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RITUALS

Lake Wanaka in Otago – a part of New Zealand where I spent winter holidays as a teenager.

RITUALS

I want to introduce you to the RITUALS segment of your Wheel of Health.  

For me, rituals are routines and habits on crackThey are actions and tasks that arise from habit or routine. What sets them apart is that they are performed with intention. 

There is a mindful quality to rituals that make them integral to this healing caper. Rituals are very conscious forms of self-care and this is an area so many of us in this chronic illness and autoimmune space can struggle with 

My morning ritual has been game changing ritual form me. That’s why I created a FREE mini eCourse for you. You’ll find that below, along with all sorts of information on creating rituals to support your health caper. 

CREATE YOUR PERSONAL MORNING RITUAL – FREE ECOURSE

I’ll walk you through creating a morning ritual that works for you with step by step videos + a downloadable workbook

MORE ON RITUALS

Life Hacks that work: Combining Temptation Bundling and Habit Stacking for Better Health

I’ll bet you have a tendency to procrastinate and struggle with maintaining healthy habits. You’re not alone in this. It affects EVERYONE. These two sneaky little life hacks are a great way to add to your health choices by stealth. And, all they take is a little thought.

Building a Strong Foundation: Embracing the Wheel of Health (with download)

I’ve popped the process I use with my Wheel of Health into a FREE downloadable workbook to help you cut through the noise of all this health stuff and set yourself actionable goals. It’s a simple but effective way to give yourself a nudge whenever you want to identify what you should be focusing your attention on.

The Top 5 Reasons Why a Morning Walking Ritual Will Improve Your Life

When first begin any sort of health caper you think it’s all about the food. But the foundation of any health caper isn’t about that. It doesn’t start with food. Rather, it’s about changing the paradigm in your head about what’s most important to you.

My Favourite Guided Meditation Apps

These are my top 3 favourite guided meditation apps. If meditation is something you find challenging, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you… May the force be with you!

PURPOSE: What’s YOUR Word of the Year for 2021?

Have you identified a word of the year for 2021? It’s a great little tool to help you to remove some of the overwhelm that inevitably comes when you consider ALL the things you want to achieve at the beginning of a new year. Especially after the year we’ve just had…

The Importance of Good Breathing

Good breathing keeps your nervous system in check. It’s a great way to manage stress – especially when you know how to do it properly. And when you start a good breathing practice, you may find your anxiety levels decrease!

Two Simple Tricks to Be More Present

At the pointy end of this crazy and weird year, a good time to practice being a smidge more present. Not worrying about yesterday. Not brooding about what’s around the corner. These are two of my simple tricks.

One Life Changing Perspective: Action Precedes Motivation

Action precedes motivation – One life-changing perspective. Really!
Might you have had it wrong all these years? Have you been thinking that motivation drives action?

Stress Management Tools: Notice – Shift – Rewire

We’re heading into the silly season. A time of added stress. So today, a nifty little technique that you can use whenever that feeling of overwhelm hits you (and you can do this anywhere). It’s one of my favourites.

Are You a People Pleaser Like me?

Are you a people-pleaser like me? Do you experience an emotional need to please others even at the expense of your own needs? I get it. And I get that it isn’t easy to stop being one, too. This is for you.

How to Practice the Pause

How to practice the pause – a pause is a temporary rest. It’s also a very useful tool to help you manage stress and practice mindfulness. Learning to practise the pause can help to prevent you from jumping to hasty conclusions or making choices that don’t serve you.

Why Self Compassion is NOT Selfish

How do you talk to yourself? Do you talk to yourself as you would a trusted friend or is your inner voice a bit of a b*tch? This idea aof self compassion is an important part of managing your stress

30 Different Vegetables Each Week

How many different types of vegetables do you eat each week? 10? 20? If you said 30 (or even more) you’re well on track to better health. And, if you have no idea how to achieve that goal, well – I’ve got you covered!

Autoimmunity and the Removal of Nightshades From Your Diet

Autoimmunity and the removal of nightshades from your diet. What exactly are nightshades and why should you consider removing them? For many of us with autoimmune disease, nightshades can be a tricky proposition.

