful and mysterious stories behind perfume and f ragrance. Persian royalty was often depicted with perfume bottles in hand; France’s King Louis XV and his perfume court f ragranced everything f rom furniture and gloves to clothing; and Pliny the Elder intricately documented perfume recipes in his book Natural History, also warning that too much perfume wasn’t wise considering a particular disgraced aristocrat was caught in his hiding place because his pursuers managed to sniff him out. History records the first perfume maker as a woman named Tapputi f rom Mesopotamia. When ancient Egyptians invented glass, the most common use was for perfume bottles. The Egyptian god of perfume, Nefertum was shown as wearing a headdress of water lilies, a major perfume ingredient at that time. But the creation of perfume was worldwide – f rom Persia to India and China, each civilisation had their own way of making and using perfume. With trading as well as wars, perfume recipes and methods were shared and spread, and over the course of history, refined and further developed.
YOUR SCENT Despite what perfumers may attest to, fine f ragrances are not actually the most exquisite scent when it comes to olfactory perception and unconscious mind. There is another fragrance, a natural essence that each individual has as unique to themselves - a personal identification in the form of a distinctive scent. It’s the scent we emit to announce ourselves and attract an appropriate partner. Fragrance analysts and scientists confirm that the natural odour emitted by the body holds the key to sexual attraction. Many perfume houses acknowledge that perfumes should complement and not banish our natural smell. Besides that, drenching ourselves with f ragrances and perfumes can cause chaos in our chemical communication system. Pheromones act as chemical messengers and subliminally signal important passion-alerting information to potential mates. Androstenone, found in human sweat and also used in perfume, is another of the odour ingredients accused of hotwiring the sex index. The 2006 film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, depicts this beautifully by following a young man with an incredible sense of smell who sets off to distil a perfume f rom the fragrances of 13 women.
This woman-loving, scent-driven, highly sensitised perfumer understood that, ‘the soul of beings is their scent.’ A pheromone is a scent that is produced and released into the environment by an animal, especially an insect or mammal. This scent affects the physiology or behaviour of others within its species. Every human being also emits their own scent, which is completely personal and unique to them. Although there seems to be a stigma surrounding the aeration of personal scent, it’s perfectly natural and something to be embraced. What harm could come f rom embracing your essence, which is a vital part of your identity? The next time you’re with a possible suitor, allow your personal f ragrance to permeate the room, and you will soon see if he or she is a suitable match. When it comes to basic biology, it is said that the scent we emit is predetermined and comes f rom the same genes that determine our body’s tissue type. Doctor Michael Gozin of Tel Aviv University’s School of Chemistry is currently working with a team to break down the components of human body odour. They propose that this may one day be used as a new kind of identification, a chemical fingerprint per se.
Did you know? The power of scent is being used to transport people on a journey into the past. At the Jorvik Viking Centre in New York, a museum with more than 14 million visitors a year, a stench is pumped into the building to give visitors a true simulation of what the Viking era would have smelled like – and yes this includes the scents that were found in the toilet and village.
FLOWERS & FRAGRANCES
A FRAGRANT WORLD Throughout the ages, scents and essences have been used to enhance emotional, mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Woods, resins, incenses, powders and spices have been used to promote clarity, aid in healing and symptomatic release, and inspire moods and memories. Over the years the extraction process has grown to include flower essences and aromatherapy. Flower essences were first developed in the 1930s by Doctor Edward Bach. By capturing the soul and essence of specific wildflowers, he was able to create remedies to enhance health and wellness. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, stated that “the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.” He recognised, as far back as the fourth century BC, that aromatic substances could be burnt to offer protection against contagious diseases. Essential oils and aromatherapy have long been proven effective medicinally and to improve health. They possess stimulating, detoxifying, antidepressant, antibacterial, antiviral and calming properties. Not only that, but every essential oil is able to capture the unique healing properties of the plant f rom which it was distilled. They are, in essence, nature’s medicine.
For instance, Rose Absolute has often been used to open up the heart to love and for issues relating to hormones, menstruation and emotions. Lavender essential oil is used to reduce anxiety and emotional stress and help heal burns and wounds. Tea Tree is used as an antiseptic and immune stimulant, and Peppermint to relieve itchiness, repel bugs and reduce nausea.
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DID YOU NOSE? Our olfactory sense is unique to the other senses. It’s the only one that travels directly to the forebrain without going to the thalamus first. In fact, it goes in reverse to the processing path the other senses take. The word perfume, or ‘per fumum’, means through the smoke. Initially perfumes were in the form of incense mostly used to connect to the realms of the gods and heavens. There are approximately 10 million smell receptors in the nose allowing us to identify an incredible one trillion different smells. Smell is the first sense to develop. It develops in the womb, and when we are born it is already fully formed and functioning. Between 75 – 95% of flavour is influenced by the sense of smell. Without being able to smell the food we eat, it becomes difficult to differentiate between the tastes of different food. The scent each nostril experiences projects onto separate sides of the brain. The right nostril corresponds to the right side of the brain and the left nostril to the left. This allows us to simultaneously smell two odours in a type of ‘peaceful rivalry’ between nostrils.
Barks and resins used to awaken the participant, and bring the unconscious workings of the mind to a conscious level, include Frankincense, Myrrh and Agar Wood.
The ancient Egyptians used Frankincense during the embalming process. When the tomb of the famous Tutankhamen was opened in 1922, thousands of artefacts were discovered, including sealed flasks of Frankincense oil. When opened, the scent was just as powerful as before, even after 3000 years.
If Frankincense doesn’t tickle your nose, you may want to try Oud, or Agar Wood - one of the most precious f ragrant substances on earth, with a value surpassing gold. The resinous heartwood is produced f rom the trees of the genus Aquilaria malaccensis. Agar wood is created when the tree is infected by a fungus. To protect itself, it creates a resin that slowly saturates the tree for up to 100 years. This results in a dark heartwood with a divine f ragrance – a f ragrance that Shakyamuni Buddha called the 'Scent of Nirvana'. Many believe Agar wood contains the positive life energy (Qi) of expansion, growth, nourishment, new beginnings and health.
ABOUT KERRY
Kerry is a full-time writer and editor, and Marketing Manager at an essential oils company. She has her Bachelors in Journalism and her Honours in English Literature. She’s a free spirit and social butterfly with a love for life, people, and adventures. Her writing is inspired by the natural kingdoms and she lives on a piece of earthly paradise in Benoni in a small cabin. Planting a forest, dancing amongst the flowers, and creating enchantment with labyrinths and walkways are favourite pursuits. Email: kerrykillen@gmail.com
SOiL Organic Aromatherapy 100% pure and certified organic essential oils visit us on www.soil.co.za for more information
FLOWERS & FRAGRANCES
A NOTE ABOUT FRAGRANCE When choosing or evaluating a perfume, it’s important to know it has three notes that make up the overall odour impression. If you aren’t wild about the very first encounter, hang on and let the full expression play out through all three notes before you make a decision. A fine perfume is like a melody, soft and gentle, upbeat and festive or anything in between. They’re made up of top, middle and base notes that together compose a symphony of beautiful scents designed to entangle and dance together as they enchant the recipient with their magic. As soon as the f ragrance lands, the top note is released. It’s normally fleeting and then followed by the middle and base notes, destined to amplify the magic even further.
1
Top Notes The top note or opening note tells the story of the fragrance. It is the first impression you get and is usually f resh and light. These are the notes that intrigue and entice, and their main purpose is to create a stage for the middle notes to appear. The top notes usually evaporate in about 10 minutes, leaving the middle and base notes to take over.
2
WATER CREAMY/EDIBLE FRUIT
Middle Notes
GREEN
The middle note, sometimes called the heart note, makes up anywhere f rom 40 – 80% of the total scent. They take the stage when the top notes have exited.
These include neroli, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, geranium, lemongrass, coriander and nutmeg. The middle notes are intended to captivate and beguile the user into a mind-altering dance of memory. They are usually balancing, mellow and pleasant.
Base Notes The middle and base notes generally work together to enhance the scent and create a full-bodied f ragrance. They comprise about 10 – 25% of the total aroma. The base notes are the last notes to leave the user’s skin and their ultimate goal is to create a lasting impression. They appear after everything else has evaporated and can linger up to several days. Common base inclusions are balsams, resins, tobacco, sandalwood, cedarwood, amber, patchouli, vanilla, oak moss and musk.
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CITRUS
They include citrus, f ruity, minty, and herbaceous scents. Some examples include lavender, sage, orange, bergamot and ginger.
Middle notes take about two hours to evaporate and are usually made of spicy, floral, aquatic, woody, or green scents.
3
CLEAN
HERBAL LIGHT FLORAL HEAVY FLORAL SMOKE/INCENSE ROSE SPICE
ANIMALISTIC/LEATHER VANILLA CHOCOLATE WOOD EARTH MUSK
FLOWERS & FRAGRANCES
Breathe in nature’s perfume Stand in the centre of a lush tropical forest, right after the rains. Close your eyes and allow the dappled light to bathe your face in a gentle glow. Inhale deeply. Feel the rich colours of woody, verdant, or spicy green essences permeate your mind. Can you sense the mossy undertones and floral notes that dance amongst them, like leaves gently swaying in the breeze? Let the aromas bring life, memory and expansion to your consciousness. Just as the air you breathe brings life and form to your being, so these scents bring life to the forest. They are the very essence, the being, of the forest and are freely available to be experienced by anyone walking by.
FLOWERS & FRAGRANCES
FLOWER WATER Create a blend of lavender and rose water and use it around your home, in your laundry, as a spritzer and anywhere else you may desire.
LAVENDER English lavender has an incredibly heady scent with oils that are easily extracted. It’s commonly found in South Af rica making it an obvious choice to use as a household f ragrance. Pick a few bunches of fresh lavender – enough for two tablespoons of buds. Boil half a cup of water and once boiled, pour over the buds in a bowl. Cover the bowl and allow to steep for a few hours or overnight. Once cooled, strain the water into a spray bottle. Spray on linen just before ironing to infuse a subtle scent that will help you drift off to sleep. Add to your rinsing water when washing floors – lavender has antiseptic properties and will contribute to the cleaning properties while making your house smell f resh and aromatic.
“Flowers are the music of the ground, from earth’s lips spoken without sound” ~ Edwin Curran
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ROSE If you are privileged to have access to an heirloom rose bush, you’ll notice the intoxicating f ragrance – use those petals for your rose water. Use them dry or fresh, although fresh petals offer a strong scent. Use a cup of fresh petals and place in a pot of two cups of water. Cover and gently bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the petals become almost translucent; this will take around 10 minutes. Cool and strain through cheesecloth into a dark-coloured bottle. Rose has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which is why it’s often used in beauty products. You can use your rose water as a skin toner, or a gentle f ragrance for your laundry, much like lavender water.
REVEAL THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF YOUR HAIR! Our vegan and sulfate-free range is formulated using vegetable oils such as Coconut Olive Macadamia Argan & Wheat Germ oil which stimulate hair growth whilst also hydrating & sealing the cuticles of your hair.
Caring for your hair with
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
BEAUTY UNCOVERED
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Beaut y UNMASKED Is your morning beauty routine a quick cover-up or a nurturing ritual?
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit” ~ E.E. Cummings BY K IRSTEN A LEXA NDER PHOTO MA RK MOOK
BEAUTY UNCOVERED
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It’s about truth. It’s about revealing yourself and feeling confident enough to be exposed.
Deeply nourishing moisturisation
With today’s culture of lauding everything youthful, we don’t always manage to embrace the truth of beauty, which is authentic, open and encompassing. The very words ‘makeup’ imply that we are making something up, creating a fiction – but beauty is so much more than blemish-f ree skin and outlined eyes; it’s about expressing the core of who you are, your loves and passions, your sacrifices, hurts and desires. It’s about truth. It’s about revealing yourself and feeling confident enough to be exposed. To find truth, you need to open up to it and embrace it. Which is why the best beauty rituals are those that are mindful, active, nurturing and sensory.
Unmasked
The language of most make-up has put a slightly shameful spin on women’s beauty – f rom ‘cover-up’ to ‘concealer’, women are given the impression that what they have just doesn’t quite make the cut. To truly nurture yourself and bring your beauty to the fore, you need to feel confident and comfortable with what you look like. Sayings abound about true beauty being on the inside, but there aren’t many that explain that how you feel on the inside actually makes a big difference to how you look on the outside.
For those times when your skin is dry and thirsting for extra attention and care. BaoCare Tissue Oil is a skin balm that penetrates deeply to feed your skin, reducing the appearance of stretch marks and scarring. This blend of Baobab and Vitamin E is the perfect partner for your skin – always caring, always nourishing.
What science does know, however, is that people who exude health are generally seen as more attractive, no matter what age they are. Beauty truly does start on the inside, but it’s not necessarily down to being pure of heart and kind – it’s got a lot to do with your state of health. Start with the inside and your beauty routine will rely more on your inner glow than your ‘cover up’ cream. The term ‘beauty esteem’ relates to your natural features (which is genetic), how you take care of yourself with health and grooming and how you feel about how you look. There are so many different beauty standards around the world, and everyone is an individual. Being able to embrace your physical individuality and focus on the aspects of yourself you love goes a long way towards giving you the confidence that allows your true beauty to dominate.
Lightly fragranced with pure, natural essential oils, our BaoCare Promise means there are no artificial ingredients, additives, colourants or fragrances in any of our products.
Healing Skin Naturally Tissue Oil is part of the BaoCare Healing Skin Care range. Available online at www.baocare.co.za and in all good health and wellness
BEAUTY UNCOVERED
It’s all in the Ritual
Serums or creams can be greatly enhanced when applied with love and an attitude of self-nurture. As you smooth on your favourite hand or body cream, take time to notice and consider what your body does for you every single day. Learn to fully appreciate every line, bump or imperfection as a testament to what life has served up to you and the way in which you have journeyed through it. Much has been written about women learning to embrace their post-pregnancy stretch marks by celebrating the incredible miracle of creation they represent. Any mark or wrinkle on your skin represents creation as well – the creation of your life’s journey. When it comes to finding products that work, it really is more about what works for you. Because everyone is an individual, a particular blend of ingredients that work for a f riend may not be ideal for you. Where you can, get samples of products to use before buying the whole lot so you can experience the feel, smell and action of it. While women around the world and for centuries have sworn by specific beauty secrets, f rom pearl powder in China to Argan oil in Morocco, the most important ingredient in your beauty ritual is selfacceptance and celebration.
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Being Naked
As with most things in life, there’s no black and white rule on what you ‘should’ be doing when it comes to beauty rituals. While celebrities around the world are showing up with naked faces to promote natural beauty, that doesn’t mean you have to throw away your entire make-up bag to be considered natural. If wearing mascara helps you to feel good about yourself and enhances your eyes in a way that’s pleasing to you, then keep using it, especially if you find a natural, organic mascara product.
When buying any skincare, grooming or make-up products, always look for organic, natural ingredients. Everyone knows by now to avoid parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, f ragrance, triclosan, DEA & TEA, formaldehyde, oxybenzone and the like. It’s vital to ensure that the products say either 100% organic or 100% natural. If the label just says organic or natural, it’s likely the product may only contain a small percentage of natural or organic ingredients, bumped up with toxins or chemicals.
Looking after yourself, making grooming a regular occurrence, eating a balanced diet, consistent exercise and using all natural, all organic ingredients will shift the orientation towards exposing who you really are rather than covering up bits of yourself you deem unacceptable.
BEAUTY UNCOVERED
Good morning * * * * * *
Take a few deep breaths and indulge in a glass of pure water to wake your brain and up your hydration – add lemon for an extra boost Slip into child’s pose to open your hips and stretch out your back muscles Meditate for 10 minutes to centre and feel yourself. Greet your body and soul in the morning with a smile – smiling activates uplifting muscles in your face, and if you smile at yourself in the mirror, your brain gets the same warm and fuzzy cues it would if a good f riend were smiling at you. Awaken your skin with cold water (try a full body cold shower before turning the water to warm to wake up your skin and senses) Pat yourself dry and allow your awakened skin to breathe and absorb.
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BEHIND THE BRAND
SIMPLY BEE T
his is a story infused with love. In the 1950’s, a young man was given a bee hive as a wedding gift f rom his father; this sparked a life-long interest and passion for bee-keeping. But the story doesn’t end there – on return from a time in America where she researched propolis and all things bee, among other activities such as interior design, Simply Bee owner Helena returned home and fell in love with an old school f riend, Pierre, who just happened to be her father’s protégé in terms of bee keeping. Helena and Pierre married soon after and, still tending the bees, he remains an integral part of the Simply Bee story. While their match was certainly made in a hive, Helena was determined to create more than honey f rom the bees left to her by her father.
“I grew up with honey in my veins and I always had a deep respect and passion for the bees. After my return home, I began experimenting with propolis and beeswax.” Helena has a highly sensitive skin and had always battled to find products she could use. Because honey is naturally antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic and is known to assist in new cell growth, Helena knew she could create something that would work for her skin. She was right. “I experimented in my kitchen, creating products and making small batches (and a mess), which I would give to my friends. The products worked exceptionally well and quickly became very popular. On the advice of my business mentor, an old friend of my father’s, I made sure I’d mastered the art of creation before actively marketing Simply Bee.” The first product was successfully mastered on 22nd March 2011 and word soon got around. Helena’s anti-septic balm, quickly followed by lip balm and
hand cream was a huge success. While Helena has moved out of her kitchen, she still ensures that every batch is made by hand – as is the labelling. “We keep it very local – we employ local people only in our business and salon, and our bees live in fynbos surroundings (with no other farmers, and subsequently, no poisons anywhere near them) and we do everything we can to ensure their lives are not only peaceful, but also well documented.”
Simply Bee are very careful with their bees, never harvesting royal jelly or pollen and they don’t ever move the hives around as this causes stress for the bees. On her favourite product, Helena says it’s her serum, “It’s beautifully absorbent; we mix the propolis with sweet almond oil, which is the closest you can get to natural skin oils, as well as neroli.” Simply Bee is a story infused with love and passion – for bees, the earth and for making products that honour the little creatures.
At Simply Bee in Hopefield, you can also visit the observation bee hive, to see bees live in action, making the elixir that is so fundamental to our health. Helena’s daughter, Heidi has written a series of books entitled Stella the Bee, educational story books to teach both children and adults about the importance of bees to the world. “Every third mouthful of food you eat is there because of a bee,” says Helena.
Simply Bee, 31A Church Street, Hopefield, Western Cape. 022 723 0569
ORGANIC
Organic is not a ‘thing’ it is not a product. It is a philosophy: a way of thought and a way of living, based on the awareness that everything is connected and everything is in a relationship with everything else.
ILLUSTRATION: pngtree.com
~Vandana Shiva
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T HE N ATU R E O F
ORGANIC Giving your body the best and most natural experience of
health means choosing products that are organic and chemical free. Discover what it really means to go organic as we unpack certification, plant intelligence, product compliancy and more.
Navigating natural life means embracing all things organic, but how do you know what to look out for? BY K IRSTEN A LEXA NDER
ORGANIC
Nature is there for the taking, and picking, and eating. It gives us all the nutrients and healing powers required to live a long, full, healthy life. A very wellknown quote, attributed to Hippocrates (some think erroneously) is ‘let food be thy medicine’ – but, if your food is not as nature intended, it’s likely to do more harm than good. Hippocrates was living in a time when adulterated food simply didn’t exist (370 BC). The food you eat today certainly isn’t Hippocrates’ food, in fact, it’s not even the same as your grandmother’s food. For so long now, humans have been offered up chemically enhanced produce that may look beautiful, but simply doesn’t allow a full infusion of nature’s best. Organic products both food and body products are vital, then, to help restore our relationship with nature’s power and sustain a healthy life.
Nature’s intelligence is instilled in what it produces – food is filled with unique combinations of trace elements, fats, carbohydrates, fibre, sugar, vitamins and minerals. If It’s chemically ‘enhanced’, this balance is interrupted and the natural life force is lost. Non-organic farming methods use all number of chemicals to increase yield – f rom synthetic pesticides, roundup herbicides (one of the most common herbicides, with the main ingredient Glyphosate, known to be carcinogenic), hexane (a poisonous derivative of crude oil, commonly used to assist in extracting oil f rom seeds and nuts), sewage sludge to growth-promoting antibiotics and drug residues from ractopamine (additive in livestock feed banned in numerous countries around the world).
DID YOU KNOW: Organic milk and meat have around 50% more omega-3 fatty acids than their non-organic counterparts?i
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THE INTELLIGENCE OF PLANTS While organic doesn’t just apply to plants, their intelligence is a great way of explaining why leaving your nutrition up to nature is a good idea. Plants have to have a unique intelligence because they can’t get up and move if conditions don’t suit them. Because of this, what biologists call ‘sessile lifestyle’, plants have an extensive and highly nuanced understanding of their immediate environment. Plants have between fifteen and twenty distinct senses, which include the human senses of smell and taste (responding to chemicals in the air or on their bodies), sight (different reactions to wavelengths of light and shadow), touch (roots know when they encounter something solid), and sound. Chemical ecologist Heidi Appel played a recording of a caterpillar munching on a leaf to a plant that hadn’t been touched by a caterpillar. The untouched plant’s genetic machinery was primed to produce defence chemicals. Other experiments have shown plant roots growing towards buried pipes, even when the exterior of the pipe was dry, indicating that the plant can hear the sound of flowing water. Anyone who has spent time in the bush with a guide will know about how trees protect themselves against over-grazing. When a giraffe, for example, is eating at one tree, that tree begins to produce tannins that make its leaves bitter. But it doesn’t end there, the tree tells other trees in its immediate vicinity to be defensive, and they also begin to produce tannins.
The giraffe then moves on further to begin grazing other trees. Scientists are only just beginning to fully understand the true intelligence of trees. A recent best-selling book, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, written by German forester and author, Peter Wohlleben, outlines some of this intricate and beautiful intelligence. He explains that there is a complicated communication system within the roots of trees in a forest, something he says is being called a ‘wood-wide web’. “All the trees in every forest that is not too damaged connect to each other through underground fungal networks. Trees share water and nutrients through the networks, and use them to communicate. They send distress signals about drought and disease, for example, or insect attacks, and other trees alter their behaviour when they receive these messages.” He goes on to say that young saplings in deeply shaded areas of a forest rely on the network completely to survive. Because they can’t access sunlight to photosynthesise, the big trees, including their parents, pump sugar into their roots through the network. Peter Wohleben likens it to a mother suckling her child. Much research is now being done on the nature of trees and what’s being discovered is a highly intelligent, beautifully nurturing space where ailing or young trees are protected and loved by older, ‘mother trees’.
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Trees, and plants, are nurturing by nature. It makes absolute sense then to take nature as it is, with gratitude and respect. Available in 4 delicious flavours
ORGANIC
NATURE’S NURTURE It’s well known that being in nature is good for you. A day in a forest has untold benefits on mental and physical health. Walking barefoot for a few minutes each day connects you to the earth’s electromagnetic field, which is proven to add preventative clout to heart disease, among other health benefits. If just being in the presence of nature has such incredible healing effects, imagine what ingesting nature can do. Our bodies are primed to respond to pure nature – if we ingest chemically enhanced or ‘man-made’ additives, whatever goodness remains simply isn’t adequately recognised by our bodies. In fact, what you get with non-organic food is way more than you bargained for – hormone disruption f rom pesticides causes untold damage in your body – from insulin resistance and diabetes to heart disease, as well as drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Organic is a word used to describe something that is ‘relating to or derived f rom living organisms’ – but the way we see organic is much deeper than that. It’s not just any old food or product. Organic is unadulterated and how nature intended it to be. It means grown with no pesticides, no chemicals, well-nourished soil and animals reared with food that’s chemical and toxin-f ree. Nothing added and nothing taken away. It also addresses the process by which food is cultivated, packaged and transported. The Environmental Working Group publishes a list of non-organic produce each year that has the most and the least traces of pesticides – helping you choose which f ruit and veg you absolutely have to buy organic (preferably go for all organic, but if it’s not available, it’s good to be aware of what you may be ingesting).
Maybe we should stop asking why real food is so expensive and start asking why processed food is so cheap.
38 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
Loaded with pesticides if not grown organically (if you can’t find these organically grown, rather don’t buy them): Strawberries Spinach Nectarines Apples Peaches Pears Cherries Grapes Celery (celery is highly absorptive, so definitely has a greater chemical load) Tomatoes Sweet bell peppers Hot Pepper Least amount of pesticides (if you can’t find these grown organically, they at least have lower levels of pesticides) Sweet corn Avocados Pineapples Cabbage Onions Frozen sweet peas Asparagus Papayas Mangos Eggplant Honeydew melon Kiwis Spanspek Cauliflower Grapefruit
yHoE�A �L T H B E G I N S IN THE GUT
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Gluten and dairy free. Vegan-friendly. Suitable for diabetics. Contains no colourants or preservatives. Available at Health Stores, Wellness Warehouse, Faithful-to-Nature and select Spar Supermarkets. Available in 500ml and 1 Litre REFRIGERATION NOT NECESSARY
t�e ��q�i� �r���o��c �� �ho���! www.rawbiotics.co.za
ORGANIC
NO ADDITIVES REQUIRED Organic, pure food doesn’t need anything other than what nature offers. It’s arrogant to even believe that nature requires additional input. Many non-organic breakfast cereals have ‘added vitamins’ written on their labels. That may sound good, but most brands use a processed version of the grain, the most calorific and least nutritious part. So, they may have added vitamins into the mix to compensate but the vitamins are not necessarily bio-available and the net result doesn’t include the wholefood balance of nutrient intelligence f rom the grain. But we have become used to additives in our food. The World Health Organisation says that ‘the use of food additives is only justified when their use has a technological need, does not
mislead consumers, and serves a well-defined technological function, such as to preserve the nutritional quality of the food or enhance the stability of the food.’ Why do we add these things? Well, we have become used to food behaving in a certain way – most especially when it comes to convenience and longevity. Take a loaf of bread for example – one that has been processed, with additives to ensure it lasts longer, usually won’t go stale or get mouldy for at least a week. It’s not quite natural. Or a peach that remains ‘f resh’ for two weeks. Something has been altered.
