Wellbeing Journal
HOW TO REBALANCE YOUR ENERGY NATURALLY
How to Rebalance Your Energy NaturallyModern workers complain of the mid-afternoon slump. All of a sudden, it feels as if all the energy has drained out of you. Some call it brain fog, others refer to it as plain old exhaustion. Rather than reach for a quick fix, the wiser option is to implement naturally energy-boosting habits you can maintain long-term. Your precarious balancing act ends here.Aid your digestionAn unhealthy gut can have huge health implications for the rest of the body – energy levels included. Apple cider vinegar is an alkalising liquid that can help with digestion, especially for those who don’t produce enough hydrochloric acid in their stomachs. Opt for the unfiltered organic variety, and drink it diluted in water about 15 minutes before meals.Step away from the white breadWhile they can provide your body with energy, foods heavy in carbohydrates will, for the most part, leave you feeling sluggish. The main culprit? Simple carbs, like those found in sugary drinks, white bread, and pasta, which burn through your body quickly. Stick to wholegrain, low-glycaemic carbohydrates that take longer to digest. Nuts, legumes, sweet potatoes, oats, and brown rice will all provide your body a steady supply of energy, helping you avoid the crash-and-burn effect.Break a sweatIf you’ve ever gotten your sweat on, you’d know the incredible clarity that comes from a flood of endorphins hitting your system. Exercise gives your cells more energy to burn, circulating oxygen around the body and releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine (stress hormones) that in modest amounts that make you feel energised. Even a brisk walk on your break can help.Have another glass of waterFeeling fatigued is one of the first signs that your body is short on fluids. The recommended daily amount of water is 2 litres per day, but be sure to drink slowly and keep it at room temperature, so it is easily ingested and absorbed by your body.School yourself in essential oilsStudies have found that inhaling essential oils under stressful conditions can lead to noticeable positive neurological responses, as fragrance compounds directly affect the brain. When it comes to improving energy levels, essential oils with citrus properties are great for boosting energy and motivation – we love a few drops of our Revitalising Blend Essential Oil, which can be used in a vaporiser for the office. If you don’t have a diffuser handy, try a spritz of our Revitalising Blend Aromatherapy Mist, close your eyes and spray mist above your head, and deeply inhale the Orange, Bergamot, Lemon and Lavender blend to awaken the senses.
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HOW TO CLEANSE PROPERLY
Pollution, smoke, makeup, sunscreens, and the natural build-up of dead surface skin and sebum can make skin look and feel dry, dull and lifeless.That’s why cleansing correctly is your first step to naturally radiant skin. But research from the International Dermal Institute says most of us spend just 20 seconds doing so. And when you’re tired, it can be tempting to skip cleansing completely (we’ve all done it).But cleansing doesn’t have to be a chore. Here’s how to cleanse properly – and leave your skin looking pure, smooth and hydrated.1 Choose the right cleanserEveryone’s skin is different, so it’s important to find the cleanser that’s right for you. Things to consider include your skin type, how you prefer to cleanse, and whether you need to remove eye makeup.Need help? Take a look at our guide to choosing the right botanical cleanser.2 Use warm waterHot water will dry skin out too much, which is why you want to keep the temperature down as you cleanse.3 Start at the topUsing small circular motions, start cleansing at your forehead, and move down to your nose and out to your cheeks before finishing at your neck.4 Cool rinseAfter you’ve cleansed, rinse with cool water to refresh your skin, and prepare it for the next steps of your skin care ritual.5 And repeatIt’s important to cleanse every morning and night. Your morning cleanse will help remove excess oil that’s built up on your skin overnight, while your evening cleanse will wash away the makeup, sunscreen, pollution and other impurities your skin has been exposed to during the day.
