I had such a restless sleep last night and on waking I found myself curled in ball with a horrible headache, some joint pain and tinnitus. Not to mention some nausea as well. And this time I couldn't put it down to pregnancy.

I thought back to what I had done yesterday to realise I had made a crucial bad decision which would now impact my entire Monday.

I had picked Hubby up on his return from a weeks hunting in the South Island and to debrief I mentioned we should go out to dinner. On realising that we could not leave the gun alone in the car we picked up some sizzling squid and duck curry to go and went home.

And then comes the Cost of my Bad Decision.

MSG! The food must of been laced with the stuff and I knew it.

I have had 3x severe run ins with MSG in the past. 1 in particular stands out as it was a week before my wedding and I blew up 3kg over night into Elephant man.

I vouched not to do it again, so I did ask the restaurant if they used MSG. They said no. But here is the kicker. They may not personally use MSG but the ingredients they are using can easily be laced with the stuff, even if it says No MSG added.

MSG was created back in 1908 as a way of enhancing the flavour of foods. It is now referred to as a new taste called Umami, which is a unique savoury flavour. And in fact free glutamate is natural and is found in ripened tomatoes and cured ham.

But it is the mono sodium glutamate that is artificial and was bought into the asian culture not long after it's discovery in 1908 by a Japanese Chemist. MSG the chemical is now found in most crackers, snacks, processed foods, sweets, baked goods, sodas, breads, yogurts, even baby food. If it is processed it probably has it to some degree.

And just like Aspartame it is an excitotoxin, which means it excites the neurons in the brain so much the cell gets so excited it dies.

Not only do they cause brain damage and lead to nervous disorders, but they also cause radical hormone fluctuations. Mice injected with MSG become rapidly obese, inactive, and have other hormonal issues. (1)

But where is the proof for these symptoms. Well a double blind study found that MSG exposure caused headaches, muscle tightness, fatigue, numbness or tingling and flushing in sensitive people. (2)

Another unfortunate catch is that the Food Industry knowing how profitable MSG is, has now made it harder to identify. By having other names for it we are left confused as to what is MSG and what isn't. So here is a short list of things MSG is used in.

Glutamic acid (E 620)2, Glutamate (E 620), Monosodium glutamate (E 621), Monopotassium glutamate (E 622), Calcium glutamate (E 623), Monoammonium glutamate (E 624), Magnesium glutamate (E 625), Natrium glutamate.

Anything “hydrolyzed”, Any “hydrolyzed protein”, Calcium caseinate, Sodium caseinate, Yeast extract, Torula yeast, Yeast food, Yeast nutrient, Autolyzed yeast

And these are some of the ingredients it is found in:

Carrageenan (E 407), Bouillon and broth, Stock, Any “flavors” or “flavoring”, Natural flavor, Maltodextrin, Oligodextrin, Citric acid, Citrate (E 330), Anything “ultra-pasteurized”

Barley malt, Malted barley, Brewer’s yeast, Pectin (E 440), Malt extract, Seasonings, Spice.

Examples such as spice make you realise that you can be easily mislead. As the producer of the product may have not used MSG and put on their product No MSG added, but the spice they used may have had MSG in it already.

So what can we do about it is the most important question for me.

Keeping it simple so it is not overwhelming is number one. So just eat as much of your diet as whole food as possible.

1. Whole Food

Eating clean spray free veges and fruit. Raw milk and organic meats and fats such as coconut and olive oil. This eliminates the potential but it also sends a message to the companies using MSG that it no longer gets your vote.

2 Eat or Drink Fermented foods

Restore the healthy balance in your gut so that you do not crave these addictive substances such as MSG, aspartame and sugar. Have kombucha, kefir, saurkraut and kimchi. Re-establish healthy gut flora to help reduce candida, enhance healthy gut lining and immune function.

3. Detox Daily

Don't wait for the day you feel sick. Most people have insurance before they have an accident so think of detoxing daily like insurance. You need to think daily what can I do to keep clean. Turmeric - Turmeric milk, chai or just in a smoothie is so powerful it is being referred to as an anti-cancer herb. (3)

Milk Thistle is another favourite as it protects the liver while it also supports detoxification through the liver.