Labels can be highly confusing, and you need to be exceptionally savvy to navigate what’s really in your food. To avoid all the nasty additives and sneaky ingredients, stick to organic. But if that’s not always possible, here are a few ingredients to keep well away f rom:
Sodium nitrate – a preservative found in
processed meats, used to increase the salt flavour and reddish-pink colour as well as prevent bacteria growth, it’s been linked to a higher risk of stomach, colorectal, breast and bladder cancer.
High-fructose corn syrup is found in many
fizzy drinks, sweets, breakfast cereals and snack food. In addition to weight gain and higher risk of diabetes, high-f ructose corn syrup is linked to cell inflammation, which plays a central role in numerous chronic conditions, f rom heart disease to cancer.
Carrageenan is derived from red seaweed and
used as a thickener, preservative and emulsifier in food like almond milk, coffee creamer, icecream and dairy-f ree products like vegan cheese. It can trigger cell inflammation and negatively impact digestive health, causing the formation of intestinal ulcers and growths.
40 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
Sodium benzoate is a preservative found in
acidic food like pickles, salad dressing, fruit juice and various condiments. Potential side effects are increased hyperactivity in children and symptoms of ADHD. When combined with vitamin C, sodium benzoate can convert to a benzene, which is a compound associated with cancer development.
Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been hydrogenised to increase shelf life and improve consistency. They’re usually found in processed food such as margarine, microwave popcorn and biscuits. Ingesting trans fats increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Artificial flavouring can be found in
numerous different food, and studies show that red blood cell production can be reduced if a lot of artificial flavouring is ingested. Additionally, certain flavours, like chocolate and strawberry also seemed to have a toxic effect on bone marrow cells, while orange, grape and plum artificial flavouring inhibits cell division.
CERTIFIED
South Africa has two types of certification for organic produce and products - ‘certified organic’ and ‘organic in conversion’. ‘Certified organic’ relates to farmers, farms and producers who have complied with an official and industry-recognised process of application, inspection, compliance and authentication that entitles them to use the label. ‘Organic in conversion’ means the farmers or producers are in the process of getting the organic certification. For example, if a farmer is using organic farming methods, but is using land that hasn’t yet been fully rehabilitated, which takes about three years, then the products can only be certified as ‘organic in conversion’. Or, products can be manufactured using organic ingredients, but don’t yet have an organic manufacture process.
You’re likely to find three broad categories on the shelves of your local store: Conventional –
using conventional agricultural and chemical practices.
In Conversion –
products having applied for certification and in varying stages of becoming fully organic. This is seen as a ‘probation period’.
Organic – these products come from certified organic farms and producers with accepted accreditation in place.
It’s not that easy finding produce or products that are 100% organic – both in the processing and growing or ingredient base. Check product labels. If a product says ‘Certified 100% organic’, it should have a sticker indicating the certifying body – such as Ecocert, Af risco or SAOSO. There is also IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements), which has been the global organic umbrella organisation since 1972 and a strict set of standards. The 100% is important because you could pick up a product that says organic on it, but only one ingredient is actually organic. This is particularly true of many beauty and cleaning products. The 100% indicates both ingredients and manufacturing or farming processes. Natural is a word that does cause some confusion – many beauty products claim to be natural and crueltyfree. This generally means the products aren’t tested on animals and there are no parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes or synthetic fragrances. All that is brilliant, but they may still not be organic. Cleaning products are similar. You want the products you use in your home and on your body to be perfectly biodegradable and not harmful to the environment. What goes down the sink is important. But, if the manufacturing process isn’t also earth friendly, you may be inadvertently contributing to environmental harm. Make wise choices for both your health and the earth.
Fulvisomes |
A Quiet Revolution in the Supplement Industry
L
iposomal technology has taken the wellness industry by storm over the last couple of years; clued up customers know that liposomal supplements offer superior absorption. Now, a proudly South African company has taken liposomal technology to the next level, making them world leaders in the field. “By combining fulvic acid (the transport system used by all living organisms to facilitate the absorption of nutrients) with liposomes, we are able to increase the absorption of nutrients remarkably, even when compared to other liposomal products,” explains Henry Deale, chemist and researcher behind a range of products by Oshun Health. “When it comes to liposomes, the smaller, the more absorbable. The other challenge is to stabilise the liposomes. Where current technologies are able to produce liposomes of about 200 nanometers and which remain stable for 20 days, our liposomes are only 7 nanometers in size and proven to be stable for up to 5 years.
“This technology truly places our products in a league of their own,” says Mariëtte Marais, founder of Oshun Health. “The nutrients in our products are absorbed directly into the cell and do not come into direct contact with the stomach. The implications of this, in the case of Oshun Health’s Vitamin C, for instance, is that the gastrointestinal discomfort that’s often associated with taking Vitamin C, is prevented. It makes our product ideal for a market that is increasingly aware of the therapeutic benefits of high-dose vitamin C but doesn’t necessarily want to go the intravenous route. Fulvisomes also enabled us to achieve 100% absorption of the active curcuminoids in our inflammation fighting Curcumin Boost,” says Marais. Get more information or buy online: www. oshunhealth.org
Stockists: Wellness Warehouse: (021) 003 3552 BHealthy Somerset West: Tel: (021) 887 3442 BHealthy Paarl: Tel: (021) 683 4126 Simply Natural Canal Walk: Tel: (021) 551 2931 Go Natural Somerset West: (021) 852 2744 Waterstone Health Shop: (021) 850 0317
ORGANIC
The more people that insist on organic, the easier it will be for farmers and manufacturers to adopt these healthier practises. BE AT ONE WITH NATURE
There is no doubt that organic farming methods are healthier for the environment. You’ll also notice that organic produce tastes much better – that’s because it’s alive with all the nutrients of nature. High nutrient density means your brain logs all those wonderful nutrients, and you’ll also feel fuller for longer – an apple isn’t just a snack anymore, it’s a life-enhancing meal. Take a moment to look at the difference between a simple f ruit like an apple that’s grown organically and one that’s grown non-organically. The taste and smell is richer, and you can feel the difference in your body. Beauty products made with organic ingredients are also richer, and filled with nutrients you need and want on your skin. By sticking to organic, you can make a huge
difference, not only to your own life, but also to the future of the planet. The more people that insist on organic, the easier it will be for farmers and manufacturers to adopt these healthier practises.
NATURE’S CLUES
Nature understands energy – it is energy. So, look for clues in the type of energy in food. For example, spinach grows up and out of the ground, and has uplifting energy. Potatoes on the other hand, give you solid, grounding energy. Food peppered with chemicals and genetically modified loses its intrinsic energy and vitality and your body won’t benefit f rom it.
http://time.com/4871915/health-benefits-organic-food/ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/the-intelligent-plant iii https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/ iv https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/gluten-free-food-allergies/is-organic-food-better-for-you-stanforduniversity-study-raises-questions/ v https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/nutrition/the-dirty-dozen-foods-list-the-most-important-foods-to-buy-organic/ i
ii
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EATING WITH CONSCIOUSNESS
"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." Luciano Pavarotti
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EATING WITH
CONSCIOUSNESS
Eating mindfully supports digestion, balances cravings and enhances wellbeing. Include all five tastes with your meal; satisfy the senses with music and fragrance; eat with your hands; bless your food and use ‘safe’ pots, pans, utensils and preparation methods. Mindful eating is paying attention to what, how and when you eat. Modern humans are mostly tuned in to the clock, rather than the body’s rhythms – we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at set times, whether hungry or not. As individuals, our need for energy is what should drive eating.
Besides timing – what you eat is important too. Taking time to check into your breathing when you feel hungry allows you to tap in to what your body wants. This awareness fuels healthier choices in tune with your true need for nourishment.
EATING WITH CONSCIOUSNESS
LOVE YOUR FOOD Ayurvedic principles recommend including all 5 tastes at every meal – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and astringent. Even if only a mouthful of a certain taste, having all five stops cravings as all taste receptors are stimulated and satisfied. Ayurveda also advocates eating food prepared by someone who loves you. That includes yourself. Most chefs and foodies agree there’s a distinctive taste and experiential difference in food cooked with love and nourishment in mind as opposed to food prepared just for the sake of making food. Krishna devotees are very clear on the subject and maintain the consciousness and mood of the person preparing the food can positively or negatively affect the person eating. Food served with resentment can cause indigestion, and even influence your night time dreams. Food is a receptacle for exchange with other people and cooking with love, intention and consciousness can bring healing and heightened spiritual awareness. Eating with your fingers rather than cutlery is also more pleasurable and connects you with the experience. In tantra, food is considered to have a soul, an intelligence. Eating food as f resh as possible is bound to give you your share of prana. Switching off all devices and focusing totally; feeling, hearing and tasting each morsel as it enters your body brings greater nourishment per chew. Apparently, violent movie footage metabolises stress and fear chemicals produced by the body causing bad digestion. Gina Bell Bragg, chef at the Deepak Chopra Centre for Well-being in San Diego maintains that, “modern nutrition needs to understand that food is not mere calories, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins – food is intelligence. We are intelligence and we are in constant and dynamic exchange with universal intelligence through physiological processes, eating being the most important.
46 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
PREPARE YOUR BELLY BELLY BRAIN There is a two-way conversation going on between your brain (your mind) and digestive tract. Feelings, thoughts, and especially mental exhaustion share a common party line, which means stress, anger, anxiety, depression and other emotions directly affect your gut. In essence, you perceive the world around you as much from your gut as you do with your brain. Over 90% of the nerve pulses in the vagus nerve - the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system of the body go from the gut to the brain and not the other way around as we once thought. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the stomach, spleen and pancreas are recognised as an organ system that holds the negative emotion of worry and the positive emotions of trust, fairness and compassion. Emotions and stress often end up interfering with our digestion. Before you even begin to eat, take time to breathe, let go of stress and be grateful for the food in front of you. Make sure you eat a portion of probiotic food daily to keep your gut health optimal. Refrain f rom eating while angry, emotional or upset.
Before a meal, take three minutes to interrupt the dialogue between stomach and brain to improve digestion. Sit upright on a chair, place your feet flat on the floor melt your shoulders down your back and relax. Close your eyes, smile and inhale air deeply through your nose and into your belly allowing it to rise. Slowly exhale and use your tummy muscles to bring your belly back in. Practise that a few times using deep breaths. Once you feel comfortable with this breath inhale yellow light and trust into your belly. Imagine you are looking at a beautiful sunset. Connect with the feeling of a glowing yellow sunlight and see it filling your stomach. Thank it for digesting your food and keeping you healthy. Lightly rub your tummy in a clockwise direction and think of the yellow energy spiralling inside it. Renew your smile and see your belly smiling back at you. Take another deep breath inhaling trust, compassion and love into your stomach. Open your eyes, extend your spine and exhale worry with a ‘whoooooo’ sound. See all the worry leaving you in the form of dark smoke. Repeat this last step if you feel you need to. Your belly is now fully prepared for healthy digestion.
EATING WITH CONSCIOUSNESS
FOR WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE Gratitude isn’t only being thankful for having food on the table, it’s also acknowledging the nourishment your body is about to receive, and the processes that got the food in front of you. ‘From farm to table’ is a great buzz word for fresh, local produce, but there’s a whole journey to consider. Examine the items on your plate – the texture, colour, smell, shape. Then regard all the things that made it happen – sunshine, water, time, growth, harvesting, creation, transport, and the people involved. Be grateful for the symphony of activities and those involved. Turn your gratitude inwards. Express gratitude towards your body, its ability to digest food and use it as fuel for sustained energy and life. Be thankful your body is working for you. Humans have on average 10,000 taste-buds – relish the fact they allow you to experience myriad delightful flavours.
SET THE TABLE Sharing a meal is about connecting. Since the beginning of time, nourishment and connectivity have been interlinked – whether around the fire or at a table. The evening meal at least is seen as a time for families to sit together, share thoughts about the day and wind down towards a night’s rest. Eating together at a table sets a routine, helping mind and body attune to the purposeful act of eating. Certain Indian traditions centre around a five-fold offering – to the sacred fire, a cow, a crow, a dog and another human being. It’s a gesture of gratitude and controls the ego of self-gratification. To create a meal wholly satisfying to body and mind, engage multiple senses by including music to match the aroma, texture and taste. Burn incense or use an aromatherapy burner with oil that stimulates digestion like peppermint. Colours also increase meal enjoyment. A turquoise plate can stimulate appetite and instil a feeling of caref ree happiness. It’s also a great background colour for most food, helping you distinguish what is on your plate. Orange and green are both seen as healthy colours, green is associated with abundance and orange as welcoming. 48 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
BEHIND THE BRAND
SUPERFOODS
Awaken your vision, activate your passion, live life without limits
Y
ou’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t heard about Soaring Free, known to some as Soaring Free Superfoods or simply ‘Superfoods’. Soaring Free is synonymous with innovative, quality health products created with love, from source to your body. Their mission? Get people and planet healthy and happy. The company was founded in 2006, by Beryn and Peter Daniel, and greatly inspired by covisionaries.
“We believe the challenges we face both in relation to the health of our bodies and the health of the planet are greater than any individual can solve in isolation, and so we are blessed to be surrounded by a formidable team of problem solvers and creative thinkers, who believe in conscious collaboration, having fun together whilst dreaming and actively working towards a better future.” General Manager, Michael Holmwood strongly believes that the way we do business today affects the future. As with our planet and our bodies, today’s decisions will impact generations to come. What would we like those tomorrows to look like? Laughter is life’s best medicine. Operations and Product Manager, Callan Wolff draws on his musical background to create endless possibilities and engage a harmonious and humorous beat to the brand’s daily life. Kenneth Hearn, Finance Director uses his love of numbers and patterns to infuse conscious financial acumen to the team. Herman Wallis brings years of experience f rom the corporate marketing world to authentic communication of the human connection. James van Minnen has an intrinsic love of listening, and brings kindness and enthusiasm to service and sales. With her philosophy of compassionate curiosity, life
coach Kerry King brings insight and heart to human relations and keeps the team aligned with the vision and ethos of the business. Together, the team have found that collaboration takes you further than you can take yourself, an ethos they extend to people using their products. With high integrity and sustainable sourcing, they make sure love is the main ingredient in every aspect, f rom the way products are grown, packaged, packed and transported to the way they do customer service and company culture. “Love is the bottom line,” says Beryn. For example, compostable, biodegradable packaging costs more, but it’s not having a negative impact on the planet, and the earth-f riendly choice is a no-brainer. All herb and plant ingredients are sourced f rom farmers who practice organic methods or wild harvesting. Ingredients are consistently tested for quality. Organic practices care for the environment and sustainability rather than mass-production agriculture that focuses on yield and profit alone.
SA’s 1st superfood brand Sustainable sourcing CERTIFIED organic earth friendly
PACKAGING
Nutrient dense Leaders in compostable, earth-friendly packaging
NEW
Chlorella
“We want to ensure every bite has love in it. Superfoods have an incredible ability to draw nutrients out of the earth, which is why it’s vital that ours are drawing nothing but nature’s goodness” adds Peter. From a background in personal development, Beryn and Peter realised that high vibrational, nutrient dense food was the missing ingredient. They insist that getting the mind, body and spirit in alignment has to involve nutrition and intuition. By intuition they mean the inspiration from nature’s intelligence, which explains why many of the superfoods being revived today are not new at all, but were revered by ancient cultures. By collaborating with the richness and healing power of nature, and trusted, innovative and creative minds, Soaring Free is a foundation for creating happy, healthy people supported by a thriving ecology and environment.
0861 000 976 | info@superfoods.co.za | www.superfoods.co.za
SA’s ONLY certified organic chlorella Ideal for heavy metal detoxification Richest source of alkalising chlorophyll Complete protein Supports weightloss & prevents candida
superfoods.co.za
SoaringFreeSuperfoods
EATING WITH CONSCIOUSNESS
POT LUCK Eating, serving and cooking with the right utensils is key. Choose your pots and serving bowls carefully. Here’s what to look out for: Cast iron –
cast iron pots can be handed down for generations and certainly do the trick for numerous delicious dishes – however, it’s important to only use ceramic- or glass-lined cast iron, as nickel is often used in the curing process, which can leach into food and cause nickel poisoning. With such coatings, you also get safe nonstick surfacing, so it’s a great investment to make for any wellstocked kitchen.
Stainless Steel –
is hugely versatile and long-lasting. If it’s high quality, it won’t rust or become pitted from contact with acidic food. There are a few numbers associated with the quality of stainless steel – go with either 18/10 or 18/8, these are known as 304 grade and are the most common grades for cooking and food preparation.
Glass –
f ree f rom lead or chemicals like BPA, glass is fabulous for storing food, as well as cooking or baking it. Most glass cooking or bakeware is made from tempered glass, which means it’s very hard to break, but if it does, it shatters into chunks instead of shards. Glass also retains heat beautifully, meaning that although you may need to slightly adjust your usual oven temperature, it will keep food warm for longer once out of the oven.
Bamboo – there’s nothing quite as handy as a bamboo cutting board – it’s less porous than other woods so odours don’t remain on the board. It’s also gentle on knives, and of course, completely ecof riendly. Bamboo steamers are a must-have in any kitchen.
Ceramic –
beautifully non-stick and able to withstand extreme temperatures, ceramic cookware is hugely versatile, for stove tops, open fires or in the oven. There are no harmful chemicals and nothing leaches into the food and a plus is that ceramic comes in just about any colour.
50 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
SUPERFOODS
Enhanced by Nature W
e live in a time where most people suffer from varying conditions related to stress: overwhelm, pain, anxiety, depression and anything in between. Being in a state of physiological stress, alongside the emotional and mental intensity of daily pressures, can cause us to lose sight of a deep truth: that life is amazing and precious, and every moment is a gift. The law of attraction states that your thoughts and emotions become the outpicturing of your experience of life. The story you consistently tell yourself about your life tends to be the life that you live! So, what is that story and are you happy with it? If not, where do you begin to change it? Peter Daniel, Co-Founder of Soaring Free believes one of the best ways to change our state and tell a better story, is using nutritionally dense foods like superfoods, potent plants and herbs to re-build our bodies by deeply nourishing our cells. ”I believe we can enhance our baseline state by working with nature to bring harmony to the body and mind,” says Peter. Beryn adds, “while Soaring Free is all about living life without limits, we understand it is difficult to be happy when your body is in pain. Food is such an important component to getting this right, which is why we take a whole food, plant-based and superfood approach to life.”
Peter’s search for natural enhancers has taken them deeply into finding potent plants and extracts that can be consciously used to relieve pain and heighten positivity. “When we start to gain relief from current stresses, we can see the wood for the trees and engage creatively with our world again.”
CBD-anything is currently all the rage, and Peter acknowledges that when there is a need, the solution is always close at hand. CBD, known for its anxiety-reducing and calming effects has arrived right on time! Look out for Soaring Free Superfoods’ new CBD chocolate bar with a full spectrum blend of certified THC-free hemp seeds (no, it won’t get you stoned) combined with anti-oxidant rich raw cacao. It has 20mg CBD per bar – equating to 1 dose per block of the recommended 5mg/day.
CBD chocolate
Inspired by Peter’s research and passion for synergistically combining ingredients, Soaring Free is launching a whole new range of Potent Plants to support you to feel more self-empowered day by day. The range is spear-headed by 2 very exciting new kratom-based products called Relief and Euphoria. “Once we can gain ‘Relief’ from the story of pain and embrace the ‘Euphoria’ of life, we set a different course”, states Peter. “These potent plant blends are designed to support that process. They cannot do it for you, but are potent enough to begin to let the light in, opening you to new experiences of health and happiness.” Relief is designed to help ease the intensity of life, release pain, promote relaxation and buffer stress. Euphoria to heighten positivity and feelings of lightness. Both are built on a South East Asian herb called Kratom and enhanced by selected traditional herbs. Kratom has numerous uses in folk medicine and leaves from the plant are used to numb aches and pains, soothe fevers, treat diarrhea, manage diabetes, and alleviate addiction. Commonly, the leaves are chewed for energy, similar to the way coca is used in the Andes. Since the beginning of the 21st century, kratom has increased in visibility around the world as an invaluable aid for mental and physical health.
For more information visit www.superfoods.co.za
20MG CBD PER BAR Our CBD (cannabidiol) is extracted from the oil of THC-free certified hemp seeds and stalks. This full spectrum blend of phytocannabinoids, terpenes, sterols and flavonoids are synergistically enhanced when combined with our anti-oxidant rich raw cacao. CBD supports and provides: pain relief neuroprotection better quality sleep calming anxiety & stress reduction regulation of inflammatory processes
superfoods.co.za
SoaringFreeSuperfoods
BEHIND THE BRAND
10 TIPS
towards a plant-based diet BY TA M M Y FRY K E L LY
Transforming to a plant-based diet is not as simple as just cutting out meat and dairy, even if you have iron-clad will-power. New habits are hard to form and diet change is tough for most. Here are 10 tips to get you started.
1. Take it slowly.
If you don’t have a nutrition coach or dietician – go slowly and see this as a journey. It takes time to learn new recipes, try new foods, and adapt to a different way of cooking meals. 99% vegan, almost vegan or weekday vegan are all fantastic steps to take.
2. Avoid becoming a carbo-vore.
Pasta, bread and potato chips are not the only vegan foods around. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains – to get all the macro and micro nutrients your body needs to function and help you feel energetic and sustained.
3. Plan ahead.
The key to enjoying a plant based lifestyle is to plan meals ahead of time. You need extra time at the supermarket to read all the labels, and time to make sure every meal is delicious so you’re not panic buying frozen chips at the petrol station. We know real-life sometimes gets in the way, and that’s why convenient, tasty, grab-and-go plant-based products are an important addition to your shopping list. They are essential for busy lifestyles.
4. Inspire yourself daily.
Buy a few cookbooks with easy to make plant-based recipes – these will inspire you to get into the kitchen and experiment with new foods and cooking methods. Recipe books I recommend: • Hungry – Anthea Amore • Elsas Wholesome Life – Ellie Bullen • The South African Vegan Cookbook – Leozette Roode • But I Could Never Go Vegan – Kristy Turner • The No Meat Athlete Cookbook – Matt Frazier
5. Stay in touch with your WHY. It’s likely plant-based eating is much easier than expected, although there may come a time, whether it’s a week, a month, or a year in where you could hit a wall. If this happens, remind yourself why you made the decision in the first place and the benefits you’ve felt since making the choice. Watching informative videos about
veganism, connecting with plant-based influencers or finding your nearest animal sanctuary are all ways to remind yourself why you chose this path in the first place. The why needs to be your driver for change. Why are you doing this? Put it up on your fridge. Watch these documentaries for inspiration: • What the Health • Forks Over Knives • The Healing Effect • Cowspiracy • Meet your Meat • Earthlings • Eating Animals • The Game Changers
6. No need to feel deprived.
It’s not just about salad and uninspiring bowls of vegetables. From burgers and sausages, ice cream and pies, there are brilliant alternatives to make you wonder why you ever ate meat in the first place. Use transition foods to inspire and motivate you. Often these foods are fortified, so by eating them you’ll also get critical nutrients.
7. Let someone else cook for you from time to time. Find some good vegan restaurants to go to when in need of a good feed.
8. Find your tribe.
You don’t have to ditch your meateating friends, but find people also considering changing. Having a community by your side supporting you can be incredibly comforting.
9. Be healthy.
Veganism doesn’t always equal healthy, so it’s important to eat a varied diet to get all the vitamins and nutrients you need to thrive. There is plenty of advice online about which foods provide the best sources of energy.
10. Get creative.
Veg-based meals can be exciting, delicious and full of flavour, so take this opportunity to try new foods and experiment with ingredients. Thousands of online recipes will inspire you and provide ideas to get you cooking amazing new dishes and interesting variations of old favourites.
For loads of plant-based recipes check out Tammy’s blog at www.seed-blog.com or download the e-cookbooks at www.fryfamilyfood.com. Follow Tammy on Instagram (@tammyfry_) and Facebook (@seedbytammy) for more inspiration.
BEHIND THE BRAND
THE FRY FAMILY FOOD CO. Brought up on a farm, Wally Fry always had a deep love and respect for nature and animals. His young wife, a vegetarian, had a huge influence on him but it wasn’t until he visited a piggery that he became a passionate advocate for plantbased eating. There weren’t very many options back in the late 1980’s, however. Starting in their home kitchen, the Fry family began to experiment, creating non-gmo vegan food as a viable alternative to meat. Animal, environment and people-friendly, a lot of research went into the ingredients to ensure not only a delicious alternative, but a very healthy one too.
With over 50 products on shelves around the world, the Fry family’s bid to always put principals before profit still remains a core practise. Attending an all-girl school, Wally’s daughter Tammy was the only vegetarian out of a thousand girls, something that was viewed as a huge anomaly. “People don’t seem to realise that eating a plant-based diet back then was not only difficult because there were so few products to support it, but it was also viewed with great scepticism,” says Tammy. “There’s a greater consciousnesses now, and people are beginning to understand that plant-based diets are not only good for the environment and animals, they’re also the only sensible response to lifestyle diseases that are the cause of 70% of deaths globally. The way most people live and eat is simply not sustainable.” she says. Beginning with sausages, burgers (the original recipe burger can still be found on shelves) and hot dogs, the Fry family happily shared their creations with friends, who began to demand more. And more. It was only when a friend
of Wally’s offered to put together a marketing plan for him that the family even considered their food creations to be anything but a great source of deliciousness for their own table. With his marketing plan and a prepared feast, Wally visited a leading supermarket chain and, completely against normal practises, got the buyer to taste his fare. It was an instant hit, with various staff members also called in to taste. Asked what the brand name was, Wally responded in the spur of the moment and said, “Fry’s.” A brand was born. But, going from a home kitchen-based operation to a factory-like setting wasn’t without its challenges, especially given the three-month deadline the supermarket had given them. Because Wally only knew how to make the products in his kitchen, he designed machines to replicate the way he did it. Their first bulk order was delivered. .