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JACQUELINE ALWILL’S SECRET TO GLOWING INSIDE AND OUT
It’s not everyday that I hand over my home, beauty cabinet, kitchen and bedroom and reveal all, but when the team from the most iconic Australian, botanical skincare brand, Jurlique, makes this little request…I do. You see, it’s all very well to speak about health and beauty but it’s most important to see it in practice so that’s how I plan to share it with you. Small things I do, each day to make me feel abundant with life, radiant and glowing.MY DAYTIME SKINCARE RITUALPre exercise I use a few drops of Jurlique Firming Face Oil and if training outdoors a natural sun cream. In my younger years, I didn’t use anything during exercise and know that this damaged my skin, however, these days I know I put my skin in a better position to handle the dehydrating effects of exercise and protect my skin from the sun.Post exercise the focus is on plenty of water and my most cherished skincare ritual of the day for both face and body. In recent years having partnered and worked with Jurlique I include their heavenly skincare products into my regime. Jurlique’s range of natural botanical ingredients complement my life and my skin beautifully, giving me the glow I want to see and the softness I want to feel on my skin.Pre shower cleanse to my face with Jurlique Nourishing Cleansing Oil followed by a shower with Jurlique Refreshing Citrus Shower Gel and body moisturiser of these delicious citrus fragrances too. They’re new to my ritual having only been launched by Jurlique recently and I couldn’t live without them. Citrus is one of my favourite fragrances to refresh the senses and my skin and naturally complement other nourishing citrus ingredients in my life particularly in the morning – lemon, grapefruit and orange.“AS A NUTRITIONIST, I WANT MY SKIN CARE TO BE AS NATURAL AND GOOD FOR ME AS THE FOOD I EAT. THAT’S WHY I LOVE JURLIQUE’S NEW SHOWER GELS AND BODY LOTIONS.”
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RAW LEMON COCONUT TART
Take time our to treat yourself and family with this delicious tart to celebrate nature’s delights. Jurlique has partnered with Nutritionist Jacqueline Alwill to create this wellness treat that is vegan, sugar and dairy free. Raw Lemon Coconut TartServes 8Base: 3/4 cup of oats 1 cup medjool dates, pitted 3/4 cup dessicated coconut 2 tablespoons vanilla essence Top: 1/3 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup maple syrup Juice from 3 lemons 1/2 cup dessicated coconut 2 medium bananas Fresh seasonal berries DIRCETIONS 1. For the base, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined and forming a dough like consistency.2. Press base into a lined spring form cake tin or load tin and pop in freezer whilst blending the top.3. For the top, place all ingredients in a a food processor and blend until well-combined then pour over the base ingredients and spread evenly.4. Freeze for 5 hours to set.5. Allow to thaw for 10 minutes and top with fresh seasonal berries before serving.
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WHAT DOES WELLNESS MEAN TO YOU?
What does wellness mean to you? Some think quitting sugar, others think yoga on the beach. So here’s a question: what does wellness mean to you?Wellness, the state of experiencing wellbeing. When people think wellness, they sometimes picture their ideal selves: a perfect zen balance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. However, that image is usually marred by the reality of modern life – we’re often too busy, too stressed to make wellness a priority. To make ourselves, our health, our connection with nature and our happiness, a priority. And that’s something we all deserve to change.This month, we’re launching our national Wellbeing campaign, to inspire us all to wellbeing and lives we truly love – like reconnecting with nature, nurturing your body through nutrition and fitness, and practicing daily mindfulness.At Jurlique, we believe beauty comes from within, and it shows when we’re living in harmony with ourselves and the world around us. So we’ll be looking at how the power of nature can help promote radiant skin, no matter what your skin type or concern. And, with the help of some of Australia’s top nutrition, fitness and mindfulness experts, we’ll also be exploring: The whole foods story – what it is and why it matters, as well as recipes for delicious, nutritious meals How to set and manage fitness goals and energy levels with fun workouts you’ll enjoy The self-love and self-care benefits of being mindful in each moment – and how it can help minimise stress Wellness happens by making incremental changes that add up over time. Some of these changes can be small, like eating more vegetables, or swapping coffee for green tea. Others, however, may involve challenging preconceived notions about how we should think, feel, act or simply be – like letting go of negative self-talk, feeling guilty, saying ‘yes’ more often than saying ‘no’ and being the perfect parent / friend / partner / employee / person.This is one of the most important things to remember. Because what links the wellness pillars of skin care, nutrition, fitness and mindfulness isn’t what you’d normally expect. The truth is, what connects them all is you and your experience. You’re the key to realising your happiness and health, and living a life that fills you with joy and contentment, every single day.It’s not about a magic bullet, or having a perfect record. It’s okay to stumble every now and again on the path to wellbeing. What’s important are those gentle gains, and being open to what you might be able to do, right now, in order to start feeling happier and healthier. Because if you can end each day having done one more thing to add value to your life, then every day will be better than the last.And that’s our challenge to you over the coming month.Enjoy September.Team Jurlique x“Our vision was to formulate and manufacture the purest skin care products available based on the healing properties of nature and to inspire people to health and wellbeing.” – Ulrike Klein, Jurlique Co-founderThis month’s skin care, nutrition, fitness and mindfulness articles delivered straight to your inbox – sign up to the Jurlique newsletter.