4. Supplement your Minerals

Detoxification minerals such as Zinc, Selenium and Magnesium are essential for day to day health let alone supporting the detox pathways in the body. Make sure you choose quality as supermarket brands are often low grade minerals and built with fillers.

5. Exercise and Meditate

Hit both sides of the scale by moving to get the lymphatic system supporting your detox and then meditate to help get your body into the all important rest, relax and repair state which only comes when you slow down and breathe deeply.

6. Hydrate

If by chance you have made a bad decision like I did last night, hydrate until you cannot hydrate some more. Have nettle, rosemary or dandelion tea 3-4x daily, while also having some celtic sea salt in warm water with a squeeze or lemon or apple cider vinegar. This will help your kidneys flush toxins and lower the toxicity load on the body.

MSG is so toxic it can cross the blood brain barrier and do real damage to your brain let alone your gut lining, kidneys, liver and heart. Do not underestimate this flavour enhancer. Take time to look at labels and you will learn your local supermarket or food stall who does and does not have this nasty little chemical lurking.

I urge you to do this not only for yourselves but for your children and your unborn children as this chemical is accumulative. You may not feel it like I did today, but it accumulates in the body until one day you are on the floor in pain.

Cheers to Whole food, Whole people, Whole World, making better decisions today.

(1) LORDEN, J. F., AND A. CLAUDE. “BEHAVIORAL AND ENDOCRINOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF SINGLE INJECTIONS OF MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE IN THE MOUSE.” NEUROBEHAVIORAL TOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY 8.5 (1986): 509-19. PRINT

(2) YANG, W. H., M. A. DROUIN, M. HERBERT, Y. MAO, AND J. KARSH. “THE MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE SYMPTOM COMPLEX: ASSESSMENT IN A DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, RANDOMIZED STUDY.” THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY PART 1 99.6 (1997): 757-62. PRINT

(3) EPUB 2016 FEB 27 CURCUMIN-ALBUMIN CONJUGATES AS AN EFFECTIVE ANTI-CANCER AGENT WITH IMMUNOMODULATORY PROPERTIES. ARAVIND SR1, KRISHNAN LK.

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In the early 1900's Americans consumed an average of 2kg of sugar in a year. The average now is almost 60KGs! a year which is a 2500% increase.

Has that shocked you, like it shocked me?

I must admit I am not the sweetest tooth around, Mr Nature's Script definitely takes the cake (excuse the pun) for that one in our household. However that does not mean I do not have times of debating my choices, although my cravings are more savoury related.

I would have dinner again rather than desert, BUT I have recently found myself wanting a sweet option now and again. Maybe it's the little being I am growing, but it is new for me. So to counter the cravings of sugar I have had to find new ways to fulfill these occasions so that I make the best decision I can, for myself and for baby.

Fortunately I have created a neat alternative. Give it a go and see what you think. It definitely gets me excited.

Banana Ice Cream Salted Caramel Flavour

1 Frozen banana1x Tbsp of almond or peanut butter1tsp of vanilla essence1x tsp of powdered cinnamon1x pinch of celtic sea salt

Method

Blend in a bullet and Serve. ENJOY

No matter what you call it, it is so unpleasant. And as the season starts to heat up, we will no doubt all see an increased incidence of viral and bacterial bouts of gastro.

In fact I very recently did myself an injustice and ate left overs which had not been refrigerated for some time and trust me memories never prepare you for the onslaught of Gastro. So it is about high time that I let you in on a few easy home remedies and also prophylactic ideas too. Always better to prevent than to treat, right?

But first what actually causes these bouts of illness. Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the small intestines, more often than not is usually bacterial when it is food poisoning and more likely viral when it is a stomach flu. Food poisoning can be isolated directly to food that has been contaminated. Where as viral is often passed on from one person to another and often this occurs even before the symptoms show up, which makes it harder to trace.

This is why being proactive in Summer is a better idea than trying to anticipate a break out and then staying away or in isolation. And there are several ways to do this.