The Fry Family Food Co. | www.fryfamilyfood.com | enquiries@frygroup.co.za Facebook @TheFryFamilyFoodCo | Instagram @frysfamily | Twitter @frysfamily
With over 50 products on shelves around the world, the Fry family’s bid to always put principals before profit still remains a core practise. Research and development also still begins around the family table, ensuring each product is fully explored (and taste-tested) before going to market. That’s likely why Tammy says there’s a 100% conversion rate – if someone tastes a Fry’s product, they are instantly hooked. “We’ve recently launched our vegan ‘fish’ range in a bid to make difference to ocean conservation – if nothing is done, by 2048, our oceans will have collapsed. We’ve created a delicious alternative to animalbased food and even if you just do meatfree Monday’s, you’re making a difference to the planet and your health,” says Tammy. On her favourite Fry’s product, Tammy, who has two growing sons, said it was difficult to choose because she uses the products daily. Possibly the Chicken-Style Strips as they’re so versatile and she uses them in stews, curries and even ‘chicken’ mayo sandwiches for her sons. She also said with Fry’s Pizza now on the menu (available in South Africa soon), it’s changed the face of pizza night with her boys forever.
PROTEIN EMPOWERED
PROTEIN Empowered You know you’re supposed to have it in your diet, but what exactly is it, how much do you really need and where can you get it? Protein is currently a major buzz word and comes in a massive variety of forms – f rom protein powder to snack bars. In fact, you can find ‘protein-enriched’ anything on the shelves today. So, what’s the buzz? First off, a balanced diet has always been tagged as requiring the three major macronutrients – protein, carbs and fat. Trends have seen both fat and carbohydrates demonized and currently it seems protein is the only macronutrient left that isn’t perceived as ‘harmful’. It takes a while for trends to balance out into wisdom, and it will probably take a long time before we stop seeing low-fat and carb-f ree offerings on the shelves. Products with low-fat offerings often compensate with other things you definitely don’t want – like extra sugar and salt to balance the taste. But this isn’t an article about fat or carbs, it’s about the holy protein.
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Protein is most definitely important to sustaining life – it’s a macronutrient that affects every cell in your body. It’s needed to regulate organs and tissues, and for muscle and bone development. Protein is made up of a chain of 20 amino acids; your body doesn’t actually produce protein, but it makes 11 of the non-essential amino acids required to create protein – the other nine essential amino acids need to be ingested. Because your body is constantly using protein to sustain its functionality, you need to consistently supply it with the necessary protein building blocks. More doesn’t automatically mean better, though. Most people on an average diet probably get enough protein to sustain life and maintain optimum health. Making protein intake synonymous with healthy living is contrary to the concept of a balanced diet, and can be unhealthy.
GET IT ALL Conventional wisdom says there are two types of protein – complete and incomplete. Complete proteins are those with all the amino acids and found in food like fish, meat, poultry, dairy and soy. Incomplete proteins either lack or are low in one or more amino acid and include food like grains, nuts, beans and vegetables. That means vegetarians and vegans feel the need to supplement their protein intake because they’ve been told they simply won’t get enough. But is that strictly true? It may not be. In 1971, a sociologist Frances Moore Lappé wrote a book entitled Diet for a Small Planet. She inadvertently created the theory of ‘protein complementing’. This intimated that to be a healthy vegetarian, ingesting a combination of certain plant food at the same time was necessary. This led to the belief that one source of plant protein on its own is not complete. While she retracted her statements a decade later, the myth still remained as conventional wisdom. Now fully debunked, the myth has been explained by numerous different organisations and experts. It seems the original researchers of protein amino acid content (William Rose et al), when determining amino acid requirements, set the minimum way above the real requirement and then doubled it. It was a maths issue, not an amino acid issue. We have been working with inflated figures all this time. The bottom line is that plant protein does provide in excess of the amount the body requires. Even though we’ve now established that a vegan and vegetarian diet isn’t necessarily a protein-deficient diet, we still have the issue of recommended daily allowances.
Gentle Caring Kind www.kabrita.co.za info@kabrita.co.za | tel: 021 788 2093 Kabrita South Africa
#kabritasa
PROTEIN EMPOWERED
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Conventional recommendation of how much protein you should ingest daily is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. So, if you weigh 56 kilograms, your recommended intake is 44.8 grams. That recommendation is there as the minimum amount needed to prevent deficiency; it won’t help sustain and maintain optimal health. It’s important to note that recommended allowances indicate grams of the macronutrient protein, not grams of the food it’s contained in – for example, an egg is about 44 grams, but only contains around 6 protein grams. So, to make up the 44 grams of protein required, you’ll need to eat approximately 7 eggs. The bottom line is that although there are recommended daily amounts, every person is an individual and the amount you need depends on so many factors – how much exercise you do, your age, muscle mass, your state of health, to name a few.
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There are also numerous reasons to increase or decrease protein intake. To lose weight, for example, protein is proven to help boost metabolism and reduce calorie intake. The optimum amount is believed to be 30% of calories f rom protein, no matter what type of diet you’re on. It’s well known that protein helps build muscle mass. So, if you want to build muscle, or retain muscle while losing weight, upping your protein intake is definitely going to help. The general rule of thumb for gaining muscle is 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. A person weighing 56 kilograms will need to ingest 123.2 grams daily. Highly active people, endurance athletes and those recovering from an injury all need additional protein. And as you age you require more, particularly if you move around less, you lose muscle mass, so it’s important to up your protein intake. Doing so can help prevent osteoporosis and sarcopenia.
PLANT PROTEIN – TOP 5 Hemp seeds are filled with great quality protein and have the added benefit of omega-3 fatty acids. Add to almost any recipe for a protein boost, your morning smoothie, muesli or porridge; sprinkle over salad, stir into soup or blend into a milk alternative. Chia seeds are high in fibre, protein and healthy fat. Highly absorbent, they thicken liquid and are great for desserts and even jam making. Spirulina is about 70% protein. Although the taste takes getting used to there are recipes available for dessert and energy bars that disguise the taste.
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Brown rice although lower in lysine than whey protein for example, it’s still a fabulous protein source.
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Pea a great source of iron that can aid muscle growth, weight loss and heart health.
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When it comes to protein powders, there are three basic types: Protein concentrates:
Protein is extracted from whole food through heat and acid or enzymes. Concentrates contain between 60 to 80% protein, with the rest made up of carbs and fat.
Protein isolates:
From a concentrate, a further filtering process removes much of the carbs and fats, so a protein isolate will contain between 90 and 95% protein.
Protein hydrolysates: Isolates are heated
even more, creating a high protein content that is quickly absorbed by your body and muscles. Within the different grades, there are different kinds – whey (from milk), casein (also f rom milk, but slower to absorb than whey), egg, pea, hemp, brown rice, and then various mixed plant (brown rice, pea, hemp, alfalfa, chia seeds, flax seeds, artichoke, quinoa).
PROTEIN EMPOWERED
ESSENTIALS Each amino acid has a specific function and role, not only in protein make-up but also in your body. Of the twenty amino acids that constitute protein, only nine are needed to complete the protein chain. Here they are:
1. Phenylalanine: a precursor for the neurotransmitters tyrosine, dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. It plays an integral role in the structure and function of proteins and enzymes and the production of other amino acids. Get yours f rom poultry, beef, pork, lamb, cheese, salmon, tuna, eggs, yoghurt, gelatin, collagen, milk, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, wild rice, oats, wheat germ, quinoa, tofu, brown rice. 2. Valine: With a chain branching off to one side of its molecular structure valine is involved in energy production and stimulates muscle growth and regeneration. Get yours f rom tuna, pork, lamb, beef, poultry, shrimp, salmon, eggs, cheese, milk, gelatin, collagen, yoghurt, mushrooms, cooked broccoli, oats, lentils beans, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, spirulina. 3. Threonine: Plays a major role in structural protein like collagen and elastin. It also assists in fat metabolism and immune function. Get yours f rom beef, poultry, lamb, pork, tuna, shrimp, salmon, cheese, gelatin, collagen, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, beans, lentils, flaxseeds, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, spirulina. 4. Tryptophan: It helps maintain nitrogen balance and is the precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which regulates mood, appetite and sleep.
Get yours f rom tuna, pork, lamb, beef, poultry, shrimp, salmon, eggs, cheese, tofu, beans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, cashews, almonds, pistachios, wheat germ, beans, lentils, oats, spirulina. 5. Methionine: Needed to help your body absorb zinc and selenium, Methionine is also important to metabolism, detoxification and tissue growth. Get yours f rom beef, pork, lamb, poultry, shrimp, cheese, eggs, yoghurt, milk, brazil nuts, tofu, beans, soy beans, lentils, wheat germ, spirulina, peanuts, quinoa. 6. Leucine: Critical for muscle repair and protein synthesis, Leucine is a branch-chain amino acid that helps regulate blood sugar levels, produces growth hormones and stimulates wound healing. Get yours f rom cheese, beef, lamb, prok, poultry, tuna, shrimp, gelatin, collagen, soy beans, beans, pumpkin seeds, lentils, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, spirulina, corn, brown rice, wheat germ, pistachios. 7. Isoleucine: Involved in muscle metabolism and plays a big role in immune function, energy regulation and haemoglobin production. Get yours f rom beef, lamb, poultry, tuna, shrimp, eggs, milk, yoghurt, cheese, soy beans, lentils, beans, oats, dried spirulina. 8. Lysine: For energy production, immune function and producing collagen and elastin, Lysine also plays a big role in the absorption of calcium, enzyme and hormone production, and protein synthesis. Get yours f rom lamb, beef, poultry, pork, tuna, shrimp, gelatin, cheese, collagen, eggs, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, lentils, oats, wheat germ, quinoa, spirulina, beans. 9. Histidine: Used to produce the neurotransmitter histidine, which is vital to the immune response, digestion, sexual function and sleep-wake functions. It’s also essential for maintaining the myelin sheath, which is a protective barrier around your nerve cells. Get yours f rom beef, lamb, port, chicken, tuna, turkey, salmon, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, milk, tofu, soy beans, beans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, quinoa, lentils, wild or brown rice, wheat germ and spirulina.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_for_a_Small_Planet https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.CIR.0000018905.97677.1F 58 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
Give your mind and body a complete re-boot. LifeShine Wellness Centre in Stellenbosch offers a beautiful holistic, medical and emotional detox programme to re-energise your body and life. Set in a gently caring environment, the programme is one-of-a-kind, designed by our team of doctors and facilitated by Sonja Dorrington Turck, whose passion and care are unsurpassed.
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Special information sessions are conducted every Tuesday at 3pm for those wanting to find out more about Lifeshine programmes. www.lifeshine.co.za
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Book for a life-changing week by e-mailing info@lifeshine.co.za.
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U P C O M I N G D AT E S : 30th Sep – 6th Oct and 18th – 24th Nov 2019.
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The seven-day program incorporates a medical consultation involving a scan to address mineral deficiencies and toxicities, Vitamin C infusions, a colon cleanse, coffee enema’s, massage, ozone treatments, rife, PEMF and Hocatt steam sauna sessions. Our restaurant Aura of Eden will provide juicing and vegetable-based meals to nutritionally support the program. Finally, it concludes with a full weekend workshop on healing your emotions with John Homewood and Michelle McClunan.
B E YO N D D E LI C I O U S G U I LT- F R E E I N D U LG E N C E Born from a passion for the healing power of nutritional food and a holistic approach to health, the Aura of Eden kitchen is the domain of chef Kirsty Meyer whose understanding of delicious, wholesome and functional food makes sure every meal is wholeheartedly good for you and prepared with optimum health in mind.
Whether managing your weight, on a treatment programme for an illness, or curious about functional eating, there is every reason to eat the artfully designed healthful offerings. Vegan and vegetarian offerings are based on the belief that quality of life can be drastically improved by being mindful about what we feed our bodies. Expect ingredients from sources that are organic, home-grown, sunshine infused and free-from nasties, fashioned into wraps, pesto parcels and pancakes to out of this world smoothies and smoothie bowls.
Protect yourself and your family from EMFs Electromagnetic frequencies come from various sources and can be classified as follows: • • • •
Radio Frequency (RF – mobile phones, WiFi, cordless phones etc) Electric Fields (EF – wiring, electric appliances etc) Magnetic Fields (MF – faulty wiring, powerlines, chargers etc) Dirty Electricity (DE – CFL bulbs, inverters, dimmer switches etc)
Regardless of the source, you need to understand what your exposure is, and how to protect yourself from harmful effects. EMFree offers educational sessions, assessments and solutions for home, school and businesses. Presentations include information on ‘How to live EMF free’, ‘Introduction to EMFs’, and ‘5G: what will new tech bring?’ We also advise on how to protect your home and business by using simple, cost effective solutions, and/or utilising a range of environmentally friendly Geovital shielding products. Having been extensively tested and designed over the last 35 years they provide maximum shielding efficiency, ensuring you and your family are safe. Opening times are Monday to Friday: 07:30 – 16:00 & Saturdays: 07:30 – 13:30 021 100 4423 www.auraofeden.co.za
Find out more by contacting: info@emfree.co.za | www.emfree.co.za
EARTH FRIENDLY
Shopping & SHARING
DO IT TOGETHER
Let becoming eco-friendly usher in some beautiful new habits and a culture of connection with your other fellow beings. It’s not just about remembering to take your re-usable shopping bag with you on your next grocery shop. Ordering directly from suppliers saves resources and so does sharing bulk orders.
PLASTIC SAVVY
Even if you take your own bag to use when you leave the store, look out for the numerous plastic traps in store – just about everything comes with its own plastic wrapping. While more and more products embrace eco-f riendly packaging, it’s still a bit of a minefield. Unless you’re shopping in a naked store where you can bring your own containers for everything f rom milk to beans, there will be some things you simply can’t avoid wrapped in plastic. But, try reduce it all: Choose loose f ruit and vegetables and either buy them loose (even if you have to print a sticker for each one), or use your own cloth bag to put them in – avoid the pre-packed bags Take a cotton or hemp bag along for f resh bread and baked goods – if you’re buying pastries, you could even use your own glass or cardboard box container as they’re charged per item instead of weight Even when buying meat, there is very often a butchery section where you can purchase meat that hasn’t been prepackaged. Bring along a glass container to store your meat once it’s been weighed and priced Buy oils in glass only, as well as spices if possible. If the spice of your choice only comes in a plastic bottle, opt for a refill pack instead, usually packaged in foil When it comes to toiletries, this does get pretty tricky as most products are packaged in plastic. But, before you forgo washing at all, look firstly for organic products, then assess the packing to see if it is biodegradable or at the very least recyclable. Try as far as possible to buy your soaps and smells from markets where you can get them unwrapped or in glass.
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Growing your own food is definitely a good idea – not only for the planet but also for your mental health. Going a step further and setting up a neighbourhood co-op reaps even more benefits – community participation is shown to increase individual happiness. Instead of each household attempting to grow enough variety in one space, turn your whole neighbourhood into a farm by giving each participant one crop to nurture and tend. This then allows you all to share in the bounty and even come up with crop rotation methods that ensure the best produce. If you’re in a neighbourhood with pavement space, use this for vegetable planting and create a spirit of sharing with not just your immediate community, but with anyone who happens past. Take on the nature of abundance and share with anyone in need to create a gentler, more open environment. When there’s a surplus, share this with others outside the neighbourhood or create a regular meal sharing evening with your neighbours. This might even spark bulk-buying and sharing, saving on packaging and transport costs for those involved. There are various companies that can accommodate bulk buying accounts – f rom superfoods and tea to beauty or health products and organic produce. Supplement your neighbourhood co-op by buying f rom farmers markets to ensure you are not only buying local food but also seasonal, and unpackaged. Get to know your local grower and food producers and take time to find out what their methods are to create a habit of mindfulness in your consumption patterns.
BEHIND THE BRAND
HIMALAYA HERBALS T
he story of Himalaya Herbals begins in 1930 in the forests of Burma. It has a long history, but one thing is clear, what the young founder, M. Manal set out to do is still what the company is doing – and that’s creating pure, natural herbal products that make a sustainable and effective difference in people’s lives.
“Today, with nearly 500 products in over 100 countries, Himalaya Herbals is a leading global health and personal care company that is unparalleled as a pioneer in exploring the synergy between Ayurveda and modern science.” With a bid to ensure the promise of wellness in every home and happiness in every heart, Himalaya’s philosophy remains true to M. Manal’s one-man revolution towards marrying scientific research with natural, herbal medicine and products that address the real needs of people. Affordability is also one of the company’s tenets – to bring wellness into every home, it needs to be as affordable as possible.
There are few companies that use polyherbal formulations, ensuring that every ingredient is indeed natural and effective. In Himalaya products, you won’t find ‘extracts’ of a herb mixed with something else – it’s all fully herbal. And that’s why they have a host of clinically proven pharmaceutical products – not just a product using clinically proven herbs, but the entire product is clinically proven to be effective for its intended use, such as Mentat for memory loss and Liv.52 for liver regeneration. Himalaya Herbals has had a presence in South Africa for 10 years – a relatively short time considering the company’s long history. But already in that time it has become a favourite natural go-to for whole family health.
Gareth Thomas, Country Head for Himalaya Herbals South Africa says that working for the company has made a marked difference in his own life, too. “Not only is it a privilege to work with a company that is truly authentic in its bid to create products that are good for people and the planet, but it’s also incredibly gratifying to witness how many people Himalaya has helped, including my own family,” says Gareth. All herbs used are grown organically and packaging is recyclable. Himalaya products undergo the same strict quality, safety and efficacy measures, whether it’s an anti-aging product that’s utilising plant stem-cells, skin care for teens, pharmaceuticals or vegan-approved baby products and toothpaste. “We have a high-tech research and development centre in India and it’s incredible how much innovation is created there. While it does take a while, due to our strict quality and efficacy measures, to get a product to market, launching new products is always exciting because you simply know they will work beautifully and make a positive impact on the people who use them,” says Gareth.
www.himalayaherbals.co.za available at leading health outlets countrywide
EARTH FRIENDLY
SHOPPING & SHARING Put into practise a ‘shopping and sharing’ mindset. Here are some of our favourite brands where you can bulk buy directly from the supplier and enjoy discounted benefits.
RED ESPRESSO Feel both satisfied and energised with a ‘no caffeine’ alternative. Stock up on delicious and health promoting beverages from Red Espresso with Rooibos Cappuccino, veganfriendly Spiced Chai Latte, and Superfood lattes like Matcha, Turmeric and Beetroot. *Order directly from Red Espresso and get a 15% discount. Simply add WELCOME15 to the checkout page f rom their online store. www.redespresso.co.za/collections.
HEMPORIUM Keep the environment top of mind and shop for beautiful hemp textiles from organic jersey to luxurious silk. Partner up with some girlfriends, order bulk textiles and head to your local dressmaker to create your perfect wardrobe addition. Pesticide free, high quality and local, you’ll feel more beautiful than ever. Receive the special 20% discount by entering discount code HOLI HEMP at check out. Valid f rom the 1st September 2019 - 31st December 2019. SOARING FREE SUPERFOODS Fuel yourself with high vibrational organic superfoods f rom Soaring Free Superfoods. The big bonus is the biodegradable and compostable packaging – which means a massive hug for Mother Earth! To make it easier and more affordable to shop high end nutrition we’ve arranged a discount code for Holistica readers. Buy in bulk, share with f riends and spread the love to take advantage of the discounts available. Use the referral code www.superfoods.co.za/holistica or scan the QR code to get 30% off your first order.
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LOW IMPACT LIVING We simply love Low Impact Living (LIL) in Glencairn Cape Town, with their old-style package-f ree shopping principles. They have a pay it forward cupboard filled with clean glass jars brought in by customers for those who may have forgotten to bring containers. Visit this low impact living example and hand your list of healthy, sustainable grocery items to the grocer, let them pack your choices into your own containers (or purchase compostable paper bags). While you wait, enjoy a delish cup of coffee or something f rom the healthy, vegan-f riendly menu. For more info, e-mail: info@lowimpactliving.co.za or find them on Facebook Photo: Candice Douglas
TAKE YOUR OWN
If you’re a coffee addict, you probably have a favourite barista en route to your day. Invest in a travelling coffee cup and supply it to them as your take-away. Some companies even offer discounts to patrons with their own cups. Take away food can also be placed in your own container, so don’t be afraid to ask the next time you have a craving for your favourite take-out.
healing nature Behind the times
Henry Ford famously created a car out of hemp – it was fuelled by hemp and the body was made from hemp-plastic. That was in 1941. The reason it didn’t become the way of the future? Hemp was outlawed at the time, but not for the reasons that media and policy gave, which was that it was dangerous. Plastic was invented around about the same time. It, and other materials like oil, were simply better options for making money. You see, hemp isn’t hard to grow and nor is it in any way harmful to the environment. In fact, it’s so good at drawing heavy metals and other chemicals out of the soil that it could become a major part of cleaning up the mess we’ve made of the planet. It’s a highly effective tool for bioremediation – an environmental clean-up. If you plant a seed today, in three to four months you’ll have a plant that’s not only chock full of healthy nutrients (it’s a superfood), but every part of the plant can be used for not only CBD oil, but also fibres for textiles and even building materials, and you can run a car on it. In fact, proponents will say that hemp has at least 15,000 uses.
Abis Inc have been distributing medical cannabis responsibly since 2014. They are passionate about educating users and practitioners on the responsible and effective use of cannabinoids for true health and well-being. To find out more about courses and products, go to www.abisinc.org. To find out more about the Association of Compassion, go to www. associationofcompassion.com
Be in the know
With new legislation in South Africa slowly coming around to the fact that hemp can be grown, it is vital that we become educated regarding how to respectfully grow and use it, for good. For the good of people’s health, for the good of the environment and for the good of the future. It is also vitally important to note that hemp, while a close cousin of cannabis, is vastly different and has less than 0.3% THC content. Asked to describe the difference, most people will use the analogy of dogs – a poodle and a Doberman are the same species, but a totally different animal. Much like many of the ancient remedies, beliefs and philosophies that actually work, hemp isn’t new – it’s been around for centuries and has been used to do good for as long. Knowledge about its myriad benefits have been hidden for the sake of big industry. Now is the time to be in the know so we can save the planet, tread lightly and live healthily.
HOLISTIC HEALING
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IS IT POSSIBLE TO DIE HEALTHY? Is it possible to die healthy? Now this may sound like a complete oxymoron, right? But, is it really? Chiropractor Dr Kevin Lentin, who specialises in preventative spinal health care, clinical nutrition and lifestyle coaching, explains the impact of lifestyle choices and habitual thoughts on the ageing process. With over 35 years of experience in treating human conditions his overriding message is that: You, yes that means you, are almost entirely responsible for your state of health. Humans don’t die of old age. We die because of trauma, an accident, or because one or more of our ‘systems’ begin to fail - the cardiac system, the respiratory system, the digestive system and so on. What we don’t often realise is that we have a huge amount of control over how our cells, and our organs, age. Millions and millions of individual cells make up our organs, which make up our ‘systems’. From the moment of conception, a process of cellular programming begins. As the sperm and the egg (ovum) connect, there is an instant download of ‘information’, not only from Mom and Dad, but f rom your entire genetic timeline. We have little control over this programming or ‘download’. The information goes straight into the f rontal cortex of the brain, known as the ‘seat of memory and experience’, and also called the subconscious mind. Our conscious
brain plays a role in decision-making processes once we accumulate experiences and store them in the subconscious part of the brain. For example, a toddler will touch a hot plate because they have no prior experience of being burnt. Once they touch the plate for the first time the ‘experience’ is instantly programmed into the subconscious as a memory. From then on the conscious brain has access to that memory. As experiences are collected the subconscious becomes filled with experiences the conscious brain is able to access. The manner in which these experiences are ‘stored’ as memories is intimately involved in the ageing process. When young we may interpret certain experiences in a way that negatively affects our future cognition. A memory of a parent leaving home may be filed in the brain in a way that creates mistrust in relationships and creates unnecessary stress in adult life. The conscious brain is forever darting back and forth into the subconscious brain for guidance on how to manage life. For this reason we most often keep repeating the same behaviours. The way the memory is stored, and it’s usually in either a positive or negative type of frame, will be what we constantly draw on for guidance.
With more accurate research on genes and the power of thought we see how we can remain healthy despite the health history of our parents or what we believe we may have inherited.
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HOLISTIC HEALING
CELLULAR PROGRAMMING According to the Global Burden of Disease Study the proportion of healthy years of life lost f rom illness rose f rom 21% in 1990 to 31% in 2003 and I’d like to suggest that if there were more current figures, these percentages would be higher. These statistics refer to actual disease. However, if we factor in dis-ease, that feeling of not being really sick, but not being really well, feeling tired, demotivated, or just ‘not firing on all cylinders’, we’d probably be looking at 70% (if not more). How have we managed to get ourselves into this pickle, with all the advanced medical knowledge available and therapeutic interventions we have access to? I believe it boils down to our cellular programming. Each and every one of our cells has a ‘brain’, called the nucleus. The nucleus is where all our genetic material is housed. Science used to believe that once the ovum and the sperm connected, and the genetic information was transferred, that was it. The genetic imprint could not be altered. Turns out that this isn’t strictly correct. We actually have two types of genes – let’s call them ‘hard’ or high penetrance
genes and ‘soft’ or low penetrance genes. The high penetrance ones are the ones we can’t do anything about, but the low penetrance ones, we have a great deal of control over, and they are directly influenced by all aspects and components of our lifestyle. According to leading edge biologist Dr Bruce Lipton, up to 90% of our genes are low penetrance genes. Bombarding these genes with the correct messages, what I refer to as pro-life messaging or programming, has an extremely positive effect on the ageing process of the individual cells. According to best-selling author Jennifer Read Hawthorne, humans, it seems, have anywhere f rom 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Research says, up to 98 percent of them are exactly the same as we had the day before. Talk about creatures of habit! Even more significant, 80 percent of our thoughts are negative. This effectively translates into exactly the opposite of pro-life messaging; it’s in fact cellular messaging that is distinctly pro-death.
You have untold power to influence your physical and mental reality. Your mind is in a feedback loop with your body and the more you set up positive mental habits the more beneficial responses you’ll get from your body.
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BEHIND THE BRAND
3X4 | GENETIC INTELLIGENCE By learning about your individual genetics, you have the freedom to understand exactly how you can delay or prevent disease affected by your genes, your environment and your lifestyle.
