Your Sustainable Life Issue #4

YOUR SUSTAINABLE LIFE WWW.YOURSUSTAINABLELIFE.COM.AU THE ECO FRIENDLY MAGAZINE ONLINE ONLY

FEB 16 ISSUE #4

Mellow Aloe Love Grows founder Clair Morrison explains the advantages of Aloe Vera.

INTERVIEWS Non­profit organisation LOTUS ­ Living Organically for your True Unique Self.

BONUS Feeling Stressed?

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PLUS Cover Image ­ Love Grows

Our Top Pinterest Picks!

Issue 4

YOUR SUSTAINABLE LIFE

Featured Article Mellow Aloe pg 13

Environment From Little Things Big Things Grow - PART TWO pg 5-7

Leadership Be Your Own Inspiration pg 9-10

Recipes Carb Addicts Unite pg 12

Wellness Why I gave it all up! pg BONUS FREEBIE Complimentary Stress Management Consultation pg 22

Interviews LOTUS - Living Organically for your own True Self pg 14-15

STAPLES 03 Editor's Note 16 Pinterest Picks 14 Sustainable Brands 19 Did You Know?

Photo by ­ Brooke Cagel

EDITOR'S NOTE

Kelly Petering EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Welcome to the fourth edition of Your Sustainable Life ­ The Eco­Friendly Magazine. We trust you enjoyed our last issue and that you continue to find inspiration and motivation to lead a more sustainable life here in these pages.

The feedback we have received so far is fantastic, and would love those suggestions to keep rolling in! If you have something you feel would add value to this magazine please feel free to email us at info@yoursustainablelife.com.au.

One thing I would like to mention ­ we are about raising awareness and opening the door for every day people to gain insight into how they can live more sustainably in all areas of life.

We are NOT here to judge or make people feel guilty ­ it’s about doing what you can, when you can, with the resources you have available to you.

We are a starting point ­ and acknowledge that there are organisations out there who focus more specifically on certain aspects of sustainability ­ we LOVE that there are others out there with passion for our environment.

We are NOT experts ­ and certainly do not claim to know everything ­ we believe there is always more to learn…

We invite experts to write for us and encourage those who are learning to contribute too…

We want to create a movement of people who are on the same page ­ maybe you’re not at the stage of political activism or would ever consider living off the land out in the bush ­ maybe you are ready to make a few small changes in your life… and we want to acknowledge you for that!

Please share the subscription link to your friends and family and send us your feedback!

Simply CLICK HERE to subscribe ­ it’s 100% FREE!!!

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From Little Things, Big Things Grow...

PART TWO So you’re reading this magazine because you are likely already a sustainability master or interested and dipping you toe in the water! But what murky water it may appear! There are so many ideas and so much information out there that it can be quite overwhelming knowing where to begin.

Me, I’m a city girl born and raised in Melbourne. When it came to family holidays it was all about escaping to a beach side town on the Victorian coast or the mighty Murray River. Here is where I developed an interest in the environment and went on to study Ecology and Marine Biology. I then took my studies further, completing a Master of Environment in environmental policy.

One of the many things I took away from my studies was this ‘all or nothing’ mentality of humans in which it is so easy to feel that environmental problems (particularly Climate Change) are so big and so out of our control that how can I as one individual help? How could my small actions make any impact? Well, many small actions add up. As more people undertake these actions then they become a social norm and more people pick them up and start, making it easier and easier for others to take up.

Here is Part 2 ­ a continuation of my last article in the previous issue of Your Sustainable Life...

Photo by ­ Body Pyndus

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What about all that plastic?

This I find the hardest to do, it is so easy to trip up, but for me reducing plastic use is one of the most beneficial things you can do for our environment… why?

Reducing plastic use reduces plastic that end up in our ocean, which then has many effects on creatures and environments of the sea.

Reducing plastic use reduces demand for plastic supply, so less is required to be produced. This means less energy is used (reduced greenhouse gas emissions) both in extracting resources from the earth to convert into plastics but also to make the plastic itself.

Reducing energy use to recycle plastics. Often ‘but we recycle plastic’ is an excuse … yes we do, but that is an energy intensive process in its own right…. And not all plastics are recycled here in Australia.

