Australia's Leading Magazine for Sustainable Healthy Lifestyle
Established since 1989 Issue 97 Summer 2017
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Feng Shui & Numerology 2017 3D Ocean Farming Foods to Revive Your YIN Preventing and Reversing Alzheimer’s
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From the Issue 97 Summer 2017 Publisher and Editor Patricia Hamilton patricia@consciousliving.net.au T: 08 9446 5883 Mobile 04 1895 5396 Co Editor Jacqueline Walker jacquie@consciousliving.net.au T: 08 9446 5883 Mobile 0427 377803 Assistant Editor Colleen Clay editor@consciousliving.net.au Exhibition & Advertising Sales National Patricia Hamilton patricia@consciousliving.net.au Tel (08) 9446 5883 mobile 0418 955396 Subscriptions & Memberships Jacquie Walker subscribe2@consciousliving.net.au Contributing Writers: Linda Blackshaw, Renae Hardie Braovich, Michele Castle, Dr Sandra Cabot, Colleen Clay, Sue Dempster, Dr Peter Dingle, Patricia Hamilton, Dr Cushla Lovejoy, Janet Mawdesley, Elizabeth Mulvey, Steven North, Martin Oliver, Norita Che Omar, Dr Sherrill Sellman, Jacquie Walker, Neale Donald Walsch, Sandrah Wilson, Kylie Wolfig. Graphic Design Zoran Maksimovic Images: Fotolia, Pexels, Pixabay Publisher Conscious Living Co-Creations Pty Ltd ATF the PH Trust ABN 30 064 748 794 103 Paramatta Road, Doubleview WA 6018 Tel 61 8 9446 5883 subscribe2@consciousliving.net.au www.consciouslivingmagazine.com.au Disclaimer The publisher and editor do not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed by individual writers or advertisers. Editorial advice is nonspecific and readers are advised to seek professional advice for individual issues.
Hi Everyone
Editors
Wow ...the Year of the Fire Rooster has started with a BANG! – find out what 2017 has in store for you and your family. Feng Shui consultant Michele Castle shares how Feng Shui and the “Flying Stars will impact on our lives. Numerologist and mystic medium, Sarah Wilson, reveals what 2017 is bringing our way through manifestation. Living well is on everyone’s list as a priority. Have you ever had a cold sore? Dr Sandra Cabot sheds light on how diet and intake of essential vitamins can help those living with herpes. Kylie Wolfig provides her insight into practical advice to assist those living with a thyroid imbalance to take charge of their own health regime and give greater understanding of the of the Thyroid Pathway. Have you heard of Triclosan? Dr Dingle alerts us to the dangers of this chemical that is found in many cosmetics and body care products we use every day. NEW! Conscious Living is proud to bring this new event to you - Living Well in WA- June 3-5 on the June long weekend, which celebrates and showcases healthy lifestyle choices, and sustainable businesses services and products, and the wonderful talent of local authors, musicians, performers and artists. For those of you in business we all need to have mentors and support to get through the tough times and to share our successes. we invite you to join us at The Heart Conscious Business Hub, the first Thursday of each month. Our aim is to bring people together to meet share ideas and relax with each other and to provide opportunities to promote and grow your business. There is nothing like a good book! We hope you enjoy our Summer Must Reads reviewed by Jan Mawdesley – read about “cowspiracy” and how to create a bee friendly garden and more. Enjoy your summer – get connected and have fun. Blessings light and love
Patricia Hamilton & Jacquie Walker
Conscious Living Purpose To facilitate the expansion of consciousness and to co-create a world of harmony, love and wellbeing Copyright Conscious Living Magazine 2017 All rights ISSN 10336826 2 reserved CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
ISSUE 97
SUMMER 2017
CONTENTS
ISSUE 97 SUMMER 2017
FEATURED 18 Reversing Alzheimer’s – Find out what you can do to make a difference to sustain your memory
28 Triclosan – Cosmetics and beauty products can be harmful – Dr Peter Dingle explains why. 30 Are you Dehydrated? Liz Mulvey
34 3 D Farming – Is this the future? 2 From the Editors, Patricia Hamilton and Jacquie Walker 4
Meet the Editorial Team
CONSCIOUS EARTH 32 NEWS: Battery Powered Suburbs – New Solar Energy Technology 34 3D Farming – Is this the future of our food supply? 36 The Garden that Celebrates Life -Sue Dempster
CONSCIOUS CREATORS 6 The Calm Before the Storm – Neale Donald Walsch talks about the need to Overhaul Humanity
CONSCIOUS FOOD 8 Hitch Hikers Guide to the Thyroid Journey – taking charge your healing journey - Kylie Wolfig 11 Super Food Empowers Your Cells – Sea minerals create balance in your body
CONSCIOUS HEALTH 12 Living Well in WA – a brand new event showcasing the best WA offers 14 Natural Hormone Rejuvenation - Dr Sherrill Sellman leads the way – a must read. 18 Preventing and Reversing Alzheimer’s – Have you got a loved one who is at risk? 22 Herpes – the many faces it wears – Dr Sandra Cabot reveals how our diet can make a difference. 26 Do you know someone with Mental Health Issues? Norita Omar from Strive and Thrive shares her inspirational insights
CONSCIOUS GROWTH 39 Fire Blessing Ceremony with Brazilian Tribal Medicine Woman, Antonia Ruhl, 40 Do You Create your Own Health? Linda Blackshaw encourages you to take charge of your health. 43 Dream Job Leads to European Idyll - Renae Hardie Braovich
CONSCIOUS SPIRIT 44 A Guide to your Feng Shui for 2017 - How to benefit from “Flying Stars” - Michele Castle 46 Spirit Guides and Your Life Plan - Steven North 48 Give Joy Space in Your life – Dr Cushla Lovejoy 52 2017 the Year of Manifestation - Sandrah Wilson, Mystic Psychic Medium
CONSCIOUS ARTS 54 Summer 2017 Must Reads - reviews by Jan Mawdesley 59
Music reviews
Visit our NEW Online Magazine www.consciouslivingmagazine.com.au SUMMER 2017
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Behind the Scene Meet the people who help to create Conscious Living Magazine
Dear Reader, We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the people behind the scene who contribute to our magazine each issue. They bring you the inspirational stories and are dedicated to keeping you informed so you can make conscious choices in your life.
Dr Sandra Cabot
Dr Cabot is the Medical and Executive Director of the Australian National Health Advisory Service. She graduated with first class honours in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Adelaide in South Australia in 1975. Dr Cabot began her medical career in 1980 as a GP Obstetrician-Gynaecologist and practised in Sydney Australia. During the mid-1980’s she spent 6 months working as a volunteer doctor at the Leyman hospital, which was the largest missionary hospital in Northern India. Dr Cabot is the author of the award-winning Liver Cleansing Diet, the bestselling non-fiction book of the 90’s that still sells today! Dr Cabot has also written many other ground-breaking books.
Dr Sherrill Sellman ND.
Dr Sherrill Sellman is internationally known as an expert in women’s health and author of several self-care books including Hormone Heresy. She is a psychotherapist, health journalist and hormone wellness coach who teaches, lectures and consults worldwide. Her areas of expertise include: the dangers of electropollution, the myths and truths of menopause, hysterectomies, perimenopause, menstrual wisdom, practical holistic solutions for regaining hormonal balance, osteoporosis, breast cancer prevention, permanent weight loss, food as medicine, and stress management.
Martin Oliver
Martin Oliver, a writer and researcher based in Lismore (Northern NSW), researches and writes articles for Conscious Living and other publications, bringing us up-to-date on important health and environmental issues that impact us in our everyday lives. He is passionate about the environment and the health of the planet.
Jan Mawdesley – Book and Music Reviews
A journalist and newspaper editor for many years, Jan now enjoys writing for pleasure and has over the past ten years written many reviews for Conscious Living Magazine. She has also established what has become a well-respected website reviewing a wide genre of subjects from Australian History, general fiction, romance, young adult and children’s literature. Music has also become a popular review area featuring a wide ranging, eclectic mix of artists and their inspirational music.
Colleen Clay – Features Editor
Colleen has more than 30 years experience in print media publishing, covering newspaper and magazine journalism, sub editing and editing, book editing and ghostwriting. She assists writers to achieve their aim of producing a book, whether it be an instructive or self-help text, short stories, family memoir or a novel. She has been associated with Conscious Living magazine for more than 20 years, including as an editor for one year. Currently, Colleen sub edits most of the text in each edition of the magazine. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who contribute and help us produce this wonderful magazine. They are the backbone of our publication and we thank them for all their contributions. 4
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CONSCIOUS PEOPLE
The Storm Before The Calm Excerpt from NEALE DONALD WALSCH’s book of the same name.
W
e are experiencing The Overhaul of Humanity. This is not an exaggeration. This is reality. It is observable at every turn.
Yet here is something that is not so observable: Things are not as they seem. And I think, before the world and its people get too far along this road, we all need to be aware of that. We also need to be aware that there’s nothing to be afraid of in our future, if we all play our role in creating it. And that role – the role we are being invited to play by Life Itself – is going to be very easy to play. I have more that I want to share with you around all this. Let me give you a summary.
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• A major shift is occurring on our planet • There is nothing to be afraid of if we all play our role in this shift • Our role is easy to play, and it can actually be fun • It involves having fabulous conversations revolving around seven simple questions • The asking and answering of these questions can result in the creating of solutions to humanity’s biggest problems
A MANIFESTO CREATED BY ALL
It is time for us to place before humanity a New Cultural Story, sending us in brand new directions in politics, economics, culture, education, relationships, work, marriage, sexuality, parenting, and every area of human endeavour; a manifesto created by all of us, working as co-authors.
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There are some exciting opening thoughts about what that document could contain that I think you should hear. Oh, and I don’t want to talk with you just about “world conditions” or “the global situation” or “our planetary crisis.” As important as those topics are, I’m clear that the Overhaul of Humanity is overhauling each of us. One look at how much has changed in your life in the past three years will tell you that.
EASING STRUGGLE
So I’d like to have some exchanges with you as well about easing any struggle or negativity that may be present in your own personal life. Okay, there you have it. The whole agenda. Can we talk? The Overhaul of Humanity is not a small thing. The words I’ve used to describe this phenomenon are dramatic because the event is dramatic. It is going to involve (indeed, it is already involving) every aspect of our lives: our governance and politics, our economics and financial stability, our commerce and industry, our social conventions and constructions, our educational systems and approaches, our religions and beliefs, our customs and traditions – in fact, our entire Cultural Story. SUMMER 2017
‘The Overhaul of Humanity is overhauling each of us’ We can participate in the Overhaul of Humanity or we can merely witness it – but we cannot stop it. Nor would we want to. This can be the greatest thing that has happened to our species since our appearance on this planet. The years just ahead, and some of the trials and tribulations we’re going to see, can bring our planet to a new and wonderful place when the process is complete. And the process will be complete in a relatively short period of time. And you can help bring about that completion if you choose to.
Neale Donald Walsch is the best selling author of the Conversations With God series and the fourth in the series, Conversations with God 4: Awakening the Species, will be released this year. He is touring Australia in February - March For further information visit www.angelinastojic.events ISSUE 97
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CONSCIOUS FOOD
The Hitch Hiker’s
Guide to the Thyroid T By KYLIE WOLFIG
he Doctor tells us our thyroid is “fine”, but we know there is something wrong.
But we don’t know that the pathway leading to a healthier thyroid is tricky. If we are to hitch hike our way to that destination, what we need is reliable road map. With nothing to guide us, we soldier on, trying to convince ourselves that we are “fine”. We are fine, we tell ourselves, but it takes two hours and three coffees to feel semi alive in the morning. We are fine, but scared to wash our hair because it continues to fall out. We are fine, but our skin is so dry and our heels are so cracked that our pantyhose ladders before leaving the house, and dainty girly sandals are just not an option. So we are not really fine, are we?
‘The only way we can feel better with thyroid disease is to understand the basics and alter our lives accordingly’ 8
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UNDERSTANDING THE THYROID PATHWAY.
