When I grew up

When I was about 7 years of age I would watch my Mother put her make up on and most importantly her lipstick. There was this one special lipstick that came in a spiralled gold container, to me it was the epitome of lipsticks. I can recall Mum allowing my sister and I to play with some of her make up, lipsticks included and I can even remember the day the gold lipstick became a part of our dress up adventures. It was so exciting, eyes widened, jaw dropped, Mum was the coolest ever. I remember thinking (possibly even saying to my sister) that one day I'd love to have lipsticks like Mum and be all fancy and grown up. 

Well today it's races day, as I look in my make up bag I see 8 lipsticks with lovely cases and it hits me. I am my Mum, the lady who I wanted to be, fancy and grown up. Admittedly I didn't envisage this day would ever come especially as the world of lip glosses and lip tints provided what I deemed as a less hardcore psychological transition to adulthood. Now though I must say I love my lipsticks, the way the cream texture rolls across my lips, alters the effect of my make up or if wearing red makes me feel ridiculously sexy. 

Needless to say then, today when I adorn my lovely  classy races dress with floral print fit for a spring carnival I am thrilled at the prospect of wearing a classic white fascinator, gorgeous heels, my Dior make up and of course red lipstick from a special little case. Growing up simply is, fun. 

Happy Saturday! 

Getting back to basics

I must confess there is something I haven't told you. All that physical & psychological Everest training, diet changing and subsequent upset from not climbing the great pinnacle sent my body into shock.

Now please do NOT hear me wrong on this: exercise is not bad for you, changing diets to suit conditions you will face is not bad for you not fully understanding your body IS.

 Prior to Everest training I considered myself a mere fitness junkie, I loved the adrenalin and endorphin rush that made my body feel so ridiculously good however during Everest training especially in the final lead up to the climb to be I came to know myself as an athlete. 30hours in the gym, solo trail adventures each weekend, psychology training and educating myself on the mountain I was to conquer made me feel well rounded and confident in my ability to succeed. However I did not account for the impact, physically and psychologically, that would occur if I couldn't complete something I trained two years for. So fast forward to July and I find myself an exhausted, highly emotional, depressed individual who was frustrated with herself on a daily basis for being incapable of completing simple tasks like staying awake past 12pm (after waking at 7am).

After frustration upon frustration, no motivation to exercise and multiple pregnancy tests; even though I knew it could only be an immaculate conception if I was pregnant, I acted on advice by a good friend and headed to a nutritionist and naturopath. The first time in my life. At the end of an hour consultation my mind was blown. My body had experienced physical shock as a response to the deep emotional attachment I had to long hard effort and a sudden cessation of many hours of exercise. My body had begun producing so much adrenalin that by 12pm I was exhausted of adrenalin needed for everyday activities. I had no iron stores, virtually no vitamin D, or b12. The diagnosis I was told: you present as a clinically depressed person, you'll need natural drugs to recover and don't expect your body to be back to full capacity until 6months later. Then I met my new world of supplement tablets and vitamin injections. 

As an epileptic (despite not experiencing the symptoms for 4 years now) tablets were not something new to add to my daily routine however at 5 a day already taken for normal functioning I wasn't too enthralled about this latest discovery. Either way I had no choice, I was feeling like a crazy person. So began 8 shots of vitamin D a day, iron tablets, 4 tablets to stimulate my adrenal glands (where adrenalin is produced), magnesium chelate and a multivitamin. At 19 extra substances (tablets or injections) a day it was (and still is) a tiresome process.

Along with these natural medications I was advised to force myself to exercise to stimulate my body more to produce its own adrenalin for longer periods of time and to remove the cortisol (stress hormone) that was taking over my body. Talk about tiresome. I had gone from a 430 or 5am riser every day of the week to someone who slept for 12 hours (6more than I am used to), wake a 7am exhausted and be struggling to stay away 5hours later. Stacey my naturopath and nutritionist encouraged me to get up regardless of how tired I was and walk for 10minutes even if afterwards I got back into bed. I was back to the very basics. 

Words cannot describe the frustration I felt, going to the gym and doing a workout ending in tears because my body was incapable of completing something I had done thousands of times over. Exercising for 10minutes instead of 2 or 3 hours at a time. Struggling to get out of bed even for the 10minutes. Not being able to put my hiking shoes back on my feet. Add to this my ridiculously poor diet of comfort eating, copious coffees a day or take outs (because I was barely awake at 5pm) which only added to the negative effects on my body because I was trying to fuel a broken body with nutrient lacking food. 