My tips: Avoid packaging. There are stores popping up in most major cities where you can take your own containers to purchase products. I know there a several in and around Melbourne that have been set up specifically for his purpose. You just weigh and record the amount out you want to purchase, put the product in your own container then take your recorded values to the counter to pay! These stores have everything from nuts, dried fruits, flours and grains, coffee, chocolate and even cleaning and shower products! Just Google bulk food stores to find one near you. Markets are also good for this, plenty in and around Melbourne!

Avoid plastic bags. Take your own shopping bags with you.

When this first started I often remember an argument running ‘but the energy to make one bag is equivalent to some number of plastic bags’…. Okay yes, but I would use those bags anyway (so lets say energy neutral) but now there are that many less plastic bags floating around in the ocean. But you use these as bin bags? Okay, then get one, occasionally, when you need a bin bag. Use the other tips here to reduce your garbage and need for bin bags.

Do not put your vegetables in the plastic bags at the shops – they do not need to be stored in these in the crisper so why do this? It all goes into the shopping bag at the register. But what about the loose leaf lettuce? See below!

Photo by ­ Gregory Bourolias

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Reuse! Reuse! Reuse! Reuse! This goes for all things plastic. Take your own container. Reuse you plastic bags (including those you put the vegetables in at the shops!). Sometimes it happens, you can’t avoid getting that plastic. So reuse! When I go to the fish shop to get some fresh fish they put it in a plastic container, so I take it back down next time. When you do use a plastic bag for the loose­leaf lettuce etc, give it a rinse in cold water and take it with you next time! Jars! I keep my jars and use them when I head to the bulk food store and to store food instead of plastic containers.

Avoid glad warp and plastic containers when storing food. Use glass food containers or glass jars collected over time. Also, I often leave food in the bowl and just sit a plate over it if I know I’ll be consuming the food in the next day or so and don’t need the airtight container. Glass containers sound expensive, however I found that the cost of glass containers were about the same or not much more than good quality plastic containers.

Unfortunately it is hard to escape the fact they still have plastic lids.

By Kathleen Simpson, Environmental Enthusiast Stay tuned for more tips from Kathleen in the next issue of Your Sustainable Life.

Photo by ­ Saul Cuellar

Image ­ Paul Jarvis WWW.YOURSUSTAINABLELIFE.COM.AU

Be your own Inspiration!

By Angela Kambouris "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt Most people have heard the magnificent Dr Martin Luther King I have a dream speech. A fitting message in current times where the human spirit throughout the world is being challenged.

Let’s revolutionise our thinking, empower individuals to connect with their purpose and break barriers that restrict the human spirit.

Let’s commit to us! Individually, that we recognise and celebrate our accomplishments and together we make a collective impact to make a difference in the lives of all people.

When we shine, it’s not for the world to see us, it is so when we shine, through this, others can see themselves. What an extraordinary gift to enrich the lives of today and the next generation.

Unlock your human potential by discovering your superpowers. Make the world a better place in little ways every day by using your superpower to assist others.

Ange is super passionate about redefining leadership across the world, bringing back human connection and compassion. Her philosophy is simple – you matter, everyone matters and together we can make a difference.

When you think about it, superheroes show us how to lead better lives. Batman communicates you only have your thoughts and dreams ahead of you.

As a global consultant, trainer and mentor, Ange shows people how to unlock their human potential, connect people back to their internal power and maximise results by leveraging their strengths.

Self­leadership is the master key for aligning success in business, career and life.

You are someone, you mean something.

Wonder woman forces people to tell the truth with her magic lasso reminding us that we should all strive to be our true selves. The Incredible Hulk, must learn to accept his vulnerability and see his beauty in his supercharged beast form. Spiderman responds by being kind, funny and humble.

AK Consultancy embraces you have unlimited potential and the ability to transform your life. When you transform your life, you transform the world.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT ANGELA KAMBOURIS ON FACEBOOK

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What’s your superpower?

My superpower is helping you rock your superpower!

