Nutrition,Wellbeing & Adventures

Kia ora & Namaste Dear Friends!

It is a delight to be connecting with you again! How has your year been so far? Has it been a mix of magic and mystery? Challenges and calamities? A mix of both? For me the start of the year was quite full. Kashi was away lots and so I haven’t had the time to connect as much as I would have liked but it is very lovely to sit and write on this rainy day.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Our nutrition plays a huge role in our mental health and wellbeing. A well balanced, nutrient rich diet nourishes us by balancing our blood sugars, supports our mood, our concentration, combats cravings and boosts our dopamine production.

Building a Nourishing and Resilience Building Daily Practice goes hand in hand with our nutrition in supporting a healthy and flourishing mind and body.

As the weather turns from Autumn to Winter, I am excited to consider both the nutritious foods and practices that support our wellbeing and immune system.

I invite you to reflect on the questions:

What makes a difference to your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing?
If you were going to add just one small thing into your day that would make a positive difference to your wellbeing, what would it be?
If you were to delete one thing from your day that would make a positive difference to your wellbeing, what would it be?

Adventures

This April school holidays we went on a family trip down South to visit Dunedin, Queenstown and Te Anau to walk the Kepler track. I think we had all forgotten how special tramping is but being in nature and the walking felt like medicine. We were only able to book two of the three huts and so the last two days of walking were long 7+ hour days and my legs were definitely feeling it. The Great Walks 2023/24 bookings date is announced on May 31st, just in case you needed a reminder. Here are some Kepler track pics.

Some favourite listens and reads:

This is a fantastic FREE meditation app, by Healthy Minds innovations. So many of the meditation apps are paid - but this is free, a great way to begin sampling different meditation styles especially with so many rising costs at the moment. The founder, Professor, psychiatrist and author of many books - Richard Davidson writes about the four pillars of wellbeing as being awareness, connection, purpose and purpose. Healthy minds innovations focuses its meditation and mindfulness courses on those four pillars.

I recently had a long solo drive from Te Anau to Rotorua and LOVED listening to the 10% Happier Podcast. 10% Happier also has a great mindfulness app. This podcast with Brene Brown and James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits) is an oldie but a GREAT insight into successfully creating healthy habits.

Exercise & Mental Wellbeing

Unsure about the role of exercise in improving our mental wellbeing? A study of 1.2 million people found that on average, a person has 3.4 poor mental health days per month. However, among those who exercised, the number of poor mental health days dropped by more than 40 percent.

Wishing you a delightful May!

Nga mihi mahana,

Roshni