How to Create a New Ritual

Creating rituals is all about making choices that serve you. Which sounds easy, but really isn’t. If it were, everyone would be doing it. Here’s how I do it…

Sleep and the AIP

Did you know that lack of sleep – both quality and quantity – affects your judgement, your coordination, and your reaction times? It can even affect your waistline. No surprises that I think you should be taking your sleep seriously. Here are my tips!

Eat More Sustainably Caught Fish

Learn why eating sustainably caught fish is good for the planet, good for your gut, good for your digestion and good for getting more nutrient density into your diet. I’m on a quest!

Finding Your AIP Food Groove

“All the cooking!” is the common refrain from newbies to the AIP. But, finding your AIP food groove doesn’t have to be complicated. Apply these three simple little rules to make it work for you.

Stress Management: Single Tasking

Without exception, stress management is one of the most challenging areas of adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Single-tasking is a super accessible tool for stress management. You can do it anywhere!

What Happens on AIP Reset…?

Ever wondered what actually happens on a 30-day AIP Reset? I spill the beans in today’s post… And since AIP Reset is much more than the sum of its parts, I talk about that, too.

How do you talk to yourself?

How do you talk to yourself? – with love and respect? Or, are you hyper-critical a? Do you need to teach your inner voice some manners?

Trying Things Out for Size On the AIP

When it comes to trying things out for size on the AIP, not everything will fit. Not by a long shot. But there are a few strategies you can employ to help and today we’re taking a look at some of these as well as a few tips on what to do when you trip up

Embracing the Idea of Stillness (Part I)

How often do embrace the idea of stillness and give your brain (and body) a break from the stressors and ‘noise’ of everyday life? Me, I don’t think I do it enough – especially after some recent reading on the topic…

3 Skills to Add to Your Health Toolbox Today

If a skill is defined as the ability to do something well; then making your health a skill is both important and something you can learn. Toda, the first in a new series of ‘bite-sized’ tools for your health toolbox…

How the AIP Helps You Make Intentional Choices…

One of the things I love most about living an AIP way of life is that it gives you a roadmap to make intentional choices. Choices that serve you. The AIP is predicated on making good choices within a framework of options.

Oil Pulling as Part of an Oral Hygiene Protocol

Once upon a time, I had terrible periodontal issues. Adding oil pulling tto my oral hygiene protocol is arguably one of the best things I have done for developing healthy, pink gums. And since good gut health starts in the mouth, it’s a very AIP-friendly technique to add to your health toolbox!

Morning Ritual Spotlight: Indira Shyju

It’s been a while between Morning Ritual Spotlights! Today, the gorgeous Indira Shyju from Cook2Nourish shares what a difference her morning ritual has made to her health caper and what works for her.

Do the Loving Kindness Hand Wash!

How many times a day are you washing your hands? I’d be willing to bet its a lot more than you used to!
Why not introduce the Loving Kindness Hand Wash and practice a little compassion and mindfulness in these times of frequent hand washing. It beats the Happy Birthday song!

Purpose: The Four Agreements

I want to share a very special and potentially even paradigm-shifting little book with you – The Four Agreements. It’s one of my personal favourites, and I’ve been revisiting it during this time of COVID-19. It’s quite helpful for getting your head in the game…

What Does Your (New) Daily Routine Look Like?

Your daily routine is one of your best defences against the stress of dealing with this current health crisis. It keeps you focused on the important things.
I’ve been tweaking mine of late…

How to stop worrying about what might happen

in this time of uncertainty and questions around what might happen, a few suggestions for how to calm your fajizzle down and slow down that worry muscle. These are some things that work for me.

What’s the Deal with Self-Care? 15 Ideas for YOUR Self Care Arsenal

How about you start treating yourself as you would someone you love?
Finding ways to care for yourself can help you to live in the present; which in turn promotes emotional and psychological health. Great for stress management, too!

The Link Between Stress and Chronic Disease

The bad news is that long-term stress leads to inflammation which increases your risk of developing autoimmune conditions. This is particularly troubling when you consider the level of stress that most of us consider normal in this day and age. Let’s talk about stress and chronic disease…

Solutions for When Life is Less Than Peachy

We all have times when life is less than peachy…
But, coping when life is less than peachy is even more of a challenge if you have the added bonus of chronic illness. I’ve got some solutions to help when the shizzle has got tough.