I believe there are three key elements that show you how to discover and unlock your superpower: ­ What comes naturally to you? What are your normally good at? What is the thing that you do better than others? When you were a child, what were you good at and still are now as an adult? What things do people compliment you on? ­ What fills you with passion? What topics do you naturally gravitate to? What type of books are on your bookshelf? What are you hearing that fascinates you? What are you seeing that inspires you? What do you love to learn about? ­ What makes you different? There is only one of you – there is no one else like you. What makes you unique, even if it seems a little weird? What special talents, skills, interests make you different? What unique thoughts do you have? Any unique contributions you have made?

When you think about the intersect of what naturally comes to you, the inner passion that lights you up and the unique value you bring to the world, your superpower becomes magnified. When you stand in your power, you open your mind to new levels of thinking. When you recognise what’s in the inside, it’s amazing how the outer world starts to follow.

By Angela Kambouris

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Photo by ­Anna Boeva

Carb addicts unite...

BY CLAIR MORRISON

Lately I have been inundated with basil in my garden! I always make sure I have plenty on hand to make my fave recipe! I have never been able to curb carbs, in fact I eat pasta almost every day.

My all time favourite pasta topping is....PESTO! It is so easy to make and keeps in your fridge to use as a dip, spread or topping!

Be warned your basil plants may look bald after cooking this ­ but it will grow back in no time :) there is NOTHING better than fresh Pesto :) Ingredients: 2 cups basil leaves, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/4 cup (45g) toasted pine nuts 1/3 cup (35g) finely grated parmesan 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil, plus extra We are a home studio based in Perth delivering homegrown plants packaged in recycled, handmade and reused materials. We are committed to maintaining a sustainable business and believe that through education and encouragement everyone can make conscious decisions to help live a greener life. Plants do not just belong in the garden!

Each day we feature a different #plantoftheday available to order for $20 until 1pm for same day delivery, unless sold out. Each plant comes with a care guide for the new owner.

Custom and Corporate orders, event styling and collaborations are also available. Email us to enquire.

Keep an eye out for us at Pop­up Venues, Local Farmers Markets and Trade Fairs, details on our events page.

Price includes delivery in Perth, orders after 1pm or on weekends will be delivered the next business day unless otherwise requested.

CLICK HERE TO VISIST WWW.LOVEGROWSPERTH.COM

Method Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.

(Alternatively, place ingredients in a mortar and pound with a pestle until well combined).

With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until well combined and a smooth paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to an airtight container and pour over a little extra oil to cover the pesto surface (this will prevent the basil from oxidising and turning black).

ENJOY with a nice glass of red ;)

Mellow Aloe

BY CLAIR MORRISON Another plant we get asked about a lot is the lovely Aloe Vera!

Some people have reported their Aloe leaves turning a brown­red colour. This is a warning sign!! Discoloured leaves can occur for a variety of reasons however usually too much sun and not enough water is the culprit.

Most people assume, like the majority of succulents that Aloe's do not need much water. However Aloe's can actually handle a fair bit of moisture. Best solution is to do the soil test ­ aka stick your finger in the soil to determine the dryness and whether it needs water.

Lack of water and constant sunlight is not the best environment for your Aloe, give him some occasional shade and a bit more water than your other succulents. You can always trim him back to regenerate the leaves.

While we are talking about Aloe's lets not forget about their various health benefits! I use mine for a variety of things, anytime I have a sore or scratch I pop some of the gel directly from the leaf onto the wound. This also worked for my pup when his stitches got infected.

It has also been known to help with sunburn, weight loss, anti ageing, stretch marks, is a digestive aid, helps with hair growth and is a wonderful moisturiser.

CLICK HERE TO VISIST WWW.LOVEGROWSPERTH.COM

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Sustainable Brands

LOTUS Living Organically for your True Unique Self

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Fiona Lamb, founder of LOTUS ­ ‘Living Organically for your own True Unique Self’, about their upcoming Organic Makeover, Pamper and Educational Workshops that focus on everything from Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage, Osteopathy, Herbal remedies, Aromatherapy, to Meditation & much more. These workshops are specifically for those suffering from chronic or invisible illness and cancer warriors looking for holistic tools to assist them on their journey.

Fiona believes that true sustainability is about looking after the earth and ourselves on a holistic level and that using organic product is an essential part of living a sustainable life. As an Organic Hairdresser, Fiona often works with cancer sufferers or those with chronic illnesses who are very conscious of the products their bodies absorb, especially during treatment like chemotherapy. Having a personal connection with cancer sufferers Fiona understands the wants and needs of clients facing chronic illness.