Our first hurdle is our lack of understanding of the Thyroid Pathway and how it works. The only way we can feel better with this disease is to understand the basics and alter our lives accordingly to make that pathway work. Our Doctors can’t do this for us. Only we can make the necessary changes. So let’s go through the simple Thyroid Pathway. Now this is not the fancy science version. Most of us don’t need all the extra details and frankly it just makes our heads hurt. We are going to start at the thyroid, which produces the hormone we know as thyroxin. For people with hypothyroidism or those who have had their thyroid removed, thyroxin may come in tablet form. Once the thyroxin (which has a long and difficult to pronounce name so has is commonly called T4) enters our body it needs to be activated. You see, what most of us don’t know is that T4 is inactive and must be converted to its active form to be useable to the body. The active form is called another long name, or simply T3. This conversion process, or lack of, is why there is often only a slight change in symptoms once standard thyroxine medication begins. To activate the T4, the body needs the following basics
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Vitamin C In our body, Vitamin C is a major antioxidant, helps produce collagen, is involved in the making of neurotransmitters in the brain, produces serotonin, and helps to convert T4 to T3. Food sources of Vitamin C include Papaya, Citrus, Kiwi Fruit, Capsicum (Bell Peppers), Pineapples, sea vegetables, sweet potato and cantaloupe. Vitamin B2 Also called Riboflavin, Vitamin B2 turns your urine yellow if you are taking other B Vitamins, and it contributes to the weird urine smell caused by eating asparagus. This micronutrient is found in Beet Greens, Mushrooms (particularly Crimini), Eggs, Asparagus, Almonds and Turkey. Selenium One of the most important micronutrients in the Thyroid Pathway, Selenium appears in two separate thyroid processes. It is found in Brazil nuts, Turkey, Scallops, Chicken, Lamb and Tuna. Before we all cry out in unison about the amount of mercury in Tuna, there actually are studies that suggest the type of selenium in Tuna counteracts the mercury content. Ever wondered why fish don’t die from mercury poisoning? Iodine Iodine is the ‘3’ and ‘4’ in the T3 and T4, so pretty important, right? However, this is not a reason to run out and start medicating with iodine. I did my final paper on iodine and the thyroid and found out that when iodine is the cause of thyroid disease, half of these cases are caused by too much iodine and the other half by too little. It is wise to note that iodine-induced thyroid disease is rare. In 90 per cent of cases, an out of control immune system is the cause of thyroid disease. So when it comes to iodine we need to be extremely cautious and perhaps look to food sources, which also carry other micronutrients to help us absorb the iodine appropriately. We are talking about foods like seafood, fish, pears and mushrooms and – of course – moderation is important. Tyrosine The amino acid Tyrosine is the T in the T3 and T4, so it is important. It is a non-essential amino acid, which means the body can make it as long as it has the right ingredients, predominantly phenylalanine, which is another amino acid. SUMMER 2017
To get Tyrosine from animal sources, the body needs zinc, Vitamins B1 and B2, and a healthy amount of stomach acid. Tyrosine is an essential ingredient in brain neurotransmitters and particularly in the making of adrenalin and dopamine. This may explain the thyroid’s connection to our adrenals and mental health issues.
‘In 90 per cent of cases, an out of control immune system is the cause of thyroid disease’ Vanadium The trace element Vanadium is little known but important. It is found in mushrooms, parsley, dill, gelatin and shellfish. It has only recently been discovered as being necessary to human life. However, like anything, too much of it will give almost the same symptoms as too little, so balance is the key. Apart from the role it plays in Thyroid Conversion, Vanadium is also involved in cholesterol, heart disease, blood pressure and blood sugar. Healthy liver function A whopping 70 per cent of our thyroid hormone is converted into its active form in the liver. A liver that is compromised cannot do this conversion to its optimal standard. Coffee enemas, herbs such as Silymarin and Globe Artichoke, foods from the sulphur family, such as onions garlic and legumes, and plenty of lemon water help clear the liver and make the pathway involved with the thyroid hormone work more efficiently. Healthy Gut function A smaller but arguably more important 20 per cent of thyroid hormone is converted in the gut. Without healthy gut function we experience weight gain, lowered thyroid hormone conversion, mental health problems and inflammation. The gut is also involved in combating bacteria, viruses, toxins and communicable diseases. We need probiotics. For many years, I have taken a quality probiotic ISSUE 97
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CONSCIOUS FOOD Reverse T3 is like a soldier and its job is to block T3 getting into the cells. Why does it do this? Because in our little soldiers’ wisdom, it thinks it is protecting us. This little soldier assesses how much stress we are under and if it deems we are suffering too much stress (and who isn’t?) it decides we will be safer lying in bed all day. Then we can’t possibly get eaten or hurt and we won’t use up much of our fat stores, so we won’t starve either. So by blocking the T3 there is no energy getting into our cells and we should dutifully tuck ourselves into bed and stay safe. This is obviously impractical, and so we go through our day feeling horrid instead.
Many thyroid sufferers have low progesterone and excess oestrogen. Following menopause, progesterone comes from the adrenal glands, making adrenal health a major player in thyroid health with my thyroid medication. It does not interfere with thyroxine, and hormones simply cannot function without great levels of good guys in our tummy. Prebiotics are the food source of probiotics, and some researchers would argue that they are more important than probiotics. Good food sources include Jerusalem Artichokes, Dandelion Leaves and Persimmons.
WHEN T4 BECOMES T3
The journey doesn’t end there though. If all of those nutrients and pathways are optimal, then we have a winner, and our T4 becomes T3. We now have T3 running around in our bodies. Only when it is in our cells can we begin to feel better. To get T3 into our cells our body needs more selenium and progesterone. Many thyroid sufferers have low progesterone and excess oestrogen. If we have been through menopause, the progesterone comes from the adrenal glands, which means adrenal health is another major player in thyroid health. Finally, there is another player that stops T3 getting into our cells. It is known as Reverse T3 (RT3). 10
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HOW TO CHANGE OUR THYROID STORY
Having all the nutrients and healthy organs for the thyroid to make thyroxin, convert it and then get it into the cells needs to be our priority. We don’t need to do everything at once. To begin, it is better to select a few things we can do, and slowly add new habits bit by bit. Steadily introducing all these changes into my lifestyle during the past few years has helped reduce my medication from a whopping 250mcg to 100mcg, and so far my weight loss is 20kg. Changing and improving all these areas of our health will contribute to a better functioning Thyroid Pathway and change our Thyroid Story for the better. Kylie Wolfig is the founder of Thyroid School and the author of four thyroid books, including Thyroid Habits – Simple Changes to Improve Thyroid Health. Further information Thyroidschool.com SUMMER 2017
Super Food Empowers Your Cells The human body needs vitamins, minerals and trace minerals, micronutrients essential for life and for promoting vibrant wellbeing. According to the World Health Organisation, deficiencies of these micronutrients are a major global health problem. More than two billion people in the world today are estimated to be deficient in key vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc. Deficiencies occur when people do not have access to micronutrient-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, animal products and fortified foods. Called micronutrients because they are needed only in minuscule amounts, these substances are the ‘magic wands’ that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for proper growth and development. As tiny as the amounts are, the consequences of their absence are severe. Every cell in our body works like a small city. If each part of the cell doesn’t have the fuel or tools
needed to work properly, the cell will either fail or be unable to function as optimally as it should. Nutrient deficiency in food crops Demineralisation of our soils through industrial agricultural practices, has caused nutrient deficiency in our food crops, making it harder for us to obtain this vital fuel from our foods: and our bodies are designed to get nutrition from food. With the union of Aloe vera and sea vegetables Body Balance® has created the ultimate ‘super food’, blending the best of land and sea in a form easily recognised within the body and absorbed in nature’s perfect balance! Aloe vera is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and healing abilities. Containing more than 75 nutrients vital for optimal health, it is beneficial for every cell in your body. And now, in a breakthrough formula, the healing powers of Aloe vera have been combined with a perfect, synergistic mate: pristine vegetation from the sea. Sea vegetables contain more dense nutrition than any other
vegetable on the planet! They have every mineral, trace mineral and ultratrace mineral that should be in our soil and plants, but are no longer present. They are also a rich source of vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D3 and E) and include valuable fibre, vital amino acids and enzymes. Sea vegetables contain powerful antioxidants and key phytonutrients such as fucoidan – a multi-talented healer with the ability to lower high blood pressure, reduce unhealthy cholesterol, balance metabolism, and even stabilise blood sugar levels. There is no better way to ensure vibrant health than to provide the cells with what they need to thrive! Body Balance® Provides Vital ‘Fuel’ for Every Cell in Your Body. Read more: aus.lifeforce.net To find out more about Body Balance and to receive the Conscious Living Magazine special call Life Force Asia Pacific on +612 9854 9100. Read more at aus.lifeforce.net/allproducts/body-balance-liquid/
“SEA VEGETABLES CONTAIN… FUCOIDAN – A MULTI-TALENTED HEALER WITH THE ABILITY TO LOWER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, REDUCE UNHEALTHY CHOLESTEROL, BALANCE METABOLISM, AND STABILISE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS” SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS HEALTH
Perth’s
Health & Wellness Revolution
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nnovative health and wellness enterprises are transforming lifestyles and culture in Perth - enhancing its global reputation for being one of the top ten livable cities in the world. Over the past 10 years, against the background of a dynamic global economy and expansion of the state’s minerals and energy sectors, the city of Perth has experienced an economic, social and cultural transformation. The Australian Bureau of Statistics expects that, by 2020, Perth will surpass Brisbane to become Australia’s third most populous city. Much of this growth is the result of people from both overseas and other parts of Australia migrating to Perth, contributing to a vibrant and growing trend towards health and wellness
THE NEW GROWTH TREND
The Living Well in WA Health and Wellness Festival is being launched at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 3 to 5 June. This inaugural event is an initiative of Conscious Living Co-Creations and will take place in conjunction with the Celebrate WA Day long weekend. The WA Day holiday is the focal point for encouraging statewide participation in activities and events that highlight the Western Australian spirit and achievements.
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Living Well in WA is a long overdue innovation which provides a one-stop destination for families, children, young adults, seniors and people of all ages and cultures to discover the best of what’s available here in WA for sustainable health and wellness. There will be ‘ah ha’ moments for many, when they meet inspirational local businesses and practitioners they will not find in their local shopping centres. They will discover quality products and services that are not mass produced or profit driven, yet have the potential to reshape their future in a positive sustainable direction. They will connect with who is doing what in their communities and learn how they can participate.
HEALTH FOR THE MIND
Three million Australians are dealing with anxiety or depression and every day seven take their own lives. Strive and Thrive is one of the community initiatives being showcased at Living Well in WA which aims to change these statistics through open forums as well as founder Norita Omar’s inspiring website, where she blogs daily. Norita has overcome depression and anxiety following a traumatic brain injury in 2006. After a friend’s suicide in October 2015, Norita turned her grief into action and launched Strive and Thrive. Since then, she has earned two awards for her work. Living Well in WA provides a safe environment where people who are experiencing challenges can discover ways to creatively overcome any difficulties or problems in their lives, in obligation free encounters with SUMMER 2017
businesses and groups and be exposed to knowledge that will help them meet the challenges of a rapidly changing technological world.
POSITIVE PARENTING
Western Australia is a wonderful place to grow a family but, for some, social and family fragmentation could be ruining the experience. In this situation, support beyond the family can encourage positive parenting. At Living Well in WA, parents will find helpful new approaches to dealing with family issues. Exploring reasons for autism and ADHD and discussing their treatments will be extremely helpful for parents dealing with these two disruptive conditions. Bullying online and in schools is a problem in many families. Strategies that work can be discussed with educators specialising in parenting.
AGEING WELL
A recent study by the ABS revealed that 30% of West Australians are resigned to working at least until they’re 70. Last year’s Committee for Perth projected that from 2015 to 2050, Perth’s population of people aged more than 65 is expected to be 22%, almost doubling the current 13%., Currently, 42% of Perth’s seniors are entering retirement with a mortgage and this is expected to increase. Homelessness is on the rise, particularly among low-income aging women. An aging population demands innovation in terms of affordable and sustainable housing, including small dwellings with floor plans and interiors sympathetic to their need for safety in their final years. From home builders to those caring for the ageing and supplying equipment to make their lives more comfortable, affordable options will be showcased. Diabetes, dementia, arthritis are illnesses our aging population commonly deals with. Groups focusing on these illnesses will be of assistance to them and to the family members and carers looking after them.
CONNECTING TO THE LAND
A major focus of Living Well in WA is our natural environment, recognised worldwide for its extraordinary diversity, especially our unique native flora and fauna. There is a growing awareness that what we have here is worthy of our care and respect. Just as important as understanding the importance of the land is our care of our waterways. Chemicals that impact negatively on our wellbeing and environment can be eliminated through switching to earth friendly products. At Living Well in WA products and services developed for healthy, sustainable homes and gardens will be on show.
ORGANIC AND LOCAL
A big part of Living Well in WA is food. Healthy food chefs will demonstrate their skills and the public will have an opportunity to sample locally grown organic produce and cuisine. Whether vegan, vegetarian or allergy sensitive visitors will enjoy delicious and nutritious fare!
EMPOWERING REAL HEALTH
Being proactive in taking charge of our own health and wellbeing has an impact on the quality of our lives. Educational talks and workshops bring together leading WA authors, health and nutrition experts and accomplished health practitioners. The public will have the opportunity to meet these leading authors and experts, who will address the key challenges individuals and families, are facing in a rapidly changing economic and social environment. Health issues to be covered include: anxiety, depression and stress-related diseases, obesity, diabetes, addictions, and more.