Stacey (my nutritionist and naturopath) told me that to feel better I had to forget the diet, change my mindset about exercise and rest. It was quite ironic because I thought my lesson from the Everest debacle was about resting my body. I wasn't wrong, but I didn't expect this. Now I am fully back to basics and I must say it has taken a while to change a mindset but I'm getting there. Now I am learning about feeding my body well for exercise (so you don't have to take protein powders etc), recovery and daily function right down to the molecular level. It has changed me for the better- you see I'm not wrong about silver linings in everything- so I am going to share with you what I have learnt.

1. Eat fats, carbohydrates and protein in every meal. Now before you say this isn't rocket science I want to tell you why and how you do this. The fats you eat should be predominantly healthy fats (like from foods such as salmon, avocado, nuts, 70% + cocoa chocolate, full cream milk and yoghurt). You can eat normal fats (chips, sweets & ordinary chocolate) but at a molecular level your body will be craving the healthy fat foods to satisfy dopamine and serotonin (predominantly) to aid in increasing mood, reducing stress and anxiety and therefore increasing happiness. It'll mean that indulging in these (still in moderation) healthy fats won't make you feel guilty or leave your body unsatisfied and therefore craving more. 

2. You must exercise everyday. Exercise doesn't have to be long and hard and it MUST include rest. Restful movement helps effort filled exercise to be more effective. Restful movement that is beneficial can be walking bare foot (the bare foot free sense is important) on the beach, swinging on swings or yoga for example. The most important part is recognising that you are disconnected- no phone/technology, just you and the space you are in. This was the hardest thing for me to learn because I didn't count walking on the beach as exercise. What helped? Honestly- getting a fitbit. It told me how much that 'lazy, relaxed' stroll added to my health and it was all I needed. 

3. Sleep. Sleep and sleep well. I have always said since I bought my $3,000 bed that I was the best investment that I had ever made and I'm not wrong. I am out like a light every time my body hits the latex pillow top and my neck, shoulders and back are supported into the perfect slumber. Whilst I have always slept enough for my exercise I didn't realise how much routines prior to bed affect my sleep. This is my sad truth about my routine..check facebook, check Instagram, check pinterest, set alarm, put on bedside dock and sleep. Again I didn't realise I wasn't in a deep sleep immediately and it was due to my technology habits. As soon as I acted on advice by Stacey and shut all internet devices off an hour before I was due to go to bed I slept remarkably well. I also must say how lovely it was to know that the hour prior to bed each night was my own. I was 100% in the company of others or 100%  committed to an individual, vegetative, relaxed state prior to snoozing off. This advice- second best investment yet.

4. Let yourself off the hook. This final piece of the puzzle that forced me to get back to basics was and still is difficult for me. A competitor, I suppose my whole life, I always competed with the person I was yesterday. Whether it be in sport, work or in life. I still don't like mistakes or not being good enough. I guess it's part of me that somehow got convinced that I can control and eliminate mistakes. Big problem- I'm human and practice doesn't even make near perfect. So when I fall of the health wagon or any other life path and make a mistake crucifying myself (and yourself if you are the same) achieves nothing positive. It will however create more cortisol and help you gain weight and steal your positive outlook. Now, letting things be (more frequently) makes me realise that the effort I make to run or help someone out is an effort that isn't easy and I need to celebrate those efforts. Once I did that, once you do, you realise letting yourself off the hook (when it is reasonable) is easy and feels good.

So there you have it. The mindset of an athlete. To me it is something worth sharing because despite what 'everyday' (not what I call them it's what non-Exercising people call themselves) people say being an athlete is difficult, you are constantly learning and you are not always getting things right. Many of us struggle with the 'fall out' when events don't go according to plan or set goals get rocked by physical roller coasters. I never imagined something I felt so successful in would end (thanks to natural events) and I'd be where I am now, back at the basic building blocks for health. I know though when it comes to my health and my next Everest attempt I am better for it physically and psychologically.

Keep on getting on

Hello all. Recently I have been a little quiet and I want to apologise. Since losing my grandfather is has been hard to get my mind on track let alone feel like posting positive things when I am experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. As always though life has a silver lining. I have much to share with you. So you can expect, writing tips, the happy snaps project getting back on track, some knew found health knowledge, fitness workouts to keep your body healthy & a few posts about writing on location (in places I love!). I'm very excited about what's ahead and I look forward to sharing them with you. So stay tuned & make sure you share with me your thoughts on the blog. Happy Wednesday!

Jules :)

Life's collection. What are you collecting?

On Saturday night I lost my grandfather; a sweet man who was a true gentleman. He loved ardently, remembered remarkably and delighted in sharing quality time with others. He will be sorely missed. I have several posts I had written prior to my grandfather passing away but right now I am not sure about their timing so instead of sharing my past posts I'm going to talk to you about life. 

