When I got up this morning, my husband had already left for work.

The dishes were still sitting in the dishwasher.

The clothes in the washing basket hadn’t folded themselves.

None of the overflowing bins had been emptied.

The kids weren’t offering to help me with the morning chores.

And I could deal with all that.

Until my son gave me some lip .. which saw me walking off and sulking to the other room.

Birthday, schmurfday.

My daughter came in to check if I was all right and give me a hug and a kiss.

While I was walking her to school I received a text from my son ” Have a good birthday”.

I mentioned to me daughter ” He could have said I’m sorry”

She said: “Maybe that was his way of saying sorry”

Wise, comforting, beautiful words from my 10yr old girl, which filled my heart with love.

Words which turned out to be best birthday gift I could receive.

Words which made me know that I was doing ok at raising emphatic, kind, thoughtful children. They are far from perfect, trust me, but it’s times like these when you see glimpses of the beauty that lies within them and a reflection of the things you are getting right.

Birthday’s always make me introspective. Make me stop and observe where I’m at, where I’m headed, exactly who I am. 

My daughter’s words showed me the type of mother I am. Showed me what is most important to me in life. It’s not something I can honestly say I had contemplated before.

See, when it comes to parenting, I don’t focus the kids on what they will do in the future, or who they will be. For me, success is not defined by working hard to ‘get the right job’ and make a lot of money…

Emotional intelligence is where it’s at for me. Success is defined by kindness, empathy, sensitivity. All the while remembering and accepting that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We’re all doing our best. What’s important is it learn from those mistakes. Remembering also, that no two people are the same and it’s important to leave room for that. This is the message I am instilling in my kids.

“Have a good birthday” – was my son’s way of saying sorry. I wasn’t in a place to see it that way. My daughter saw things from both sides, that moment of empathy helped me through and made my day.

So that’s enough contemplation for one day. It’s time for me to jig work and treat myself to an hour long relaxing facial. 

The day is turning out perfectly after all.

Bren x

It surprised me how many people hadn’t heard of it.

Burst training is basically a type of exercise that you can do anywhere, anytime and which saves you a bucket load of $$ on gym memberships or special equipment

You might know it as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Basically, it’s working your heart rate almost to the maximum for about 30-60 seconds, immediately followed by low intensity, or in my case, resting, for a minute or two. And repeat.

My favourite form of burst training is sprints.

I power walk down to either the local oval or beach stairs, and sprint, rest, sprint, rest about 8 times.

Burst training can be done in many different ways.

For example – running on the spot, on a stationary bike, using a skipping rope, swimming ..the options are endless!

Why do I do Burst Training?

• As a busy working mum, I particularly love how time efficient it is. I’m usually done and dusted in half an hour (including the walk to and from the location). You’ve got to love maximum benefit with limited time!
• It burns fat incredibly efficiently
• It boosts my metabolism
• It reduces inflammation in the body
• It’s great for toning muscles
• It makes me feel energised
• It doesn’t put stress on my body like other forms of cardio exercise
• It balances my hormones
• It doesn’t flare up my dodgy neck and back issues
• Gets me out into nature, getting Vitamin D and helping to set my circadian rhythms
• Keeps ageing at bay

I usually aim for 2 x sessions per week, interspersed with 1 x session of weight training and power walking the rest of the days and once home, I usually follow up with a ginger, mint and green apple smoothie or this anti-oxidant smoothie.

Naturopath Naomi Judge and I talk in depth about the right type of exercise for balancing hormones and shedding stubborn weight in our Break Through! Signature Cleanse. Find out more about the cleanse here. 

Bren x

Grab your FREE copy of my 'CALM YOUR CORTISOL' recipe book to soothe your cortisol and start your journey to high energy, fast metabolism, and feeling like yourself again!

Or let’s paraphrase Einstein and say that if you think you can live a truly healthy life on an unhealthy diet, then you’re bonkers!

What is a Ful Life?

A Ful Life is a healthy and abundant life where we can be joyful, purposeful, soulful, thankful and youthful in equal measures.