BECOMING ‘ALL THAT WE CAN BE’
New therapies, supplements, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, relaxation, stress reduction are areas of major interest in WA today. There is vibrant and growing trend towards living lives of fulfilment and purpose, and becoming ‘all that we can be’. A wide range of natural therapy treatments can be sampled at Living Well in WA. There will also be opportunities to experience mindfulness sound meditations, relaxation and yoga For further information, visit www.livingwellinwa.com.au SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS HEALTH
Natural Approach To
Hormone Rejuvenation Ancient wisdom for modern women By Doctor SHERRILL SELLMAN ND
A
t best of times, understanding the ebb and flow of women’s hormones through the various stages of their life can seem like a daunting task. To make matters even more challenging, the Allopathic medicine perspective tends to medicalise and pathologise women’s hormonal issues. All too often, the first approach is to prescribe hormones either as some form of the contraceptive pill, bio-identical hormones or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women are rarely warned that all forms of hormone replacement come with serious health risks. So what else can a woman do? I should know, because in my forties I began a journey back from hormone havoc. My life was turned upside down by night sweats, hot flushes, anxiety attacks, insomnia, ageing skin, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and weight gain. My body felt totally out of control. Instead of following my doctor’s advice and going down the hormone replacement path, I chose to explore the options offered by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The ancient wisdom of the East offers profound knowledge of the energetic changes that occur in a woman’s body throughout her life cycle. For thousands of years, TCM has been able to balance hormones naturally through diet, herbal remedies and life style. But what makes this approach truly profound is its ability to activate the innate regenerative forces 14
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found within the female body. While this knowledge is rarely understood by Western medical, it is empowering information for all women.
RESTORING REGENERATIVE ESSENCES
It’s time for this ancient knowledge to be available, to provide safe and effective choices for regaining hormonal balance. Viewed from the TCM perspective, what is the missing knowledge for rebalancing their hormones? And what are the innate regenerative powers that reside within menopausal women?
‘For thousands of years, TCM has been able to balance hormones naturally through diet, herbal remedies and life style’ According to TCM, there are essences in the human body from which all hormones are made. As we age, those essences become more and more depleted. At a certain point, women begin to notice symptoms of these diminishing essences, such a hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, fatigue, weight gain, insomnia or memory loss. In Oriental medicine, the first step SUMMER 2017
to restoring hormonal balance would be to replenish these essences. This concept is not well understood in the West. The law of ageing, as enunciated in classic Oriental medicine, explains the dynamics of this process. It says: “The Yang consumes the Yin”. In other words, heat-producing energy of the body increases and dries up the cooling, moist essences in the body.
AGEING EQUALS YIN DEFICIENCY
So how do you counteract ageing? According to the TCM law of ageing, you must actively, effectively and directly replenish these essences. A simple analogy can explain this principle of ageing. Consider the car: the engine needs to be turned on to ignite its power. But the engine must
‘Yin can be thought of as the female sex hormones… since it cools the body down, helps the body rest and stay calm. Yang energy (testosterone) helps produce… heat and motivation’
Revive Your Yin Signs of Yin deficiency include: • • • • • • •
dry skin and hair night sweats, hot flushes excessive thirst and dry mouth or throat muscle aches weakness, especially in the knees or lower back poor memory drying out of mucus membranes i.e. Dry eyes, vaginal dryness • anxiety, irritability, mood swings and being easily startled • restlessness, poor sleep, waking frequently through the night
Foods that can build Yin are: • • • • • • • • • • •
Fruit smoothies with honey and banana Oatmeal with slippery elm powder and goji berries Bone Marrow broth Fish dishes with coconut milk and stir-fried okra Omelets with cheese and vegetables Japanese seaweed salad Asparagus and egg salads with sesame seeds kidney beans, black beans or azuki beans Fermented foods Lamb, duck, pork, eggs Liver, especially pork liver stir-fried with sesame oil and mushrooms • Miso soup with tofu and seaweed
have adequate circulating water to cool the engine and keep it from overheating. If the engine’s heat dries up the water (or there is insufficient water to begin with), the engine will overheat and seize up. Proper car maintenance requires keeping water levels in the radiator properly topped up! When it comes to hormonal balance, the same principle applies. The vital essences in the body are known as Yang and Yin. They determine how hormones are made, maintained and restored. The proper production and balance between these two essences is necessary for hormonal wellbeing and healthy ageing. SUMMER 2017
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Just like the car analogy, it is important that the Yang, or heat energy (experienced as inflammation), does not become excessive. If it does, it will dry up the Yin essences, the cooling and moisturising energy of the body. A Yin deficiency, or drying up of vital essences, causes the most commonly experienced perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, dry hair and skin, and emotional agitation. Yin can be thought of as the female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) since it cools the body down, nourishes the body by supplying nutrients to the organs through blood, and helps the body rest and stay calm. On the other hand, Yang energy (testosterone) helps produce strength and heat, motivation, stamina, and physical energy.
AGEING – EXCESSIVE YANG, DEFICIENT YIN
After the age of 40, many women begin to show signs of Yin deficiency. Perimenopause is a stage of a woman’s life when the Yin essence is waning. From an Oriental gynecological perspective, these hormonal changes are actually deficiencies in the Yin essences. A symptom of waning Yin essence results in overheating. Women begin to feel physically hot and emotionally fragile. A 16
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Yin deficiency affects the heart and the liver, resulting in insomnia. Dysregulation of body temperature, vaginal dryness, dry skin and hair, anxiety and irritability are all symptoms of this overheating. These classic menopausal signs are actually rooted in a deep Yin deficiency. When a woman is able to nourish these deeper essences, she will experience a reduction in the intensity and frequency of hot flushes and night sweats. Over time, the other symptoms will also improve. However, the more depleted the Yin is, the more time it will take to regenerate these essences. The sooner a woman learns how to nourish her essences, the better she will feel and the more rejuvenated she will become. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has had a gynecological specialty. This healing knowledge excels in helping perimenopausal and menopausal women to rejuvenate. Its treatments were successfully used long before the emergence of the contraceptive pill, HRT or bioidentical hormones. Within each woman, there is a powerful, regenerative power. The more a woman relies on some form of hormone replacement, the lazier her own endocrine system becomes. SUMMER 2017
It is a little known fact that the ovaries continue to function the entire length of a woman’s life. When women are prescribed any form of hormone therapy, not only does this impair important physiological functions, it also impairs the feedback systems of the entire endocrine system. The ability to naturally rejuvenate and replenish the body’s own essences becomes diminished. From the perspective of TCM, nine out of ten women, do not need to use into any form of hormone replacement therapy. Hormonal imbalances and symptoms are not a medical problem. Rather, they are symptoms that the body is deeply deficient of these vital essences.
‘All women are born with the ability to safely and effectively rejuvenate their hormonal essences, including during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond’
herbal formulas, available as tinctures or capsules. Taken over time, these formulas provide powerful healing for hormone rebalancing. In addition to herbal tinctures, additional strategies are necessary to maintain and regenerate the Yin essence, such as to meditation, proper hydration, time in nature, and gentle exercise. Yin depleting foods include sugar, alcohol, processed foods, spicy foods, and excessive caffeine. Stress is a major cause of Yin deficiency. All women are born with the ability to safely and effectively rejuvenate their hormonal essences, including during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. I resolved all my hormonal issues when I began to apply this approach in my forties. I had no menopausal symptoms when I finally journeyed through menopause. Now into my sixth decade, these herbal formulas in conjunction with diet and lifestyle choices continue to regenerate my body. I have never needed any form of hormone replacement. Nature holds the secret for rejuvenation. The wisdom from this ancient healing tradition is a powerful key to natural hormone rejuvenation for women of all ages. Dr Sherrill, ND is a naturopathic doctor, best-selling author of Hormone Heresy, radio host, lecturer, psychotherapist and women’s health advocate.
In TCM, there is the knowledge to restore Yin essences. One of the most effective Yin rejuvenating strategies involves the use of herbal formulas. Welldocumented formulas are actually able to stimulate the production of hormones. The Yin essence can be directly increased and regenerated through specific
SUMMER 2017
To learn more you can subscribe to her newsletter at whatowomenmustknow.com Visit her at facebook.com/whatwomenmustknow or drsellman@whatwomenmustknow.com ISSUE 97
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Alzheimer’s Disease
Can It Be Reversed? A MARTIN OLIVER looks into the cause, the tests, the drugs, and emerging natural preventative measures.
major malady of the modern era, Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia with a range of distressing effects on sufferers, their carers and their families.
Usually regarded as incurable, nuggets of information are coming to light about breakthroughs on how to prevent it, slow its development and even reverse it in its earlier stages. The characteristic symptoms include memory loss, cognitive decline, disorientation, and negative personality changes. Chronic inflammation of the brain is considered to be the cause of Alzheimer’s.
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BETA-AMYLOID PLAQUES
It is also speculated that it is a form of autoimmune disease, where the body is attacked by its own immune system. One physical sign is in the form of beta-amyloid plaques, which are clumps of protein that accumulate in the brain up to 15 to 20 years before symptoms first appear. Another is brain shrinkage through loss of tissue in critical areas. Both can be detected on MRI scans. Prevalence of Alzheimer’s is on the rise. In Australia, together with dementia, it represents the second leading cause of death after heart disease, affecting about 350,000 Australians. Globally, about a hundred million cases are expected by 2050. Inevitably, the cost to individuals, society, the health system, and the taxpayer is steep; within two decades Alzheimer’s alone is expected to represent one per cent of Australia’s national GDP as the ageing population increases.
SUMMER 2017
Typically, it is managed using pharmaceuticals, especially cholinesterase inhibitors with possible unpleasant side-effects such as Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine. But so far, drugs have notably failed in yielding a breakthrough in treating and reversing the condition.
PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE
Avoiding or delaying a major debilitating condition such as Alzheimer’s is far more preferable to trying to tackle it once it has developed. One reason is because information about reversing Alzheimer’s is not provided through medical channels, and many of those affected will not have access to it. Older people may be too conservative or cautious to try a simple therapeutic regime, and if it has progressed too far, may not be capable of initiating one. However, even a one-year delay in onset would increase the quality of life for millions of people and save billions of dollars. It’s good to start with diet. Important nutrients include B-vitamins, Vitamin K, choline, and antioxidants. Greens are rich in folate (vitamin B9), and spinach also has both B6 and the brain-boosting antioxidant lutein. Broccoli is a source of Vitamin K, which enhances cognitive abilities, and choline, which improves memory. A now popular antioxidant is green tea. Berries and cherries are rich in anthocyanins. The natural health-oriented neurologist, Doctor David Perlmutter, author of the book Grain Brain, regards sugar, and gluten and gliadin from grains, as key causes of Alzheimer’s. Too much sugar in the diet and high blood sugar levels are to be avoided as they have the effect of shrinking the brain. Perlmutter prioritises getting a good amount of vitamin D, and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Fats are another important area. During the second half of the 20th century they came to be generally seen as unhealthy, but now there is growing recognition that fats are good for the brain, and conversely a very low fat diet can be a disaster for brain health. Fats to avoid are trans and hydrogenated fats from processed foods, which have an inflammatory effect on the brain. Olive oil contains a substance called oleocanthal that helps to break down beta-amyloid plaques. Walnuts are a source of Omega-3 oils, and are the only nut source of alpha-lipoic acid, a good brain antioxidant. Aim to include DHA-rich oils, either from oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, or from a fish oil supplement. SUMMER 2017
To help prevent Alzheimer’s, recommended supplements include folic acid, B12, CoQ10, magnesium, fish oil, and resveratrol, which has the important property of restoring the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.
METHYLATION PROCESS
The British educational charity, Food for the Brain, is looking at problems linked to the amino acid homocysteine in the body. High levels of this substance are considered a risk factor for Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Methylation is an important body process for good health, and excess homocysteine generally indicates that methylation is not occurring as efficiently as it could. While 5-15 micromoles per litre (µmol/L) are often considered a normal range in the blood, Food for the Brain sets a danger level above 9.5 micromoles per litre (µmol/L), beyond which brain shrinkage is accelerated. In Australia, a homocysteine test can be arranged via a GP.
‘Within two decades, Alzheimer’s alone is expected to represent one per cent of Australia’s national GDP’ Higher homocysteine concentrations are typically correlated to depleted B-vitamin levels, exacerbated by factors such as processed foods, alcohol, coffee and pharmaceuticals. Following blood testing, those above 50 years of age and who exceed the risk threshold are encouraged to take a short online cognitive test, followed by a regime of high-dose B-vitamin therapy. Daily supplementation is typically set at 20mg of B6, 500mcg of B12, and 800mcg of folic acid, all in tablet form.
VITAMIN B12 AND OMEGA-3
This regime can reduce homocysteine quickly, and there is some research to back up its effectiveness. A 2012 study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry identified a 30 to 73 per cent reduction in brain shrinkage, with the highest benefit among participants who started with good Omega-3 levels. While a B-vitamin boost is a good preventative, it can also go further and arrest the disease’s development. ISSUE 97
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CONSCIOUS HEALTH Many Australians are low in vitamin B12, manifesting in symptoms that can mirror those of Alzheimer’s disease. This makes correct diagnosis important. When raising B12 levels, injections and sublingual sprays are considered to be more effective than tablets. Other preventative suggestions include: • Link up with friends, and maintain social connections. • Engage in brain stimulation via games, puzzles, changing one’s habits, and learning something new that creates neural pathways. • Take regular exercise, which reduces the risk by up to 50 per cent. • Ensure that you get enough sleep. • Make time for relaxation and relief of stress. • Don’t overdo hygiene, and the use of antibacterial products, as this inhibits the body from being colonised with friendly microbes, and depresses the immune system.