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his story begins with a question and ends with an answer. An answer every person can benefit from. Thirty years ago, when Dr Yael Joffe’s beloved grandmother was dying of cancer, she was filled with frustration. Firstly, that the diagnosis hadn’t been made until it was too late, and secondly, there was simply nothing that could be done to fix it. Although a student of architecture at the time, Yael did an about turn, began researching nutrition and looked for answers in food. As naturopathy wasn’t available at the time, she changed her degree to dietetics. SEEKING TRUTH Finishing her post-grad degree at UCT still yielded no satisfying answers. But finally, the lights came on in London, where she discovered something that made sense to her. Nutrigenomics was a very new area of science and for the first time, Yael found the discipline she could pour her heart and mind into. After seven years of working within nutrigenomics in the UK, Yael returned to South Africa to do a PhD. As the only person in South Africa to do it, she needed to spend ample time in the lab. Luckily it afforded her the opportunity to experiment with pure genetics. With no guidance, no mentors and beating back negativity towards this emergent science and, despite being told this was science-fiction, Yael locked into the field with fierce determination. Pursuing her research trail to America, she found the mentor with whom she co-wrote a book. Four companies, a few best-selling books, bridging the US and UK and 20 years later, the science is now widely accepted. And Yael is a soughtafter speaker and Adjunct Professor at both Rutgers University and Maryland University of Integrative Health in the US. From a scientific and technological perspective, most direct-to-consumer genetics tests don’t deliver on their hype, particularly when real health
“I finally began to find answers to the question of how nutrients might cause or prevent disease. Food affects the body in such a fundamental way, now there was an evidence-based way to see the mechanisms in action, at a molecular scale.”
issues are a stake. Through her clinic in Cape Town, Yael developed a robust DNA test that is constantly evolving in delivering actionable, long-term value for health. A key component to the test is real-world, educated guidance after getting the results. Through mentor-led genomic education programmes 3X4 opens up future paths for practitioners. Fundamentally, a genetic test report without expert guidance is just mere information.
own bodies are coded, we don’t need to keep guessing what will work, wondering why a hyped programme or product fails for us. You don’t need a DNA test if it’s just going to load you with more information. The action you take once you have this precious data; this is what makes the difference to how long and well you live.
THE EUREKA MOMENT “I’ve built a number of nutrigenetic tests, but in January 2018, I finally built the test I am most proud of. 3X4 Genetics offers not only what I believe will become the best practitioner test in the world, but a way to ensure we use the value inherent in nutrigenetics in the most powerful and ethical way.” FUTURE MEDICINE Partnering with Jason Haddock, whose understanding of technology and user experience in terms of behavioural change has proven invaluable, Yael’s new test is set to change the way we see and manage health into the future. 3x4 allows you access to your own data – it treats you as the individual you are, and the results inform you how to manage your health, not just now but into the future. Critically, 3X4 offers pathwaybased analysis, not single gene-variant based analysis, meaning it looks at how genes interact with one another and work together to impact key metabolic processes. Our daily decisions trigger the way our genes turn on or off. If we know how our
021 300 1915 | info@3x4.io | www.3x4.io Your career deserves longevity too. Come learn with us.
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HOLISTIC HEALING
As Deepak Chopra explains: “Every negative belief weakens the partnership between mind and body.”
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CHANGE THE STORY Of course, it’s not only our thoughts that are the problem. It’s way more than that. It’s what we eat, what we drink, what we put on our bodies, the toxins and chemicals we are exposed to, the emotional and physical stress we undertake. All those factors can, and do influence cellular aging, eventually leading to premature cellular aging, and then finally organ failure.
So what can we do about it? 1. Actively control the things you are in direct control of: Normalise your body mass index, which means weight management Improve fat to muscle ratio Incorporate exercise: stretching (yoga), aerobic and resistance exercise Normalise sleep patterns Balance blood sugar fluctuations with a ketogenic dietary lifestyle Normalise gastrointestinal function
2. Introduce: Meditation Mindfulness practices Journaling Positive affirmations Positive visualisations Targeted supplementation to enhance system function
About Dr Kevin Lentin 3. Surround yourself with: Positivity Humour Creativity Nature People and communities that uplift and have a positive effect on you
Dr Kevin Lentin has a B.Social Science from the University of Natal; Doctor of Chiropractic, Cum Laude, from Life Chiropractic College, in Atlanta; Diploma in Applied Clinical Nutrition from the Academy of Nutrition in Australia and specialises in Functional Medicine. Dr Lentin has been in private practice for
4. Avoid: Negativity Conflict The need to be ‘right’ ‘Dream stealers’ Toxicity of any kind Things that add no value to your life
the past 36 years. While his is core interest revolves around the diagnosis, treatment and management of neuromusculo-skeletal conditions, his search to deepen his understanding of ‘wellness’ (as opposed to sickness), led him to Functional Medicine that addresses the whole person, rather than an isolated set of symptoms. He integrates musculoskeletal (Chiropractic), bionutritional, functional wellness (Functional Medicine) and psycho-emotional realms
Taking control of our pro-life cellular messaging strategies, and introducing specific therapeutic lifestyle interventions, will quickly activate the body’s amazing, and innate, self-healing potential, allowing our systems to thrive well into chronological old age. We still haven’t found the secret to prolonging life indefinitely and eventually our cells don’t replicate in perfect harmony as they should so ultimately we die.
in a holistic approach. His knowledge and experience as a clinician, writer, motivational speaker and health and lifestyle expert is shared with individuals, families and businesses towards optimum potential, disease prevention
We don’t have to suffer from disease though, in order to die.
and healthy longevity. Email klentin@iafica.com www.drkevinlentin.co.za Tel: 021 674 0548 Cell: 083 250 7999 Kenilworth, Cape Town
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THOUGHT GARDEN
wn o r u o y e t a e Cr
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d r a e G n t h g ou
Unless you pay considerable attention to your thoughts and intentionally interrupt them, random thoughts continue to arise. Anyone objectively observing their thoughts may find them amusing, annoying, perhaps boring and repetitive or even alarming. Mostly these ‘continuously arising’ thoughts tend to be negative. Yet, we have a vested interest in reigning in our thoughts as what we think directly changes our brain, our cells and gene expression. Each time we have a thought, the body physically reacts – thoughts unleash chemical messengers to communicate with the nervous system and specific parts of the body. These messengers control all the body’s functions f rom hormones to digestion and the emotions. Thoughts can improve fitness, posture, strength, vision, hearing and almost everything in the body, changing brain chemistry and circuitry.
Lynne McTaggart, author of The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World, explains that thoughts are capable of affecting everything f rom the simplest machines to the most complex living beings suggesting that human thoughts and intentions are an actual physical ‘something’ with astonishing power to change our world. Every thought we have is tangible energy with the power to transform. A thought is not only a thing; a thought is a thing that influences other things. Basically when a thought travels through your brain, neurons fire in a certain way and create patterns of activity that alter your neural structure. When continuous thoughts are at play, the connections between the neurons create more receptors for that particular thought. New synapses are formed and we’re more attracted to situations that match our receptors. Thankfully, because our cells are replaced about every two months we can reprogramme them with practices like meditation, mindfulness and gratitude.
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MAKE YOUR THOUGHTS PROFITABLE
3 ideas HAND C R A F T E D W A R E S
Think of your brain as a pattern making kaleidoscope where beautiful thoughts make beautiful patterns and negative thoughts create not such beautiful patterns. Having this image will help you become aware of what you might be creating with the power of your thinking.
Write a personalised vision for your life making sure everything is in its positive form emphasising what you want rather than what you don’t want. Edit this into an expansive manifesto and read it into your phone as a recording. Play this back to yourself on loop every day and you’ll notice how quickly your vision starts to materialise and your thoughts transform.
Handcrafted soy & coconut candles, soaps, scented sprays, essential oils, ceramic burners and notebooks from natural, recycled and reused materials. Each one has a signature scent. The Candylwood aroma lifts the mind beyond the ordinary and inspires a yearning to be spectacular.
As an ongoing project, collect inspiring statements, credos and quotes you love. Put them all in a dedicated book rewriting some of them to suit you and what you feel and want f rom life. You will then have a bounty of good thoughts to read whenever you feel like it.
Our commitment is to be kind to the earth and, no matter what, we choose the earth-friendly option. 073 345 9600 | tanye@candylwood.co.za 082 295 6064 | sharron@candylwood.co.za www.candylwood.co.za
FINDING INSPIRATION
BE INSPIRED
Inspiration is hard currency for motivation and is the fuel that sets the soul on fire. Nothing is too difficult given the right amount of inspiration. So, how do we evoke this ‘inspirare’, the breath that fills us with excitement and energy? Silicon Valley and high-level ad agencies trading on the next best idea are known to use micro doses of LSD or hallucinogenic substances. “It’s a great solution to invite enlightened innovation and altered perspective for new projects”, said a micro dosing advocate. An artist blind folded herself for a week and painted without physical vision to inspire new ideas and methods. A development agent said he never drives the same route to work nor brushes his teeth with the same hand and sleeps on different sides of the bed each night. “Making sure your left and right brain are both continuously stimulated keeps you inspired,” is his reasoning.
SEEK
Numerous studies have been conducted on inspiration; what it is, what it means, and how much humans need it. It’s different f rom motivation, which is really just a compelling reason to do something. Inspiration evokes a compulsion to reach, it propels us to go beyond in a way that calls forth creativity. Scientific director of the Imagination Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, Scott Kaufman, says that inspiration relates to ‘an awakening to something new, better, or more importantly, transcendence of one’s previous concerns, and that people who are inspired find greater levels of spirituality and meaning’.
Although both powerful and important, inspiration is not too difficult to find. Finding it has a lot to do with who you are and what you love – you can find inspiration in nature, in other people, in giving, in doing things and even in simply being. The key is to be aware, awake and open to inspiration; to keep your mind, body and soul alive to the possibilities around you.
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Here are some tips to add more inspiration to life state of mind skincare
Let nature speak – nature has numerous health and wellness benefits. Allowing yourself to breath in its power will automatically reward you with inspiration
Practice gratitude – sometimes
Skinesiology skincare is a vibrational skincare range which through its combination of certif ied natural and organic ingredients & emotional nutrient formulations facilitates mindfulness
Teach your way – teaching
someone what you know often reignites your passion for the subject, and a reminder of how much you know. This can be immensely inspiring, moving you to grow and reach further
Try a new thing –
begin lessons or start a new ritual that connects you to something you’ve always wanted to do but weren’t sure you could. Learning new things opens us up to our own possibilities
Be an artist –
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even if you battle to draw a stick person, open up your creativity by doing something artistic, whether attending a pottery class, learning how to roast coffee beans, making your own natural essences, creating a vison board or simply concentrating on making your doodles into art, the very act of creating inspires creative thought
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all we need to find inspiration is to reflect on what we have with a grateful mind-set. Looking back at what you have achieved, dreams realised and goals met can invoke inspiration
/skin-easy-ology/
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yoga and meditation are excellent ways to get your mind and body into a space that’s open to your own intrinsic intelligence, to connect you to your soul, where inspiration lies in wait
What is Skinesiology?
female warrior
Make way for peace -
for cutting-edge and inspirational material and diversity of topics – find what interests you and allow other people’s insights and wisdom to drive your creativity
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famous martial artist Bruce Lee offers his advice on how to be open to experience. “Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
P
Be open to experience -
Listen to others –
the internet is a treasure trove of information and stories; TED talks are known
https://hbr.org/2011/11/why-inspiration-matters
www.skinesiologyskincare.com
DIY
DIY HEMP STRING
PLANT HOLDER Be crafty and make your own macramé holder f rom a series of square knots. Once you’ve mastered the knot it takes 10-15 minutes to complete – a super easy way to create something new and beautiful in your home. We tried it and are delighted at the results.
YOU NEED: A ball of hemp string (order directly from Hemporium), a pair of scissors and a ring. Use a large curtain ring or keyring. 1.
2.
3.
4.
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6. 7.
Cut 8 strands of string 24cm long (for a medium-sized pot plant) Loop the 8 strands over the ring and let each side hang down equally To secure the strands onto the ring make a wrapped knot. This means cutting a shorter length of string about 12cm long and wrapping it round and round the lengths of string just under the ring. Trap a loop of string before you start wrapping then once you’ve gone round about 5 times, pass it through the loop and tie a knot to secure it. Make a pen mark 6cm down on all the 16 pieces of hanging string, so you know where to start making your first set of square knots. Divide your strands into four groups of four strands each. Starting from your pen mark, with the first set of 4 strands, lay the left cord over the centre cords and under the cord to the right.
8.
Thread the cord on the right under the centre cords and up over the cord on the left. Pull to tighten, lining the knot up with your measuring mark. Well done, you have a square knot. 9. Now make another one so you end up with 2 full square knots. 10. Do that with each of the 4 groups. Then move down 6cm and take 2 strands f rom your first group and 2 f rom the 2nd group and link them together with a set of 2 square knots. Continue doing that until you have joined all the groups. 11. Then, further split and join groups the same way using two square knots. 12. Finally, bring all the strands together and do a simple looped knot to close off the bottom. 13. Position your pot inside the basket of knots and hang it on a hook.
Hemp is strong and durable with a long life-span. It’s the perfect outdoor material to make pot holders with. 74 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
CUT OUT PAGE
CONNECT
Research shows that connecting is one of the major keys to happiness. Use these vouchers to connect or re-connect with friends, family, loved ones, your neighbourhood and your planet. Let’s play hopscotch in the street – I’ll bring the chalk Time to clean up – let’s spend the day cleaning up a green space near us; I’ll bring the dustbin bags and a few friends.
Redeem for an hour of my completely undivided attention Let’s do a forest bathe – leave your shoes in the car and bring a mind seeking peace I’m so sorry. Can we start afresh? When last did you dance to your favourite song, in your underwear? I’m in if you are! Redeem for a stress-relieving massage and relaxing chat over tea Hug me – for as long as you want Let’s get steamy with a home spa day – you warm up the bathroom and I’ll bring organic skin treatments Hungry? Let’s begin our day scouring the markets for fresh ingredients, get to know the growers and end the day with a creative home-cooked meal. We can invite the neighbours too
BEHIND THE BRAND
FLORA FORCE Quality natural ingredients, quality products
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hile not all stories have a defined beginning, the best place to start this one is with a f ractious baby. In the 1960’s, Dr. Florrie Kerschbaumer, already a botanist, took her infant son, Gerhard, to a homeopath and was astounded at the results. The transformation in her child led to a life-long curiosity and love for homeopathic and herbal medicine. Both Dr. Florrie and her husband went on to study within the fields of natural medicine, from naturopathy, iridology, osteopathy and acupuncture to homeopathy. The couple brought their eight children up within the framework of wellness, giving all of them an insatiable and intrinsic thirst for learning about natural medicine. Of his up-bringing, Jurgen Kerschbaumer says,
“We were probably the most unique family in Randburg back then – we were brought up on a diet that included macrobiotic food and there was always a tincture available for every eventuality. No take-aways and mercurochrome for us.” Jurgen Kerschbaumer and his siblings knew the scientific names for plants long before they knew the common ones and were all wellversed in how to allocate remedies and, of course, thoroughly sterilise glass bottles. It’s no wonder, then, that six of those children are today actively involved in the business, f rom manufacturing to marketing.
The thirst-for-knowledge aspect of the Kerschbaumer family is also still evident, no more so than when it comes to the new range of algae superfoods and remedies they are launching in South Af rica. Jurgen’s enthusiasm about the myriad benefits of algae, not only from a natural wellness perspective, but also in terms of sustainability and environmentally friendly impact, is testament to Flora Force’s drive toward exceptional products. For the first time in its history, Flora Force will be selling a range of products not made in South Africa – with algae superfoods from Spain, Blue Iron from Norway (flavoured with exactly two handfuls of Nordic blueberries) and Omega 3 from Switzerland. While Flora Force is proud of its drive to control and contribute to sustainability by keeping manufacturing local, their decision to distribute imported algae products is a testament to their belief in it’s efficacy.
Thirty years ago, there were very few pharmacies that provided homeopathic or herbal medicines, and even those lacked variety and diversity. In order to address this, Dr. Florrie, who had taken over a practise and moved to Cape Town, teamed up with likeminded colleagues to create Flora Force. Now wholly owned by the Kerschbaumer family, the business continues to do what it set out to do – manufacture exceptional herbal medicine to give as many people as possible access to natural remedies. Steeped in deep knowledge, the company’s policies are also infused with integrity, which plays out in everything from their manufacturing process to their sourcing practices. Their belief in the power of effective herbal and homeopathic medicine is unchanged.
Available at leading health outlets. Sharecall 0861 336723 | admin@floraforce.co.za | Westlake, Cape Town | www.floraforce.co.za
YOGA
GIVE YOUR FLOW
Deeper Meaning Yoga isn’t just a series of poses; it’s a lifestyle, a philosophy and a healing practise that will stretch your perspective and heal not only your body, but your mind and spirit too. We spoke to Chantal from YogaLife about their unique teacher training programme and why anyone can benefit, even if teaching isn’t your goal. So many people who practise yoga regularly aren’t always completely aware of why they return to their mat day after day. Understanding what is actually happening to your brain, your body and your spirit during your practise will enhance the experience extensively and give deeper intensity and value to it. The YogaLife programme is unique in SA in that it is rooted in mindfulness and has a wide approach, as opposed to being specific or dogmatic. Yoga is an individual practise and the training honours this. Over a period of eight weeks, students are taught how to selfregulate and stay connected to themselves while also being able to hold that beautifully nurturing space for others.
The eight-week programme is designed to allow students to not only train while they live their normal lives, it also allows for time to integrate teaching into daily routines and thought processes. Work, such as a 40day mindfulness meditation journal, is done throughout the eight weeks, not only when classes are held, which are every Wednesday evening from 19:3021:30 and Saturday and Sunday from 08:30 to 16:30. Chantal guarantees that the programme will fundamentally transform your life – it’s designed to bring up your ‘stuff’ and your resistances in a safe space, so you become better acquainted with yourself and how to navigate your life, enabling you to become a whole human being able to govern all your experiences.
“While the programme will transform your life in itself, it’s also the deep connections and sense of community that’s built with each group of students that creates an even greater benefit. Sharing your journey with a fellow student not only helps you in your learning process, it also instigates life-long friendships,” says Chantal.
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“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self. The Bhagavad Gita Graduates can register with Yoga Alliance and be listed on their website as a ‘certified teacher’ for a nominal yearly fee. Find more information at www.yogaalliance.org. During the programme, students are given a balanced combination of asana and sequencing instruction, mindfulness meditation, Eastern philosophy and psychology, with numerous opportunities to learn how to teach. The programme also covers the foundations of the asana practice from alignment, physiology and anatomy perspectives, as well as how different bodies embody the physical practice. The five researched-based principles of the YogaLife method as they relate to the chakra system and how the yoga and mindfulness practices initiate growth and connection in the mind-body is foundational to the programme.
AFFILIATION The course is registered with Yoga Alliance and follows their minimum curriculum requirements, outlined below. * The art of teaching The YogaLife Power/Vinyasa flow * Anatomy & physiology * History, philosophy & ethics of yoga * The chakra system * Pranayama, mantra and mindfulness meditation * Posture breakdown and alignment * Intelligent sequencing * Safe and effective hands-on adjustments * The business of yoga * Public speaking and communication skills * Practice teaching
Courses take place twice a year, in MayJune and October-November, at a cost of R25,000 (R23,000 for early bird bookings). For more information, contact YogaLife: 021 418 2884 | info@yogalife.co.za www.yogalife.co.za | 127 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town.
EARTH
EARTH: Love it or Lose it A sincere exploration of where we are in terms of safeguarding our planet reveals a chronic blind spot. Frankly, how we live on the earth and the way our culture, education and upbringing fosters an unrealistic economy, is simply unsustainable. This article shines some light on education and awareness to bring us into alignment with earth centered savvy and an invitation to save our planet. BY DOMINICA TAYLOR
‘Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.’ Chief Seattle, Leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes
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OUR PLANET “As far as we know there have been five major extinction events on our planet. Events caused by changes so severe that many species can’t adapt and simply die out. Right now we are in the midst of the earth’s sixth mass extinction, one every bit as profound and far reaching as that wiped out the dinosaurs. It’s almost impossible to grasp as we go about our lives, that the rest of life on earth is experiencing destruction on the scale of that wrought by a colossal asteroid collision. But consider these facts: 96% of the mass of mammals on our planet today are us and the livestock we’ve domesticated. Only 4% is everything else; from elephants to badgers, tigers to bats. Seventy percent of all birds are now domesticated poultry, mostly chickens. Nature once determined how we survive, now we determine how nature survives. One of the things Darwin’s work has taught us is that we break nature’s connections at our peril. Yet break them we do at ever greater speed. The impacts of our growing population and our consumption now directly threaten our own future…. The natural world is not just nice to have, it fundamentally matters to each and every one of us.” ~ extract taken from Sir David Attenborough’s speech at the premier of the series ‘Our Planet’.
‘We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.’
It seems that now, more than ever, this proverb holds weight in our day to day lives. Our planet and existence on it are an incredible, miraculous, and mind-boggling reality. For hundreds and thousands of years we have crawled, walked, leapt and danced upon this land. Yet now it seems we must tip toe. If we continue to produce, consume and power our lives as we do now, we will rapidly push our planet to the brink of ecocide. We live in variations of consumer cultures, which, through unsustainable levels of consumption and an over-emphasis on individualism, threaten the survival of our species, communities and planet. And the truth is, we are in the throes of a mass extinction. It is time now to face the challenges of stabilising the world population, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, replant our forests and protect our wildlife. No human responsibility runs deeper than the duty of remedying the damage we have done so far. For starters, we can gain some awareness by looking at how our education system has overlooked the cost to the earth. According to the UN, the ‘most effective means society possesses for confronting the challenges of the future’ is education. What children learn today will determine the world we live in tomorrow and shape our next generation of thinkers, leaders and entrepreneurs. However, f rom an ecological perspective, education in its present form is not the solution, but the problem itself. Our current education system focuses on the production of ‘successful’ young adults, but the version of success we’re working with is flawed. Fossil fuel-based economies, transportation systems and food and fibre production are the work of well-educated people, yet all these models create an increasing strain on planetary resources. What our planet needs now, more than ever, is not ‘successful’ individuals, but caring, altruistic and compassionate communities. And yet we continue to ignore the problems inherent in our consumer culture and teach as if there is no looming planetary emergency.
EARTH
THE EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION Learning is a natural instinct in humans that begins even before birth, when the brain is developing in the foetus. By increasing the odds of staying alive, it facilitates survival for both the individual and the social group.
Moving the educational bias from emphasising theories, abstraction and technical efficiency to one which cultivates creativity, imagination and a compassionate relationship with our planet will make the difference. As David Orr, author of Earth in Mind (Island Press) points out: “We routinely produce economists who lack the most rudimentary understanding of ecology or thermodynamics. This explains why our national accounting systems do not subtract the costs of biotic impoverishment, soil erosion, poisons in our air and water, and resource depletion f rom gross national product. We add the price of the sale of a bushel of wheat to the gross national product while forgetting to subtract the three bushels of topsoil lost to grow it. As a result of incomplete education, we have fooled ourselves into thinking we are much richer than we are.” There’s distinct poverty in educational philosophy that doesn’t focus on the habitability of the planet. Education that prepares students to contribute communally rather than compete economically will bring more happiness, more humanity and a better earth. We must stop trying to reshape a finite planet to meet our infinite wants and needs and start recognising that it is our mentality we must change. By consuming less and conserving more, replenishing and using the earth’s resources more mindfully, we can start to live in a way more compatible with our planet.
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Primarily, the purpose of education is to provide the knowledge needed to thrive in our immediate environment and culture. Traditionally this entailed acquiring the skills and tools necessary for indigenous living like foraging, hunting and fire making. Some of this was passed on by elders, and play and exploration played a crucial role in the development of physical, emotional and cognitive skills. As cultures evolved, so too did what was considered necessary for children to ‘thrive.’ Indigenous knowledge and ways of learning made way for abstract knowledge and ways of providing young adults with the skills to compete in the global economy. With the development of schooling, work was separated f rom play, and learning confined to the four walls of the classroom. The world was divided and boxed into convenient ‘disciplines’ and ‘subdisciplines,’ giving birth to the style of education we have today.
CALLING A NEW CURRICULUM Much of what is taught in schools in 2019 is the same subject matter taught in 1919: reading, writing, math, history, science and foreign languages. The truth is, despite the addition of Ipads and computers, our education system is extremely outdated. Whilst discipline-centred education may have enabled us to industrialise the world, it’s not evident in undoing the damage caused by this industrialisation. David Orr points out that the environmental crisis originates with the inability to think about ecological patterns, systems of causation and the long term effects of human actions. Eventually these are manifested as soil erosion, species extinction, deforestation, ugliness, pollution, social decay, injustice and economic inefficiencies. All this instead of the capacity to understand the ecological context in which humans live, to calibrate human purposes and natural constraints and do so with grace and economy. In essence we lack an ecologically proficient mind and the shape and dimension of ideas and philosophies relative to the earth.
Many indigenous cultures have long been cautious of the first world curriculum. In 1744, Iroquois Chiefs of the Six Nations gracefully declined an offer to send their sons to the College of William and Mary, detecting a lack of connectedness and wholeness in the system. “Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the northern province: they were instructed in your sciences but when they came back to us, they were bad runners, ignorant of every means of living in the woods…neither fit to be hunters, warriors, nor counsellors, they were totally good for nothing.” (McLuhan, 1971, p.57). Yet they were not ungrateful of the proposal. In return they offered to educate a dozen sons of the men of Virginia, with the promise to ‘make men of them.’ First world curriculum f ragments knowledge into disciplines and sub-disciplines sealed off f rom one another, and students are never taught that this is only a contemporary convenience. We teach economics separate f rom physics, and politics divided from ecology, but the ‘real’ world cannot be compartmentalised this way. Isolating subjects from one another prevents us from knowing how to make connections or how to think in whole systems. To teach economics without reference to the laws of thermodynamics or ecology is to teach that the economy functions separately f rom the modern world. As such we produce economists who do not take into account the costs of soil erosion, resource depletion or air pollution. The same can be said across the curriculum. Certain countries innovating new ways of learning include Finland. Replacing traditional methods of learning, they’re putting both learner and the health of the planet at the centre of their curriculum. Consistently reaching the top of international tables for literacy and numeracy, the Finnish are shifting away from subjects and towards inter-disciplinary topics - what they call ‘phenomenon-based teaching.’ This holistic approach helps children to see things in their entirety again, and is designed to foster communication skills, resilience and other tools needed for the 21st century. Students choose topics relevant to them, and then base subjects around it. Kirsti Lonka, a professor of educational psychology at Helsinki University, argues that traditional learning leads ‘children to believe the world is simple and that if they learn certain facts they are ready to go,’ when ‘learning to think’ and ‘learning to understand’ are skills more suited to the 21st century.