The simple ones are general commonsense like keep food covered and chilled. Make sure to regularly wash your hands after handling food and try not to share glasses and drink bottles.

However in New Zealand we are lucky we have a great prophylactic option and it is a remarkable little bacteria by the name of Saccharomyces - Boulardii strain. Basically what it does is prevent any nasty bacteria from adhering or sticking to the gut wall by binding to it and piggy backing it out of the gut. It is what we refer to as a transient bacteria which means it does not stay in the gut, it instead moves through being essentially a sweeper. For this reason we have it in our fridge as part of our First Aid Kit. Take one daily as a preventative if you know you maybe going into a potential gastro zone such as festivals, camping or family gathering etc.

Best of all you can also take it as a treatment by doubling or tripling the dose dependant on age and size. This is brilliant because it then shortens the duration of illness but also potentially helps remove residual negative bacteria. This is what I used in my recent bout and it definitely made a difference. No need for specifics. But we religiously have this in our fridge.

Also note for travel use, you can take this bacterial strain overseas as a preventative as well and with personal experience we survived eating from street markets in Vietnam for 4 weeks without an issue. Taken 2 days before you go, it is like having travel insurance. Best thing we ever put in our backpacks. If you want this in your first aid, please do not hesitate to give me a call or ask your pharmacist.

However back to the home remedies, another thing that comes with gastro is nausea and stomach cramps. And most of the time you may have these remedies already in your pantry.

Always head first and foremost for Zingiber officinale - or better known as Ginger. Ginger is a carminative, which means it helps relax the digestive system. It is supportive of healthy digestion and reducing nausea. Just grate a teaspoon into a tea strainer and make a brew. If needed for taste put a little manuka honey in with it to help sweeten it up, but to also keep your blood sugars up. Even better if you use a high UMF Manuka honey, it is antibacterial, which can also support the fight against the bad bacteria.

Our Native Herbs are some of the most wonderful plant medicine that you can use. Kawakawa or Piper excelsum is perfect for an upset stomach, as it is a tonic for the tummy, as well as it has some amazing essential oils that enhance their effectiveness. Kawakawa is in the shape of the heart, so you can imagine it is good for the heart. But please only get your herbs if you are 100% certain you have the correct herb or ask a professional.

Another home remedy is good ol' Peppermint or Mentha Piperita. Just picking a few sprigs and again steeping it as a tea will help reduce the stomach cramps, as Peppermint is an anti-spasmodic, which helps reduce spasms specifically in the stomach.

Chamomile or Matricaria Recutita is one of my favourites, especially for kids. It is very calming for the nervous system and therefore for the gut as well. Used to help increase your hydrochloric acid in your stomach, it will help indirectly improve your stomachs ability to fight infection, as well as digest your food while reducing inflammation of the gut lining itself. Have a cup every few hours if possible. If you like the taste I also suggest it cold as a summer drink with ice and a smidge of honey.

Of course you really need to keep your electrolytes up to help your energy and reduce dehydration. which is often more a cause of hospitalisation with gastro than the bacteria itself. But often we run dry of our electrolyte sachets, so best idea is to utilise another pantry staple. Your trusty Celtic Sea Salt. A pinch of Celtic Sea Salt in 200mls of warm water will help to rehydrate you, and also help replace lost minerals as well. Celtic sea salt has a high level of magnesium, which will also help reduce cramping and improve nerve function and energy levels. Celtic Sea Salt has over 80 trace minerals and is an essential cornerstone of all bodily functions. So always have this on hand and use it daily for optimal health as well.

Another great electrolyte replacement is coconut water. When cold it can also relieve the dry mouth issue. Have a glass every few hours for a couple of days.

With regards to food it is best to keep it simple and only if you can stomach it.

Try a banana for potassium levels, but also to support a healthy amount of fibre for helping heal the gut lining. An apple has a good amount of pectin and sugar to help feed the good bacteria, to help over ride the bad bacteria, as well as keep energy levels balanced.