REVERSING THE CONDITION
More controversial than prevention is the notion of reversing Alzheimer’s, as this more directly contradicts mainstream medical wisdom. Alzheimer’s Australia and other similar charities typically have partnership and funding arrangements with the pharmaceutical sector, and unsurprisingly downplay natural alternatives. Part of this comes down in many cases to a lack of scientific evidence. With natural substances being unpatentable, there is little economic incentive to fund clinical trials. If embarking on an attempt to tackle existing Alzheimer’s, it is wise to start early, as mild symptoms are far easier to address than those that are more pronounced.
‘High levels of homocysteine are considered a risk factor for Alzheimer’s and heart disease… a homocysteine test can be arranged via a GP’ Coconut oil was first championed by physician Dr Mary Newport, who claimed that it reversed her husband Steve’s Alzheimer’s. However, it is controversial, and there are differing views about its effectiveness. The key ingredient is medium-chain triglycerides that increase the
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body’s production of an important brain fuel known as ketones. Coconut oil is the most concentrated source of these triglycerides. Cheap to try, a suggestion is to increase dosage up to around two tablespoons per day. It is easy to add to other foods such as breakfast cereals, and should ideally be organic. One concern that has been raised is its high (87 per cent) saturated fat content, but this is certainly not a health issue for South Pacific islanders who obtain a substantial portion of their calories from this oil. Similar is a ketogenic diet, good for Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes, which supplies the body with ketones. It is rich in fat, contains an average amount of protein, and has few carbohydrates. Turmeric has been found to benefit dementia, and has a stronger body of scientific evidence to support it. Alzheimer’s is rare in India, and an important factor is likely to be the sizeable turmeric intake. An active ingredient in Turmeric is curcumin, which removes amyloid plaques and is available in supplement form. Another component, arturmerone, encourages growth of natural stem cells. Because turmeric has a low bioavailability, it is good to combine it with other foods that boost its uptake. One way to do this is to make ‘golden paste’ by mixing it with an oil such as coconut oil, and ground black pepper, which increases its bioavailability by up to 20-fold. A suggested dose for golden paste is half a teaspoon, three times a day. Cocoa has also been suggested due to its antioxidant flavonoids that create improvements in cognitive skills. It is good as a preventative, and may also be used as a treatment. To maximise flavonoid content, natural and minimally processed cacao is probably the best source.
GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION
A trial in Iran with a probiotic containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium involved 52 people with severe Alzheimer’s taking it for 12 weeks. The outcome was an improvement in cognitive test outcomes for the subjects, while results for those on a placebo declined. The beneficial effect seen in Iran’s trial underscores the growing recognition of the gut-brain connection. Cannabis, in the form of medical marijuana, is looking promising too. A 2016 study from Aging and Mechanisms of Disease found that the THC in marijuana has the effect of removing plaques and reducing inflammation. Researchers were drawn to look into cannabis because of the presence of marijuana-like brain chemicals known as endocannabinoids. Medical marijuana has been legalised in Australia, but state regulatory frameworks are still being worked out. SUMMER 2017
and manganese. Mainstream science is increasingly in agreement. In addition to curbing further exposures, existing aggregations of these metals can be chelated out of the body using substances such as EDTA, or natural chelators such as chlorella and coriander leaf, which and are sometimes recommended to be taken together.
‘An active ingredient in Turmeric is curcumin, which removes amyloid plaques and is available in supplement form’
NEUROTOXIC METALS IDENTIFIED
Medical journalist Dr Morton Walker considers that an accumulation of six different neurotoxic metals in the brain is a cause of Alzheimer’s. The six metals identified are: aluminium, mercury, lead, cadmium, iron
Dale Bredesen from UCLA in California has pioneered the MEND Protocol, a complex multi-faceted Alzheimer’s strategy involving diet, supplements, brain training, lifestyle changes, and exercise. A small clinical trial reported in the peer-reviewed journal Aging in 2014 found that nine of ten subjects experienced a benefit, and suggested that good outcomes would have been more likely if symptoms had been less advanced. It has been speculated that spending a longer period on this protocol could result in a sustained improvement. When tackling this topic, it is important to retain an open mind, unlike Google, which took the remarkable step of shutting down its promotion of a 2016 Alzheimer’s prevention summit, arguing that the condition cannot be prevented. In reaching this conclusion, they chose to side with authorities that have chosen to be dismissive of prevention strategies. This highlights the importance of being able to access information about promising solutions, regardless of who approves.
RESOURCES Dr David Perlmutter, www.drperlmutter.com Food for the Brain, www.foodforthebrain.org MEND Protocol, www.museslabs.com/individuals Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher based in Lismore, NSW.
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Herpes – the many faces it wears
O
By Doctor SANDRA CABOT
ver the years I have seen the herpes virus cause many so called “mysterious health complaints” in patients, the cause of which eluded some top medical specialists. We all know the common presentations of the herpes virus – namely chickenpox, shingles and recurrent cold sores on the face, and blisters on genital areas. However, the herpes virus, being a perpetual inhabitant of the nervous system, can pop up in areas of the body and in ways you may never suspect. This virus lives in the roots (ganglions) of the nerves and may hibernate there without causing problems. If it reactivates and multiplies, it travels down the nerves to the ends of the nerves and may erupt in the skin. The herpes virus may also multiply in the brain and cranial nerves causing severe brain inflammation (encephalitis) and paralysis. Here are some case histories of unusual presentations of herpes that were initially not recognised and thus were not treated appropriately.
CASE ONE
A 59-year-old woman presents with paralysis of her left vocal cord causing a hoarse voice and sore throat. She has some shortness of breath and the left hemidiaphragm at the bottom of her left lung is raised, and does not move normally. The clue to her condition is that the vagus nerve supplies the muscles of the vocal cords and the diaphragm, the herpes virus is living in her vagus nerve and it has damaged this nerve. She had recently suffered with cold sores on her lips and had positive antibodies against the herpes 22 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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virus in her blood. After appropriate supplements to strengthen her immune system, the paralysed vocal cord and diaphragm recovers and she is symptom free after four months.
CASE TWO
A 49-year-old woman presents with a three-year history of a constant 24/7 headache in the right frontaltemporal area of her head and deep behind her eyes. This headache is severe, constant and requires daily analgesics, which have caused a fatty liver. She is overweight and extremely tired. A neurologist has told her the headache is a migraine, which does not make sense, as migraines are episodic headaches and come and go. Her headaches do not respond to drugs that suppress migraines and the neurologist has not been able to help her. She continues to suffer and sees a gynaecologist, who tells her that she has headaches because of menopause! But because headaches are not a symptom of menopause the hormone therapy does not ease her pain. SUMMER 2017
The clue to her case is that during the previous three years she had an episode of shingles affecting the right forehead and right eye, which was treated with antiviral medications. Other causes of her headache are excluded, including high blood pressure, sinus infection and brain tumours. Extensive investigations reveal no cause for her headaches. I deduce that she has the herpes virus active in her brain, trigeminal nerve and possibly her optic nerves, which is causing the inflammation and thus the pain. I prescribe a detoxification for her liver as well as nutritional supplements to fight the herpes virus and reduce brain inflammation. Her headaches gradually lessen and she starts to have headache free days.
CASE THREE
After suffering an episode of feverish illness associated with sweats, aches and pains, and fatigue, a 55-year-old woman starts to experience recurrent blisters on her left buttock. These blisters hang around and develop into an itchy red rash and ulcers, which then become secondarily infected with opportunistic skin bacteria. She consults a skin specialist who neglects to take a swab from the blistery rash to see if it grows the herpes virus. The specialist treats it with steroid creams and antibiotics and the patient gets worse. She continues to suffer with chronic fatigue, sore muscles and recurrent blisters on her buttock, which are extremely itchy. I take a swab and grow the herpes virus from the blistery rash. I deduce that she previously had an infective illness, which may have been Lyme’s disease, as she lived on the border of a national park where she had been exposed to ticks. This illness weakened her immune system, allowing the herpes virus to reactivate in the nerves supplying the buttocks. I also found that she had the genetic pattern for gluten intolerance and bowel symptoms suggestive of a leaky gut. Gluten intolerant people are usually low in minerals that are essential to fight viral infections, such as herpes. I put her on a gluten free diet and prescribed supplements to repair her leaky gut and strengthen her immune system. Six months later she was cured with no remaining symptoms. Her diagnosis was called dermatitis herpetiformis. From the sound of the name, many would think that a form of herpes virus caused the rash. But the experts believed it had nothing to do with herpes. I remain unconvinced. Dermatitis herpetiformis occurs in people with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten intolerance. SUMMER 2017
EXPLAINING THE HERPES VIRUS
Herpes viruses are large DNA viruses. There are eight different types of Human Herpes-Viruses (HHVs): herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), HSV-2, varicella zoster virus (VZV or HHV-3), Epstein– Barr virus (EBV or HHV-4, also known as glandular fever), cytomegalovirus (CMV or HHV-5), HHV-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8. All herpes viruses have the ability to become latent or dormant (much like a bear hibernates in the winter). The herpes viruses exist in a dormant form in ganglia (lumpy nerve root origins) of the nervous system and in lymphatic tissue, such as the lymph glands. Most of the HHVs are attracted to nervous tissue (they are neurotropic) and infrequently cause serious acute and chronic neurological disease of the Peripheral Nervous System (nerves in the extremities) and Central Nervous System (brain, spinal cord and cranial nerves).
‘Case histories record unusual presentations of herpes that were initially not recognised and were not treated appropriately’ Infection with each herpes virus produces different signs and symptoms, and imaging abnormalities seen on CT or MRI Scans of the nervous system. Serious complications of infection with the herpes viruses include meningitis, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord), inflammation of many spinal and peripheral nerves (radiculo-neuritis), and different inflammatory diseases of the eye. Recognition of the different clinical presentations and imaging characteristics of disease produced by different herpes viruses is important, because infection by many of the herpes-viruses can be treated successfully with antiviral drugs in the very early stages, before the virus causes severe damage to nervous tissue. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are essential to a favourable outcome using anti-viral drugs.
BLOOD TESTS FOR HERPES
If it is suspected that the herpes virus is the cause of neurological symptoms or disease, the detection of herpesvirus-specific DNA in bodily fluids or tissues, herpes-virusspecific IgM in blood, or herpes-virus-specific IgM or IgG antibody in cerebrospinal fluid can be shown. ISSUE 97
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CONSCIOUS HEALTH Vitamin D rich foods - eggs, fish and spinach.
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HERPES
If the patient has a low immune system associated with other chronic infections, leaky gut, fatty liver or mineral and vitamin deficiencies, they will find it hard to stop recurrent or severe attacks of herpes infections. To prevent new or recurrent herpes infections, it is vital to have a strong immune system and if you don’t, then herpes can cause awful damage to your central or peripheral nervous system. The most important nutrients for your immune system to fight the herpes virus, and indeed all viruses include: • Vitamin C and I recommend at least 1000mg daily as a supplement, as well as consuming fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C. Cooking and micro waving food destroys vitamin C. • Vitamin D 3, which reduces inflammation in nervous tissue and supports immune strength • Zinc, which helps white cells to fight viruses • Iodine, which is important for immune competence and brain health. • Selenium, which is unique in its ability to keep viruses in a dormant and thus inactive state. British researcher Doctor Margaret Rayman has shown in numerous studies that viruses can become much more dangerous (virulent) in people who are selenium deficient. 24 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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‘There eight different types of human herpes: all have the ability to become latent or dormant’ This includes herpes, hepatitis viruses, the HIV virus that causes AIDS, and influenza and viral encephalitis. I have been practising and researching nutritional medicine for more than 40 years and if anyone asked me “what is the most important nutrient to fight a viral infection”, I would say without doubt – whether it is a chronic or acute viral infection – it is selenium. I call selenium “the viral birth control pill”. Selenium acts on the genetic material of viruses (its RNA or DNA) and has three highly valuable effects: 1. Inhibits the ability of the virus to multiply (replicate) 2. Reduces the ability of the virus to mutate into a more aggressive (virulent) form 3. Increases the chances that the virus will stay inactive or less active and not harm you A normally harmless (or low-pathogenic virus) can become much more destructive (virulent) in a person who is selenium deficient. Selenium-deficient mice infected SUMMER 2017
with a mild strain of influenza virus developed much more severe and protracted inflammation of their lungs, compared to selenium-plentiful mice infected with the same virus. A lack of selenium causes a decrease in the production of selenium dependent proteins that keep viruses under control. This is serious and can result in worse outcomes for people infected with many types of nasty viruses including herpes, viral hepatitis, Ebola, polio, HIV, influenza and the human papilloma virus (which causes cervical and oral cancer). REFERENCES Selenium and Viral Diseases: Facts and Hypotheses, By Ethan Will Taylor, Ph.D. http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1997/ articles/1997-v12n04-p227.shtml
Schrauzer GN, Selenium in the maintenance and therapy of HIVinfected patients. 237 Selenium and Viral Diseases: Facts and Hypotheses, Chem-Biol Interact, 1994; 91: 199-205. Kiremidjian-Schumacher L, Roy M, Wishe HI, et al: Regulation of cellular immune response by selenium. Biol Trace Elem Res, 1992; 33: 23-35. Turner RJ, Finch JM: Selenium and the immune response. Proc Nutr Soc, 1991; 50: 275-285. Taylor EW: Selenium and cellular immunity: evidence that selenoproteins may be encoded in the + 1 reading frame overlapping the human CD4, CD8 and HLA-DR genes. Biol Trace Element Res, 1995; 49: 85-95. Allavena C, Dousset B, May T, et al: Relationship of trace element, immunological markers, and HIV infection progression. Biol Trace Element Res, 1995; 47: 133-138. Constans J, et al: Serum selenium predicts outcome in HIV infection. J AIDS Human Retrovirol, 1995; 10: 392.