Fiona's tip for the everyday person to live a more sustainable life is to become more conscious about and to choose Organic Products as this not only is beneficial for your own health but also the health of the environment.

She wants to share that we are all connected, so being kind to ourselves, one another and mother earth is what creates true sustainability.

After volunteering for the Look Good Feel Better program for two years, Fiona decided she would start her own not for profit organisation (LOTUS) to raise awareness about using Organic products and to create a support system for sufferers of Cancer, Chronic and Invisible Illnesses. Since launching the organisation, Fiona has been inundated with offers of assistance; she now has 35 volunteers, many Organic companies donating products for the cause and interest from interstate and international practitioners who are keen to start up LOTUS Workshops in their own areas.

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Sustainable Brands The first Workshop will be held on Tuesday 8th of March 9.30 ­ 12.30 at Nerang Bicentennial Centre in Queensland. Subsequent Pamper Workshops will take place every two months with educational workshops happening more frequently.

What’s included in the Workshop? ­Organic makeover ­Pamper session ­Gift bag of organic skincare & makeup ­10 mins seated neck, shoulder, back massage or a hands on holistic healing ­Meditation & CD ­Organic morning tea ­Educational presentation on Holistic & Alternate Health, Happiness and Wellbeing. ­Organic Henna artists PLUS there will be a $200 door prize of skincare, makeup and vouchers (registration form a must for entry) Launch event only.

If you have an interest in coming along to a Pamper Workshop you can find more information on the LOTUS Facebook page >>HERE<< or if are based elsewhere in Australia feel free to contact Fiona in regards to similar Workshops happening near you.

LOTUS "Living Organically for your true Unique Self "~ specifically for long term chronic & invisible illness and non specific cancer sufferers.

Our mission: To Educate & Uplift participants in a safe, loving & nurturing environment integrating Organic and alternate healing modalities.

Offering Organic makeovers and holistic health education.

Our Spokes person: Annie Muir a Lotus volunteer (above), surviving metastatic cancer using our holistic approach alongside conventional medicine just receiving her 6 month all clear after receiving no hope from her doctors Naturapath Wayne Reilly nursed her to good health.

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Photo by ­ Tj Holowaychuk WWW.YOURSUSTAINABLELIFE.COM.AU

DID YOU KNOW...

Every 10 tonnes of recyclable materials recovered is equivalent to taking 4 cars off the road permanently..

Recycling one tonne of paper and cardboard saves 13 trees and 2.5 barrels of oil.

Each aluminium can recycled saves enough electricity to run a TV for 3 hours.

Don’t put broken drink ware into your recycling bins. Just 5 grams of glass from drink ware is enough to contaminate an entire ton of recyclable glass.

Each year household recycling in Victoria saves 8, 960 mega litres of water alone. That’s the water consumption of 3,370,000 people for one week.

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To find out more click on the fact to be directed to the attributed website.

Photo by ­ Sarah Mak

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WHY I GAVE IT ALL UP!

By Sabrina Muller - The Body Love Coach I’ve always considered myself a happy­go­lucky kinda girl and always knew what I wanted out of life! Whilst at high school, I knew that I always wanted to own a biz, become rich and famous yet had no exact idea what kind of business!

It wasn’t for my career in the corporate world that I discovered my passion for helping people and loved being able to help them on some sort of level before ending up in the healthy and fitness industry as a PT and Group Fitness Instructor!

It was then that I realised that I had gotten extremely curious about why it is that women work so hard at the gym yet would lose motivation and eventually give up only finding themselves back at square one! After investing a shit load of time, money and energy into personal development and studying human behavior, I understood more about why we do what we do!

Whether it’s “holding” on to your weight because you’re protecting yourself or whether you self sabotage your diet because your relationship to food is an external clue of your relationship with yourself; either way deep down we don’t feel worthy of our success, not good enough to be all that we are already!

Caught up in the stories and beliefs we forgot that it is more than enough that we are!

It wasn’t long after that realisation, that I knew that I wanted to move away from Personal Training and instead wanted to work with women empowering them to “find” themselves again! Mind you “finding” yourself might not always be the right word, I believe it’s truly about “creating” yourself as the person you truly want to become!