A healthy lifestyle is important because our bodies are designed in such a way as to accept nature’s nutrients and the various combinations of them. Our bodies crave natural foods in order to grow and evolve, and to ensure our immune system, brain and bodily functions can deliver us sustained health now and into our older years.

We are the sum of our experiences, and our health is certainly the sum of our health choices. We only have one life on this earth, so is it not best to nurture it from childhood to old age in order to remain strong, vibrant and robust? Now that’s a Ful Life worth talking about. A joyful one too!

My passion is in educating and assisting my fellow human beings to understand what foods generate energy, positivity and long-lived health in our bodies. At the same time, it is crucial to understand why health benefits accrue by choosing our foods wisely.

This is why I now offer my 40 Days to a Ful Life program. It is a “personalised program to guide you and your family, step by step, to making sustainable changes and improve your family’s health and wellbeing.”

What Benefits Can I Expect to See?

The program is specifically designed to assist you set your health and lifestyle goals, and then achieve them!

Establishing good health habits is always a sensible long term plan, but they aren’t always easy to accomplish on your own. The 40 Day Program guides you through this process and, along the way, helps you to understand the merits of such as exercise:

• Appreciate how food and health interact
• Understand the nature of cravings
• Optimise the family’s energy levels
• Feel good in your body as you maintain your natural weight
• Create balance in your life, emotions and relationships (oh yes, your health choices really do affect your moods and personality)

The Significance of 40 days

Making any type of significant change requires a purposeful commitment. The old rule of thumb is that it takes 21 days to form a habit. It is a number that caught on from a 1960’s book, but which has little real application, though it sounds catchy. University studies claim that it can be anywhere from 18 to 66 days for most people, but really, the individual and the habit explained most of the variation.

Rather than be “somewhere in the middle”, 40 days is associated with times of testing or trial, a time of rebirth and transformation in many religions and cultures. From fasting traditions to birthing rituals, it is a practice that has come down to us through the ages. The Yoga world also sees 40 days as how long it takes for a bad habit to change to a good one.

A healthy lifestyle is more than a habit. It is a way of life, and 40 days is a period that is long enough to ingrain good practices in a way that a mere 7 or 14 days cannot. Once you’ve invested a certain period of time in anything, it becomes far more difficult to throw your good work away.

And once you see the tangible benefits, you won’t want to.

Check out my “40 Days to a Ful Life” program here.

Right, off to get forty winks!

Bren x

Is the string section in your head already cueing the dramatic score that coincides with pulling out that lunchbox as if it’s ticking?

It’s disappointing when your child hasn’t eaten the food you have lovingly prepared, and it hurts to waste good food. I feel I’m turning into my father when I lecture my kids about people less fortunate. Anther step in that direction and I’ll have a funny laugh, electro-hair and wear pants that are too short.

Check out these 7 easy ways to help reduce lunchbox stress and turning into your parents : )

Build a Framework For Your Kids’ Lunch

So let us all silence our inner soundtracks before they turn into Meatloaf, breathe deeply, and reboot. Let’s explore different ways in which we can encourage our children to eat healthy foods.

Because kids burn up tons of energy growing, learning and playing, they need healthy meals to properly fuel them and keep their teachers sane.

With a little imagination and the right tools, lunch can be a surprise they look forward to.

Keep it fun & interesting

Rotate the lunch menu. Variety is exciting! Choose from pasta salads to green salads, mini-pizzas to egg muffins, pancakes, dips and crackers, fruit kebabs, and so on. Or, try breakfast for lunch in the form of a healthy bircher muesli!

Always include at least 1 favourite.

Use sandwich cutters to make different shapes.

Organise in advance

Batch cooking with the kids is fun and time-thrifty! The result is yummy food that they have actually prepared.

Preparing meals from scratch does take extra time, but you can multitask. Listen to a podcast or some of your favourite music. It is special bonding time with the kids where they have your full attention.

Freeze home-made muffins, yoghurt, pancakes, soups, individual egg frittatas.

Prepare the night prior with cut up fruits & vegetables, thaw frozen items, or peel hard-boiled eggs.