Dr Cabot is the Medical and Executive Director of the Australian Women’s Health Advisory Service and the author of several ground-breaking books, including Hormones – Don’t Let Them Ruin Your Life; The Body Shaping Diet; The Liver Cleansing Diet.
Taylor EW, et al, A basis for new approaches to the chemotherapy of AIDS: novel genes in HIV-1 potentially encode selenoproteins expressed by ribosomal frameshifting and termination suppression. J Med Chem, 1994; 37: 2637-2654. Beck MA, Shi Q, Morris VC, Levander OA: Rapid genomic evolution of a non-virulent Coxsackievirus B3 in selenium-deficient mice results in selection of identical virulent isolates. Nature Med, 1995; 1: 433-436.
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SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS HEALTH
Help For The Mentally Ill Cultivating a Supportive and Mindful Community By NORITA OMAR
H
ow many people do you wave to each day, and offer a friendly hello?
How many people do you see regularly at work, in traffic, in the grocery store, or at the movies? How many friends do you chat with through the week? Roughly one-fifth of these people are dealing with a mental illness. And it’s likely that at some point in your own life, you’ve had to deal with some form of mental illness. This high number indicates a growing need to cultivate supportive and mindful approaches to helping those who are mentally ill. Mental illness can take many forms, vary greatly in severity, and come and go for varying lengths of time. Mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder and depression are common and often hidden. People who deal with mental illness are unlikely to share what they are feeling with others, even friends and family members. This is why an ‘outsider’ will not recognise when a person is challenged or suffering, The lack of communication about mental illness is one of the biggest reasons it’s so difficult to deal with.
THE QUIET SHAME
Mental illnesses are diseases in the same way heart disease or diabetes are diseases. But the quiet shame the mentally ill tend to feel prevents them from seeking help or asking for support. 26 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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This is where an increased awareness in our community would greatly benefit the mentally ill. A higher level of awareness would enable us to reach out compassionately and offer help, even if that help is just the offer of an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. Because anxiety and depression are the two most prominent mental illnesses, a brief look at each of them gives an idea of what some of our friends and neighbours might be dealing with.
ANXIETY DISORDER
Anxiety disorder is like having an over-active voice in your head that’s stuck on a recording of worries and fears. These worries and fears aren’t rational but can’t be talked away by logic. Some people constantly envision a worst-case scenario for every situation they are in; some have trouble believing they are being genuinely accepted for who they are; and others constantly believe the worst about themselves, even when there is evidence to the contrary. Anxiety disorder can prevent a person from trying new things, can hinder them when working on projects for work or in their personal life, and can even make it difficult for them to leave their homes, or be in public. They may begin having trouble breathing, or feel a sense of needing to leave immediately. Those afflicted in this way will find it difficult to communicate effectively or function adequately in a work or social environment. SUMMER 2017
PANIC ATTACK
Panic attacks can be a symptom of anxiety, and are a physical manifestation of this disorder. It can feel as extreme as a heart attack, with a pounding pulse, dry mouth, a feeling of being unable to catch your breath, light headedness or dizziness. In some cases, it can cause a person to pass out.
DEPRESSION
Depression is less like sadness, and more like emptiness. Those who suffer with depression can have a lack of energy and motivation, even for activities that interest them. These people can have trouble finding the willpower to get out of bed in the morning for work, or can leave household tasks undone because they don’t have the energy to do them. Those with depression, in most cases, want to do all the normal things in life, such as make it to work on time, finish the dishes or laundry, or go out to see a movie, but there is a disconnect that prevents them from being able to take action. It’s not a conscious choice, and it isn’t laziness, though it can appear to be so from the outside. Instead, it’s an internal inability to take action. In more extreme cases, a person can gain or lose an extreme amount of weight, lose touch with friends and family, be unable to hold employment, and possibly become homeless. Anyone living with a mental illness such as anxiety or depression will benefit from non-judgemental acceptance and support from those around them. For some, professional treatment may be appropriate. A short period of mental illness, such as following the death of a loved one or a break-up with a partner is normal, although unpleasant. It’s when these feelings last for an extended time, such as weeks or months, or are intense enough to interfere with daily life that professional advice may be needed. Support, compassion, and understanding can go a long way in easing the minds of those who are suffering. Since these conditions are not something that a person can just ‘get over’ or ‘deal with’, offer to listen to what’s on his or her mind without offering criticism. Keep in mind that each person suffers differently and a strong friend or family member can be a blessing. In some cases, there is a trigger in the past that has caused the negative spiral. For others, small but constant injuries to a person’s mental health may have led to the situation they are now in. Talking these issues through with a counsellor may uncover what is at the core of the illness and help to overcome it. A counsellor may detect an imbalance of the chemicals and hormones produced in the brain that regulate the mental state. In this situation, medical treatment is an option. SUMMER 2017
For those of you who have a loved one or friend who is battling with anxiety attacks, panic attacks or depression, here are some of the best ways you can support them.
INTO ACTION
• Opening up conversation without criticism or judgement is the best way to offer loving and unconditional support. • Actively engaging in sports or physical activity can help rebalance both the mental and chemical aspect of mental illnesses, so getting outside and staying active is key. • Sometimes all a person needs is a little push to get started. A commitment of only five minutes to an activity may be enough to build positive momentum and create a more constructive outlook. • Starting each day with mindfulness meditation can be of enormous benefit to clear the mind of the clutter that often causes the development of mental illness. There are many ways to meditate, so help them choose one they are comfortable with and encourage them to stick with it. • Journaling when emotions are overwhelming can help get these destructive thought patterns out. Once they’re expressed, a person may be better able to move beyond them. Reviewing journal entries can also help identify patterns and triggers, so changes can be made for the future. • Having regular casual coffee dates or check-ins can help a person to get out of their own head, as can engaging in activities and social events. Plus, meeting with a trusted friend will help their mind relax and let go of negative patterns that have kept them trapped. Becoming aware that silent or hidden mental illnesses are all around us can help us to be more compassionate towards each other’s suffering. You never know the battles someone else may be facing. And that someone could be somebody you know. RESOURCE www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mentalillness/facts-and-stats Founder and Speaker of Strive and Thrive and co-owner of Ecstatique Events, Norita Omar ‘strives’ through numerous traumas including a brain injury and an earthquake trauma, and now ‘thrives’ as a business owner and inspirational speaker. Catch up with the Strive and Thrive community at www.striveandthrive.com.au ISSUE 97
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CONSCIOUS HEALTH
Triclosan effects denied
Amid phase-out in personal care products By Dr. PETER DINGLE, BEd, BSc, PhD
T
riclosan (TCS) is another one of those chemicals found in personal care that is finally on its way out, even though we have known of its toxic effects for decades. After many decades of scientific scrutiny many companies are now removing TCS. Colgate removed it from its Softsoap liquid hand soaps and Palmolive antibacterial dish liquid in 2011. The big companies continue to deny TCS is a problem, and claim they are phasing it out because of public concerns, citing changing consumer preferences and superior formulations. Triclosan is a biocide used as an antibacterial and antifungal agent in a number of consumer products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, disinfectants, soaps, hair products, skin creams (0.1%), feminine hygiene products, and cosmetics. Personal care products and cosmetics are the major source of exposure and studies on human subjects using TCS-containing cosmetics showed variable but significant amounts of TCS. Research suggests that beyond its use in clinical applications (in hospitals) and toothpaste to prevent gingivitis (Gunsolley, 2006) there is questionable evidence that TCS provides any extra benefit in other consumer products. 28 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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SHOULD WE TRUST LABELS?
Unfortunately, what is on the label is not always what is in the products and it has been detected in conventional dish liquid products at low concentrations, although it was not listed on the product labels. So should we trust labels? Because of such widespread use in cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products TCS is also one of the more frequently detected and highly concentrated contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial environments, particularly in drinking water, and is among the top seven organic wastewater contaminants in the United States. (Kolpin et al 2002). Looking at the chemical structure of TCS implies that it may have chemical properties related to many toxic compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), bisphenol A (BPA) and dioxins (Allmyr Sci Total Environ. 2008). Given the prevalence of TCS in the environment, it is not surprising that measurable levels have been detected in just about every person, even if you don’t use products with it on the label. It is commonly found in found in body fluids such as amniotic fluid, blood, breast milk and urine and was also found in human tissues such as adipose tissue, brain, liver and nails (Geens et al.2012). The high TCS concentrations in the tissues relative to the environmental concentrations suggests that TCS bio-accumulates and is distributed all through SUMMER 2017
human tissues. Other chemicals such as Propylene glycol, which is commonly found in the same product, has been shown to increase skin absorption of TCS (Fang et al. 2014). Interestingly, in one study TCS concentrations were a factor of 2 higher in Australian serum than in the Swedish plasma samples (Allmyr et al. (2008), probably because of the discouragement to use TCS-containing products by the Swedish government and the lack of concern from the Australian authorities. Moreover, TCS has been detected in amniotic fluid, indicating that TCS can enter the fetal environment through placental transfer (Philippat et al 2013). Fetal life is considered a particularly vulnerable period for exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals because hormonal disturbances during organ development may introduce irreversible changes (MacLeod et al 2010). Studies on pregnant rats have also reported the greatest bioaccumulation of TCS was observed in the placenta and that the hormone disruption might subsequently affect fetal development and growth (Feng et al. 2016).
BIRTH DEFECT STUDIES
INFANTS VULNERABLE
During the past decade, there has been a remarkable and unexplained increase in the prevalence of asthma. Some have hypothesised that widespread use of antimicrobial ingredients such as TCS may be a contributing factor. This concept is based on the hygiene hypothesis, which proposes that lack of pathogen exposure during development can alter the usual development of the immune system by eliminating or changing the commensal microbiota, which are an important support for health. There is also increasing evidence of TCS-induced allergic reactions in humans. Dermatitis following prolonged use of TCS-containing hand washes (Wong and Beck 2001) or when further exposed to sunlight after use (Schena et al. 2008) have been recorded. Similarly, blisters were known to have erupted in the mouth and on the lips of human subjects following prolonged use of TCScontaining toothpaste (Robertshaw and Leppard 2007).
Breast-feeding infants represent a major route of exposure to TCS. In highly industrialised countries, elevated concentration in breast milk is common (Dayan 2007). This is of major concern, because the immature metabolising pathways of infants makes them particularly vulnerable to the negative impact of TCS. Not to mention they may be relying on just one source of food. Moreover, levels of TCS in breast milk may be increased by underarm cosmetic use, which presents a direct dermal route of exposure to underlying epithelial tissue (Darbre, Best Pract. Res. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2006). In addition, a study of Swedish women who are users of personal care products containing TCS had higher concentrations in milk and serum than women who use similar personal care products that presumably contain no TCS (Allmyr et al. (2006), showing that personal care products containing TCS were the dominant, but not the only, source of exposure to TCS. Similar to all the research on the other environmental estrogens, the latest science has shown that even small doses of certain chemicals can significantly affect hormone functions, if they are delivered at the wrong moment. The endocrinedisrupting properties of TCS including its effects on estrogen, testosterone activity and disturbance of thyroid hormone action at concentrations [are] typically found in the studies on humans and the environment. SUMMER 2017
In humans, recent studies have shown an increasing number of potential birth defects. In a study of 520 male newborns, prenatal TCS exposure was inversely associated with prenatal growth parameters at week 33 and was statistically associated with reduced head circumference at birth (Philippat et al 2014). In another study, Prenatal TCS exposure was associated with reduced head and abdominal circumference at birth, (Harmer Lassen,et al 2014 Environ Health Perspect) Increasing evidence suggests that TCS plays a role in cancer development, perhaps through its estrogenicity or ability to inhibit fatty acid synthesis (Dinwiddle et al 2014). This includes breast cancer and liver tumours. The results of these studies suggest that TCS affects cancer cell proliferation, particularly in the presence of estradiol. In male rats, TCS exposure led to decreases in serum testosterone (T), sperm production and male accessory gland weight (Kumar et al Reprod Toxicol. 2009), and reduced ability to reproduce.