Often people suggest white bread because it is easy to digest. Obviously if you are gluten intolerant do not go down this path, however a small amount of white rice or something simple and bland will give you some quick blood sugar release to keep you feeling a bit more stable.

Most importantly always keep your fluids up and most of all rest.

Remember that this can cause you to feel very lethargic for some time and occasionally in serious cases it can impact your health for years, so make sure to get good quality advice on how to remove the intruder and repair the gut.

70% of your immune system is in your gut and all dis-ease begins here. So please do not take this too lightly, rehabilitate yourself the best you can.

Now go and have a stress free summer, knowing you are well prepared for any intruder!

As with any health concerns make sure you contact your health professional.

It takes a lot to tell me to slow down these days as you might have noticed from the breaking my ankle episode (soap opera here we come). But years ago I would have needed a digger to get me out of bed.

Either full steam ahead and heading towards a cliff, or no one is home, concerned I met my maker in the bath tub. Do you feel wired or tired? Or both maybe?

What drives us to this extreme and how do we find that balance to feeling calm, like we are the eye of the storm and not the storm itself?

Often it is hormones. We were built to go full speed away from the tiger, this is the flight or fight response, but in society now that tiger is perceived as anything from a phone call, to a traffic jam, maybe even just bright lights, or loud noises. We are constantly bombarded with information, tasks, particular goals and obligations, not to mention food that resembles nothing remotely like food, environmental pollutants etc. It is a no wonder it is either all or nothing.

This is where Cortisol comes in.

Cortisol is a wonderful hormone used to regulate changes in the body related to stress, such as blood sugar levels, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, inflammatory mechanisms etc. However as suggested above when it is in excess for a long amount of time from percieved stresses then it can cause things like:

Low energy from a dampened thyroid functionTaking longer to think than usualIssues with blood sugars, causing irritability or moodinessTrouble sleepingElevated blood pressureLowered immune function; so potential for more colds and flusLowered muscle massA slower rate of healing from woundsIncreased weight around the middle. Which can increase chances of cardiovascular risk.

On the other side of the coin is where the adrenal system has gone from too high of cortisol for too long that the body becomes desensitised to it and burns out which causes chronically low levels of cortisol. This is also know as adrenal fatigue and is associated with all the above plus:

Brain fog, mild depressionLow blood sugar levels such as hypoglycaemiaFatigue especially in the morning and mid afternoonInflammationMuscle weaknessLow Blood PressureCompromised Immune system

Now the best way to counter act this is to look at your situation with fresh eyes. Can you change something to help you slow down?

Sometimes it is a great idea to play to your strengths and outsource some of your less effective areas. Such as ....housework. I know it isn't my strength - far from it, so I decided for the amount of work I do, early mornings late nights, I should leave it to the expert once a month. Why not?

This one change saves me time, frustration and best of all stress. So what can you drop or outsource that will change your life? Toxic people, jobs, a hobby or two?

And if that doesn't work why not look into to bringing in some big guns.

Wholefood is a big gun, because what you put in, is literally what your body will make itself from. So no more red bull because your wired and tired, it only makes things ten times worse when you stop. Instead nourish your body with licorice tea (if you do not have high blood pressure), it is amazing for restoring your adrenals.

Try opting for wholefood, especially adrenal nourishing foods such as seaweed, pumpkin seeds, raw cacao, nettle etc. All these foods have awesome amounts of magnesium and zinc in them. Used to restore adrenal function and nourish your body.

Get yourself a good herbal tonic from your local Medical Herbalist or Naturopath. We can brew you a potent formula of herbal tinctures to suit you to help enhance your adrenal function. With herbs such as Motherwort, a nervine tonic especially wonderful for women who need some nurturing. Or Rehmannia, an adrenal restorative that works wonders for the fatigue.

Listen to music that moves your soul and move slowly lots. Get on the floor and just stretch while you watch TV, this increases your oxygen levels and helps you relax into your body, and recognise places of need.

Remember that exercise is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and supportive of a healthy hormonal system. So get out there and PLAY a fun game of tennis with your family (don't break your ankle is all).

And breathe. Meditation does not have to be hard, all you need to do is breath into your belly.