Stress Management: The Art of Creative Visualisation

You know me – always on the lookout for a new way to mitigate stress and calm the fajizzle down…

Did you know that in creative visualisation, your brain is training for actual real-life experience? It can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality. Kind of a perfect reason to focus on positive, aspirational ‘stuff’, then.

9 Tips for Adding Nutrient Density (AIP/Paleo)

This is my ‘starter’ list of 9 tips for adding nutrient density to your diet.

My AIP crew tell me that focusing on what you add (rather than what you remove) is useful for them in managing feelings of deprivation.

Why the Maintenance Phase of the AIP Trips You Up

Did you know that most of my clients come to me in the maintenance phase of their AIP caper? By the time you reach the third stage of the AIP, you have a very good understanding of what your AIP way of life should look like, but bizarrely – this is also the phase that is most likely to trip you up!

What the Heck is AIP Creepage?

AIP Creepage is my name for the very human phenomenon of the lowering of your performance baseline on your personal Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) way of life.

In simple terms, it’s when you’ve been following your personalised version of the template – both the elimination diet and the lifestyle factors, but for any given reason your performance in terms of sticking to the letter of the protocol starts to slide.

My Morning Stretching Ritual

We all know we should be exercising and moving our bodies for our health. No news there. But, this can be a bit tricky when you suffer from chronic illness.

My morning stretching ritual has quickly become an integral part of my morning ritual. It’s a great way to start the day with some dedicated self-care that counts towards my weekly exercise quota.

The Importance of a Morning Ritual

Do you have a morning ritual?

The most important thing about a morning ritual is that it isn’t about mindlessly just going about your routine of choice. Rather, it’s a way of building something good into your life. It’s a very deliberate and conscious process that helps to set your course for the day.

What My AIP Way of Life Looks Like Now (+ My Goals for 2020)

My AIP way of life looks very different now to when I started this health caper six years ago, Today I’m sharing how it looks and my health goals for this year, too.

PURPOSE: What’s YOUR Word for 2020?

No matter where you are in your health caper – just starting out or a seasoned AIPer – having a strong sense of purpose can be the difference between staying the course in the face of adversity, or taking a tumble.

Some of My Favourite Things – In My Carry-On Luggage

What I Do to Prepare for an AIP Reset

Today, I’m sharing how to prepare for an AIP Reset.
Well, technically, it’s how I prepare for one.
Because I recalibrate my AIP efforts often. Because it’s very human to stray from the protocol and experience AIP creepage. Because having a plan is one of the best ways for me to get my head back in the game.

Get up and MOVE! 31 Ways to Get MORE Incidental Movement into Your Day

I’m on a personal mission to get up and move more. I’m talking about incidental…

Morning Ritual Spotlight: Simone Russell

In this Morning Ritual Spotlight series, I’m talking with inspirational people, about their morning rituals. My hope is that you’ll be motivated to create your morning ritual.

Today, the spotlight is on the very warm and engaging yogi and mindfulness coach, Simone Russell!

How to Turn Your Diet into a Lifestyle

I’ve been following an AIP way of life for over five years, now. I’ve learnt a thing or two about how to turn your diet into a lifestyle.
Like many, I started out thinking it was a temporary measure – I thought I’d give the elimination phase of the protocol a red, hot go for a while and see what happened. Then, I could go back to living my life. My way.

Little did I know that my initial foray into changing my diet would turn into a lifestyle…

Morning Ritual Spotlight: Joanna Frankham

My personal morning ritual has become a crucial part of my day, and my wider healing caper. It allows me to create space for myself before the noise and expectations of the outside world arrive, and to set an intention for how I choose to have the day unfold before me. It’s my time, and it’s all for me.

How to Create Boundaries for the Sake of Your Health

Setting boundaries is a form of self-care.

The further you dig into this health caper, the more you realise that it’s all about you…

And, that can be counter-intuitive for most of us. It’s very likely you’ve grown up in an environment where you’ve been taught to be selfless; to worry about others before you do your self. This is especially true if you are of the female persuasion.

So, today I’m sharing my tips on creating boundaries for the sake of your health.

Morning Ritual Spotlight: Erin Cox

In this Morning Ritual Spotlight series, I’m talking with inspirational people, about their morning rituals. My hope is that you’ll be motivated to create your morning ritual.

Today, the spotlight is on the ever lovely Erin Cox!