INCREASE IN ASTHMA
TCS is found in some lipstick brands
For further information, contact Dr Peter Dingle, BEd, BSc, PhD, Director of Dingle Wellness. Visit: www.drdingle.com.au email: Peter@drdingle.com
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 29
CONSCIOUS HEALTH
Is Your Body Thirsty? The Solution to Dehydration By ELIZABETH MULVEY
A
ccording to the Mayo Clinic the average adult loses more than 10 cups of water every day, simply by breathing, perspiring and elimination. Many people assume that dehydration is something that happens if they go without water for several days. The truth is chronic dehydration is widespread and most Australians are dehydrated without even knowing it. We do not store water in our bodies so it must be replaced daily. Chronic dehydration can occur when we do not replace small amounts regularly. If you look at your water intake and loss like a balance sheet and count how much good quality water you drink compared with the amount of beverages you consume which actually cause a net loss, like coffee, alcohol or soft drinks, then you have a realistic estimation of how hydrated you are. When water is lacking, the body displays symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, afternoon fatigue, constipation, digestive disorders, high blood pressure, cholesterol, respiratory issues, weight gain, skin issues, liver, kidney and bladder problems, joint problems and premature ageing to name a few. By the time these problems arise dehydration has already got to a stage where water is being prioritized by the body for essential functions and is now being rationed. Rationing means cells are not getting the optimal amount of water they need to function optimally.
WHY IONIZED WATER?
Ionized water has been exposed to an electrical current which separates the water molecules. By undergoing a filtration and electrolysis process tap water is transformed into water that is smaller in molecular size making it easier to penetrate and hydrate the cells. High acid levels in the body due to diet, stress and lifestyle choices force the body to strip essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium from the body in order to maintain healthy pH levels. Â When the body is unable to maintain healthy pH levels symptoms of acidosis and chronic diseases can manifest. 30 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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WHAT ABOUT BOTTLED WATER, ENERGY DRINKS, REVERSE OSMOSIS?
None of the above have an -ORP and so cannot offer the same health benefits of Electrically Reduced Water. Water ionizing machines are now being used in hundreds of thousands of homes to transform tap water into pure, healthy ionized drinking water. The most important feature of these machines is their ability to create water which has an -ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential). Alkaline ionized water has a high ORP which acts as an anti-oxidant inside the body. This enables water to reduce free radicals and protect against oxidative stress to the cells. It is this ability which is unique in electrolyzed reduced water. The -ORP is very delicate so it will evaporate with 24 hours as the electrical charge in the water dissipates and the water again becomes positively charged. By understanding how a simple choice to change our water can affect 70% of how our body functions we begin to see the bigger picture for our health and the health of our families. When we prioritize the needs of the body then we give the body the resources it needs to function at an optimal level. Elizabeth Mulvey is a Clinical Aromatherapist and Nutritional Consultant. For more information and a free trial of ionized water please contact: diamondhealth@threewide.net.au Mobile 0409 9377 63 SUMMER 2017
CONSCIOUS ECO LIVING
Battery
Powered
Suburbs
Australia opts for ‘cleaner’ electricity By MARTIN OLIVER
I
n 2016, the world signed up to the Paris Agreement, which represents a global commitment to quickly end the fossil fuel era. Western Australia is contributing to that goal in its own way. In the field of electricity generation, the most promising alternative to dirty power is decentralised power generation from solar photovoltaic coupled with domestic batteries. Australia has emerged as one of the world’s leading battery adopters. The rationale for household batteries is that while solar power generation peaks in the middle of the day, most usage occurs in the evening after people arrive home from work. One or more batteries can store solar generation for later use. Western Australia’s two pilot housing projects enable all residences to use solar photovoltaic and battery storage, paving the way for wider adoption nationally.
ALKIMOS BEACH TRIAL
Set about 40 kilometres north of the state’s capital city of Perth, Alkimos Beach is a new development that is also a laboratory for Australia’s first trial of a community-scale battery. This lithium-ion unit, which is housed in a couple of shipping containers, has a capacity of 1.1 megawatt-hours worth of storage. Solar power generated by more than a hundred houses is fed into 32 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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it. An additional component is a computerised energy management system. Rather than substitute grid power altogether, the goal is to curb demand, with an expected 50 per cent reduction in electricity. Another benefit in this development is attention to saving water, lowering the cost of that commodity. Residents are offered a range of energy efficiency incentives, and are provided with Energy Smart Home tips.
‘Feedback is being used to develop strategies relating to a combination of solar with a community-scale battery’ In recognition of its green aspirations, Alkimos Beach has been given Australia’s first six-star Green Star building sustainab Part-funded by the government agency ARENA that Tony Abbott attempted to abolish, working in conjunction with the electricity company Synergy, a four-year trial that began in April 2016 is underway. Feedback is being used to develop strategies relating to a combination of solar with a community-scale battery. In particular, organisers are looking at: SUMMER 2017
• An electricity retail model that can work with rooftop solar, developers, electricity retailers and network operators. • The level of reduction in peak electricity demand. • Behavioural issues, such as how households respond to renewables as opposed to those on the grid. At another housing project near the port city of Fremantle, solar power is being combined with domestic-sized household batteries. The Gen Y Demonstration Housing Project is an eighty-home housing precinct at White Gum Valley. Geared towards younger buyers, each residence has nine kilowatts of panels, and ten kilowatt-hours of battery capacity. There is only one other development of this type, in Italy.
‘A downside: lithium-ion batteries require environmentally damaging rare earth elements’
RADIOACTIVE THORIUM
One downside to projects such as Alkimos Beach is the use of lithium-ion batteries, which require environmentally damaging rare earth elements. The biggest problem here is the radioactive thorium produced during their refinement that has a half-life of 14 billion years. World capital of rare earth production is the Chinese city of Baotou, which has created a vast tailings pond full of toxic and radioactive dark sludge. Fortunately other rare earth-free technologies are readily available, such as lead-acid gel, zinc bromide and salt water. Small-scale solar, with battery backup, is expected to overtake coal to become Australia’s leading source of electricity generation by 2030. Meanwhile, batteries are expected to halve in cost over the next two years, bringing them within reach of many more households. RESOURCE Power Ledger www.powerledger.io Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher based in Lismore (Northern NSW)
This multi-stakeholder collaboration is being managed by Curtin University, with ARENA contributing 50 per cent of the $3 million solar panel and battery cost. Grid power usage to the development is expected to be slashed by 70 to 80 per cent, and households will be fully self-sufficient in electricity. Zero power bills are an obvious attraction when considering buying or renting in the precinct. Again, an important part of the trial involves monitoring energy use and technology performance.
SOLAR TRADING TECHNOLOGY
To a greater degree than at Alkimos Beach, this project is about decentralising electricity generation. Under an innovative model being pioneered by the Australian company Power Ledger, since December 2016 residents have been engaging in peer-to-peer solar trading using secure blockchain technology. Prices are set somewhere between feed-in tariff and retail rates. Power Ledger has also been trialing its technology in Auckland and Western Australia’s small, south west coastal city of Busselton. Traditionally, there has been a lack of incentives for strata investors to install solar panels on residences that are being rented out, but this type of trading system offers a way for both parties to benefit. SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS ECO LIVING
3D Ocean Farming Emergence of the Blue-Green Economy By MARTIN OLIVER
A
n American fisherman who sees himself as a ‘climate farmer’ has pioneered a new paradigm in aquaculture that offers great promise in feeding large populations with minimal environmental impact. Bren Smith grew up in a small fishing village and began working on fishing boats at the age of fourteen. He witnessed first hand the unsustainable and industrialised
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nature of the industry, as it pursued dwindling stocks of fish. Among other practices, dead bycatch was thrown back into the ocean. Despite loving the tough and challenging life at sea, he became disillusioned and moved on to other types of work. Aquaculture is regarded by some as the solution to overfishing, but at a Canadian aquaculture farm he encountered the use of pharmaceuticals and antibiotics, and pollution of waterways. Later he set up a small oyster farm in Long Island Sound, close to New York City. This was nearly wiped out by Hurricane Irene in 2011, and a year later by Hurricane Sandy. Collectively, these disappointments and failures were formative experiences that forced a change in his thinking. ISSUE 97
REGENERATIVE AQUACULTURE
Looking around for a sustainable solution, he came across the pioneering work of Doctor Charles Yarish at the University of Connecticut. This strongly influenced the development of an ecologically regenerative aquaculture that he describes as the ‘blue-green economy.’ It involved the creation of a vertical aquatic farm, invisible beneath the ocean surface, where various aquaculture products are cultivated at different depths. Mussel cages and kelp are suspended from hangers attached to buoys, while fish traps and oyster and clam cages are anchored to the ocean floor. There is even a small sea salt production operation. This set-up provides an unusually high yield per unit area, when compared to regular aquaculture. With a surface area of twenty acres (eight hectares), it produces an annual twenty tonnes of kelp, plus half a million clams and oysters. With such a large production concentrated in a small area, and the concept being scalable, Smith sees his model as an ideal way to feed a growing population faced with the problems of finite agricultural land and depleting fish stocks. Other advantages are important, but not immediately obvious. The 3D set-up is highly biodiverse, and also provides habitat for a wide range of marine and bird species. It is more resilient against ocean waters SUMMER 2017
warming up due to climate change. It also mitigates storm damage by acting as a surge protector, and this effect is multiplied if it is replicated along the coast. Best of all, no inputs are required.
REMARKABLE BENEFITS
Oysters have an ability to soak up unwanted nitrogen, with each oyster filtering between thirty to fifty gallons (about 110-190 litres) of water every day. In the ocean, excess nitrogen from human activity can lead to algae blooms, which in a worst case can result in the ocean developing what are known as ‘dead zones.’ Kelp also has some remarkable environmental benefits. The world’s second-fastest-growing plant, it absorbs about five times as much carbon as land-based plants, helping to reverse ocean acidification and serving as an important carbon sink. Kelp is one of the world’s few carbon-negative foods, and it also mops up excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Smith sees one of his job roles as a ‘climate farmer.’ Seaweed is highly nutritious, and Smith has a vision of it being an important and sustainable
source of human protein needs. He is hoping to create a cuisine based on seaweed, where none previously existed, and for this goal, he is partnering with a few chefs on the New England coast. He hopes that seaweed will assume superfood status and become the new kale.
‘American climate farmer Bren Smith grows a range of aquaculture products cultivated at different depths in a vertical aquatic farm’ PROVISION OF KEY NUTRIENTS Non-food products that can be derived from ocean-grown seaweed include biofuel, with a yield five times greater than that of corn. Others include pharmaceuticals, animal feed,
and cosmetics. Turned into liquid organic fertiliser, kelp provides phosphorus and nitrogen, key nutrients required by food plants. However, for such industries to be sustainable there would have to be a way to ensure that farmed kelp is used, and not its wild equivalent. Alongside his business, the Thimble Island Oyster Company, Smith also operates a non-profit organisation known as GreenWave. Having open-sourced his model, he is promoting the idea of it being replicated, and offers resources for incubating growth of the 3D ocean farming sector. His innovative model even extends to the idea of community-supported fisheries, where investors to buy a share of the farm, and then receive a regular yield. As recognition for his efforts in regenerative aquaculture, in 2015 Smith’s project was chosen ahead of four hundred entries to win the Fuller Challenge, named after the futurist Buckminister Fuller. RESOURCES Thimble Island Oyster Company; www.thimbleislandoceanfarm.com GreenWave; www.greenwave.org
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 35
CONSCIOUS ECO LIVING
The Garden That
Celebrates Life By SUE DEMPSTER
A
bird visiting a tree, plants flowering, mushrooms growing and insects buzzing is a celebration of life.
The garden where weeds thrive, ants invade homes, leaves fall into pools, insects swarm and plants die is not regarded as a success, or a celebration of life. I have to ask why? Can only ‘successful’ gardens be celebrated? What do we now define as a ‘successful’ garden that celebrates life? As I visit more clients and discuss the advantages of native Western Australian plants, some say their gardening comes with a feeling of duty, and an attachment to the chores involved. Their homes, their personal image and neighbours’ judgements come into play. How do they rank? Are they black, brown or green thumbs? Some are overwhelmed because their gardens
‘Ease up on the self-judgement, and old, unhelpful ideas of how a suburban garden should look’
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are big and unruly: little wildernesses in the ‘burbs’, so to speak. My own experience is that striving to attain order in my garden is a barrier to my joy and celebration. The angst that comes with achieving ‘order’ is not a feeling of relaxation. This is why I have changed my gardening style. I now have garden pockets, pretty places to poke around in, and I am achieving small ‘wins’. A bonus is that I am developing more patience, acknowledging that the different areas I have set up are progressing in their own way, in their own time. So how can a gardener who wants ‘a successful garden’ ease up on the self-judgement, and old, unhelpful ideas of how a suburban garden ‘should’ look? How can he or she celebrate the ‘annoyances’ of gardening, bring joy into the garden and not connect it to a burden of chores.