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I am a Body Love Advocate specialising in Mind Body Nutrition & Body Image Issues through healing the relationship to food & yourself. With a background in health and fitness as a Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Transformational Coach, I have always been passionate about the mind­body­connection and creating change from the inside out.

Studying Human Behaviour and having dealt with my very own share of weight, food & body image issues, including dabbling in eating disorders, I truly believe that we all have our own unique story that unfortunately doesn’t always serve us to be the best & healthiest version of ourselves.

Instead of eating our emotions, I provide the strategic tools to “Revisit, Reframe & Recreate” your own story. In other words, how to get back in the driver seat of your emotional mind wellness by “re­writing your own food story”!

Sabrina’s programs offer a very unique take on educating women on the psychology of weight loss and has a strong holistic focus on creating lasting changes in their clients transformation: physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually. The message is simple “Eat to Live & Live to Love’.

Let’s face it, we have enough pressure upon us and I personally got to feel the brunt of it when at my worst, at the age of 28 and still a PT found myself dabbling in bulimia!

You know, what I’m talking about, that wall that you’ve slowly built over the years to stop letting pain and hurt in, whether from people or situations!

How is that for being a role model?

I believe we all have one because we’ve all been hurt, many times in our lives!

The problem with that wall is, whilst you keep pain outside and push any shit far from you, at the same time you also push love away and therefore have no way of letting love and all the great beautiful things life & people offer get to you, touching you at a soul’s level. Just because you’re too afraid of what could happen!

That just screams fraud to me, but I now know better and understand that I wasn’t being authentic enough! Not bold enough to be truly seen and heard for all that I am and was trying to mask my vulnerability which ending up in a messed up relationship with food!

Fast forward nearly 6 years and I honestly could not be happier with myself and life right now!

Sure, I still mess up, make silly mistakes but I don’t let those define who I am! I’m confident enough to own my shit, take 100% responsibility for everything, knowing that my mistakes are somehow a blessing in disguise teaching me something new about me! Therefore my mistakes are just another way of me growing into a better kickass version of myself!

Time to give it all up!

I had to give up the BS stories about I can only trust myself and that I have to do it all on my own to make sure no one else could hurt me anymore!

I instead learned to let go of behaviours, thoughts and beliefs that didn’t serve me anymore and instead embraced just being me, warts and all! (I don’t actually have warts, but if you do, that’s cool, too).

How did I make the switch?

The biggest shift in terms of owning myself and becoming fearlessly authentic was to allow myself to become vulnerable, letting people truly see all of me, the “good” and the “bad”.

I’ve also come to realise that I don’t have to have all the answers nor do I need to figure everything out by myself.

Truth be told, I’m a stubborn little asshole at heart but I have surrendered to the fact that it is ok to ask for help and let other people into your heart!

In order to do that you need to chip down that (invisible) wall you have built to protect you!

And with that began my journey of becoming authentic, fearlessly and fiercely in the pursuit to live my best kick ass life, whilst having a truck load of fun, creating success on my terms, in biz, relationships, money, body, health and happiness!

If you’re ready to chip down your wall and are curious to see what it feels like to live life being authentically you, then let’s chat personally or come and join my tribe of badass hustlers who are creating massive success being themselves AND fiercely authentic!

Sabrina Muller ­ http://www.sabrinamuller.com.au/

FREE Stress Management Consultation! >BOOK YOURS HERE< We all experience those moments of pure craziness, freak out and total disaster…

You are NOT alone!

You might think that hiding under the blankets and wishing it all away is viable strategy for dealing with these situations…

However, we have a MUCH more sustainable solution…

Our Stress Management Consultant works with individuals to completely turn around their current un­ resourceful Stress Strategies and transform their lives from total chaos into stress free, sustainable bliss ­ and for a short time only you can experience a complimentary session!

Whether it’s work or health related, relationship based, or family stress – we have the path forward…

STOP settling for less than you deserve…

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Give yourself a break for ONCE! You are not doing anyone any favours punishing yourself for needing a little help – it’s like the air hostess’ say on the airplane – make sure you put your life mask on before helping others around you…

You are in no position to do what needs to be done for you family and friends if you are not coping as well as you could be.

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