Kids choice

Allow the kids input into what they would like to eat (keep the boundaries tight, Mamas!). This makes them feel important, independent and confident. And more likely to eat the nutritious food!

Go Seasonal

Fruits & vegetables that are in season are fresh, tasty and cost-effective, while offering natural variation to our diet.

Keeping it safe

Make sure you use an ice brick or thermos or insulated containers as required during warmer and colder months.

Keep it clean

Simple, wholesome, nutrient dense whole foods in your kids lunchboxes help kids to concentrate, provide energy, help them to grow and allow them to function at their best.

Remember to include a big bottle of water.

Avoid nutrient deficient products that are processed, artificial and refined, particularly hydrogenated oils and trans fats, preservatives and grain products and sugars.

Healthy lunchbox basics

Home-made hummus and Mountain Bread chips with vege sticks
Spelt & Pancakes smeared with some raw honey, pureed apple and a sprinkly of cinnamon
Home-made raspberry, raw honey  and chia seed frozen yoghurt
Sushi
Egg Muffins
Home made pizzas
Bliss Balls
Fruit kebabs
Leftovers
Air popped popcorn with organic butter and sea salt
Homemade muffins

Remember, variety in healthy meals begins at home. So introduce kids early to the whats and whys of nutrition, and lunchtime will become far easier.

From a health perspective, we can keep it simple … and achievable. Ask yourself honestly if your diet and lifestyle are working for you, and also what would make you truly happy. If you want to make serious inroads into your goals, you want a sound, calm, energised base from which to work, meaning these things really need to be in order. The ticking over of the calendar is as good a time as any to begin working toward improving your sense of well being in a deep, sustainable way.

Once you pinpoint the areas for improvement, think about steps you can take to make positive changes. Remember to be flexible with these steps as you go, because sometimes your best intentions don’t always go to plan …

Here are 10 steps that spring to mind to get the ball rolling toward a peaceful, healthy and sustainable way of life for your whole family:

1. Increase your intake of fresh, seasonal, nutrient-dense whole foods –  real food delivers the body what it requires in order to refuel, heal, stay young and healthy, while also invigorating the immune system. Remember, food is your medicine.
2. Minimise processed food – our body was not designed to eat these products, which are seriously deficient in beneficial nutrients, contain high levels of sodium, trans fats, sugar and artificial colours, and are full of preservatives.
3. Minimise sugar intake – especially refined sugar, which can be found in  soft drinks, cakes and sweets. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and other health issues.
4. Exercise – schedule a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise most days. It can be as pedestrian as walking, or as intense as crossfit-style training. Five sessions is a number associated with beneficial effects on depression, and it certainly keeps you energised, with other positive effects on your weight, sleep, and mood. It also reduces your risk of developing disease.
5. Rest & Relaxation – the other side of exercise. The body needs to rehydrate and repair muscle to ensure it burns fats and calories and not muscle. Just ask any athlete! By deep breathing, yoga, listening to music, tai chi or massage we can improve our overall physical and emotional health. Specifically, it can reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and reduce chronic pain.
6. Nature – Being out in nature and putting your bare feet on the earth reduces anxiety and/or depression, increases Vitamin D intake, improves sleep and gives us a break from technology.
7. Play – especially with our kids. Whether it’s a board game, craft or sport in the backyard, once again we can escape the gravitational pull of TV and gadgets. Bonding increases our children’s confidence by making them feel important and loved, and helps develops their social skills. Oh, and it’s fun!
8. Hydration – we should be drinking 8-10 glasses a day. Proper hydration helps the digestive system, rids of the body of waste, improves metabolic processes and flushes out toxins.
9. Support – the best way to ensure the success of your resolutions is to have support from family and friends, but feel free to develop the hard edge required to get it done on your own! If you feel the need, reach out to groups or to a health coach who can support and guide you, step-by-step, to achieve your goals.
10. Purpose – it is important for self esteem and confidence to continue growing as a person. Having a purpose or goal (family or business-related) keeps your outlook positive and focussed on improvement. It also gives you regular feedback and satisfaction.

Contact me today to find out how I can support you to achieve your goals.

All my best wishes for the New Year!

Salute,

Bren x