CONNECT TO YOUR LOCAL BUSHLAND
Life in the garden is more than a plant, a weed, a garden bed or plot of land. Life in the garden is about awareness: a sense of place and your identity within your garden, as well as how you and your garden connect with your local sense of place. Your sense of place starts with your local bushland. I recommend visiting it regularly. Your local bushland celebrates life each day. A joyous cacophony of bird song is the soundtrack to the non-stop activities of native bees and other insects; native flowers greet the day and welcome any rain that falls. All work together to support each other through the seasons. They work as one. Together they celebrate: reptiles and ground birds emerge from their burrows in the ground, from hollow spaces in fallen logs, from their abodes in the trees. Flower blossoms open, singularly or in groups. Baby lizards, snakes and birds crack through their eggshells. Mushrooms and toadstools push up through their soil cover. Frogs, insects and all manner of creepy crawlies SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS ECO LIVING
Four Steps to Success Every gardener can make space for Mother Nature. There are just four steps to follow. Step 1 Visit your local bushlands. Make note of what see. What interests you? What draws your eye? Be aware of textures, colours, shapes, sounds, and height. Touch foliage and take a leaf with permission, then scrunch it up, smell it, explore what the scent offers you. Focus on the aromatic nature of your setting and think about how those scents might enhance your garden. Step 2 Learn more about what you have experienced. Connect to local knowledge in bush walk ‘n’ talks. You may be able to join a group for a day or night walk to learn how your garden could provide support for your local environment. Find out if there are local websites that discuss flora and fauna native to your area.
join the throng. This is life, always reproducing itself, always being celebrated, whether we see it or not, even up to the top of the swaying boughs of the tallest trees. As you walk through the bush you will come across flowers, insects, textures, colours, forms, and fauna paths. Some areas will look orderly while others will look chaotic. They are all part of the natural cycle. Chaos and order never
‘Learn how your garden could provide support for your local environment. Find out if there are local websites that discuss flora and fauna native to your area’
Step 3 Visit and explore a local dedicated native plant nursery and then revisit every two months, armed with your new information. Many knowledgeable women and men run local native plant nurseries. These dedicated people have a passion for their work and are ‘gold’. Ask them for advice and follow it: they have years of experience and the information they pass on will be reliable. Step 4 When you get home plant the plants straight away. Don’t delay the planting. Many people – including me – have delayed planting newly bought plants and they have died. Even if it is a hot day, I suggest planting them and giving them a good watering. The plants will thank you. Follow these four steps and you will start achieving little wins in the gardens with new fauna visitors, shows of colour and comfort of the local knowledge within your community. This is life worth celebrating.
Sue Dempster is a Western Australian garden advisor and land-healing practitioner.
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stops. It is a part of life and death. You may notice weeds, trees, bare earth, rocks, logs laying on open sand and areas covered so thick you can’t see the ground. Each area is rich and celebrating life in its own way. It is neither attractive or unattractive, good nor bad: it just is. Old ideas of order are only outmoded thoughts and judgements we bring. Breathe in the joy of this celebration; breathe and let go of those old worn out thoughts; relax with Mother Nature in her garden.
Further information www.boxedgreen.com.au www.facebook.com/BoxedGreenLimited/ suedempster@boxedgreen.com.au
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CONSCIOUS GROWTH
Brazilian
Fire
Blessing Burn away the effects of karma
I
n Melbourne, Australia, big crowds gather when Brazilian born Antonia Ruhl performs a spectacular Shamanic Fire Blessing Ceremony.
During her youth, Antonia was initiated as a Tribal Medicine Woman and a Fire Magus by the Medicine Man of Brazil’s Kayapo tribe. Designed to burn away fears, self-imposed limitations and darkness, as well as the effects of karma, Antonia was taught the ceremony while studying Kayapo herbal medicine and energy healing. In addition to performing in Australia, she has performed the ceremony overseas, including in Hollywood for celebrities. Her next ceremony will be held in Victoria on the 10th of February. And in March this year, Antonia will be in Perth, Western Australia to perform her Shamanic Fire Blessing on the 11th of March. Adults must accompany any children attending. “At the Fire Blessing Ceremony, your electromagnetic field will be cleansed and your karma burned away, opening up energy blockages in your etheric body,” Antonia said. “With the annihilation of old karma comes a new beginning.
SPIRITUAL AWAKENING
“Aside from having amazing benefits for your physical health and your life, it will assist in your spiritual awakening. “All who attend will leave with benefits, and there are some who need it more than others.”
Those who would benefit most would be: • People who have lost their passion for life • Children who are restless or have nightmares • Parents whose children suffer from nightmares • People with aches and pains • Those who wake up feeling life is too hard • People with disturbed sleep • People who are looking for joy in their life • People who feel stuck in life and have difficulty moving to the next level. Antonia is a natural therapist and has worked in her Natural Stress Therapy clinic in the heart of Melbourne for more than 25 years. Her main focus is on holistic fertility management, which includes the use of Amazonian remedies. In 1995 Antonia and her husband Klaus formed the Earth Healer Academy and they follow the Kayapo tribe’s understanding of Mother Earth’s relationship to all humanity’ Antonia has been a feature writer for a Melbourne newspaper and is the author of two books: The Game of Life and You Are Only Two Millimetres Away. Antonia has studied philosophy and Behavioural Science, and holds a PhD in Philosophy. She is a certified Counsellor, certified Hypnotherapist with the American Board of Hypnotherapy and a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, certified by the American Board of NLP.
Shamanic Fire Blessing Ceremony VICTORIA: 10 Feb 2017 at South Melbourne Life Saving Club, Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park. 6.30pm registration for 7.30pm start. WESTERN AUSTRALIA, Perth: 11th March. T: 0418 955 396 Book now at www.earthhealeracademy.com.au/shamanic-fire-blessing/ View the ceremony at youtu.be/sRYkRoiGtG4
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 39
CONSCIOUS GROWTH
Do You Create
Your Own Health? B
eing part of the first world, when poor health strikes Australians can form a 50-50 partnership with health professionals, allied practitioners and therapists. Yet when it comes to following a doctor’s instructions, do we cooperate? In too many cases, the answer would be “only up to a point”. The noncompliant among us are likely to stop taking antibiotics before completing the course. Is it any wonder that antibiotics take longer to work next time? Hands up if you have ever engaged the services of a dietician and followed the diet prepared for you, up to a point. You trailed off until you were no longer adhering to any part of the plan. The diet will take longer to work next time.
By LINDA BLACKSHAW
WE CAN SABOTAGE OUR AIMS
Do you listen to your own body? It is important to do this, as the body is the barometer of our state of health. However, that is not enough. Our thought processes and what we say about our own health to ourselves and others impact on how we manifest our wellbeing, or lack of it.
‘What we say about our own health to ourselves and others impacts on how we manifest our wellbeing, or lack of it’
We can sabotage our aims or increase our wellbeing. How do you think? What are the words you use when thinking or talking about your health? For example, are you trying to lose weight? Are you making statements like “I am going to lose x amount” or “I want to lose x amount but it is hard to stick to the diet”? Or you could be thinking along the lines of “I’m missing chocolate or chips or soft drink”. Through repeating these words either in your mind or when speaking with others will cause you to crave these items more.
STOP FOCUSING ON FAILURES
If you have a tendency to binge on treats, mentally beating yourself up about it will ensure it will revisit you. Release that little error. Create a different thought pattern around it to avoid setting yourself up to fail again. Stop focusing on past failures: like attracts like. Change your thought patterns to: • I am now (whatever healthy target weight you select) and people notice. • I make healthy food choices. • I am reshaping (or redefining or refining) my body. • I have more energy to do different things. • I accept myself and love my uniqueness. • I embrace a healthy fun filled life. • I am open to change.
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NO ROOM FOR NEGATIVE WORDS
Notice that the words ‘losing’ and ‘weight’ are not in these suggested thought patterns. What do you get when you focus on these two words? You tell yourself you are a loser and you gain more weight. Or if you are lucky the weight stays the same. Losing is a powerfully negative word. Constantly using it has an effect that is the opposite of what you want: instead of the weight coming off it increases or it stays the same. There is no room for negative words in your self-talk. Study the words you use, because even those that appear harmless can have a negative impact. I am sure we’ve all used variations of “I would do that but...” or “I’d like to do that but it’s not going to happen.” You’ve just told the Universe not to bother, so it won’t SUMMER 2017
assist you in achieving your goals. It heard what you said and moved on to the next thing. You’ve proved yourself right; nothing changed. When faced with a health issue, find a General Practitioner, Naturopath or an alternative practitioner who supports you and assists in you getting well. To help your treatment work, change your thinking pattern and the words you use in your self-talk. Be open to trying new approaches or to repeating a treatment. This is now. Base your thinking on now, not what happened in the past or what might happen. Paying close attention to medications or supplements is important. This is where you need to know your body and speak up. Make sure prescriptions or recommended supplements do not contain ISSUE 97
something you are allergic to. Before you start taking it, ask whoever has dispensed or sold it to you to explain the ‘ingredients’ in the formula, and their actions in the body. What do you do if you have an ongoing ailment? I’ll give you an example. I have a genetic liver disease that might require a liver transplant. When diagnosed I just heard “transplant” and went into a tailspin. A week later I realised “transplant” was only a “might”. I decided I would live to at least 97 years of age with this liver and none other. I take medication, give myself Reiki and walk around with my hand over my liver, saying to it: “I love my liver. My liver is healthy.” In the 12 years since diagnosis, my liver has not deteriorated and my medication has been reduced from six tablets a day to four. CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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CONSCIOUS GROWTH
‘Study the words you use, because even those that appear harmless can have a negative impact’ TEMPTING THE UNIVERSE
When people ask after my health, I tell them it’s “fantastic”, “very good” or “good”. The latter is as bad as it gets. If what I put out comes back to me, I want “good” or “great”. I don’t want “more sickness” or “bad”. Do I still get headaches? Yes, but not as many. Do I still get colds? Rarely, but I believe by not making a big drama of it, the cold clears up quicker than it used to. When battling a virus I used to say “I’m dying”. When we are born we begin heading for the grave. I don’t know about you but I am in no hurry to get there. Don’t tempt the Universe to create what you’ve put out. Cooperating with your health professionals is vital. Never stop taking medication a doctor has prescribed for you. Be wary of anyone telling you to do this. Stop taking a medication only under your doctor’s care. Many medications build up in our bodies, and a sudden stop can be harmful, even dangerous. Always tell your doctor if you are taking any vitamins or minerals from 42 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
another practitioner. Never assume that an herb is safe. Always check, because some combinations can cause damage. Your doctor needs to know what you are taking just as your kinesiologist, naturopath or a therapist need to know what medicines you are on. There is a place for all in your healing journey.
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Decide now to partner with your health practitioners and therapists. Be mindful of your thoughts and words; be self-aware; be kind to yourself and others. In this New Year of 2017, accept and love yourself; be positive and loving in your self-talk. Stop being a puppet of your past. Leave its dramas behind you: let it all go. Embrace the present. Plan your future, set your goals. Stop worrying about what might or might not happen. As you change your thinking and spoken words, you will experience a shift for the better. Congratulations: you are helping create your health. You are now in partnership with the Universe and your health professionals. Professional Psychic, Reiki Master Teacher Linda Blackshaw looks at how we can improve our wellbeing through increasing our selfawareness and changing our self-talk. For further information, visit www.soulheartmind.com.au
SUMMER 2017
Dream Job Leads to European Idyll
I
By RENAE HARDIE BRAOVICH
t was the trip of a lifetime! A breathtaking European idyll, and it was happening to me and the love of my life simply because I’d found a dream job. Picture Paris, the Louvre, cruising the Rhone River, Avignon, the Camargue, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, famous for its gypsy gatherings: these were some of the magical and unforgettable destinations. The highlight, however, was in Provence at Young Living’s Simiane-La-Rotonde farm, learning more about the distilling process of the world’s leading essential oils. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch at a 13th Century castle, then we ended our adventure in Cannes, with a rooftop dinner, overlooking the French Riviera. Only two years earlier, I’d been mum to a 10 year old, a nursing mum to an infant, wife and manager of a busy company. The demands were unrelenting, and I ran out of steam. One morning my mind woke up, but my body couldn’t get up. “This is it,” I thought, “I have to change my lifestyle or I might not be here for my family.”
MORE RESTFUL SLEEP
Around that time my infant son was not sleeping well. Looking for a solution, I was introduced to an essential oil named Peace and Calming available from a company called Young Living. My baby began having more restful sleep and I became less sleep-deprived. Looking back, I see how this one essential oil was a life changer for me. I began nurturing myself with nutritional drinks and supplements and other all-natural products: my optimism and energy returned. Excited about what had happened with the Peace & Calming essential oil, I became curious about Young Living.
About Young Living In operation for more than 24 years, Young Living is the original Essential Oil Company of the modern era. The company offers a vast array of holistic health products, including completely natural, syntheticfree supplements and about 450 high-quality, highly effective products useful for everyday life. The Essential Oils complement physical and emotional health, great for holistic health professionals and clinics to enhance their services, and wonderful for families for a more relaxed household and individuals seeking enhanced energy and wellbeing.
I discovered that Young Living’s ultimate mission is to help others less fortunate around the globe. I became a Distributor and my life changed for the better.
POSITIVE CAREER PATH
Infused with enthusiasm, I began spreading information about the best products of their kind in the world, driven by the ethical stance of the company. My commitment increased as time passed. Young Living rewarded me with a trip to the US and an all-expenses paid trip to France. Young Living offers a positive career path with the possibility of adventures, meeting incredible people who could become life-long friends and who love sharing their knowledge to help improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of others. I am happy to talk with anyone who would like to know more about ways to become involved.