But most of all Keep it simple:

Nature - Be in nature, play in nature and breath in nature! All elements for a joyful soul!

Nurture - Your body with wholesome foods, like pumpkin seeds, miso, cacao + bone broth!

Nourish - Use herbs and breathing to nourish you back to total Vitality, like Licorice, Nettle or Rehmannia.

So if you recognise you are an all or nothing person, maybe check out some of the stuff in the middle and see what it feels like to be neutral and joyful all at the same time. Because there is no need to be wired and tired, rather lets all be balanced and joyful!

If you think you are ready to check out the grey area, then give me a call or book online.

Early this year I lost an amazing matriach in my life due to cancer.

Since then I have delved into this quite intrusive dis-ease. Because unfortunately for me this is not the first time I have lost a grandparent to cancer and it makes me angry.

So I thought I might let you in on a little big secret.

As it is right now in the U.S. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer, a figure that is quickly gaining momentum. And don't think that this figure does not correlate back to New Zealand, we are not far behind with a 1 in 4 ratio. So how can we not be effected by Cancer in our lives in some way?

But why is it so prominent?

This might shock you...

It is simply because Cancer is a multi billion dollar industry. This may seem ludicrous and you might want to call me a conspiracy theorist, I don't mind (my hubby loves the term) but don't under estimate the potenital validity in this statement. Because when you follow the money it is unfortunately a scary state of affairs.

Essentially our food chain has been so highly manipulated that 90% of supermarkets now are processed foods, some that don't actually even resemble food. That is not to mention the chemicals such as flouride being put into our water supply, or the toxic chemicals we class as 'beauty' products we put on our skin. And this is not done on accident.

All of these modifications change the way our DNA is expressed. Creating what essentially is a cell that is damaged and gets told to keep producing new cells, but which doesn't have an 'off' switch. This is known as the Stem Cell.

Add to that the process on which we 'fight cancer', and you get a pharmaceutical cocktail (excuse the pun) of Big Pharma companies making millions off the now sick people by indoctrinating society with the idea that Chemotherapy and Radiation is your best option to cure cancer. When infact they are part of the very formulation that creates cancer.

Just to give you an example, chemotherapy may be good at killing a tumour (amongst most healthy cells and organs too) but what it leaves behind is that prime cell we call the Stem Cell or the Mother Cell. And what tends to happen is the Stem cell starts straight back up and this time is more aggresive. So if you did survive the first chemotherapy you have a lot less change the second time round. In fact it is usually secondary cancer that is the real killer. This is all after the fact that the immune system has been hammered by chemo and radio too, decreasing your ability to heal or fight infection etc.

It is a vicious cycle .....

Pharmaceutical companies fund the Medical Schools -

They create the data for the drugs they want to promote -

They then stop Doctors from using anything without a patent

(such as Nature or Plant Medicine) -

Then they treat you with the pharmaceutical drugs which leads you back to the pharmaceutically taught doctors. (Not all doctors of course, however a lot of them.)

And so how do we fight this vicious cycle of Big Pharma companies from dictating our health?

Choose health.

Choose it for yourself and your family and all it takes is one decision at a time.

Create your own food pharmacy.

Do I want a sugar laden chemical cocktail of a cereal for breakfast or do I want an organic free range poached egg on home grown kale, with smashed avocado & tomato with a pinch of celtic sea salt to taste?

Remember it takes on average 8-10 years for a tumour to grow to a detectable size, so you can make those decisions today!

.

So below I have just given you a brief Script from Nature to start switching off those negative gene expressions today!

1. Get up and moving!

Exercise at least 4x weekly - moving increases so many healthy anti-inflammatory pathways in the body, increases nitric oxide, decreases insulin resistance (a possible factor in cancer and obesity another killer), improves metabolism, detoxification and so much more.

2. Go go H2O!

Drink spring water daily, with at least a minimum of a litre and a half, with a pinch of celtic sea salt in a glass or two daily - this hydrates the cell allowing it to exchange nutrition for garbage, help eliminate toxins, increase energy production etc.