EARTH
THE GREEN SCHOOL
In the middle of the jungle, on the enchanting island of Bali, the sustainability-oriented Green School has a holistic, natural and student-centred approach to education. From what they eat and how they manage waste and energy usage to building strategies, everything is orientated towards sustainability. Students, parents, teachers, staff and local village neighbours work, learn and play together, believing the way to change is through communities. The school actively encourages students to solve realworld problems, and unsurprisingly, this has led to real-world results. A plastic-bag-ban campaign arranged by sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen in 2013 resulted in a promise from the governor of Bali to ban plastic bags province-wide. The organisation Bye Bye Plastic Bags now has 35 teams across the globe. ‘The diversity within our community is a pouring fountain of multicultural benefits; f rom the variety of languages, beliefs and traditions to the wide range of values, principles and identities. We are gifted with constant exposure to new ways of going about life that nourish our tolerance, broaden our perspectives and feed our global intelligence.’ – Green School website.
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THE SCHOOL FOR EXAMINING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability (SEEQS) is a community focused, interdisciplinary project-based school in Honolulu, Hawaii. As the name suggests, sustainability is a core-focus, with students devoting two hours a day, four days a week to exploring an ‘essential question of sustainability.’ For example ‘ways to restore and preserve native habitats in Hawaii’ to pollution and litter control, with a weekly schedule reflecting what they currently value the most. Rather than memorising facts and figures, students learn actively by working on collaborative projects with mentoring from local experts. ‘We say that school is needed for kids to be prepared for life, so why not get them prepared in school itself and not have them figure it out once school is over.’ - Buffy Cushman-Patz – SEEQS’ founder
THE TRUE COST Most food production doesn’t take into account the true cost of production, including the social cost and cost to the environment. Consumers are not accustomed to paying the true cost either. An innovative company Original Beans decided to cost their chocolate bars with the earth in mind. Co-founder Philipp Kaufman went into production with a more than zero sum calculation in tow, one that actually gives back more to the earth than it takes. Their standard chocolate bar costs approx. 5 times more than the average and once knowing the back story, concerned consumers are happy to foot the environmental bill. True cost pricing means all costs are considered and internalised into the product. This means “we leave the Earth to next generations as we found it, and perhaps even healthier. This requires honesty (transparency), analytical accuracy, and the ability to continuously innovate. Simple rule: no shortcuts,” says Philip Kaufman.
Original Beans looks at some of the costs in the life cycle of their product. WATER:
About 2400 litres of water per 100g of chocolate - calculated by the amount of rain needed to grow the cacao trees. If forests didn’t evapotranspire the humidity, this rain wouldn’t happen. So the number of trees needed to be protected or planted to guarantee this amount of rain for one chocolate bar is costed in the production budget.
PACKAGING:
The packaging factory has 100% certified wind energy to produce a fully non-toxic, naturally degradable wrapper from FSC certified recycled paper, with soy inks, and natural glues.
PROCESSING:
Farmers are paid high prices to cover ecological conservation and quality processing. These and other considerations constitute the meaning of full cost accounting according to the Original Bean company.
PLANETARY JUSTICE Here are some action steps you can take
MAKE A STAND, MAKE A DIFFERENCE
By asking the producers of the brands you consume to be accountable for their production methods, and by choosing earth-centric brands you can put pressure on industry to take the environment into account. Be expressive and vocal on social media, join rallies and groups like Green Peace and any other media channels to create more awareness.
WALK YOUR TALK
Whether it’s taking a no plastic pledge, starting a veggie garden, drastically reducing your waste, buying package f ree, buying second hand clothing and furniture, recycling, upcycling, or simply being less consumer oriented, do whatever you can to minimise your impact on the earth and encourage others to do the same. Look at alternative power like solar and converting to grey water use.
VOLUNTEER
Spend some of your leisure time in community projects that restore forests, protect wildlife, clean up beaches and other valuable pursuits. Planting trees and getting involved in nature conservation is rewarding and fun. Join the World Wildlife Fund or find an activation group in your area.
EAT A PLANT BASED DIET
Meat production creates a huge amount more carbon dioxide than plants like vegetables, grains and legumes. Eating a majority vegan or vegetarian diet will lessen your impact on the environment. Planting your own vegetable garden uses up even fewer resources.
TRAVEL RESPONSIBLY
Working f rom home a few days a week or travelling to work on a bicycle, on foot or with public transport will help reduce carbon emissions. Consider a lift club and find ways to reduce your travel impact.
TRAIL RUNNING
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.� Ralph Waldo Emerson
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R U N FO R
the hills Trail running has become an exceptionally popular sport, but it’s not for the faint-hearted – we look at this compelling activity with its trend towards active mindfulness Most people have experienced the pure joy of a walk through nature – the soft ground underfoot, dappled sunlight and the sweet smell of things growing. It doesn’t immediately occur to those people to start running, however. But then, runners have always been a little out of the ordinary when it comes to how much they are willing and eager to push their bodies. BY K IRSTEN A LEXA NDER
TRAIL RUNNING
Slow and steady
There’s a vast difference between running on a road and trail running; two points stand out whenever a runner talks about switching f rom road to trail – it’s slower and it’s never the same as it was the time before, even if you’re on the same trail. The being slower aspect is something runners need to understand and get used to – road running is usually about times; getting faster and faster to compete with yourself and others. Of course, you can improve on your trail running time, but there are many factors that make it a lot harder. It’s best to run according to your heart rate and what your body is saying to you, instead of thinking that a 5km run should take X amount of time. That way you’ll be able to develop a trail tempo that’s sure to be slower than your road tempo. On particularly steep trails, you may find yourself walking, or hiking, for a while and it’s important to accept you may not be able to run every inch of the way. In an article in Trail Runner, coach David Roche writes,
“Slow down until everything feels easier. Workouts matter, but what matters the most is low-level aerobic development from easy running, which builds capillaries and improves slow-twitch muscle-fibre efficiency. Think long term. Studies and theory indicate it will probably take 10 to 15 years to find your potential no matter when you start. Set up a framework to invest in yourself for the long haul. No one day or week really matters. Heck, no month matters that much.”
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Tune in to tune out
Trail running needs a lot more concentration than running on a road – there are numerous obstacles to look out for and be aware of – from tree roots jutting into the path, to ruts created by recent rainfall. This means that tuning in to both your body and your surroundings is essential. There’s an incredibly beautiful mindfulness about trail running, allowing you to become even more aware of your body than in any other type of running. You’ll see many road runners speeding along with earphones, listening to music or motivational and inspirational soundtracks – it makes sense to want to block out the sounds of traffic and road-side noises and is often a fantastic meditational tool. But when running in nature, there’s only the sound of nature, so you certainly won’t want to switch it off (you’ll also want to be fully aware in case of animals, weather sounds or a mountain biker coming your way). It’s been proven time and again that spending time in nature is good for the mind and soul – and a recent report by Caoimhe Twohig-Bennet f rom Norwich Medical School has revealed that exposure to greenspace reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, preterm birth, stress, and high blood pressure. Being kind to yourself is also key, as David Roche puts it, “Emphasise process over results. Results are dust in the wind, and almost meaningless over time. I coach some of the top runners in the world, and something their journeys have shown me is that nothing changes at the finish line no matter how glorious it is. So never let your self-worth get wrapped up in finish lines. Instead, make goals based on the daily grind, with races and similar benchmarks just serving as an excuse to live the life you love.”
Building balance Because you won’t be running in a straight line with a paved surface underfoot, balance becomes essential and something your body will develop, along with the core muscles used. Changing your regular running stance to one with elbows further away f rom your body helps with balance, and using various different types of step is par for the course depending on the terrain.
Running coach Jenny Hadfield recommends the following exercises to increase strength and balance: Single Leg Balance:
Stand on one foot for about 35 to 45 seconds, keeping your torso tall and hips under the shoulders. Repeat on each leg four times. When this gets easy, hold light dumbbells and add a running arm motion while you balance on one leg. To progress even further, stand barefoot on a folded towel, balance disk or gym mat for 60 seconds.
READY, STEADY, GO Forget the designer running togs, you’re likely to get dirty on your trail run, so anything comfortable for running is all you’ll need. Trail running shoes need to be rugged, with good grip and a sole that’s lower to the ground than road running shoes – this will guard against twisted ankles. Hydration goes without saying – while out and about in nature, there’s no guarantee you’ll find a mountain spring just when you need it, so bring your own supply. Calories count – especially if running for longer than 90 minutes (and with trail running, you can’t be completely sure), so have snacks and electrolytes on hand to fend off energy depletion and muscle cramps. Watch the weather – you may choose to carry a lightweight rain or wind jacket, a hat and definitely sunscreen.
Single Leg Lunge:
With your feet hip-width apart, take an exaggerated step forward with your right leg onto a pillow balance pad or disk. Keeping your core in good alignment, bend the front knee 90 degrees until the thigh is parallel with the floor. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Push through the heel to straighten the leg. Repeat for 12 to 15 repetitions. Then switch legs. When this gets easy, alternate legs after each repetition.
In his article, David Roche puts it beautifully, “Training is annoying because adaptation is non-linear and characterised by chaos theory. Chaos theory is the study of complex, multi-variable systems. Running adaptation and exercise physiology might not be a perfect fit, but they are close. There are hundreds of physiological variables, thousands of genetic ones and millions of environmental considerations that go into how training influences running fitness. In chaos theory as articulated by Edward Lorenz, a butterfly flaps its wings and causes a hurricane three weeks later. Fitness can sometimes seem to work similarly, with small perturbations in initial conditions causing massive changes in outcomes. You might feel like you are doing everything right, and you may get slower. You might be winging it in the mountains each day, and have the race of your life. In each hypothetical, there are reasons for the outcomes, but it’s impossible to know them with certainty.”
He also outlines what he calls a ‘suckitude’ workout: At 20 minutes and every 5 minutes after, do 30 to 60 seconds at a moderate pace. This relaxed fartlek (interval training) workout will improve your running economy without a heavy physical or emotional life. Run outbound from 30 to 60 minutes really easy, then turn around and come back faster. It’s always easier to be heading home. Run up hills moderately and run down hills easily (or reverse it). This run makes you intimately familiar with the terrain you are running on, while providing some hill strength that can be good for trail running.
TRAIL RUNNING
Bare those toes
There’s a movement towards running barefoot, but if that’s too much to bear, you could also look at using shoes that are ‘zero drop’, meaning there’s no drop from heel to toe. Proponents maintain that this type of running helps re-align your running style towards a more natural and efficient one. The 2010 book Born to Run by Christopher McDougal, influenced by the Tarahumara tribe who live in Mexico, is a coveted book by runners, and will certainly get your tootsies raring to be f ree. In it, the author presents a compelling argument for barefoot running; humankind has after all been running for a lot longer than shoes have been around. Fore- and mid-foot gaits were more common when humans ran barefoot and it’s believed they may protect both feet and lower limbs f rom some of the impactrelated injuries runners experience. This is because without a padded heel to support landing, you’ll use your forefoot more, which will obviate plantar fasciitis and shin splints. Without a cushion on your heel, your calf muscles stretch out reducing calf strains and the chance of Achilles tendonitis. Barefoot running helps activate smaller muscles in your feet, which assist stability and balance. It’ll also help strengthen your ankles, reducing the likelihood of rolling your ankle.
DEFY TIME
In his book Future Memory, PMH Atwater discusses running as a sacred activity and tells the story of an anthropologist, George Laird, who documented a native American Indian runner who defied time. The runner decided one morning to run from Cotton Wood Island in Nevada to the mouth of the Gila River in southern Arizona. He wanted to go alone, however, his friends decided to track him. They found his tracks gradually became staggered, further and further apart and lighter on the ground. They never caught up to him, but on arrival at their destination, they discovered he reached the river at sunrise on the same day he had left – essentially arriving before he had left. He had completely bent time. Native American Indians are well-known as extraordinary runners, partly due to their need to cover great distances with no other means of travel.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706102842.htm https://www.jennyhadfield.com/how-to-train-for-your-first-trail-race/
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OHMM
Sakyong Mipham, author of Running with the Mind of Meditation, draws a comparison between meditation and running. Running well demands focus on breath while staying attuned to the surroundings. “If we develop a relationship with our breathing, we do not have to struggle with it as much. Intuitively, runners know this. As we become more familiar with the process of breathing, we are essentially developing a relationship with the most elemental aspects of being alive.”
• READY TO GET SERIOUS?
• As trail running increases in popularity, more and more races and marathons come into play. Here are a few you may want to train towards: • • * Fish River Canyon Ultra Marathon – 100 km (Namibia) • * Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon 7-day, multi-stage, self-sufficient foot race (Augrabies Falls) • * Namib Race - 250 km, 6-stage ultramarathon (Namibia) • * Peninsula Ultra Fun Run – 80km (Cape Point) • * Rhodes Trail Run – 52 km (Drakensburg) • * Black Mountain Challenge – 50 km (Thaba Nchu) • * Ultra Trail Cape Town (UTCT) – 100km to 21km (Cape Town)
HEALTH
BE CBD SAVVY With new legislation opening up, all things hemp, cannabis and CBD are storming the market. It’s important for South Africans to be knowledgeable when choosing a product and to make sure it’s actually the real deal. Cannabis plants readily absorb heavy metals, pesticides, and other potentially harmful chemicals that may be in the soil or water. To protect against that risk, cannabis plants should be tested f requently while they are growing, and finished products should be tested, using validated methods, too. Make sure that the brand you buy provides you with certificates of analysis. Also, when reading labels see whether it states the total amount of cannabinoids or a specific amount of CBD – the ‘cannabinoids’ listed could contain other related compounds like fatty acids; while these aren’t unhealthy, you want to be sure you’re getting the right amount of CBD.
To get the best benefits from this much-lauded product, choose a reputable brand, which adheres to the following: 1.
Batch no.’s for all their products. 2. Certificates of Analysis that link to batch no. 3. Organic source of material. 4. No medical claims whatsoever. 5. Full Spectrum plant extract and not an Isolate - if it does not say full spectrum, then it’s an isolate. Full spectrum is up to 30 times more effective. 6. Consistency of standardisation of product.
HEMP CBD EXTRACT
YOU are a simple switch waiting to be engaged. You have a body that is primed to function at its full capacity. by simply being reminded what it already knows.
Say hello to you. Avialble at stores nationwide www.elixinol.co.za
FEMININE POWER
“Flowers spring to blossom where she walks. The careful ways of duty; our hard, stiff lines of life with her are flowing curves of beauty.” John Greenleaf Whittier
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TAP INTO YOUR FEMININE POWER Women are privileged to have the opportunity to give and nurture life and honouring rather than dreading your menstrual cycle can be immensely empowering. Bio-menstruality innovator Andrea White unpacks how to embrace this feminine power BY A NDREA WHITE
FEMININE POWER
Understanding your menstrual cycle is a key part of understanding yourself. Listening to and honouring your cycle provides you with wisdom and guidance to navigate your unique world. When you tune into your cyclical nature, you connect more deeply to the different aspects of yourself, your creative energies, your passions and knowledge of your spiritual journey. The mindful practice of charting your cycle, its energies and flows is called Menstrual Cycle Awareness or MCA, which forms part of an awakening field called Menstruality. Menstruality consciously connects the physical and psychological journey of your cycle, f rom menarche (the first period) to menopause (the last period) and beyond. Discussing menstruation exposes many issues from religious, cultural and societal prejudices to perpetuated myths. The good news is that of a renewed menstrual revolution where myths and taboos are being broken and fair and positive menstrual experiences are coming to the fore. Women are embracing the concept of how your menstrual cycle holds the key to your power.
Did you know? You can use your cycle to organise your life, manage your energy shifts, connect yourself with your body and find balance and harmony.
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'Finally. It’s happening. Women are waking up to our real power -–the power that comes through our physical bodies' – Dr Christiane Northrup
BE AWARE
Cycle awareness is the ultimate holistic self-care for women. It is an organisational and planning tool for life and a spiritual practice allowing you to be receptive to your inner wisdom, intuition and life purpose. The aim of MCA is to notice shifts in your physical energies, mental focus, emotions, or feelings. This is done with journal entries on a chart, calendar or diary on every day of your cycle. Over months and years, you will see your individual patterns emerging and learn about all the beautiful parts of yourself. With this information you will develop a personalised guide to well-being. This awareness instils loving kindness towards yourself; a growing sense of self-acceptance; and the ability to adapt to the flow of your cycle. By charting my cycle I have learned about my cyclical nature. I know when I will have the most energy and when I am most creative. I know when I am less social and when I should organise my home. I know when I need to rest, exercise, paint, dance and when I need to hide f rom the world. I use MCA to plan my home, work and social life. Cycle awareness is the most grounding, spiritual and accessible practice I have found. It makes me feel I am truly home.
BEHIND THE BRAND to create a weekly live segment. Nicole’s role as an ecocosmetic chef on the segment Eco Diva was watched by over a million devoted fans. Over two years, Nicole created around 85 natural, organic and eco-friendly recipes on TV for everything from household cleaning to skincare and haircare products. It was her viewers who sparked the decision to create the Eco Diva brand as it is today – they wanted to be able to buy the products Nicole was showing them how to make. FORMULATIONS Starting with her 10 favourite recipes, Nicole contracted two eco-certified labs and began formulating the products, which were then tried, tested and perfected over the course of three years. Of course, the focus was on ecoconsciousness, ensuring that every aspect, including the packaging, was earth-friendly. It goes without saying that all the products are chemical free, organic, 100% natural, cruelty free and pH balancing due to the superfood nutrients and vitamins carefully selected to promote the skin’s own natural healing.
ECO DIVA T
here’s nothing ‘diva-ish’ about Nicole Sherwin, founder of Eco Diva. In fact, she radiates love and inclusion, and this is highlighted within the company’s philosophy, “…We believe in cultivating our unique selves naturally and existing in our truth – whatever form that may be…” Taking a cue from Eco Diva’s hashtag, #FLY, which stands for ‘first love yourself’, you begin to understand that the message is to truly appreciate and accept who you are, and love yourself deeply and treat yourself with kindness.
“Loving who you are is the ultimate beauty,” says Nicole. From the moment she was born, Nicole was exposed to natural wellness through her father, a renowned Homoeopath, Naturopath, Acupuncturist & wellness expert. Her whole life has been focused on creating products that help heal and nurture people, animals and the planet. CREATION SPACE After spending six years in Los Angeles where she launched an eco-luxury event & expo, The Green Lounge Experience, as well as hosted an online TV channel Celebrity Soul, interviewing celebrities about their healthy lifestyles, the charities they support and their wellness focus, Nicole returned to South Africa. It was while working as editor for Simply Green magazine that she was approached by SABC3’s Expresso show 179 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town | 021 200 5900 www.ecodiva.co.za
When asked what her favourite Eco Diva product is, Nicole said that she refuses to launch any product that she hasn’t thoroughly tested and absolutely loves herself. “Eco Diva products have changed my life, changed my skin and changed how I see myself. I can honestly recommend all of them.” At Eco Diva, they don’t believe in ’skin-types’. “If you suffer from pigmentation, skin irritations, eczema, dryness, combination skin or oiliness, it may very well be because of products you are using that contain chemicals that don’t match the skin’s molecular structure. This can drive the skin’s natural pH out of balance, thus causing ’skin types’.” says Nicole. You’ll find that less is more with Eco Diva products as each one offers multi-use benefits. For example, the body butter can also be used on feet for cracked heels, as a hair repair treatment, as a baby bum cream, for eczema relief, for cellulite reduction to reduce scarring and for pigmentation. You’ll find Eco Diva products in Truthworths Elements stores across the country, in various salons and spas in the Western Cape and of course, online at www.ecodiva.co.za.
FEMININE POWER
WINTER
SPRING
MENSTRUATION YOUR PURPOSE: to rest THE EXPRESSION:Energies and
immunity are at their lowest. The mind goes inwards and a sense of stillness and calm is felt. This is a time of heightened intuition.
PRE OVULATION YOUR PURPOSE: to cherish yourself THE EXPRESSION:Your energy
is on the rise. You are playful, adventurous and curious like a child. The mind is full of creativity and imagination. You are emerging and fresh.
YOUR SEASONS AUTUMN
PREMENSTRUAL YOUR PURPOSE: to see yourself THE EXPRESSION: Your energies
start to wane, you can be more sensitive and irritable, your mind wants to finish things and organise. You become reflective and critical as you also see truth clearly and feel compelled to speak it.
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SUMMER OVULATION
YOUR PURPOSE: to celebrate yourself THE EXPRESSION: Summer brings
our fullest energy, you are at your most fertile, social, expressive, sensuous. Your mind is optimistic and set in the real world. Your heart is full of gratitude, empathy and selfacceptance.
Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo-Wurlizer, founders of Red School and Authors of ‘Wild Power’, first introduced the world to Menstrual Cycle Awareness and how to highlight the inner seasons. The analogy of the four seasons gives us familiar images and insight into the nature of each part of our cycle. We watch a rise and fall of energy, and like nature we get to bloom and then to hibernate.
Each part (or season) of our cycle has a different character with its own purpose, gifts and challenges. GIFTS OF INNER WINTER
GIFTS OF INNER SUMMER
* * * * *
* * * * *
Receiving visions Dreaming Finding direction Connecting to yourself Feeling a natural high!
Super woman Productivity Sensual Gratitude Manifesting
Challenges: It can be hard to
Challenges: The highs of
fully surrender and let go, when society often doesn’t support and understand menstruation.
summer can be overwhelming and intoxicating, try not get carried away and burn out.
What to do
What to do
Rest and retreat - move slowly, avoid drama, turn off the phone, say no and let go. Make space and time for yourself - honour your menstruation even if for a few moments. Create beauty - gift yourself some flowers, create a ritual, meditate, journal.
Enjoy - summer energy full of pleasures and self-love. Take risks - use your confidence to put yourself out in the world and shine. Commit - get going, this is the time to get things done.
GIFTS OF INNER SPRING * * * * *
Clarity Playfulness Imagination Awakening Tenderness
Challenges: Vulnerability - coming out of hibernation can be a little bright and sensitive.
What to do Be creative - as new ideas come, play with them without worrying about getting things finished. Nurture - be kind to yourself. New beings are innocent and delicate. Emerge - don’t rush out of winter too quickly, build energy gently.
GIFTS OF INNER AUTUMN * * * * *
Reflection Transformation Discernment Truth speaking Revealing passions
Challenges: There can also be a come-down f rom summer energies, leaving you feeling f ragile, emotionally, physically and mentally. The inner critic often arrives during pre-menstruation.
ABOUT ANDREA WHITE Andrea is a Well woman Yoga Therapist, and Menstruality leader in South Africa. Ten years of menstruality and cycle awareness study and apprenticeship and leadership training with Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo-Wurlitzer (founders of Red school) has equipped her to empower and support women. Originally from UK, her teaching and therapy business focuses on cyclical living, self-care and acceptance. She nurtures and empowers women to unearth an inner knowledge with the guidance of their own menstrual cycles and transformative journeys from menarche to menopause including fertility, pregnancy and postnatal.
What to do
Besides teaching she also does
Clean up - organise and reflect on all aspects of your self, life, work and home. Be mindful - self-care is the antidote to negative self-image. Listen - inner Autumn can bring up a lot of truth about who you are and what you need to do.
one-on-one mentoring and therapy. Contact Andrea for more information. www.andreawhite.com andrea@andreawhite.co.za 0726381883 facebook@butterflyandie instagram@butterfly_andie
SELF
Practise Moonbathing
Just about everyone has tried sunbathing – but have you ever tried moon bathing? The practise is healing and energising, and used in Ayurveda to calm the pitta dosha, one of the three prevailing energies in the body that governs heat, metabolism and transformation of mind and body.
The pitta dosha
determines how we digest food, how we metabolise sensory perceptions and how we discriminate between right and wrong. Within the pitta dosha are five sub-doshas that moderate transformation in various parts of the mind and body. See if any of the following physical symptoms tend to show up in your body and be aware that you may need to balance your pitta energy.
Alochaka Pitta:
Pachaka Pitta:
Digestion, assimilation, and metabolism for health nutrients and tissues. If out of balance, Pachaka Pitta may lead to upset stomach, bloating, acidic stomach and food cravings. Ranjaka Pitta: Healthy, toxinf ree blood. Out of balance, Ranjaka Pitta can lead to toxins in the blood, anger, and even early greying of the hair.
ILLUSTRATION: pngtree.com
Eye function. Unbalanced Alochaka Pitta can lead to bloodshot eyes or poor vision. Bhrajaka Pitta: Healthy skin glow. Out of balance Bhrajaka Pitta can cause rashes, acne, skin redness and irritation. Sadhaka Pitta: The emotional heart: desire, drive, decisiveness, and spirituality. Unbalanced, it can lead to demanding, perfectionist, and workaholic tendencies.
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- Honour Yourself, the Earth & your Cycle -
Be a moon bather, mind opener, laugh seeker, star gazer, midnight dancer - spend time by the light of the mooan to draw the qualities of soft and yielding healing energy into your body. BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON Exposure to moonlight effectively soothes and cools excess heat, anger and imbalances from the body and is employed to help diseases like hypertension, migraines, hives, rashes, and other inflammatory conditions.
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While it is believed maximum benefit is f rom moon bathing during a waxing moon (the time between the new and full moon), you can still benefit at any time you see the moon’s glow. The new moon is a great time to meditate on f resh beginnings, set intentions and evaluate what’s next in your life. It’s a time to soften. Full moon bathing brings about the culmination of energy, of completion and is a good time to meditate on gratitude and celebrate what has already come into being.