Life is something that we all cherish more when we are at risk of losing it or when something reminds us of its fragility. While it was never my grandfather's approach to life it is one held by many; this nonchalant belief that 'it doesn't matter I'll have time.' You know what IT does. Whatever 'it' resembles to you, you need to do it. Time doesn't have a warning bell, it isn't always going to remind you to get your shit together and it shouldn't have to. This is why life MUST be about collecting memories and not things. I don't just mean mass material things that control our lives and our minds but I also mean the things that change our hearts and destroy our relationships like bitterness, jealousy, envy, anger and hatred.

Now you can justify till the cows come home that a $3000 watch, a $2000 mixer, $600 vacuum cleaner, $80 000 car, $600,000 house or a 20year old 'righteous' grudge makes you happy but here is the harsh reality:

On Earth without memories you merely exist as a set of business transactions, cards, rooms & buildings that need to be packed up, donated or sold. Nothing else. 

When people speak of you they won't care about those finer things in life they'll care about the quality time they had with you. They'll think of shared laughter, tears, stories, pain and the quality time you spent together. They will recognise how you treated others and contributed to the world. When they look on your life they won't just see stories but bravery, courage, strength, honesty, trustworthiness, determination and intelligence- but only if you show it. People will not say, 'he/she was a good talker but let many down'. They will only talk about the actions.

So I ask of you these things:

1. Who are you? 

2. What do you want?

3. What matters to you most & why?

4. What VALUES do you want to leave generations with? How will they positively impact on those that come after you?

Now ask yourself these things:

1. Do I have what I need?

2. Do I have too much of what I want?

3. Where can I down size?

4. What reminders can I give myself that LOVE not money/possessions/angst rules over my life? 

After you have done this look through your house. Spring clean. Get rid of excess. Donate. Go to Salvation Army Crisis Centres and give away your goods if you don't want people to have to pay for products that help them to survive everyday life.

Focus on giving not getting & collect memories of altruism. Add them to the memories you have and will continue to have of quality time spent with loved ones. FYI phones, tablets, Xbox, playstation do not count unless of course you are using it as a sporadic bonding sesh. Show others you care enough about them to speak. 

Collect memories not things so that when it is your time to be celebrated, just like my grandfather, the difficulty lies in summing up all the positive content of your life not finding some. 

Till next time xo

Making everyday inspiration your written work

So you have participated or have followed my quest to complete A Written Revolution's photo project: 21 Happy Snaps but how do you turn it into a worthwhile piece of writing? 

Photography is an art just as creating literature is, it takes time, perseverance and a willingness to constantly improve ones self. As photographers (albeit amateur) we can choose to capture the literal meanings of words or we can search for something deeper that demonstrates the same meaning but has to be interpreted to be understood. Each of the topics on AWR's 21 Happy Snaps were comprised with the knowledge that care, kindness, love and an altruistic mindset bring the most, long lasting happiness for others and for ourselves. 

Have a look at the list. What do you see? When you read 'beautiful' do you automatically think of flowers, a stunning lady, a pretty sunrise or sunset or do you see simple things as beautiful? Random acts of kindness or different cultures choosing to understand each other? Now think of number 21 'happiness'. How many ways can you depict happiness? Where do we see it? How do we know when someone is happy? Is it always blatantly obvious or rather quietly present? 

You see whether you are capturing images or writing literature it is all about the perspective you choose to show. Everyone will look to see the immediate reactions to each word, to each common conflict or character, our challenge as writers is to show them that life is a loudspeaker and a whispering voice. We need to direct our reader's mind to a world where they can identify the difference and they want to look for it in their own lives; they want to engage with the characters & be surprised by where you take them. After all know one wants to read a story they already know the ending to in the first 5minutes. 

Therefore I encourage you look at the topics from here on in and think of the different ways the topic could be captured from. Then photograph and write about the loudspeaker, in your face immediate response and also about the quiet, whispering voice that hints to you a different direction that could be more powerful, yet show the same meaning. After 3 days and letting it sit, without you mulling over it, reflect on your work with a clear mind. 

Please feel free to share your work on the Facebook page. 

How do I begin?

The life of a writer is an inconvenient one. Many occasions in my life I have been wandering around, speaking with friends or even sleeping and I am awoken to a story stirring in my mind. There is nothing greater than inspiration that springs haphazardly out of life, however those who really embody writing know that at some point we all get writer's block. So how do we quit the frustration and begin?

Firstly I must begin by saying that writers just like artists are perfectionists at least to some degree. We can produce work time and time again and we will always return to it with further edits, never in a way happy with the final product. In some ways this makes us successful in our jobs and in others highly unproductive. To me perfectionism and one other thing, life, gets in the way of beginning writing. 