3. Spice up your life!

Turmeric, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon, Oregano, Coriander, Barley Grass. All these herbs have superfood status, they heal, nourish, reduce inflammation, help improve cell function, therefore improve energy, detoxification but they are all to some degree high in antioxidants and help reduce chances of cancer, especially Turmeric. Turmeric helps identify the Stem Cell itself, along with many other herbs and spices.

4. Dump the Trash

Leave all processed foods behind. You and your body deserve better. MSG (mono sodium glutamate or no. 621) or any glutamate for that matter, not only feeds directly into cancer itself, it has been shown to create it. The same goes for refined sugars, not only feeding but creating cancer. So be good to yourself and do the 80/20 rule. Start making at least 80% of your diet super amazing with organic fruit vege and free range wild if possible meat. With 20% good but maybe not so great food.

5. Relax

Stress is a killer, we have heard it over and over but the easiest way to recognise it is to breathe. Take time to observe your breathing. Are you getting enough oxygen, are you breathing into your belly and not your chest? Do you know what you did that morning or are you frazzled? Breathe - oxygen is great at killing cancer. Hence why they use hyperbaric chambers as a cancer treatment. To saturate the tumour with oxygen therapy. Breathe!

Take care of you and your family and boycott this horrible money hungry industry by getting back to basics. Heal with food, nutrition, good energy and love. Not drugs, money, dictatorship and fear.

Be the change you have been waiting for.

Big love everyone.

x

So many clients ask me what is one thing that would have the biggest impact on my health.

With any health situation the first thing I learnt with my own health issues of epilepsy is that all dis-ease stems from the gut. So always make the biggest change with the gut first. Always get to the cause of the situation and the same thing goes for compliance.

The cause of a lack of compliance is habit. So as much as I can tell you 10x things to change your health, it depends on habit and if you can make this change for your gut into a habit then you can be on your way to improved health today.

So for that reason the biggest change you can make today for optimal health comes in two parts......

1. Take a tablespoon of 'Four Thieves Vinegar (see the recipe below) in a large glass of warm water.

2. Do this Daily on an empty stomach, as soon as you get up.

Not only do you get the benefits of the drink, but it makes it almost a morning ritual to take a breath and acknowledge what a magic day you are going to have and how grateful you are for all the things around you. It gives you a chance to breath and if you start your day off right, you tend to make better decisions.

Better decisions at the start of the day, means you start to change your daily habits too. It is a great cascading effect.

And that cascading effect keeps on giving as you see what a difference your morning herbal ritual does......

* Acts as an adaptogen - helping you adapt to stress

* Boosts your metabolism - helps to increase energy and burn fat

* Alkalises your blood - helping to reduce inflammation and aging

* Improves liver detoxification - Improving healthy hormone production, that gives you energy and a healthy mood.

* Cleans your blood - helping create glowing skin, healthy hair and nails, reducing eczema and hayfever.

*Increases nutrition uptake - gives you healthy absorption of minerals and vitamins, improving general wellbeing.

*Keeps your gut flora healthy - which helps with your immune function, nutrition and digestion.

*Keeps you regular - helps with motility of stools to help reduce constipation and diarrhoea.

*Improves digestion - which helps reduce heartburn and reflux.

*Increases nuerological benefits - such as improved mood, memory and concentration.

*Healthy Cardiovascular support - improving energy, lowering fatigue, helping tone the heart.

*Improves blood sugars - helping you stay alert and active the whole day, with no slumps or sugar cravings, as well as improved weight management.

*Has huge antioxidant value - ANTIAGING! Don't we all want longevity and vitality.

With so many benefits and such an easy recipe I suggest you do that 1 thing that will change your health for good!

Four Thieves Vinegar - Nature's Scripts' Version.

* Grab a glass bottle with lid and put in a mixed handful of Lavendula officinalis, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Artemisia absinthium, a clove of garlic, a cinnamon quill and a pinch of celtic sea salt.

* Cover with organic apple cider vinegar and let to settle for 5-10days.

This allows for the vinegar to extract all the therapeutic constituents out of the herbs.

ENJOY!