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HOW STRESS AFFECTS YOUR SKIN (AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!)
Nurturing happy, healthy skin begins with using the best products to cleanse, moisturise and rejuvenate – but it doesn’t stop there. The truth is, caring for your skin can be a battle, and stress can be a major factor.None of us are immune to stress. It can sneak up quietly. Other times it charges at us head-on. But how does stress affect your skin?In times of duress, our bodies produce a steroid hormone called cortisol which, aside from the sparking the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism, increases your skin’s natural oil production cycle. This can allow bacteria to breed, resulting in breakouts.When you’re under attack from stress, you need a strategy to help relieve it – the first step is to consult your healthcare practitioner.Next, here’s what else you can do. Listen to your body Stress triggers can be difficult to pin down, especially when you’re busy. If you’re feeling tired, having trouble sleeping, experiencing changes in appetite or finding it hard to focus, ensure you take time out to do the things that make you happy and promote relaxation. This might involve getting back to that book you never finished, catching up with friends or settling in for a well-timed Saturday nap. Maintain your skin care ritual Work stress often scrambles our priorities, so keeping up routines like your skin care ritual can help you feel more balanced. Proper cleansing is also a lovely way to slow down and spend some quality time pampering yourself after a long, hard day. Treat your daily cleansing ritual as an opportunity to indulge in some much deserved you-time, using a cleanser with natural ingredients that’s suited to your skin type and won’t cause irritation.Experience our Rosewater Balancing Mist for a mindful moment during the day. It also contains natural antioxidants ingredients which help keep your skin fresh, hydrated and revitalised. Relax, reflect, rejuvenate While an effective skin care ritual is key to keeping skin clear and healthy, addressing the causes of stress is even more important. Always consult your healthcare professional as a starting point.Identifying situations that make you feel anxious or overwhelmed, recognising but not engaging with present emotions, and gradually changing your response to them can help you better manage stress over time, in positive ways.Recognising the physical and emotional experience of stress when it arises, accepting its presence, and practicing deep, abdominal breathing also helps neutralise anxiety.Talking through issues with an attentive friend or trained professional can help liberate stress and make sense of the big picture. Otherwise, meditation and massage are also great ways to slow down and reconnect with what’s truly important – you and your wellbeing.Stress is a part of modern life, but it doesn’t need to rule yours. What are your tips and tricks for handling stress? We’d love to hear them.*The content displayed on this webpage is intended for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Please discuss mental health issues with your healthcare professional.