Life as we know it has it's ups and downs and whether we choose to recognise it or not it impacts on our ability to get the creative juices flowing. Whilst anger, jealousy, hatred and revenge have no doubt assisted people to write about such topics, harbouring that in your own life makes solving the climax to stories difficult and focussing properly almost impossible. Similarly unresolved issues can produce some ideas for stories however unless your prepared to become bare throughout the course of a story or expose those you got your inspiration from you'll end up in a writing rut. 

So how do you stop this? Writing doesn't always have to be about producing a literary artwork it can be writing for writing's sake. It has long been identified that writing about how you feel will enhance your current mood and situation. So why not begin by writing about how you got into the rut, why your frustrated and what you want to achieve. You might be surprised how the writing randomly turns up. Secondly, this is the best piece of advice I have ever received (I'll be honest I didn't believe in it at first because I thought it would kill the creativity in my stories); write everyday. Do not include work (if you aren't currently paid as a writer). Write a journal, write jokes, write lunchbox notes for your loved ones, bring back the art of letter writing, describe a setting. Just write. If you still struggle I recommend this:

Change your routine. Writers get used to a routine, their go to places for inspiration- which leaves their work sometimes stagnant and boring. So go somewhere different. Write in a different place or take yourself somewhere where the sounds in the environment can be what you begin to describe. Soon you'll be writing something. 

Most importantly though do not decide to stop writing if you are in a rut and cannot begin. Do not assume that you are no longer a writer. Do not give up. Failure is merely a subject created by you. 

Good luck with the writing,

Jules xo

A spring smoothie!

Recently I have really been embracing making my own juice. It's amazing how lovely it feels to create my own 'product' each morning. What's more I have come to understand more clearly the impact of portions when I create food myself instead of buying it off the shelf. A juice lover my whole life it has always been my vice in the fight between a cup of juice in the morning or 2 pieces of fruit in the day. Thanks to my trusty blender (and the experience of using one of my client's Breville Juice Fountain machines) I have come to understand a whole lot about juice and fructose. So what is it?

Fructose is fruit sugar. Just like everything we eat, if we have too much of it, it is not good for us and can help us stack on the weight in all of our favourite places. 

I have studied about fructose and the importance of it for the body but since I typically buy juice from the shop laced with preservatives and other kinds of rubbish I've never come to understand the real sweetness of fruit and it's sugar in the purest form. Enter blender/juice fountain and the muffin top defying lesson- pure juice is delicious and super sweet, so much so that you won't crave more juice when you have experienced the real stuff made fresh.

Some of you probably are thinking 'what a dork? Of course that would be the case'. But have you tried fresh, homemade juice? I guarantee you if you do you will immediately feel freedom from the juice guzzling days, where you'd convince yourself drinking juice was far better than Coke or countless sugar filled coffees. You will also know exactly what you put in your mouth (goes without saying) and you can portion your food effectively and start achieving positive outcomes like reducing your muffin top or even simply decreasing your daily sugar intake. You don't have to be a juice guru either to be successful. I simply think of foods and throw them together and see how they go (sometimes silently cringing it'll be rubbish- but that hasn't happened yet!). Here's three recipes I have made recently that were delicious & sweet enough to satisfy my sugar cravings all day long! Enjoy!

Tinkled pink

-1/2 cup raspberries (roughly)

-a handful of blackberries

-3 dessert spoons of natural yoghurt

-a handful of slivered almonds and pine nuts crushed

-a splashing (probably a cup's worth, I didn't measure this out) of Almond milk

Method:

Mix all your ingredients together. You can use fresh or frozen berries, I used frozen to save time on crushing ice. 

Apple a day

-2 fresh apples (pink lady or gala are best)

-nothing else! 😱

Method: blend & enjoy

Fruity bliss

-handful of fresh pineapple

-orange juice (already juiced fresh is best/no added sugar if bought)

-2 apples

-handful of frozen raspberries.

Method: blend & enjoy. For a metabolic kick have a glass of warm water & lemon before hand. 

Simple huh! Now if your not a fly by the seat of your pants or go with the flow foodie I suggest you try and let go of the control reigns, juice can really become something else when you just wing it! You'll start making flavour combinations based on your taste buds not on what others suggest, yes it could mean some surprise chef disasters but learning & experiencing self-made success and having the ability to laugh at yourself are two extremely awesome qualities you don't want to miss out on! 

Till next time...enjoy!

Ps: if you've got a smoothie/juice suggestion for me of your own creation hit me up I'd love to try it, photograph it & boast about your foodie talent! Ciao! Xo

Fresh Apple Juice. Super sweet treat!

Tickled pink smoothie!