Sometimes we play games that can inevitably lead to our deconstruction. And within that deconstruction comes pain, dependancy and humility.

So how can this be a good thing?

Let me start from the beginning. It is not often that my husband will play tennis with me, usually it is my awesome father in law running rings around me on the court. So when he does play, I play my heart out and make the most of every ball.

Oops....I was being overly stubborn and kept getting balls that I knew he was throwing just over the net in order to make me run and then to the back of the court. I kept doing it though, loving the push and competition to show him how far I could surprise him and in my weakest moment, his spinner came under my foot and .........crack.

There goes my weak ankle for the 3rd time in 18 months. Just as I was getting back into my running and into my headstands in yoga!

Some minor swearing and a beetroot red face appeared as I saw the neighbours were privy to my awesome power of persuasion over the ball, I limped, slash mopped home on my husbands back. (Trust me as an adult piggy back riding its harder than you think on the abs).

A few hours later, I am on the couch in cast. In CAST! I am 30 years old and I felt 12 again.

It's almost been a week now and I have kicked the cat, almost rebroken my toe and falling off a deck. But hey, who's counting.

But what I have learnt is that in this pain, comes time to reflect on why it happened. How it happened, how am I going to fix it and what is the plan to get back up and running again, literally.

Why it happened, took a few days after sulking but I think now that I am 'still', I was striving so hard.

Striving for a new business idea that would create a bang, striving to be the perfect weight, striving to financially set ourselves up (as if we aren't with a house in Auckland ;) ), striving in my part time role for a friend's business, striving to make sure all my relationships were perfect, striving, striving, striving.

When you put this on repeat, it becomes really disheartening, as you are living in the future. Attached to what things outside of yourself can bring you.

My worst nightmare since I was a kid, was to lose my legs. I love dancing, infact I used to be really good at it and it has taken me until my 30th birthday to recognise that dancing and movement is a part of me, thats why I love yoga. So breaking my ankle was a real pain, physically and mentally.

However within the break, comes deconstruction. Deconstruction of who I was striving to be and who I was not being in the process. ME.

So that is a definite why it happened, I needed to 'break a leg'.

How? Striving.

How? Am I going to fix it, well with a little humility, vulnerability and dependance. Which in hindsight I have done every possible action to avoid all three of those actions.

As well of course as a dietary and herbal concoction.

1. Turmeric Milk - to help lower the inflammation, alongside your usual miracle working Omega 3 fish oil (quality only people, no cheap nasty stuff).

2. Bone broth - to load up on nutrition and help with digestions, but also calcium from the bones.

3. Sunshine - Vitamin D is essential to healthy bones, immune function and mood. 15mins morning and night.

4. Zinc and Magnesium - Without Zinc the body cannot heal, make the most of this sensational, essential mineral for all healing. And magnesium to help with nerve conduction, muscle cramping, energy, stress relief and sleep support.

5. And of course trusty ol' pal water. As hard as it is on crutches to get to the bathroom, drinking lots of water, especially with a pinch of celtic sea salt in it once or twice a day will help move fluid, help with the lymphatic system and keep you hydrated for the 70% of water that you (your body content) are.

And of course, surrender and be in the moment. Humility and vulnerability are never as bad as you expect if you surrender and have no expectations of the outcome. There is no need to strive, it is however amazing to be in your passion, in your flow and then what you choose will be yours.

I obviously chose some time out to deconstruct the way I was 'running' things.

So plan is to deconstruct these things that have not been working for me and go within, because lets face it, meditation is the best option I have right now. Maybe apart from floor yoga.

And in light of this pain, I will dance again and the dancer always knows she is whole when she is dancing!

So really you can find a positive side to pain and deconstruction if you really be still and look.

We hear about super foods but what about super spices?

Not like the super spice girls because they were only going to last so long, lets be honest. But this little beauty has been around for thousands if not millions of years.

It is an amazing red coloured root called Turmeric. It has been used for years in cooking, but it is less known for it's use in herbal medicine. So why is it such a super spice?

Well Turmeric Extract is now being quantified by science as a miraculous little red root.