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DETOX YOUR SKIN, DETOX YOUR LIFE
Spring is the time of year that evokes thoughts of blooming and renewal, so it’s not surprising that it’s also a popular time for health kicks. Detoxing – which minimises the effects of harmful or undesirable influences on your wellbeing – is high on people’s to-do lists, particularly when it comes to diet, exercise and lifestyle.But detoxing is about more than just upping the juice cleanses and beach runs. There’s detoxing your skin, detoxing your home, detoxing your habits – detoxing your life – with a nurturing, holistic approach to wellness.Because it’s not about cutting out the good stuff. It’s about taking care of you, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and making sure you have everything you need to live a happy, healthy life.Read on to learn about detoxing your skin, life, and everything in between.Detoxing your skinYour skin detox starts with understanding external aggressors. Pollution is a big one, whether you live in an urban or rural area. Links have been found between exposure to these particulate matter and skin health.On the other end of the spectrum, you have obvious external aggravators like make-up, which is longwearing and has direct access to skin. While cleansing and exfoliating can help remove impurities, a regular skin care ritual provides the solution you need to deeply cleanse and purify.Introducing Purity SpecialistDesigned for detoxingJurlique’s Purity Specialist range is a two-step system specifically formulated remove pollution and product build-up for a gorgeous, glowing complexion. It offers a soothing treatment ritual, giving you time to relax, reconnect and enhance wellbeing as you nurture your skin.Purity Specialist Compress ConcentrateThis potent botanical concentrate blends purifying extracts to help open pores, release impurities and prepare skin for further treatement. Rich antioxidants also help protect skin from pollutants and premature ageing. The concentrate includes:Soap Bark, to cleanse and purifyChamomile, which protects and restores radianceIndian Cress, to protect and toneUse weekly or as needed after your normal cleanser, and before your toning mist.blog-6-supporting-img-623x313-v3Purity Specialist Treatment MaskThis creamy clay mask has natural ingredients to deeply cleanse and absorb impurities for radiant, healthy skin. These include:Kaolin to absorb impuritiesRosemary, which cleanses and protectsApricot Seed, which exfoliates and smoothPeppermint to invigorate and sootheApply after Purity Specialist Compress Concentrate, as it opens pores, making impurities easier to remove. Follow with the rest of your Jurlique skin care ritual.blog-6-supporting-img-623x313-v1Detoxing your lifeWhile waiting for your treatment mask, think about which areas of your life are most in need of detoxing:DietExerciseSleepFamilyRelationshipFriendsHouseFinanceWorkWhat ideas do you have about improving them, particularly for the ones you really care about?For example, if you’d like to detox at home, would a declutter help? Or is it more about crafting a relaxing, restful atmosphere to rejuvenate in? At work, does detoxing involve better time or stress management? Or is it working on more projects that bring you joy, while allowing you to stretch and grow?Asking these questions and being openly curious about discovering answers means you’re not just problem solving, you’re unlocking opportunities (and in ways that inspire you to action).The idea behind detoxing is really about finding your optimal balance, to ensure a happy life experience. If you’ve over-extended in particular areas, the knock-on effect is to no doubt feel under-exposed in others. Returning to your equilibrium – and in ways that satisfy you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – is your ultimate path to wellness.1 World Health Organisation (WHO) factsheet, No 313, HYPERLINK “http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/” Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health, updated March 2014.Shop the Story:Purity Specialist Compress Concentrate | $65Blog-Wellbeing-BlogBanner-purity-concentratePurity Specialist Treatment Mask | $85Blog-Wellbeing-BlogBanner-purity-maskWant more natural skin tips and tricks? Download the Jurlique Skin Care ChallengeDiscover more Jurlique skin care tips by subscribing to our newsletter.Share
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UNDERSTANDING: THINGS HAPPEN FOR YOU AND NOT TO YOU BY VASHTI WHITFIELD
As part of our Jurlique Mindfulness Challenge, executive life coach Vashti Whitfield has created an exclusive four-part series of guest blogs for us. In part four, she explores how actively practicing mindfulness can help you deal with whatever life throws at you.Over the last decade, I dove into – and then out of – the role of ‘wife of a superstar’. I learned very quickly the value of self-worth, which became an absolute necessity as a stay-at-home mum. With too much alone time with two small children in remote countries, I was forced to question and explore the whole concept of life, love and legacy.I also nursed my husband through a tumultuous 18-month cancer journey from “Yay, you’re going to make it!” to “No, you have three months to live”. I transitioned from being married to my best friend for 13 years into being a widow, the single parent of two gorgeous kids, and the sole provider and breadwinner. Oh, and did I mention that I’m also driven by my unwavering commitment to make a difference in people’s lives in any way possible?So believe me when I tell you that I totally get it. I know what it’s like to wake up in the night wondering how I’m going to manage the multiple balls I’m juggling. I understand the insane commitment it takes to be fully present for the people around me when my mind is racing; worrying about something in the future, or regretting something I could have done differently in the past.I had to explore different ways of looking at life to learn how to approach the scale