MOON BATHING RITUAL
Moonbathers sit in the moonlight surrounded by bowls of water, thought to capture the moonlight – they then bathe in the water, or drink it. But you can benefit f rom moon bathing without any ritual – simply lie or sit comfortably in the light of the moon, from around 20h40 and spend quite time in thought and meditation. Journaling your intentions and recording areas of gratitude is an added way to enhance the experience.
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LONGEVITY IMMORTALITY & TRANSCENDENCE
Longevity, Immortality & Transcendence BY J EA N- PIERRE LE ROUX
Keep a quiet heart Sit like a tortoise Walk sprightly like a pigeon Sleep like a dog Taoist Master Li Ching-Yuen on the secrets to a long life
In this third series of Longevity, Immortality and Transcendence we delve more deeply into practical ways of managing the body-mind system so it functions optimally and endures maximally. I highly recommend reading the articles from the previous two issues (in order) as background and context for this article. This material is presented in a structured and progressive way to create a comprehensive learning experience for anyone genuinely interested in this topic. Authentic longevity practices go well beyond the common and popular lore and to really make a difference beyond mundane attainments requires a more subtle address than generally presumed. We all understand by now (hopefully!) that diet, exercise, conscious supplementation, herbal elixirs and techniques for lowering stress are useful to health and wellness. If these vectors are intelligently engaged, life extension and increased vitality and immunity is almost guaranteed.
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But how significant is the change? How many extra years of life, strong vital life, disease-free life, fully-expressed sexual life do we get? It depends on how far we go. To remind ourselves again, from the outset‌ the body is going to die. And before it dies, it will weaken, and probably even suffer in its final decay. That is how the universe is built. I am personally not a proponent of science-fiction ideas of bionic replacement of every single bodypart, uploading our minds into computers, creating nanotechnology microchip-based immune systems or freezing our bodies (or just heads for those on a budget) for future re-enlivening when medical science is more advanced. For those who are, I have no criticism or judgement. Each to their own, and blessings on your quest!
My interest is more organic, flowing and grounded in nature. I like to keep the body as close to its natural state as possible. I respect the subtlety of the relationship between the body (structure / chemistry / electrical conductivity) and the mind and heart. How we feel emotionally, and know ourselves intellectually has deep roots in the body altogether. And so being ‘gentle’ with the body process protects our very sense of ourselves, our capacity for human intelligence and spiritual potential.
How long can we live? Even without hi-tech medical intervention, the body is good (from a purely genetic perspective) for about 120 years on average IF maintained in a totally ideal circumstance (pristine water and air supply, uncompromising diet, primal exercise and movement daily, no stress, no electromagnetic pollution, yogic management of sexuality and emotion, and a life lived as love and continual presence). These circumstances are not the case for any of us – nor could we perfectly create them even if we wanted to. But it’s good to know our real potential. Most people have been trained to believe that somewhere between the ages of 60 and 90 is when you die. And that’s that. 60 is a little young, and 90 is very good
– but pretty much in that zone is where we expect to check out. And that belief itself has an effect – it programmes us to anticipate old age, ill health and death in that period of life, and that’s how it tends to play. But knowing our genetic potential is beyond that (but is compromised through epigenetic/lifestyle factors) grants an opening in our awareness and releases some of our patterned belief about what the human body is capable of. And indeed this kind of limitless, unprogrammed approach to the body is what the biohacking/neurohacking movement is essentially built upon.
Our real potential The best documented case of extreme longevity (that I’m personally aware of) is that of Shriman Tapasviji Maharaj who lived for 185 years. I’ve heard of a Taoist practitioner, Li Ching-Yuen from Sichuan, China who apparently went past 200 years but this is not properly documented, and of course there is Shivapuri Baba who lived for 136 years (1826 – 1963) and this is very well documented. Regarding Tapasviji, we have a detailed record, and it appears to check out.
Shriman Tapasviji Maharaj
was born in 1770 into aristocracy in Rajasthan, India. His mother was Maharani Nanda Kaur and his father was Maharaj Mangal Singh, the ruler of the Patiala state. He was a strong, healthy and beautiful child, breast-fed by his mother for three years and so began his life in ideal circumstances. He left the body in 1955 in Uttar Pradesh sitting in the lotus posture in the company of his disciples. This picture of Tapasviji Maharaj was taken in 1939 when he was 169 years old. His life story is well documented in Maharaj – A biography of Shriman Tapasviji Maharaj, a mahatma who lived for 185 years, written by T.S. Anantha Murphy in 1972 and re-published by the Dawn Horse Press in 1986.
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While he lived an extreme life of spiritual renunciation and asceticism and partook of a very powerful (and edgy) Ayurvedic rejuvenation process called Kaya Kalpa 3 times in his life, it does indicate what is possible. Kaya Kalpa is an intense body re-fashioning protocol involving fasting, meditation, living in the dark for a couple of months and taking Rasashastra medicines similar to Navaratna mentioned in my previous article (Holistica Q2 2019) – purified, and properly prepared, monatomic gold bhasma is a key part of the process. It requires a strong mind, as one must endure the body breaking down somewhat during the process and hold steady with it. And, as we’ve gone into in both previous articles, it’s how we use the extra time given to us through these practices that is most important. And what gives value to the whole consideration beyond just adding a couple of years to life.
The certainty of death as an enlivening force To be certain, making deep peace with the reality of our own death, with the acceptance of mortality altogether grants a level of existential calm which underlies the body’s capacity to endure longer – and more so than anything else. Read that again! Very deep embodied acceptance of death, of the knowledge that life is impermanent, that we are born as a sacrifice-in-waiting… is the root practice which underlies a truly effective longevity protocol. Being able to live at infinity where we are present as that sacrifice moment to moment is, I will propose, where we derive our most authentic happiness. Living long and being happy makes sense. Living long and not being happy does not. Previously, we went into some detail about how stress chemistry competes with endocrine biogenesis from a finite pool of biochemical raw materials. Specifically, the endocrine pathways work as follows (and note that Cholesterol, preferably endogenously produced, is where it all begins): Cholesterol → Pregnenolone → 17OH-Pregnenolone And now there is a split in the pathway… If there is stress being experienced (via life or mind) then the body will do this: 17OH-Pregnenolone → 17OH-Progesterone → 11-Deoxycortisol → Cortisol If there is no stress being experienced then the body will do this: 17OH-Pregnenolone → DHEA → DHEA-S → Estrone → Estradiol (in women)
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And this: 17OH-Pregnenolone → DHEA → Androstenedione → Testosterone (in men) So as you can see, 17OH-Pregnenolone goes EITHER to 17OH-Progesterone (the beginning of the stress pathway) OR to DHEA (the beginning of the anabolic pathway). It’s a real fork in the road. (It’s more complex than this obviously but we need to simplify it to describe it.) Cortisol is a very important steroid hormone, made in the cortex of the adrenal glands and released into the blood. Almost every cell contains receptors for cortisol and cortisol can have multiple actions depending on which types of cells it is acting upon. These effects include controlling the body’s blood sugar levels and so regulating metabolism, acting as an anti-inflammatory, influencing memory formation, controlling salt and water balance and influencing blood pressure. These are all ongoing necessary functions in the body, and require altered function to deal with any kind of flight or fight situation – more specifically by flooding the body with glucose, supplying immediate energy to large muscles, inhibiting insulin production to prevent glucose from being stored, favouring its immediate use, and narrowing the arteries creating higher blood pressure to act forcefully as required. This is why more cortisol is created in stressful situations – the body uses it to deal directly with whatever the stressful situation is. And that is good. As you can see from the above, when creating cortisol the body is not creating testosterone and/or oestrogen (the hormones that build, strengthen, heal and restore our bodies). So fight/flight and recuperate/build are separate functions in the body. Short-term stress in appropriate situations is good. Chronic, habitual long-term stress however is not. And is the primary force that destroys the body. The stress of the fear of death and loss underlies all other lesser stresses. Acceptance of death and loss is fundamentally de-stressing, and gives us resilience in life altogether. Contemplation and acceptance of this is a worthy practice and gives us more life.
Keep a quiet heart Sit like a tortoise Walk sprightly like a pigeon Sleep like a dog Taoist Master Li Ching-Yuen on the secrets to a long life
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Yogic Biohacking I personally like to take biohacking beyond how it is usually practiced and I use the term yogic biohacking to refer to the work I teach.
The certainty of love as an enlivening force On the basis of this we can bring a sober and grounded disposition to the practice of longevity and vitality. What then to do with life but love more? Few would argue with the idea that love is our highest virtue and greatest treasure as human beings. To intentionally commit our lives to the deepening of love, and its expression in life, strikes me as a most worthy endeavour. Interestingly, and again, the chemistry of love (Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, Anandamide) serves life - and health, vitality and strength. We’ve all experienced this and seen it in others. When love is given expression in sexuality and this sexuality is transformed and raised up as a conscious yoga it can be a powerfully regenerative process greatly enhancing the body-mind system. Without going into the technicalities of conscious sexual yoga here, the simple act of extending our love-making beyond its normal timing and not engaging in orgasm every time is the essential practice. When we train ourselves to endure the chemistry of pleasure without releasing this in orgasm, but fully allowing and diffusing the energy throughout the body, this chemistry can energise the entire hormonal system, upregulating endocrine function and greatly improving bodily health. With the deepest acknowledgement of the profundities of death, love and sex we can truly get into the details of biohacking. 104 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
‘Yogic’ to indicate that the ‘hacking’ of the body, brain and nervous system is in the context of alignment to the principles of yoga. This refers to yoga in its deepest sense, the process of realigning our fundamental being with the intrinsic consciousness in which the universe arises, and of which the universe is an expression. So the approach to hacking the body-mind system is with a sensitivity to higher-order processes that honour the greater context. For example, a biohack good for muscular development but that also creates minor tension in the breath and misalignment of the body, would be discarded. Or a neurohack that improves memory but throws the subtle mental-emotional structure out of balance and impedes alignment with feeling, would also be discarded. It could also be called ‘holistic biohacking’ in that it takes the whole system into account and is sensitive to the system as a whole (mental, emotional, etheric, physical). A fundamental principle applied in yogic/holistic biohacking is that we recognise and honour both our own DNA and the ancient history of planetary DNA we have evolved symbiotically with over millions of years. The medicines, supplements, tonics and elixirs on this path are reflective of that. The chemistry of a plant or fungus we have evolved with side by side has a familiarity to it that synthetically derived chemicals (only seen on the planet in the last 100 years) do not. Our bodies simply resonate better with that which is familiar. Likewise, endogenous chemicals (produced in the body as part of our natural biochemistry), are considered fertile ground for exploration. There is an inherent safety in them as we have receptors and enzymes made specifically for them. Here's an example from the endocannabinoid system and from cannabis science (especially as it’s currently a popular topic): Anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) is an endogenously created neurotransmitter (i.e. it is made internal to the body) that binds to CB1 (Cannabinoid Receptor 1) and causes all kinds of pleasing and harmonious neurological effects. Anandamide is produced in trace quantities in the Black Périgord Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) and Chocolate (Theobroma cacao). NADA (N-arachidonoyldopamine) is another such chemical. The brain makes them, they are good for us and safe.
Wholefood Supplementation
THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is an exogenously derived phytonutrient produced by the Cannabis sativa plant. It also binds to CB1 and does similar, though different, things to anandamide. Both EGCG (eppigallocatechin gallate) from Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) and Yangonin from Kava Kava (Piper methysticum) also bind to CB1 and work their own peculiar magic. While endogenously produced chemicals are most in harmony with our inherent and primal neurological function, those exogenously derived can also work harmoniously in the body (perhaps not to same ultimate degree – but still well). This is because Homo sapiens (humans), Tuber melanosporum, Theobroma cacao, Cannabis sativa, Camellia sinensis and Piper methysticum all grew up together! We co-evolved over millions, perhaps billions, of years. We understand each other. The DNA of these various species are all cousins in some sense. In stark contrast, synthetically developed cannabinoids such as JWH-018 and AM1235 which also bind to CB1 and produce neurological effects, are associated with a plethora of well-documented negative side-effects in both body and brain. In binding to CB1 they do create feelings which some might find pleasurable. But in the end they cause more problems than they are worth and even lead to actual changes (not beneficial) in the functioning of the CB1 receptors themselves. And why? Because they’ve existed for less than 20 years. And our bodies neither understand them nor like them. That is why yogic biohacking used in the service of life extension and wellness creation are generally firmly grounded in nature.
Nutritional supplementation, in the context of holistic biohacking, sees supplements closer to their natural state as food as superior. This is because nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids are presented in nature in very complex ways, woven together in specific patterns, in particular forms and colloidal suspension with specific co-factors. It is the synergy between these factors that create optimum nutritional response. Ideally vitamin supplements (with a few notable exceptions mentioned below) should be food derived rather than synthetically produced. This is something we have known for a very long time!
“A vitamin is a working process consisting of the nutrient, enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants and trace mineral activators. The crystalline vitamin itself, in the natural product, is in a critical combination and cannot be split off without destroying its biological activity. If separated it must recombine with the other members of the complex before it can function as a nutrient. The natural complex carries trace mineral activators without which the vitamin fails as a biochemical catalyst.” ~ Dr. Royal Lee “What Is a Vitamin?” Applied Trophology, August 1956 All known vitamins are complexes, not just the familiar Vitamin B Complex. While we can derive some benefit from simple components of the full vitamin complex, it is better to take in the full complex. Generally this is only found in whole-food-derived vitamin supplement sources. Vitamin A Complex is composed of retinol, retinal, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin Vitamin B Complex is composed of end-chain forms of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin as both co-enzyme forms NAD & NADP, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, cobalamin, folate, biotin, inositol, choline and para-aminobenzoic acid Vitamin C Complex is composed of natural L-ascorbic acid, cofactors and bioflavonoids: hesperidin, hesperitin, rutin, quercitrin, diosmin, naringin, naringenin, tangeretin, tangeritin, narirutin, neohesperidin, nobiletin, apigenin and eriocitrin Vitamin D Complex is composed of cholecalciferol/D3, ergocalciferol/D2, lumisterol, 22-dihydroergocalciferol and sitocalciferol Vitamin E Complex is composed of d-alpha-tocopherol, d-betatocopherol, d-gamma-tocopherol, d-delta-tocopherol, alphatocotrienol, beta-tocotrienol, gamma-tocotrienol and deltatocotrienol Vitamin K Complex is composed of phylloquinone/K1, menaquinone/K2 – including menaquinone-4/MK4 and menaquinone-7/MK7
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Protein Hacking This applies to protein as much as to vitamins. It is generally better to get protein amino acids from whole food sources for the optimum nutritional effect. As is also the case for certain antioxidant, enzyme, non-vitamin phytonutrient-based supplements, there are exceptions when looking for a specific metabolic or neurochemical effect from an isolated nutrient or amino acid. Some examples of effectively usable isolates are: • Resveratrol • MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) • Glutathione • ALA (alpha-lipoic acid) • Beta-sitosterol • Chrysin • NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) • TMG (trimethylglycine)
This lists essential amino acids according to the 100g calorie serving for each protein type rather than by the weight of the serving – which is more accurate relative to the consumption of the protein source. (we’re not going into an exhaustive analysis of amino acid profiles of different protein sources – that is a whole article on its own. This is more about a simple illustration of targeting a protein source toward an outcome.) ACTUAL PROTEIN CONTENT FROM FOOD SOURCES PER 100G CALORIE SERVING
Amino Acid Isoleucine (BCAA) Leucine (BCAA) Valine (BCAA) Phenylalanine Methionine Lysine Tryptophan Threonine Arginine Histidine
Pumpkin 0.77 1.21 0.60 0.77 0.33 0.60 0.20 0.48 2.25 0.38
Whey Hemp Pea
Rice
1.16 1.94 1.09 0.65 0.47 1.61 0.45 1.31 0.45 0.35
1.24 1.93 1.28 0.93 0.49 1.09 0.33 1.01 1.45 0.48
0.56 0.89 0.78 0.56 0.33 0.44 0.11 0.78 2.67 0.56
0.91 1.67 0.99 1.10 0.18 1.50 0.18 0.78 1.70 0.49
For example, regarding amino acids, both L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine (both building blocks of protein) are source-precursors to dopamine in the brain, L-arginine supports the synthesis of both HGH (human growth hormone) and NO (nitric oxide). L-leucine is particularly anabolic and is good for muscle growth. Tryptophan is a serotonin precursor.
Based on the functions of specific amino acid isolates we can make a few general statements:
So there is a valid case for using protein fraction isolates (amino acids) in certain cases. The higher road is to use whole proteins with an amino acid profile dominant in the key amino acids required.
• For longevity, improved sexual function and heart health, Hemp Seed protein is the best (followed closely by Pumpkin Seed) due to high L-Arginine which supports HGH and NO (Nitric Oxide) synthesis. (Nitric Oxide is a vasodilating gas intimately involved in male erection, among other things.)
For example, look at the amino acid profiles from these non-flesh protein powder sources below (see more background in the protein article on page 54):
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• For body-building and muscle and strength development, Brown Rice is superior (with Whey a close second). This is from being higher in branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and L-Leucine in particular.
• Pea would be the most ‘stimulating’ being the highest in L-Phenylalanine which feeds into dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine synthesis. Whey would be the most ‘relaxing’ because of the higher L-Tryptophan supporting serotonin production.
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LONGEVITY IMMORTALITY & TRANSCENDENCE
Conscious Paleo A protein discussion is not complete without delving into our real requirements for this macronutrient and whether plant-based sources are adequate. We also look at this from the Paleo perspective, which is generally quite intelligent around protein intake. I definitely agree that a diet attempting to replicate a free-living Palaeolithic man or woman (who lived up until about 12,000 years ago) is a well-considered starting point for the development of an optimum human diet. This pre-agrarian life-circumstance would have provided food predominantly from hunting and gathering – so no processed anything, no grains and no genetically modified awful stuff, but rather based on fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, eggs and wild meats. There would generally be no dairy (who’s really going to milk a wild buffalo who is trying to feed her calf?). This all makes sense and certainly, as farming only began around 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, our DNA has evolved with the Paleo style diet for millions more years, However there is a tendency in the Paleo community of working the meat angle harder than is perhaps necessary or reflective of a Palaeolithic culture and likely dietary framework. Firstly, hunting wild animals that don’t want to be caught, armed only with rocks, sticks and bow and arrows… is a risky business! It’s tiring and certainly not guaranteed. It’s not likely mammoth burgers would have been a predictable daily convenience! If anything, the staple would have been what could be easily gathered; many fruits, vegetables, berries – perhaps the occasional bird egg. Even nuts and seeds (predominantly fat sources) would not feature that prominently if you think about it. Seeds are tedious to harvest and nuts have hard shells and take a lot of work getting into. So fats would be a moderate part of the diet at best. So the primal Palaeolithic diet is most likely a high vegetal based diet, moderate in fats and low to moderate in flesh protein (obviously varying greatly by geographical region). In contrast, many people are doing Paleo as high flesh, moderate to high fat, and low vegetable-based carbs. I think this has a lot to do with the addictive nature of flesh protein.
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It gives a strong hit to the body as a feeling of strength, and it is very energising. In fact, it’s a good rejuvenating food for profound bodily weakness, as it’s deeply nurturing and easily digested. I’ve personally experienced this; eating flesh food often creates a desire for eating more of it. It feels so filling, nurturing and grounding that lighter foods often feel just ‘too light’ by contrast, even when nutritious enough to sustain life at optimum levels (and usually more nutrient dense altogether). Therein lies the addictive hook. I would suggest an optimum way to relate to flesh protein is to use it as medicine. Deliberately, consciously and when bodily signs suggest it is needed. Not just when it is craved. This is a useful distinction and will vary from person to person, and across different phases in the same person’s life. Our own biochemical needs do really change. Other key factors about the primal Palaeolithic diet: It is organic (obviously), unprocessed (obviously) high raw (making fire by rubbing sticks together is a pain), perfectly devoid of weird synthetic additives, no refined sugars, fruit only seasonal, and usually in summer. All principles worth considering. Referencing our protein intake again, many people, especially those in competitive sports and particularly men who are lifting and wanting to build muscle, have come to believe in having a certain number of calories, including a high (often animal-based) protein intake. I am a student of Dr. Nūn Amen-Ra’s work (whom I consider one of my many mentors). Doctor Amen-Ra holds a number world records in deadlift in his particular class and weight division. He eats an entirely vegan diet of 1000 - 1500 calories per day. He also eats only one meal per day and takes no more than an hour to eat it. He is effectively fasting for 23 hours out of every 24. Some would scoff at the idea that it is possible to develop and maintain this kind of physique and be strong enough to excel in competitive weight lifting on 1250 calories a day (most strength athletes are eating triple this) but this is proof the body develops in ways outside of common understandings.
Of course he has a fairly comprehensive exercise regimen of morning high intensity aerobic exercise and evening weight training, calisthenics and yoga. Because of this he is breaking down all stored sugar and glycogen on a daily basis which is good for longevity generally and also during this significant daily fast, his empty stomach is causing release of the hormone ghrelin which stimulates the release of HGH and thus IGF-1 which is highly anabolic. When developing a personal biohacking protocol, it’s important to have specific intentions. Interestingly Dr. Amen-Ra’s intentions are not about building strength (a secondary matter to him) but primarily about longevity, mental development and spiritual evolution. My personal goals are similar and also focus on developing wisdom relative to the processes of life and death, and progressively opening the heart to feel more. More of everything, including Love. In my own case a primarily vegan diet; high raw and high green, low fruit and moderate plant fat - hemp seeds (primary protein source) avocado, olives and coconut accomplishes that. It also supports my meditation practice. Prior to this, a different diet of high fat and moderate flesh protein, including wild bone marrow, bone broth and organ meats was required to rebuild essence and energy. Knowing there can be significant variation during different times of life is also important to recognise. Ultimately diet is a personal design that should be done with exquisite care and refinement. Small shifts can have massive impacts on one’s experience of life. An important word about calcium supplements, soft tissue calcification, ageing and bad calcium detox: One of the major vectors of ageing is soft tissue calcification. This is where parts of the body like the skin, tendons and cartilage, the cornea of the eye etc that were once soft, pliable and elastic become hard, brittle and dry. This is generally from the deposition of inorganic calcium in the soft tissues of the body rather than in the bones. There are a number of causes, but one of them is using calcium supplements made from inorganic calcium salts like calcium carbonate (aka chalk). Although intended for the bones, it often winds up in soft tissue. Soft tissue calcification is a natural part of ageing but we accelerate this process by a combination of lack of exercise and bodywork, drinking high-pH, overly-mineralized well water, not doing regular fasts and detoxes and from taking inorganic calcium salt supplements. Calcium from living plant sources is always superior and will mineralise the bone, not the soft tissue.
Calcium is ideally derived from the following sources: • The Ayurvedic herb Terminalia arjuna • Baobab fruit powder • Icelandic Red Algae Lithothamnion calcareum and Lithothamnion corrallioides • Eating high levels of dark green leaves grown in highly mineralised soils. Unquestionably the most sophisticated and safe natural calcium and magnesium supplement on the planet is Pure Synergy Bone Renewal. It contains algae and sesame seed derived calcium at high doses with key co-factors such as natural source Vitamins D3, K1 and K2, and key supporting agents such as Cissus quadrangularis and Sargassum algae extract, both of which support bone formation and ensure the calcium goes where needed. It holds a standard that all calcium supplement brands could (and should) aspire to. There are a number of ways to remove inorganic calcium deposits from the body: • Water fasts with significant lemon and lime juice (the citric acid in the juice dissolves calcium deposits) • Deep tissue bodywork such as Rolfing and Lomi Lomi • Gwasha is probably the most effective for removing calcium from surface muscle fibres • Fulvic acid • Shilajit (must be extracted and purified high-altitude Nepalese to be worthwhile) • MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) • Zeolites • Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus niruri) Removing bad calcium from the body is a critical protocol for keeping the body youthful, and allowing us to remain supple and flexible into advanced age. The other critical advantage from intelligent calcium and magnesium supplementation is it increases alkalinity. This reduces inflammation and is good for tissue oxygenation which is profoundly healing on many levels.
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LONGEVITY IMMORTALITY & TRANSCENDENCE
Movement Movement is life, its free flow is intrinsic to all we do. To move consciously and continuously is a very important foundation to the platform of radical health we’re building. Movement is the most primal activity and yet we generally move within imposed structures and patterns we have been taught, or that conform to daily requirements. Whether digging ditches or trading stocks, each of those vocations imposes a limited range and structure of movement on the body. So does working out in the gym on machines with a limited range of motion. And yet the body is capable of much freer movement than we generally practice. For optimum vitality, flexibility and nerve force expression we want to use the body through its fullest range of motion. I highly recommend looking at the work of teachers such as Ido Portal (Movement Culture, Erwan Le Corre (MovNat) and Steve Paxton (Contact Improvisation) each of whom have developed a style of movement that re-trains the body into its most natural and primal expression, where the muscles, joints and tendons are exercised across their fullest range of motion.
Depiction of the ‘Cosmic Mandala’, or the energy structure of the manifest universe. Pg 37 of ‘Conductivity Healing - Energy-Healing Practices that Support an Intelligent, Harmonious, and Flowing Re-Integration of the Physical and Etheric Dimensions of the Human Body’ by Avatar Adi Da Samraj.
All these systems are about primal movement for its own sake rather than trying to accomplish any specific outcome other than extending and refining movement itself. And therein lies the beauty. They represent a foundation for adding any formal exercise, sport or art. In addition to this principle of ‘complete’ movement there is another level. To take this properly into the space we like to operate, movement is not just about the physical body, or even about coordination between the mind and the body. It is about creating a deeply connected harmonious integration between the physical and etheric dimensions of the being – what is sometimes called the yellow-red conjunction. The red refers to the purely physical dimension of the universe and yellow to the etheric dimension.