A study published in the ADA (American Diabetes Association) journal has shown it is 100% effective at preventing type 2 diabetes. This study showed it successfully prevented prediabetic patients from becoming diabetic over the course of a 9 month intervention.

Imagine you have lived 30 years on rice, potatoes, cakes and sweets and yet within 9 months you can reverse the chance of becoming diabetic.

Insulin Resistance is hugely concerning in our modern age and is reported to be the largest cause of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Recently I attended a practitioner Natural Medicine Congress, where the lead speaker Dr Mark Houston of America mentioned that if we continue on the path we are heading Metabolic Syndrome would be the leading cause of all deaths in the U.S. He also mentioned that Metabolic Syndrome or Insulin resistance would bankrupt the U.S due to the excess cost of medical intervention.

A pretty scary thought when we know that NZ has the 3rd highest rate of obesity, with almost 35% of 45-54yr olds being obese.

So how do we counter act this situation and early?

Well lets get our country on Turmeric. With a small 250mg of Curcumin which is the constituent of turmeric with all the juju in it, you can stop your chance of diabetes.

But not just diabetes. Turmeric has also been used for years to treat cardiovascular disease, cognitive dysfunction, kidney function, liver disease and oxidative stress.

Turmeric has also been known as a “healing spice” used to help anything from sore throats, colds, flus, stomach aches to wound healing and any skin issues due to it’s antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

A home remedy is Turmeric Milk.

2 cups of homemade almond milk 1 tablespoon local honey, optional 1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon small pinch of black pepper and grated ginger (fresh is best)

INSTRUCTIONS Simply pour all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a light boil, whisk to combine ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer for up to 20-30 minutes. Strain the milk if you have large pieces of ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, etc.

To serve, add honey or a dash of cinnamon.

Turmeric milk is not only high in antioxidants, anti inflammatory compounds, healthy fats (especially when using coconut milk), but also manganese and iron.

However if this is not your flavour, then get a quality turmeric supplement which contains around 250mg of curcumin.

We always recommend discussing this with your local Natural Health Practitioner or a Medical Profession.

But either way start getting some of this amazing super spice into your life.

Spice up your life with Nature's Script today!

What molecule if utilised to it’s advantage can help with sleep, improve memory and hugely increase your energy, while protecting your heart?

This molecule can often be misconstrued as NOS, something that helps a car go fast.

But it isn’t, it is the all important Nitric Oxide, actually known as NO and it is an essential thriving molecule used in every cell of our body to support cellular signalling, or more specifically communication.

It helps support memory and behaviour by supporting communication through the nerve cells in the brain. It is also known to assist the immune system, helping to defend off bacterial infection and tumours.

It helps reduce inflammation which essentially is the cause of aging and dis-ease.

It even helps improve sleep. And if you suffer from a lack of smelling ability you are also in luck. Another great motivator is the way nitric oxide supports endurance and stamina.

So while covering many basis, it is more useful to know how to improve your nitric oxide levels. However here is the catch. Nitric oxide itself has a half life of less than a second, so once created it is utilised immediately or it becomes useless. So now what are we to do?

Well here is the way to improve your nitric oxide naturally. Ready for it…..it’s Exercise. When you work out whether that is with cardio or weights, you blood flow increases. And with the moving of blood over the wall of the blood vessel it release nitric oxide. This helps relax and widen the the vessel wall, allowing more blood to pass through.

Through poor diet, lack of exercise, age and free radicals (which are little monsters wrecking havoc on your antioxidant stores), this production of nitric oxide slows down. So exercise is the best way, but you can also consume L-arginine and L-citrulline as they are the prerequisite for Nitric Oxide production. You can find these in nuts, fruits and meats. There are also those super little antioxidants that will support this process, including Vitamin C, E, CoQ10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid. But as always it is best to get your nutrition from your food.

So here is Nature’s Script for you. Love and enjoy - Beetroot, Cacao, Walnuts, Cranberries, Honey, Pomegranate, Watermelon, Garlic, Cayenne and many more. So let’s step it up literally and then eat all your beets! Go Wilder on your Nature’s Script.