Announcing the Practical Goal Setting Video eCourse

Morning Ritual Spotlight: Jo Romero

In this Morning Ritual Spotlight series, I’m talking with inspirational people, about their morning rituals. My hope is that you’ll be motivated to create your morning ritual.

Today, the spotlight is on Jo Romero!

5 Ways to Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else’s Highlight Reel

When we are vulnerable; when we suffer from a chronic disease; it can be to slip into patterns of comparing ourselves with others in the AIP community (and further afield) …and to find ourselves lacking

Today I have have some tips on how to stop comparing yourself.

Operation Lymphatic System

This is ‘Operation Lymphatic System’ month at JFC! Umm, ok. Why? One of the things…

Video-cast: The Halo Effect and AIP

Have you heard of the halo effect?

The halo effect describes a form of confirmation bias. It’s when you evaluate something based on one quality, and then make judgments based on that one quality. It’s a particularly human trait and it can affect us on the Autoimmune Protocol…

In this video-cast, I talk more about the halo effect and what we can do about it while navigating the Autoimmune Protocol.

How to Eat 8-Plus Serves of Vegetables (and Fruit) Every Day

Even if you’re not following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), this nutrition gig can get really confusing! The one thing everyone agrees on – regardless of their flavour of dietary preference – is that we should all be eating more vegetables. And it seems 8-plus serves is the magic number. Today, I’m sharing some ways you can ensure you’re getting your 8-plus serves each day…

Video-Cast: Perfectionism and AIP

Anecdotally, there appears to be a pretty high correlation between perfectionism and AIP… “Why would…

The SPEEDY 3-Minute Morning Ritual (for People Too Busy for a Morning Ritual)

I credit my morning ritual as one of the most important additions to my health toolbox. Most people love the idea of a morning ritual but they just don’t know how to fit it into their day. Today I bring you the speedy morning ritual.

Video-Cast: Living Well with AIP

My latest Facebook Live is all about Living Well with AIP. Strategies you can emply to personalise and streamline your AIP… And, details of the first ‘Living Well with AIP’ workshop coming up next month in Melbourne!

Preparing for and Recovering from a Colonoscopy (While on AIP)

So, if you’re of a delicate disposition, look away now. Chicken! No, seriously. Maybe you should read this one. Because this one is about preparing for a colonoscopy, which is an important health procedure. While on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), no less.

Video-Cast: The Magic of a 30-Day AIP Reset

My latest Facebook Live is all about The Magic of a 30-Day AIP Reset. I’m sharing what an AIP Reset entails, why I regularly undertake my own 30-day AIP Reset, and what you can you expect from joining the AIP Reset program.

Video-Cast: Slow Down to Go Fast

The phrase ‘slow down to go fast’ relates to the somewhat counter-intuitive notion that stopping or slowing down at the beginning of a process to consider what – and, how – you plan to accomplish your goals will enable you to go much faster in the end. Ultimately, by implementing this simple step, you are likely to be far more successful, and in the same amount of time, too

Self Care: Be Your Own Valentine!

What would happen if you chose to be your own valentine? Forget about all the commercialism and expectation – instead, finding something to do FOR you.

For 364 days of the year, I have no issue that David is an anti-valentiner. It’s just one day that catches me out…

Your Food and Mood Journal: The MOST Important Tool in Your Health Toolbox

In my view, the single most important tool in your personal health toolbox is your…

Make Nutrient Density Your Hobby

Trying Things Out For Size (and Fit) on AIP

“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct…

9 Reasons You Should Go for a Walk

Solviture ambulando (It is solved by walking) One of the best things about having my sister…

The Autoimmune Protocol: Beyond Diet

  I bang on about the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) an awful lot here in my…

What’s the Deal With Hydration?

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him participate in synchronised…

The GREAT Oil Pulling Experiment…

Is an oil pulling experiment for you? Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic remedy that uses natural oils to clean and detoxify teeth and gums. Here’s my story with oil pulling (spoiler alert – I’m a believer!)

Sleep and the Autoimmune Protocol

You can be eating the best diet in the world and if you aren’t getting enough quality and quantity sleep it could be for naught!

Let’s talk sleep!

Things I’m Learning on the Autoimmune Protocol

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the…

The Iron Cove Bay Run (Take II)

The forecast suggested ‘showers’ for Sydney yesterday morning but, Bella and I decided to risk…