Maintaining the integrity of the yellow-red conjunction, or keeping the physical and etheric dimensions in harmony with each other is crucial to the art of vitality. Body-based practices which coordinate movement, awareness and breath are excellent for developing and maintaining this integration. Practices like T’ai Chi and Yoga (including Pranayama) serve well in this. In addition, the book ‘Conscious Exercise and the Transcendental Sun - The principle of love applied to exercise and the method of common physical action’ by Da Free John provides a detailed framework on how to integrate the physical and etheric (including emotion and breath) applied to all areas of life, including the simplest actions like walking, sitting and lying down. Taking long, deep, feeling, conscious walks in old forests with deliberate presence is a way to cultivate similar awareness. Finally, the work of Pundit Acharya bears mentioning. I have just begun my study and will speak more about this in a future issue. In summary it involves infinitely slow and refined micro-movements of the body, co-ordinated with breath and feeling, as way of tapping deeply into cellular awareness, the limbic system and the reptilian brain. It appears to be a most profound (and somehow largely forgotten technology). Very exciting – I shall report back soon!
JP Le Roux is a practicing life and health coach, yogi, transpersonal guide and avid biohacker / neurohacker. His life is committed to deepening conscious association with Transcendental Reality and guiding others as they do the same. He can be contacted for personal consultations on change@happen.is, via WhatsApp on 082-882-5584 or on the Holistica website (www.holistica.net/directory). Your questions related to this topic for addressing in future issues of ‘Longevity, Immortality and Transcendence’ can be emailed to jp@holistica.net. 110 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
LONGEVITY IMMORTALITY & TRANSCENDENCE
Waking Up Your Wild Side with the Wim Hof Method BY K HEYRNE DA NU
At first glance the Wim Hof Method (WHM) seems to involve three simple components: breathwork, cold exposure and commitment, but these three pillars combined are capable of waking up something deep within us, something that enables us to feel truly alive. Common health trends dictate that wellbeing relies on eating the correct food, doing specific exercises, and taking daily supplements, but what if there is an important factor we have forgotten? What if the ultimate state of health relies on our relationship to the elements? A relationship that helps us access a deep state of connection within ourselves.
WHAT IF THRIVING IS ABOUT WAKING UP OUR WILD SIDE?
We are all warned of the dangers of harsh natural environments. ‘It’s important to not get too cold or too hot, go too high or too deep.’ But this sound advice could be limiting our potential. Mathieu Schlachet is an Osteopath, and qualified WHM Instructor who teaches alongside Osteopath and
“We have become alienated from nature, but the cold is capable of bringing us back to what we once had lost - silence. Silence is powerful.–Wim Hof
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Biohacking facilitator Erwann Fabre in Europe and South Af rica. He explains, “The Wim Hof Method is an art of reconnecting to yourself through nature, mainly the cold. Coldwater exposure wakes up deep primal layers in your brain stimulating elements which can make you stronger, healthier and happier.” Over the century we have turned down many of our innate regenerative abilities with newly acquired creature comforts. “Domestication provides a lot of comfort and safety on one hand, and on the other has narrowed our window of adaptation in daily life,” suggests Schlachet. “To heat your home or your shower daily makes your body and brain lazy, less adaptable. If you stop stimulating your vascular and nervous system, they become lazy, making your heart work harder.”
THE ORIGIN
Wim Hof’s journey began abruptly the day his wife committed suicide, leaving him alone with four children. Looking to find peace he explored various esoteric disciplines but without satisfaction. One morning he found himself drawn to a pool of water covered in a thin layer of ice. He followed a compulsion, took off his clothes, walked in and – silence. He immediately felt a sense of deep inner connection as his mind stilled.
In an online interview Hof shares, “Later I learned that the cold brings you into connection with a deeper part of your brain, the primitive or reptilian brain, which is not thinking but only feeling. This is what I had been looking for, something beyond religion, beyond concepts of philosophy, something that connects the depth of my brain with the depth of my body. It made me feel really good. Feeling good is deep connection.”
AND THERE’S SCIENCE
Today research shows the Wim Hof Method teaches us how to create a conscious influence over the autonomic nervous system (once thought to be impossible), activating an often-dormant part of our physiology. “The present study demonstrates that… the sympathetic nervous system and immune system can indeed be voluntarily influenced. This study could have important implications for the treatment of a variety of conditions associated with excessive or persistent inflammation, especially autoimmune diseases...” Published May 2014 in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. In lab experiments Hof was found to increase his body temperature simply by willing it. Instead of finding high activity in the area of his brain related to heating the body, scientists found the sensory pain area lit up with activity. This area can trigger the spontaneous release of opioids and cannabinoids, linked to feelings of wellbeing, mood balance and reduced anxiety.
HOW THE METHOD WORKS
Endogenous biohacking encompasses natural tools that give you direct access to your bioplasticity and regenerative system. Much like giving birth, the key to biohacking methods such as this one is the combination of
a physical stressor combined with a sense of deep safety. “You are going to stress your body at a deep level,” explains Schlachet, “but because of the mindset techniques and neuroscience provided on the workshops, as well as the group energy, you are able to create safety within yourself. And this combination of stress and safety will change who you are in an instant.” This work is not about pushing the limits. “Many people use WHM to explore their limits and this can have dangerous results. I use the power of nature to just reconnect to the self through graded exposure.” Importantly to note, the breathwork aspect of the Wim Hof Method should not be practiced near water, before driving, or near sharp or hard objects, as on rare occasions people have been known to have blackouts. Strongly sensing and having knowledge of our relationship to ourselves has an important benefit. “The ability to be connected to what you feel in your body, and the emotions associated with that feeling, is key to creating a state of safety. With that in place you can keep going deeper into the experience in a way that is beneficial.”
Wim Hof Method DIY
Here are two fantastic tools to start your WHM journey.
1) Cold Showers -
End your shower with cold water every day. First for just 15 seconds, then increase the time each week working up to 60 seconds by week four, until you progress to making your whole shower a cold-water experience. 2) Body Awareness – Throughout the day check in with your breathing and other sensations within your body. Observe them, are they linked to an emotion? 3) Get Outside – spend time barefoot in nature, breath in your environment.
TOP 5 BENEFITS 1) Immune balance
Today a multitude of people with autoimmune diseases are finding positive results f rom this work.
2) Increased physical performance and recovery
Many athletes swear by WHM to boost performance and focus, pain management and improve recovery.
3) Hormone and metabolic regulation
A body of evidence shows that cold exposure can help regulate metabolism and even reduce diabetes type 2.
4) Stress reduction
With increased physical adaptability the body is able to buffer stressors with far more ease, also helping sleep.
5) Mental calm and emotional upliftment
The anti-inflammatory effects, increased cannabinoid production and activation of the primal brain all help cold exposure to be effective in enhancing mood, reducing anxiety and curbing depression. Recent studies on WHM show positive effects for people with Lyme disease and bipolar disorder.
FOR INFORMATION ON WIM HOF METHOD WORKSHOPS & RETREATS IN SOUTH AFRICA CONTACT INFO@INNATEINTEGRITY.COM WWW.INNATEINTEGRITY.COM
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WANDERLUST
TIME OUT
Taking a holiday is one thing, but have you considered taking time out from your life? Sabbaticals were once the sole remit of academia, but more and more people are realising the deeply fundamental benefits are more than just vocational
“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.� Rudyard Kipling
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T
ypically, a sabbatical refers to time out f rom a career to pursue a dream, like writing a book or developing knowledge related to a current career choice. A life sabbatical however, is more introspective – it’s about following your inner path and discovering what it will take to truly live and build a life. Questions like ‘are my current goals intrinsic or are they a result of external social norms?’; ‘Is my life heading in a direction that fulfils me?’; ‘Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?’ Sometimes we fear asking probing questions in case the answer involves change. Even if the questions and answers tear down your current existence, delving into your own internal abyss reveals hidden desires and motivations. When armed with the answers, you can experience more life control with decisions that reflect truth, rather than unknowns.
CHOICES
The world is vast and possibilities even more vast. While a sabbatical doesn’t have to involve travel, removing yourself f rom a current situation invites a different perspective. Humans tend to live habitually, and have triggers around us that reinforce our behaviours, good and bad. Getting away f rom regular routes and routines will immediately help you see life differently. Before choosing where to go, consider the questions you want to ask, and passions you may want to pursue. If your childhood dream was to be an artist, for example, but you haven’t painted anything since high school, you may want to consider going somewhere like an artist’s retreat at the beginning of your sabbatical – this will help you explore if you really love making art, if you’re good at it and if it’s something you want to pursue. You could also decide to do some voluntourism, which would involve working on a game farm, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, working on an organic farm in a country of your choosing, or any number of possible options. Most volunteerism spaces cater for your food and accommodation. It’s obviously wise to volunteer somewhere that’s doing work you are interested in – this is a great way for you to experience your passion in action, as well as to meet like-minded people. Choose carefully, though, and make sure that choosing to volunteer isn’t taking away f rom the purpose of your sabbatical, which is to delve deeply into your inner psyche to discover your desires. Sometimes finding out what we don’t want can be more valuable than finding out what we do.
WANDERLUST
GONDWANA GAME RESERVE Gondwana is 4 hours f rom Cape Town in Mossel Bay and is the only free ranging Big 5 private wildlife reserve in the Southern Cape. It’s home to lion, white rhino, eland, red hartebeest, endangered Cape mountain zebra, springbok, kudu, elephant and more.
VINDOUX TREE HOUSE GUEST FARM & SPA
SANTÉ WELLNESS RETREAT & SPA
A luxury getaway wouldn’t be complete without a Spa and Vindoux’s Spa offers unique fynbos treatments created and made onsite. With a short walk from the tree houses to the Spa, it’s so tempting to overdose on treatments and retire to an afternoon nap. The Farm Kitchen offers a menu of freshly made, healthy and simple meals that can be enjoyed in your room, on your tree house deck or as a picnic on the Vindoux grounds. Most of the produce used is grown at Vindoux. Besides everything the farm has to offer, nearby village life with its cute roads, quaint shops and restaurants is always beckoning visitors through the streets. Vindoux Guest Farm is the perfect place to explore Tulbagh while packing in some rewarding relaxation.
Santé Wellness Retreat and Spa in Franschhoek is a grand sweeping building with delights from beautiful suites with landscape views, Spa treatments and unbelievable food. It’s a treat for the senses, the mind and the body. Santé is identified as offering an intuitive blend of science and human consciousness, in which high-tech and high-touch approaches offer a service formulated around each individual. A definition that is perfectly accurate. What the definition doesn’t do, though, is adequately describe the most magnificent food on offer in their restaurant Nourish. With daily food journeys in line with the seasons and created using only real, unrefined food without sugar, dairy, gluten, preservatives, colourants or additives, the menu is extraordinary. Executive Chef Terrence Ford, an incredibly talented and creative foodie, out-does himself every single day. Terrence’s special passion for creating healing food goes beyond the kitchen and into consultation with herbalists and foragers to provide local fare with medicinal effect. His kitchen tour is highly inspiring and heart-warming. Attention to detail and elegant luxury that’s all natural and geared toward caring creates a unique haven where it’s impossible not to relax. The Day Spa has programmes and treatments designed for individual needs, you can choose to relax, detox or cleanse, rejuvenate, or address healthy ageing. Steam rooms, sauna, hydrotherapy bath, vinotherapy baths and many more facilities mean you’ll definitely want to spend longer than a day there. Their highly recommended retreat restaurant ‘Nourish’ is open to the public for dinners 7 days a week, and has a chefs table with an option of 3 or 5 courses.
021 555 0807
023 2300 635
021 879 1500
reservations@gondwanagr.co.za
vindouxfarm@gmail.com
reservations@santeretreat.co.za
www.gondwanagr.co.za
www.vindoux.com
www.santeretreat.co.za
This 5-star game farm has 11,000-hectares of majestic land and a comprehensive eco programme and anti-poaching surveillance unit to go with it. Our stay included breakfast, lunch, high tea, dinner and 2 game drives daily. Just so you know, high tea serves the most delicious red velvet cake. Besides the game; the sunsets, mountains and fynbos are breath taking. We experienced it all from a 9-seater Land Rover laden with warm ponchos. After the drive we retired to our 3 bedroom enormous villa, a modern luxurious twist on a traditional Khoi-San dwelling. From the deck awe-inspiring views of the Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains prevailed in every direction. Oh, and we had a herd of Zebra right in front of us. Gondwana plans to expand its conservation area providing a large ecotourism destination to promote indigenous flora and fauna and rehabilitate threatened wetland areas. Already they have reintroduced the first endangered black rhino to the Western Cape. A kiddies Junior Ranger Experience offers 6 to 12 year olds a little backpack filled with goodies. They’re treated to educational game drives, interactive activities, junior ranger packs and completion badges. Kids are taught to identify mammals, birds, fynbos species, and even stars. While they are engaged, sneak off to the Spa for a relaxing and indulgent treatment in African style using the Africology product range.
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Imagine climbing out your tree house (a totally luxurious one, I might add), hopping onto a bicycle and peddling through farm tracks and orchards to explore neighbouring wine farms. The available bicycles are cleverly fitted with special wine carriers knowing you’ll likely find the perfect blend and want to cart some treasured bottles home. Vindoux Guest Farm and Spa exists among the beauty of fruit trees and vineyards just outside the historical town of Tulbagh in the Western Cape. You could choose to hang out in your tree house, and gaze at the zebra and springbok, or birdwatch the plethora of indigenous species also living in the trees. Or you can hang out by the pool and soak up some sun rays. There’s also the option of fishing in the dam.
BOSCHENDAL FARM SPA
CLICO BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Between the Simonsberg and Drakenstein mountains, an hour’s drive from Cape Town, is South Africa’s second oldest wine farm Boschendal where we found an incredible Farm Spa. The spa has a menu of true African experiences. Their signature one is an immersive African Safari sensory journey designed by SkinClays. This brings the ritual of Af rica to life by incorporating the sounds and scents of the African bush into the treatments. Imagine warm Buchu moving over your body to simulate the soft footsteps of the African elephant, or the gentle rub of an allnatural luffa reinvigorating your skin’s sensory receptor sites. All this executed to the soft sounds of drums. Aloe Vera, Cape Malva and Baobab add to the fragrant journey as you lose yourself in a magical experience. The Safari Spa is the innovative offering of Spa Consultant and co-owner of SkinClays, Ronel Botes. Being earth friendly is high on the agenda. Recycling and using left-over cloths to create shopping bags and new products are initiatives designed to ‘tread lightly’. Expect to walk away feeling invigorated and renewed. Before you go, check out their retail products, many of them are made in conjunction with community upliftment projects and recycling in mind. Have a look at their projects to see how you can get involved and give back.
Conveniently set in the leafy suburbs of Rosebank, Johannesburg, Clico Boutique Hotel exudes a sense of laid back sophistication. This timeless Cape Dutch- style hotel includes 9 modern ensuite rooms, each mindfully decorated with soft, earthy hues and sporting comfortable beds with luxurious linen. The rooms open up to beautiful garden vistas and some include private balconies. The lush gardens instil a sense of peace and tranquility, drowning out the noises of the city. Choose to dine at the stylish ‘in-house’ restaurant, enjoying an ambient alfresco experience with large windows and sliding doors. Alternatively, pop across to vibrant Rosebank, just 1km away with an endless array of restaurants and entertainment. The enthusiast and caring staff at Clico are a definite highlight and total care goes towards making sure visitors have a memorable stay. Amenities include a pool, Wi-Fi, shared lounge and 24 hour security. An added bonus is the easy access to the Rosebank Gautrain with direct transfers to O.R Tambo International Airport, which makes travelling for business a seamless venture. Visitors also have the option of being fetched by the dedicated driver. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in modern Jo’burg, without compromising on any creature comforts, Clico is your absolute go-to.
082 456 7155 | admin@skinclays.co.za
Swim – eco pool with natural water and an indoor heated pool Walk – paths amble through surrounding vineyards and mountains Contemplate - botanical and
vegetable gardens inspire hours of quiet contemplation
Meditate – the labyrinth invites mindful walking
Learn – empowering evening lectures
and discussions detail healing processes
Move – the gym and Aquacise, Tai
Chi, Pilates and yoga classes strengthen participants
Be Still – guided group meditation classes invite you to sit in quietude
Eat – organic, nutritional fare is cleansing, detoxing and delicious
www.skinclays.co.za R100 SPA TREATMENT GIFT VOUCHER
Boschendal Farm Spa FRANSCHOEK REDEEM THIS VOUCHER AGAINST ANY SKINCLAYS SPA RITUAL FOR 60 MINUTES OR MORE. EXPIRY DATE: 01 AUGUST 2020
Kindly pre-book your experience at boschendal@wellnessinthewinelands.co.za WHEN MAKING A BOOKING PLEASE MENTION THIS VOUCHER AND PRESENT IT AT YOUR APPOINTMENT.
www.clico.co.za | 011 252 3300
CONTACT: +27 809 3800 | reservations@thehydro.co.za Lelie Street, Idas Valley, Stellenbosch, Western Cape www.thehydro.co.za
free yourself The radically enlightening Liberation Retreats take place three times a year in some of the world’s most exquisite locations - from India and Costa-Rica to New Zealand and South Africa. Delve deeply into the psyche with an intentional guided retreat. Facilitated processes are profoundly transformative and are run in conjunction with vibrational remedies, plant medicine and powerful internal processes designed for true liberation and empowerment. Daily knowledge sessions and process work is intensive, outcome based and includes both group and one-on-one consultations with two optional medicine journeys. Each retreat offers its own unique beauty and activities, from walking trails and kayaking to hot springs or dolphin pods. Daily yoga and three delicious and nutritious meals are included, as well as numerous therapies and destination-specific activities.
The Liberation Retreat programme encompasses multiexperiential processes to unlock the memories and underlying patterns that bind us, gently and pervasively getting to the true root of who you are. Leave this process feeling completely unbound on any level and free to move in any direction you choose. Powerful alchemical remedies accompany this radical process of liberation.
for more information about costs, dates and destinations, e-mail hello@holistica.net
ANGALA BOUTIQUE HOTEL Nestled in the Cape Winelands, Angala is a gem ready to be discovered by those lucky enough to find her. Somewhat illusive and slightly off the beaten track, her presence is felt f rom the moment you enter the space. If Angala really were a woman, she’d quite simply be magnificent. This 5-star Boutique Hotel is a true blend of homely luxury and unprecedented beauty. Expect elegant yet laid back dining experiences using locally and ethically sourced produce and luxurious accommodation artfully decorated. Facilities include an outdoor heated plunge pool, inf rared sauna, steam room and eco-pool. Whether looking to explore the winelands, go on a retreat, or romantic getaway, you’ll be aptly rewarded. But more than the fine trimmings and breath taking views, it’s the spirit of Angala that can’t be expressed in words. You’ll see it in the glowing eyes of the Angala family and in conversations with likeminded guests. I’ve always believed in magic. Angala is just that. 087 057 4500 reservations@angala.co.za www.angala.co.za
12 APOSTLES SPA Anyone wanting a total rejuvenating experience need only to sneak off to the 12 Apostles Spa. Driving along the Atlantic Seaboard with the sound of crashing waves towards the iconic hotel already starts your de-stress process. Try their Decleor Awakening treatment as a perfect antidote for the stresses of city living. This combines face and body work, using a Hydrogel mask with a 30-minute facial awakening and skin revitalisation, and a 60-minute full body massage with Decleor Body Balm. In 90-minutes you’ll emerge a totally different human. After that there is also the option of immersing yourself in the warm pool area and sauna. It’s the perfect escape f rom the concerns of urban life and gives your mind and body rest, peace and revitalisation.
021 437 9000 | reservations1@12apostles.co.za | www.12apostleshotel.com
Co me to R iverside... an d e xp e rienc e t h e tra nq u illity an d s erenity o f a b ea ut if ul p r op er ty w it h a pea c e m eridia n r unn in g t h ro u g h o ur g ro und...
Boutiqu e H ote l with 2 confere n c e ve n u e s h ostin g up to 12 0 gu e sts a t a tim e . Ri v ers i de has host ed K undalini Teacher Schools, Z hineng Quigong retreats, World Life alignment C o nf erence, Hong K ong Yoga S cho o l s and count less ot her ret reat s We’l l be host ing a Z hineng Qigong retreat wi th w orld renow ned Mast er Zhen Q i ng c huan. Cont act us t o find o ut m o re and book t his once in a l i f eti m e opport unit y t aking place f ro m 6t h-10t h March 2020
Corner of Valley and Welbevind Road Hout Bay | Cape Town | 7806 +27 21 790 7475 reservations@riversideboutiquehotel.co.za
www. riversideboutiquehotel.co.za
BOOK LOUNGE
There is a plethora of books on the marketplace that delve into every aspect of wellbeing – we’ve selected a few recommended reads
THE ENNEAGRAM OF EATING
How the 9 Personality Types Influence Your Food, Diet and Exercise Choices BY ANN GADD The well-known Enneagram personality types (Reformer, Helper, Achiever, Individualist, Investigator, Loyalist, Enthusiast, Challenger and Peacemaker) are outlined by holistic practitioner Ann Gadd in terms of your relationship with food and exercise. Ann provides insight into the emotional eating triggers of each personality type including emotional wounds and childhood patterns that formed those triggers. She also matches the exercise regimens for maximum motivation and the best methods for weight control. RRP: R303.00
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THE LIGHT THROUGH THE BARS BY FATHER BABYCHAN ARACKATHARA The Pollsmoor prison complex is one of the most feared prisons in South Africa. It’s also where Father Babychan spent nearly seventeen years of his prison chaplaincy, visiting both remand and sentenced prisoners. In the book, Father Babychan shares stories of offenders and ex-offenders, in the wish to give names, faces and humanity to people we are often trained to fear, hate and shun. In doing so, he considers the Amy Biehl case and describes the operations of the Number gangs in prison, among a number of eye-opening explanations of the real-world ways in which our prison system works. RRP: R220.00
THE NUTRILICIOUS KITCHEN BY DR GERALDINE ROBSONPARSONS Good nutrition doesn’t have to come at the price of moreish tastes – we are very proud of our very own local foodie Geraldine whose healthful dishes are highly flavourful and creative. It’s not surprising the book contains such healthy deliciousness – after all, Geraldine is a doctor of homeopathy, advanced nutrition mentor and a qualified chef. With The Nutrilicious Kitchen on hand, you’ll turn your kitchen and tastebuds up-side down by creating vegan-friendly dishes as well as some guilt-free indulgent desserts. You’ll also gain insight into the basics of nutrition, mindful eating and how to grow your own vegetable garden. RRP: R480.00
Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of
Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties BY LIZZIE POST You know that the stigma of cannabis use is changing when the most respected etiquette brand (The Emily Post Institute) publishes a book on the etiquette of cannabis. Combining the Institute’s tried and true principals of etiquette with cannabis, it outlines social issues such as: • How to bring it to a dinner party or give it as a gift • Why eating it is different from inhaling it • How to respectfully use it as a guest • Why different strains affect you in different ways • How to be behave at a dispensary • How to tackle pot faux pas such as ‘canoed’ joints and ‘lawn-mowed’ bowls The book also provides a primer on the diverse array of cannabis products and methods of use, illuminating the many convenient and accessible options available to everyone from experienced users to newbies and the canna-curious. Get it on Kindle for $13.79 (R205.00)
CONDUCTIVITY HEALING BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF ADI DA SAMRAJ Conductivity Healing is an eloquent invitation to go beyond the limitations of physical being and understand ourselves as energy; to consciously be alive as energy and live our lives as energy in relation to ourselves and to others. The book gives a foundation of etheric awareness and describes various practices for magnifying and circulating life-energy. All dimensions of healing are covered— the physical, the subtle, and the causal. It includes many practical exercises to awaken sensitivity, consciously participate with the universal field of life-energy, and facilitate healing on all levels. — Debra Greene, PhD author, Endless Energy. Available from JP Le Roux 082 882 5584 change@happen.is
OUT-OF-PRINT MUST-FINDS
Two books we absolutely love, but are no longer in print are Absolute Beauty by Pratima Raichur and Herbal Secrets for Total Health by Leatha Hadady. We love the fact Amazon will look for books you can’t find. If you do happen to find a copy at your local second-hand book shop or anywhere else, make sure you get it. Absolute Beauty has practical instruction based on Ayurvedic principals with the belief that beauty is the harmonious interaction of elements and forces that comprise the human body, human mind and human spirit. Herbal Secrets for Total Health shows you how to evaluate your own personal health needs and provides easy-to-use herbal remedies and recipes to boost your immune strength, prevent illness and overcome the ageing process.