of the life I was asking for – and cope with the mind-bending scenarios life decided to throw back at me. Because regardless of whether life is easy or difficult, it’s how you choose to interpret it that will either make you or break you.Creating the life you wantWhile no two brains are alike, we’re all hardwired to think our way forward, towards what we most desire. This is the part of our brain that, when it’s clear in its intention, is motivated and capable of making almost anything happen.But we are also hardwired – rather cleverly and somewhat annoyingly at times – to detect and protect ourselves against anything that might cause us pain, humiliation or rejection.In order for you to really dive into the potential of a situation and make things happen in your life, it is absolutely critical that you own, choose and understand what you want. This will immediately support you to clarify your level of commitment to your goal, and help expose any underlying fears that might have held you back up to this point.Actively practicing mindfulness is a powerful tool for reconnecting with your most intuitive and capable self (and it’s far more cost-effective than going on holiday). It’s also what the modern-day mind needs to tap into our innate wisdom, and our ability to create, adapt and grow from anything that life throws at us.Through this ongoing curious and non-judgemental enquiry of learning more about ourselves, we are able to live, love, and lead often remarkably inspiring lives.* With thanks to Byron Katie for the quote.Explore the Jurlique Mindfulness Challenge for tips, tools and a step-by-step plan for transitioning from mindful-mess to mindfulness. Download the Jurlique X Vashti Whitfield Mindfulness Challenge here
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TAKING CONTROL OF LIMITING THOUGHTS BY VASHTI WHITFIELD
As part of our Jurlique Mindfulness Challenge, executive life coach Vashti Whitfield has created an exclusive four-part series of guest blogs for us. In part three, she explores how our beliefs lead our minds to work for us – or against us.Have you ever found yourself feeling like you’re doing all the ‘right’ things – setting goals, taking action – but you’re just not getting any traction? It might not be your actions holding you back, but your beliefs.We are all born as perfect blank canvases: impressionable, absorbent, with the ability to become almost anything. And during our earliest years, while our brains and bodies are forming, growing and making sense of the world, we develop an acute awareness of what does and doesn’t feel good – and this has far-reaching effects.How our earliest experiences mould usThink of what happens when a toddler, having just mastered the word “please”, accidentally knocks a glass of juice all over the rug in her eagerness to grab what she’d been given permission to take. And her parents, who are exhausted at the end of yet another stressful work day, lose their temper and shout at her, complaining that she never listens, and couldn’t she just sit still.The little girl – who’d believed that using “please” correctly would be met with praise and adoration – is instead offered a confusing display of anger from her hugely frustrated and tired parents. The determination she set out with and was initially praised for now becomes something negative and unhelpful, as she becomes someone who “never listens and should do what they’re told”.If you’re that toddler, a few weeks of the same message being fed back to you – not to mention the confusion that comes when doing something impressive is met with anger and rejection – will form the beginnings of a very significant belief: that whatever you try to do without being invited will be met with a response that does not feel good.So, boom: you’re not even three years old, and you’ve already loaded a specific belief into the hard drive of your brain – one that will continue to influence everything you do or don’t do moving forward.Of course, this works both ways. If you get on stage at school and sing, and you’re praised and positively acknowledged, you’re 99% more likely to be confident singing in public again. Or if you try something and bomb spectacularly, but still receive encouragement from a loving support structure that challenges you to try again, it will help you build resilience – and form the healthy belief that as long as you try your best, nothing else really matters.Using mindfulness to take controlAssigning meaning to something is a very necessary tool. If we reach for a hot cup of tea and it burns our hand, our brain communicates to us through our pain receptors to tell us that this hurts. And we know for next time how to avoid danger and pain when it comes to hot cups of tea.The problem is that as we grow older and mature, we sometimes forget these past experiences – but we continue to act out the behaviours, habits and structures we put in place to avoid feeling the pain, embarrassment, abandonment, discomfort and hurt they caused. And as we travel through life, we might set goals to achieve something – but if deep down, we don’t believe we’re worthy of it, it becomes far less likely to happen.Unfortunately, we’re often caught living within the confines of a set of beliefs that neither serve us nor support us. But here’s the good news: once you realise that you’re operating from a self-limiting perspective – one that you know is far from how you would like to approach life – you can begin to map a new path.And when you’re courageous enough to acknowledge that what you believe may in fact be nothing more than a confused memory of your past, you can start moving towards what you’d most like to achieve – and learn to let that self-defeating belief and its accompanying behaviour be a thing of the distant past.Explore the Jurlique Mindfulness Challenge for tips, tools and a step-by-step plan for transitioning from mindful-mess to mindfulness. Download the Jurlique X Vashti Whitfield Mindfulness Challenge here
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