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PRODUCT GUIDE DIRECTORY BODY AND SKINCARE Absolute Organix | Organic & Natural Products | www.absoluteorganix.co.za AfriBerry | Organic Body Products | www.afri-berry.co.za Africa Organics | Organic Body Products | www.africaorganics.co.za African Extracts | Rooibos Skincare | www.africanextracts.com Africology | Body Products | www.africologyspa.com Antjies | Body Products | www.antjies.com Argan Green | Argan Oil | www.argangreen.co.za Babor | Cosmetics | www.babor.co.za Back 2 Nature | Natural Skincare | www.sa-back2nature.com Balance | Natural Organic Skincare | www.aboutyourlifestyle.com Baocare | Bodycare | www.baocare.co.za Beaucience | Cosmetics | www.beaucience.co.za Bella Boneca | Natural Skincare | www.bellaboneca.co.za Bio-Therapeutic | Beauty Equipment | www.bio-therapeutic.co.za Bioderma | Cosmetics | www.bioderma.co.za Bodyography | Beauty Products | www.imbaliebeauty.co.za Bumbles | Baby Products | www.bumblescookeryclub.co.za Camelot | Beauty Products & Spa | www.camelotspa.co.za Canway | Bodycare | www.canway.co.za Celltone | Beauty Products | www.celltone.co.za Chrissanthie | Beauty Product | www.chrissantie.com Coventry Soap | Natural Soap | www.coventrysoap.co.za Crede Oils | Natural Oils | www.credeoils.com Decleor | Cosmetics | www.decleor.com Dermacleanse | Cosmetics | www.dermacleanse.co.za Dermalogica | Cosmetics | www.dermologica.co.za Down to Earth | Cosmetics | www.downtoearthcare.co.za Dr Hauschka | Cosmetics | www.dr.hauschka.com Dr Organic | Cosmetics | www.drorganic.co.za Earth Ant | Bodycare | www.earthant.co.za Easi Health | Personal Care Products | www.easihealth.co.za Eco Diva | Personal Care Products | www.ecodiva.co.za Ecologic Skincare | Skincare | www.ecologicskincare.co.za Elan Essential Oils | Essential Oils | www.elanessentialoils.co.za Elli | Natural Beauty Products | www.herbs-aplenty.com Environ | Cosmetics | www.environskincare.com Escentia | Aromatherapy Oils | www.essential-oils.co.za Esse | Cosmetics | www.esse.co.za Essential Herbs | Pure Herbs Oils & Products | www.essentialherbs.co.za Eyecleanse | Beauty Products | www.chrissanthie.com Eyeslices | Beauty Products | www.eyeslices.co.za Gaia Organics | Body Products | www.gaiaorganics.com HairPrint | Natural Hair Colour | www.hairprint.co.za Healing Earth | Bodycare | www.healingearth.co.za Hemporium | Hemp Products & Textiles | www.hemporium.co.za Herbatint | Natural Hair Products | www.herbatint.co.za Highland Essentail Oils | Essential Oils | www.highlandessentialoils.co.za Holistic Emporium | Aromatherapy Oils | www.holisticemporium.co.za Homespun Lab | Skincare | www.homespunstore.co.za Human + Kind | Cosmetics | www.human+kind.co.za Inthusiasm | Make Up | www.inthusiasm.co.za Jinja | Skincare | www.jinjaskincare.co.za Jozi Organic | Deoderant | www.joziorganic.com Lavenderlane Essential Oils | Essential oils | www.lavenderlane.co.za Love My Hair | Hair Products | www.lovemyhair.co.za Lulu & Marul | Skincare | www.luluandmarula.com Mai Co | Skincare | www.shoporganic.co.za Malachi | Body products | www.malachi.me Mio Corazon | Bodycare | www.miocorazon.co.za Mioja | Skincare | www.mioja.co.za Mood Sense | "Perfume" | www.moodsense.co.za My Abby Oil | Body Oil | www.myabbyrange.com 122 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
Myhru | Skincare | www.myhru.co.za Native Child | Hair Products | www.nativechild.co Naturalmente | Haircare | www.naturalmente.co.za Naturals Beauty | Skincare | www.naturalsbeauty.co.za Nature's Colours | Natural Beauty Products | www.naturescolours.com NHR Organic Oils | Aromatherapy Oils | www.nhrorganicoils.com Nutriwomen | Skincare | www.nutriwomen.co.za Nuxe | Skincare | www.absoluteskin.co.za Oh Lief | Babycare | www.ohlief.com Olinia | Skincare | www.olinia.co.za Ordinary Skincare | Body Products | www.ordinaryskincare.co.za Organic Culinary Argan Oil | Skincare | www.theultimatesolution.co.za Peach & Moon | Bodycare | www.peachandmoon.net Pradiance | Skincare | www.pradiance.co.za Progaurd Natura | Body Products | www.proguardnatura.co.za Pure Beginnings | Body Products | www.purebeginnings.co.za Pureology | Hair Care | www.pureology.co.za Rain | Cosmetics | www.rainafrica.com Ren | Cosmetics | www.alchemybd.co.za Rexi Pharmaceuticals | Herbal Balm | www.rexi.co.za Reydiant | Skincare | www.reydiant.com Rose en Bos | Perfume | www.rosenbos.com Royale SA | Pomegranate Seed Oil | www.royalesa.com Scented Secrets | Fragrance | www.beezhealthz.co.za Shea Healing | Bodycare | www.sheahealing.co.za Simply Bee | Skincare | www.simplybee.co.za Skin Clay | Skincare | www.skinclays.co.za Skin Creamery | Skincare | www.skincreamery.co.za Skoon | Skincare | www.skoonskin.co.za Soil Essential Oils | Essential Oils | www.soil.co.za SoPure | Bodycare | www.sopure.co.za Still Pure | Bodycare | www.stillpure.co.za Suki Suki Naturals | Skincare | www.sukisukinaturals.co.za Sunumbra | Sunscreen | www.sunumbra.com The Body Shop | Bodycare | www.thebodyshop.co.za The Skin Co | Skincare | www.theskinco.co The Timmy Care Co | Intimate Wash | www.timmycare.co Thursday Plantation | Tea Tree | www.thursdayplantation.co.za Uber Natural Beauty | Cosmetics | www.uberbeautysa.co.za Victorian Garden | Bodycare | www.thevictoriangarden.co.za Vita Liberata | Luxury Tan | www.vitaliberata.co.za Vita-C Bath | Bath Effervescent Tablets | www.vitcshower.co.za Wema Bodycare | Bodycare | www.wemabodycare.com Wild Organics | Bodycare | www.wildorganics.co.za Yolk Cloth | Bodycare | www.yolkcloth.co.za
CLOTHING & APPAREL Billy the Bee | Yoga Accessories | www.billythebee.com Branded Footwear & Clothing | Footwear & Textiles | www.vibramsa.com Eugene Couture | Sports Clothing | www.eugenecouture.co.za Native Sport | Barefoot Shoes | www.nativesport.co.za Natural Holdings | Yoga Clothing | www.naturalholdings.co.za Spiritgirl Activewear | Yoga Clothing | www.spiritgirl.co.za Think Shoes | Shoes | www.thinkshoes.co.za Vivo Barefoot | Shoes | www.nativesport.co.za
ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING Afmine | Organic Fertiliser | www.afmine.co.za Artsolar | Solar | www.artsolar.net Bacterrorist | Natural Cleaning | www.postwink.co.za Beautiful Earth | Cleaning Products | www.beautiful-earth.co.za Better Earth | Cleaning Products | www.betterearth.co.za
Beyond Green Cleaning | Green Cleaning Products | www.beyondgreen.co.za Biochem Products | Green Cleaning Products | www.biochem.co.za Biocide Systems | Green Cleaning Products | www.biocidesystems.co.za Blendwell Chemicals | Green Cleaning Products | www.blendwell.co.za Consol | Glassware | www.consol.co.za Dynachem | Household Cleaning Products | www.dynachem.co.za Earth Kind | Green cleaning products | www.earthkind.com Earthsap | Eco Products | www.earthsap.co.za Easy Eco Pack | Green Products | www.easyeco.co.za Eco Pack | Eco Packaging | www.ecopack.co.za Eco Planet Bamboo | Eco Bamboo | www.ecoplanetbamboo.com Ecocert | Eco Certification | www.ecocertsouthafrica.com Enchantrix | Natural Cleaning Products | www.enchantrix.co.za Firefly Biofuel | Organic Biofuel | www.fireflybiofuel.com Green Home | Eco Packaging | www.greenhome.co.za Green Worx | Green Cleaning Products | www.greenworx.co.za Grow Bags | Grow Bags | www.growbag.co.za If You Care | Eco products | www.ifyoucare.co.za Life Straw | Water Purifyer | www.brandvan.co.za Living Seeds | Seeds | www.livingseeds.co.za Made by Nature | Green Cleaning Products | www.madebynature.co.za Mimu | Cleaning Products | www.mimu.co.za Mrs Martin's | Green Cleaning | www.mrsmartins.co.za Optimus Bio | Cleaning and Personal Care | www.optimusbio.co.za Probac | Green Cleaning | www.probac.co.za Simply Bamboo | Bamboo Product | www.simplybamboo.co.za Sought After Seedlings | Seeds | www.soughtafterseedlings.co.za Spindel | Eco equipment | www.spindel.co.za Stark Ayres | Heirloom Seeds | www.starkayresgc.co.za Stasher | Eco Storage | www.stasherbag.com The Apothecary | Natural Cleaning | www.theapothecary.co.za Triple Orange | Green Cleaning | www.tripleorangeintl.com
FOOD & BEVERAGES 100% Rooibos | Rooibos tea | www.100percentrooibos.com 6th Sense Water | Water Company | www.6thsensewater.com Aceso Culture | Fire Tonic & Pre Biotic | www.acesoculture.com Almond Breeze | Almond milk | www.bluediamondalmonds.co.za Almond Creamery | Nut Milks | www.almondcreamery.co.za Amazonia | Acai Health Products | www.amazonia.com Antonias | Health Product Range | www.leafygreens.co.za Apu Superfoods | Superfood Range | www.apusuperfoods.com Avocado Board | Avocado Supplier | www.avocado.co.za Back Area Garden | "Farm Food Store" | www.backareagardens.co.za Barrys Bars | Health Bars | www.barrysbars.co.za Bee Natural | Honey Products | www.beenatural.co.za Ben Banter | Banting Retail Range | www.benbanter.com Bliss Superfood Snacks | Health Snacks | www.blisssuperfoodsnacks.com Blue Africa Trading | Khoisan Tea | www.khoisantea.com Blue Sky Organics | Organic Produce | www.blueskyorganics.co.za Bos Brands | Tea Range | www.bosbrands.com Brew Kombucha | Kombucha | www.brewkombucha.co.za Buddha Teas | Tea Range | www.buddhateas.co.za Camel Milk | Camel Milk | www.camelmilksouthafrica.co.za Cape Herb & Spice | Natural Spice Range | www.capeherb.co.za Cape Organics | Organic Food | www.unlimited-group.co.za Carmien Tea | Tea Range | www.carmientea.co.za Chaloner | Maple Syrup | www.chaloner.co.za Cipla | Protein Retail Products | www.cipla.co.za Coco Tea | Tea Range | www.cocotea.co.za Cravings Bakery | Guten Free Products | www.cravingsbakery.co.za De Villiers | Artisinal Chocolate | www.devillierschocolate.com Dore Macadamia Enterprises | Green Banana Crisps | www.villadore.co.za Drasanvi Superfoods | Superfood Range | www.drasanvi.com
Earth Products | Health Food Products | www.earthproducts.co.za Earthshine | Superfoods & Organic Foods | www.earthshine.co.za Eden All Natural | Natural Peanut butter | www.eden-cpt.co.za Edo Wraps | Natural Food | www.edoeats.co.za Footy's | Baby Food | www.footys.co.za FreeSweet | Natural Sugar Alternative | www.freesweet.co.za Fry Group Foods | Vegan Food Group | www.fryfamilyfood.com Good Heart Foods | Health Snacks | www.goodheartfoods.co.za Good Hope | Nut Milks | www.ghib.com Good Life | Organic & Natural Foods | www.goodlife.co.za Happy Earth | Health Food Products | www.happyearthpeople.com Health Connection | Wholefood | www.healthconnection.co.za Health Food Warehouse | Health Food Products | www. healthfoodwarehouse.co.za Health Riot | Cassava Flour | www.healthriot.co.za Healthy Coffee Guy | Artisinal Coffee | www.healthycoffeeguy.co.za Kabrita | Goats Milk | www.kabrita.co.za Kish Mish | Food Products | www.kishmish.co.za Kwenchi Kombucha | www.kwenchi.com Lady Bonins | Tea | www.ladyboninstea.com Leafy Greens | Organic Produce | www.leafygreens.co.za Lowerland | Natural Food | www.lowerland.co.za Mary Anns | Health Food Products | www.mary-anns.com Mexicorn | Corn Chips | www.mexicorn.co.za Montagu Fruit and Nuts | Fruit & Nuts | www.montagudriedfruitnuts.co.za Moonbean Unbakery | Moonbean Coffee | www.moonbean.co.za My Recipe Room | Salts | www.myreciperoom.com My T Chai | Tea | www.mytchai.com Mycology | Mushrooms | www.mushroomguru.co.za myMatcha | Tea | www.mymatchatea.co.za Nanuki | Health Bars | www.nanuki.co.za Native | Chocolate | www.nativesouthafrica.com Natural Vibrance | Nutritional Products | www.naturalvibrancelife.co.za Nature's Choice | Food & Supplements | www.natureschoice.co.za Nature's Nutrition | Nutritional Products | www.natures-nutrition.co Nomu | Healthy Gourmet Food | www.nomu.co.za Nutri Plan | Nutrition | www.nutriplanmax.com OhMega | Nut Butters | www.ohmega.co.za Orchard | Juice | www.orchardjuicebar.com Organic Emporium | Organic Foods | www.organicemporium.co.za Oryx Desert Salt | Salt | www.oryxdesertsalt.co.za Peacock Coffee & Tea Traders | Beverages | www.peacockteaandcoffee.co.za Pukka Pure | Tea | www.pukkapure.co.za Real Foods | Health Foods | www.kauai.co.za Red Espresso | Beverages | www.redespresso.com Rockvale Cheesery | Cheese | www.rockvalecheesery.co.za Rooibos SA | Mandela Tea | www.mandelatea.co.za SA Natural Products | Healthy Food | www.sanp.co.za Sally Ann Creed | Healthy Food | www.sallyanncreed.co.za Seed Oil SA | Oils | www.seedoil.co.za Soaring Free Superfoods | Superfoods | www.superfoods.co.za Soga Organics | Beverages | www.sogaorganic.co.za Spirit of Rooibos | Rooibos Tea | www.spiritofrooibos.co.za Squish | Baby Food | www.squish.co.za Stellar Organic Winery | Organic Wine | www.stellarorganics.com Sunbird Rooibos Tea | Tea | www.sunbirdrooibos.com Superlatte | Beverages | www.superlatte.com Taka Tumeric | Tea | www.takaturmeric.com TanOrganic | Bodycare | www.tanorganic.co.za The Free Range Chicken Co | Free Range Chicken | www. thefreerangechickenco.com Theonista Kombucha | Kombucha | www.theonistaproducts.com Ting Tang Tea | Tea | www.tingtangtea.com Totally Wild | Juices | www.totallywild.co.za Tranquini | Beverage | www.tranquini.com Tulsi | Tea | www.kalyanherbal.co.za Uber Flavour | Beverage | www.uberflavour.com 124 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
UCOOK | Health Food | www.ucook.co.za Umatie Foods | Health Food | www.umatie.co.za Upland Organic Wine | Organic Wine | www.organicwine.co.za Vergezocht | Cold Pressed Oil | www.vergezocht.co.za Zooka Health | Kombucha | www.zookahealth.com
LIFESTYLE Bodytec | Sports Equipment | www.bodytec.co.za Cali Craft and Gem | Crystals | www.calicraftgems.weebly.com Coco Mat | Natural Bedding | www.coco-mat.com Coppa Wellness | Copper Water Bottles | www.coppawellness.com Desk Stand | Desk Stand | www.deskstand.co.za Dyson | Household Appliances | www.dyson.co.za Ecomohome | Modular Housing | www.ecohome.com Electric Bikes | Electric Bikes | www.chilledsquirrel.com Float Zero | Floatation Tanks | www.floatzero.co.za Go Now Electric Bikes | Electric Bike | www.gonowelectricbicycles.co.za Greengrass Wealth Management | Financial Services | www.ggwm.co.za Hay House | Publisher | www.hayhouse.com Heavenly Hammocks | Hammocks | www.heavenlyhammocks.co.za Janice's Kitchen | Kitchenware | www.janiceskitchen.co.za Just Sports | Yoga Mats | www.justsports.co.za Klooftique | Natural Bedding | www.klooftique.com Kolkol Hot Tubs | Wood Burning Hot Tubs | www.kolkol.co.za Le Creuset | Crockery | www.lecreuset.co.za Livingwealth | Financial Advice | www.livingwealth.co.za Madame Luna | Candles | www.madamelunacandles.com Nutribullet | Blender | www.nutribullet.co.za Olympic Cycles | Bicycles | www.olympicycles.co.za Omniblend | Blenders | www.omniblend.co.za Ozone UV | Ozone | www.ozoneuv.co.za Radisafe Shield | Cell Phone Protector | www.radisafe.co Risoli SA | Cookware | www.risoli-sa.co.za Rock Chic | Crystals | www.rockchic.co.za Santavi | Saunas | www.santavi.co.za Solenco Air Purifiyers | Air purifyers | www.solencosa.co.za Soy Lites | Soy Candles | www.soylites.co.za Spine Align | Body Products | www.spinealign.co.za Teapots | Teapots | www.teapots.co.za Technospaec | Infrared Sauna | www.technospaec.co.za Zendu | Massage Table | www.zendu.co.za
SPECIALIST & ONLINE HEALTH STORES Faithful to Nature | Online Wellness Shop | www.faithful-to-nature.co.za Feel Good Health | Online Health Shop | www.feelgoodhealth.co.za Natural Wise | Online Store | www.naturalwise.co.za Natures Health | Online Health Store | www.natureshealth.co.za Nude Foods | Vegan Food | www.nudefoods.co.za Organic Choice | Online Food Store | www.organicchoice.co.za SANS | Health store | www.sanscommunity.com Yuppiechef | Online Store | www.yuppiechef.com
SUPPLEMENTS & REMEDIES Abisinc | Cannabis Range | www.abisinc.org Aceso Culture | Digestive Health | www.htma.co.za African Carribean Aloe Products | Aloe Products | www.curaloe.co.za African Forest Medicinals | Health Tinctures | www.africanforestmedicinals.com African Pure | Cannabis Oil | www.africanpure.co Afrigetics | Body products | www.afrigetics.co.za Akan Moringa | Moringa Products | www.akan.co.za Allisone | Homeopathic Supplements | www.allisone.co.za Alocann | Cannabis Products | www.alocann.info Amandla Endlovu | Moringa Products | www.amandlaendlovu.com Amazing Grass | Nutritional Products | www.underworks.co.za
Amipro & Metagenics | Health Supplements | www.amipro.co.za Amorganic | Health Supplements | www.amorganic.co.za Aromadough | Stress Release Product | www.aromadough.co.za Biolife Nutrition | Nutritional Supplements | www.biolifenutrition.co.za Buchulife | Herbal Products | www.buchulife.com Canamere | CBD Oil | www.canamere.com Cannabis Oil Research | Cannabis Products | www.cannabisoilresearch.com Cannaza | Cannabis Products | www.cannaza.co CBD Biotechnologies | CBD Oils | www.cbdbiotechnologies.co.za Complete Cannabis Solutions | Cannabis Products | www.containerfarms.biz Coyne Healthcare | Health Supplements | www.coynehealthcare.co.za Dr Boxalls | Health Supplements | www.drboxalls.co.za Elixinol | Cannabis Oil | www.elixinol.co.za Feel Healthy | Health Supplements | www.feelhealthy.co.za Flora Force | Health Supplements | www.floraforce.co.za Flordis | Natural Medicines | www.flordis.co.za Forever Dynamics | Aloe Products | www.foreverdynamics.flp.com Forever Living | Aloe Products | www.foreverliving.com Future Health | Integrative Medicine | www.futurehealthsa.co.za Good Health Products | Health Supplements | www.goodhealthsa.co.za Harrewyn Organics | Supplements & Health Food | www.harrewynorganics.com Himalaya | Supplements & Body Products | www.himalayaherbals.co.za Irie CBD | CBD products | www.iriecbdafrica.co.za Khanyisa Healing Garden Project | Traditional Medicines | www.khanyisagarden.co.za Lebron Health | Homeopathic Supplements | www.lebron.co.za Liberation the Remedy | Vibrational Remedies | www.liberationtheremedy.com Manuka | Genetic Testing | www.manukascience.co.za MaxiVit | Supplements | www.maxivit.co.za Medical Mushrooms | Medical Mushrooms | www.medimushrooms.co.za Muca Organic Highs | Cat Herbs | www.mymuca.com Mushroom Guru | Mushrooms | www.mushroomguru.co.za Nativa | Supplements | www.nativa.co.za Nordic Naturals | Kiddies Omega | www.nordicnaturals.com Nutri Tech | Whey | www.nutritechfit.com Nutri-life | Health Supplements | www.nutrilife-us.com Nutrifir | Pet Products | www.nutrifir.co.za Oshun Health | Supplements | www.oshunhealth.org Pegasus Homeopathics | Supplements | www.pegasus.co.za Phyto Pro | Superfoods | www.phytopro.co.za Phytoforce | Supplements | www.phyto-force.co.za Platbos | Tree Essences | www.africantreeessences.co.za Platbos Tree Essences | Essences | www.africantreeessences.co.za Powertrack | Udo Oil & Probiotic | www.powertrackafrica.com Prime Self | Health Supplement | www.primeself.co.za Pure O2 | Oxygen | www.pureo2.co.za Rawbiotics | Probiotics | www.efficientmicrobes.co.za Releaf | Health Products | www.releafpharmaceuticals.co.za Sanaka Health | Supplements | www.sanaka.co.za Seven Point Five | Health Supplements | www.sevenpointfive.com Sfera | Health Supplements | www.sfera-nutrition.co.za Shop Collagen | Supplements | www.shopcollagen.co.za Silverlab | Colloidal silver | www.silverlab.co.za Solal | Supplements | www.solal.co.za Solar MD | Solar | www.solarmd.co.za Solgar | Supplements | www.solgar.com Superthrive | Supplements | www.superthrive.com The Cultured Whey | Probiotics | www.theculturedwhey.com The Himalaya Drug Company | Supplements | www.himalayawellness.com The Natural Aloe Company | Aloe | www.natraloe.co.za The Other Option | Omegas | www.theotheroption.com The Real Thing | Supplements | www.therealthingonline.co.za Tibb | Supplements | www.tibbherbals.com Underworks | Flavours | www.underworks.co.za Viridian | Supplements | www.viridiansa.co.za Wazoogles | Nutritional Products | www.wazoogles.com Wings Herbal Synergy | Herbal Products | www.wingsherbal.co.za
Learn Something New D
id you know that learning not only changes your life, it also changes your brain? Learning new things increases the density of the myelin in your brain and the more you learn, the faster you are able to learn. This is because it stimulates neurons, creating more neural pathways.
Zelda Visser Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) MFR treats skeletal muscle immobility and pain. I believe in the unique ability of our bodies to self-correct and self-heal. I promote this in my practice through education in proper body mechanics and movement. Alongside hands-on treatment, expect selftreatment advice to enhance your strength, improve flexibility and create postural and movement awareness. Warne House – 1st Floor Office nr 6 Ballito Tel nr + 27 82 887 4050 www.zeldavisser.com
THE BODY HEALS ITSELF BUDDHIST RETREAT CENTRE IXOPO, KWAZULU-NATAL
Experience the tranquility and beauty of the Buddhist Retreat Centre, Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and enjoy a wide range of workshops - structured and self-retreats - which include meditation, yoga and chi kung for a new lease on life. 087 809 1687 | bookings@brcixopo.co.za | www.brcixopo.co.za 126 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
There are so many incredible and enriching ways to learn, grow and inspire yourself. We’re constantly finding new and exciting events, workshops and happenings to help you grow your knowledge and yourself. Stay in the know with Holistica’s monthly events newsletter - simply go to www.holistica.net and subscribe.
BREAST LOVE 101
I
S
elf-love and acceptance begins with being intimate with yourself and your breasts are such an important part of that intimacy. Breast Love 101 is an online course which offers you simple, easy-toimplement daily practices that will teach you to: Keep your breasts and heart healthy – breast and heart disease are the most common issues for women today. Your breasts and heart are intimately connected, and by engaging in daily fundamental self-care you can learn to look after both. Increase your pleasure – toning your kidney meridian and vagus nerve (which both run through your breasts) get your sexual juices flowing and will allow you to feel safe to expand into greater sexual pleasure. Expand your connection – activate your heart centre and clear any old, toxic and stagnant emotions so you can open yourself up to increased love, compassion and connection toward yourself and others. Magnify your power of manifestation – an increase in self-love sends a powerful message to the universe that radically increases your ability to manifest the life you want.
For fees and more info, e-mail ambassadors@integrativenutrition.com or call +1(212) 730-5433. www.integrativenutrition.com Take advantage of Holistica’s SPECIAL SAVINGS by mentioning ‘The Ambassador Savings Offer’ and referencing Kate Aitken.
Join or find out more by scanning the QR code.
f you’re a dad-to-be or have a plethora of offspring, you’ve probably wished from time to time that your kids came with a manual. The Ultimate Dad Course, created by bestselling author, award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker and Dad Coach, Craig Wilkinson will help you to discover all the dad-skills you need to raise happy children; equipping you for the greatest mission of your life, which is raising your precious children. As a father you are the most important man in your children’s lives. What you do with this incredible privilege will impact them for the rest of their lives. Father your children well and you will set them up for emotional wholeness and success as adults. The course includes: 17 inspiring videos of unique and actionable content A stunningly designed motivational course book for each module Downloadable exercises in editable PDF E-certificate on completion of the course Lifetime access to the course and future updates Email access to the Dad Coach
This course will be one of the greatest investments you will ever make in yourself and your children. It’s also the ultimate gift for any dad and his children. To book or find out more, scan the QR code.
Herbatint Permanent Herbal Hair Colour Gel
100% natural ¥ Vegan ¥ No Aluminium Chlorohydrate Highly effective ¥ Kind to your skin
Distributed by Good Health Products (021) 701 5000 | ghpoffice@iafrica.com
Cleanse. Moisturise. Nourish.
Pure Greek Olive Oil soap with: Hemp seed oil - assists with hydration, inflammation and aging of the skin Black volcanic bentonite clay - assists with cleansing acne prone skin Activated charcoal - assists with deep cleansing and detoxing the skin Lava Sand - assists with natural exfoliation of the skin Emmanuella’s Inspiration Distributor of Knossos Natural olive oil soaps Available from www.emmanuellas-inspiration.co.za
A unique and gentle formula available in 36 mixable shades. Up to 2 applications. Use only what's needed and save the rest for later. For more information contact info@naturescolours.com or call 011 440 3319 Order online at www.herbatint.co.za
Essential natural care. The key to radiant skin.
Organic Olive Oil & Organic Aloe Vera natural cosmetics for face, body & hair care. Free of mineral oil, vaseline, propylene, glycol, silicone and parabens. Emmanuella’s Inspiration Distributor of OlivAloe Available from www.emmanuellas-inspiration.co.za
Revitalise your skin. Hydrate. Regenerate. Renew.
Why ViBERi? An organic superfood high in Vitamin C and contains calcium, zinc and potassium ¥ Convenient packaging ¥ Acts as an anti-inflammatory ¥ Helps with muscle recovery ¥ Most of all it tastes delicious!
Distributed by Good Health Products (021) 701 5000 | ghpoffice@iafrica.com 128 | h o l i s t i c a . n e t
Multiple award-winning age defying skincare range. Emmanuella’s Inspiration Distributor of Caviar of Switzerland Available from www.emmanuellas-inspiration.co.za