Renae Hardie Braovich is an Independent Distributor #1615606 (Oils by Nature) for Young Living.
Radio interview: 101businessradio.com. au/2016/08/31/241-young-living-withranae-hardie-braovich/ Further information: www.oilsbynature.com.au To order: www.youngliving.com/vo/#/ signup/new-start Email: enquiries@oilsbynature.com.au
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CONSCIOUS SPIRIT
How To Benefit From
‘Flying Stars’ Feng Shui formula for success in 2017 by MICHELE CASTLE
A
pplying your Flying Stars Feng Shui formula to energise the auspicious sectors of 2017 will help you have a successful and smooth-sailing year ahead. As we move from one year to the next, energy changes, transforming from Yin to Yang, from element to element, from one animal sign to the next. Depending on the ruling element and animal, from one month to the next the energy in the home as well as the energy of the occupants will change. Time exerts a strong impact on your Feng Shui, your luck and destiny. Good Feng Shui cannot and does not last forever. It requires recharging with small, but significant changes every year. Energy needs to be refreshed, reorganised and re-energised. Spaces and places need rejuvenating. Energy must be kept moving. The Flying Stars formula of Feng Shui is a technical approach that directly addresses the effects of time on the energy of homes and businesses, and holds a wonderful promise that enables you to improve your luck tremendously. The best strategy is always to take care of the negative Stars first, then concentrate on boosting the good Stars. Pay close attention to the sectors where your main door, living room and bedrooms are located. The luck present in the main door and living room sector affects everyone in the household, while the bedroom alters the luck of those who sleep in it. If a bad Star flies in via your main door or living room, good chances are the home will be affected. How can you reduce the effect? If possible, during 2017, use another door or entry that has a positive energy. This will lessen the negative impact. Let’s take a closer look at all the Star meanings. 44 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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North East - ROMANCE LUCK
In 2017 there will be the annual visiting Flying Star 4 over the North East sector. It represents love and romance, and people and academic luck. Mandarin Ducks along with the three Stars Gods, plants and fresh flowers are recommended for placement in this area.
North - HEAVENLY LUCK
In 2017 there will be the annual visiting Flying Star 6 over the North sector. It represents heavenly luck, power and authority. Metal décor items or Six Gold Coins on a red tassel, and Gold Ingots placed within this area, is recommended. A Horse will also assist. SUMMER 2017
West - HOSTILE
There will be the annual visiting Flying Star 3 over this sector. It is a hostile Star, representing anger, conflict, frustration and possible legal complications. I recommend placing Fire energy in this area such as red piece of paper, or you can use any red décor object. If your front door is in this area I recommend placing Temple Lions and the Evil Eye symbol. Remove any excess water or plants. The West is also where the Grand Duke will be located for the year. The Grand Duke is an energy point from the universe that’s classed as a god who should always be respected and never disturbed or confronted. It is strongly advised that you avoid any major renovations or any kind of earthmoving in this sector for the year and keep this area quiet. You can place a Pi Yao in the West to appease and assist this sector. But best not to disturb in the first place.
East - PROSPERITY
In 2017 there will be the annual visiting Flying Star 8 within this sector. It represents current prosperity. Place any form of wealth symbolism such as a Buddha, Wealth God, Six Gold Coins on red tassel, or Gold Ingots, and a water feature or a picture of water in this area. Activate and use the area as often as possible. The Three Killings, which is a negative energy force, has also moved to the East. When disturbed, it tends to bring sickness and health issues, as well as confrontations. You are best to not sit with The Three Killings behind you. Instead, you should face them. It is recommended not to disturb this sector with renovations and as a cure, place three Chi Lin. The Chi Lin has the head of a dragon, body of a horse and scales of a fish.
South East - MULTIPLYING
There will be the annual visiting Flying Star 9 in this sector. It represents future prosperity. Enhance with any wealth symbolism such as a Buddha, a Wealth God, six Gold Coins on red tassel, or Gold Ingots. You can also place three stems of Lucky Bamboo in water in a glass vase. A water feature in this area will also be beneficial.
‘Time exerts a strong impact on your Feng Shui, your luck and destiny’ South - MISFORTUNE
The annual visiting Flying Star 5 will be over the South sector. It represents bad luck, mishaps and obstacles. It is the worst of all the nine Stars. I recommend placing a Brass Pagoda, and a Salt Water Cure in this area. A Ganesh will also assist with removing of obstacles. Keep electrical equipment to a minimum and avoid the colours red and yellow. Try to avoid any major activity within this sector.
South West - ROBBERY
In 2017 there will be the annual visiting Flying Star 7 over the South West sector. It is a dangerous Star as it represents evil, robbery, past luck, betrayal, gossip, backstabbing and disaster. I recommend placing three pieces of Lucky Bamboo in a vase of water, and bright lights in this area, along with the Evil Eye Symbol, and one Blue Rhinoceros and one Blue Elephant, or two Blue Rhinoceroses for extra protection. If your front door is located here I also recommend Temple Lions. A Black Tortoise in this sector will assist with career and business endeavours. For further information, visit www.completefengshui.com.au or contact Michele Castle Feng Shui Consultant by email michele@completefengshui.com
North West - ILLNESS
The annual visiting Flying Star 2 will place itself over this sector. It represents illness. To counteract, place a Wu Lou, six Gold Coins on a red tassel, a Salt Water Cure and a Quan Yin. SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS SPIRIT
Connect to your Life Plan and find your Spirit Guide By STEVEN NORTH
H
ow many times have you seen the phrase ‘Life Plan’ or ‘Soul Purpose’ mentioned?
Have you caught yourself asking the questions “Why am I here” and “What is my purpose?” Have you ever wondered what it is that you are meant to be doing in life? Ever seen a numerologist or psychic to talk about what you should do with your life? This is typical of someone searching for his or her ‘Life Plan’. And it is legitimate to search, because each of us has one.
LIFE PATHS AND LIFE PLANS
There are many ways to obtain information regarding a Life Plan, the most common being numerology.
Using numerology, a group of numbers derived from your birthday are added up and that give you a corresponding general overview of your Life Plan. Then there is the Life Plan based on Astrology that attempts to predict your Life Path through planetary alignments, signs, houses, aspects and transits.
‘Amy North has channelled that incarnation advisors help arrange our Life Plan’ Even the Liquid Crystal Therapy has a Life Purpose and Life Path reading based on the cities of Atlantis. Readers such as psychics and mediums also provide Life Map readings. I can say one consummate professional reader has provided something similar to a Life Plan for me. All these ways of arriving at a Life Plan are based on a common profile. But with the many changes happening to our Earth and the Universe, and with the New Earth coming online, will these ancient systems be no longer relevant or accurate? In a discussion with a close friend on this topic, she said the astrological birth chart could not apply to her, as she is a ‘walk-in’. In her case, these numerology and astrology based calculations that use the date of her physical birthday would be erroneous. However, I have another friend who strongly believes the astrology aspect and is happy to talk about the accuracy of her astrologer as she walks her Life Plan. But when was her Life Plan arranged? How does this work? The answer has come to me via my Spirit Guide and Twin Flame, Amy North.
THE INCARNATION ADVISOR
In the previous edition of the Conscious Living Magazine, we introduced Amy North. In addition to helping me with my work, Amy helps many others around the world with their work. Aside from this, Amy is an incarnation advisor, a role she loves.
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I have learned from her that before our incarnation, each of us sits down with an incarnation advisor. We select a Spirit Guide for the duration of our lifetime. The Spirit Guide and incarnation advisor then assist with planning our lifetimes. When planning the incarnation, they take all the experiences of previous lifetimes into consideration. With care, our path is planned. When we incarnate, we forget all of this process, which is why our connection to our Spirit Guide is so very important. Normally, each of us is provided with four guides: a Spirit Guide, two Archangels, an Ascended Master andor an animal guide. These are with us for our entire lifetime. Other guides may come and go, but we always have four. However, three of these may change. Only the Spirit Guide – who has Life Plan or Life Map – remains unchanged and is always with us. It is their role to guide the incarnate in their care, helping them keep to the path of their Life Plan.
USING CODED CRYSTALS
On the Earth plane, in order to form a clear connection and discover who they are, incarnates can do crystal work. This involves the use of crystals coded to the specific Spirit Guide. The process involves coding crystals to the incarnate’s Spirit Guide, Life Plan and to his or her Akashic records. The Spirit Guides, who should be viewed as ordinary people just like you and me, have the vital role of keeping the incarnates in their care on the ‘right path’ in order to achieve what they wish to achieve. It is beautiful to know that our Spirit Guides walk the same Life Path as us. You can picture your Spirit walking side by side with you. The connection between the Spirit Guide and Incarnate is powerful – and no person is ever disconnected. Thus, when it comes to the Life Plan or Life Path, we already have it in the form of a person who is devoted to
us, guiding us, walking with us and helping us succeed. This is reassuring. The only thing we need to do is have faith and trust in ourselves. There is also a very important thing to be aware of: we are only given the information we need at any given moment in time.
‘The greatest resource we can have in relation to being guided along our Life Path is our Spirit Guide’ ‘LIVE IN THE NOW’
Even with Amy, there have been times when I’ve asked for information about the future and she wouldn’t reveal it. She said this was because we would miss out on certain situations, experiences that could very well lead us away from the path we’re walking. This requires us to ‘live in the now’, which is a phrase we hear often. Many amazing numerologists and astrologers are doing fantastic work. Helping many people search for answers to their lives and this is the same for psychics and mediums. Until I became consciously aware of Amy and began trusting myself, I would visit psychics and mediums to get advice. However, from my own experience, the greatest resource we can have in relation to assessing and being guided along our Life Path is our Spirit Guide. We also need to trust that they’re always with us. All we need to do is open our hearts, clear our minds and listen. Ask them a question and wait to see if you can hear a word. If nothing comes through, simply ask again for guidance and see what you find the following day. The message and guidance will show up. Your Spirit Guide is, after all, your best friend.
By Steven North, founder of Heart Activation Music and channel for Amy North Visit www.stevennorth.com.au; or e: steven.north@stevennorth.com.au
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CONSCIOUS SPIRIT
Give Joy
Space In Your Life W
By Dr CUSHLA LOVEJOY PhD
hat comes to mind when you think about joy?
Is it the moment of babies being born, or the excitement of birthdays and weddings? Or is it simply the joy of waking from sleep each morning, knowing you will experience a day like no other, for you have not experienced this day before? Is joy that moment of 48 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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enlightenment when you recognise who you truly are, and you feel at home within yourself? Is it the feeling of having touched down into the space where your soul being resides? Joy is the place within that ignites the light in each and every one of us. It is the flame that grows brighter the more we feed it. Joy can be incredibly subtle, like the whisper of the breeze against your skin. It can lift you up or lull you to sleep. SUMMER 2017
How can we consciously and continuously bring more joy in our lives?
Be Present in the moment Emotional connection and disconnection I am Joy Nurture your soul Gratitude for all you have and are Join in and participate in life Open yourself up to saying yes to opportunities You matter Fulfillment Uplift your thoughts L ight up the life of others Make the conscious choice. Heavy or light, what is your decision? Is it joy?
REVISITING OLD HURTS
A clue to whether you are experiencing joy is whether you feel present; whether your mind is settled in ‘the now’, rather than meandering through irrelevancies, such as revisiting recent or old hurts or arguments, worrying about what others think of us, or casting judgments on others. Being present in the moment means not living in the past or pinning our hopes on the future. Instead, we experience every moment and see it for what it is. To remain in the present, we can think about what is happening for us right now. Are we safe? Are we happy? Do we have enough? Are we emotionally comfortable? If we answer no to these questions, we can look for ways to improve our situation. Answering yes means we are able to feel emotional connection.
THE EMOTIONS OF OTHERS
Feeling joy will happen more often for those of us who make a conscious decision to disconnect from what isn’t ours. Are we enmeshed in someone else’s emotion? Does it concern us? It is too easy for us to take on the emotions of others that have nothing to do with us. Through releasing those attachments to the emotions and problems that don’t belong to us, we are able to own our ‘I am’ energy: announce to yourself “I am joy, no judgment of self or others”. We use up a great deal of our energy up when we are in judgment. There is a higher purpose for this energy, SUMMER 2017
‘To remain in the present, we can think about what is happening for us right now’ which is to nurture our families, our communities, the world and ourselves. Through dropping judgment, we are able to see more clearly the beauty that surrounds us in this world. We appreciate our community and the efforts of those who offer service within it, from local council members to those who collect our rubbish. We can have gratitude for everything each of our family members do, and we are able to ‘let go’ of what they do not do.
IMMERSED IN NON-REALITY
There is a lot of life to live. Go out and enjoy it. Are you someone whose day is built around the timing of TV shows? Watching TV is a great way to disconnect from life, to become immersed in non-reality, and to put the hand brake on living a truly joyous life. Is there real joy and sitting watching a screen? There are so many so-called reality shows these days. The most fabulous reality show in existence is your life. Go live it. Say yes to all opportunities out there; say yes to the love of life; say yes to the creation of something truly joyous. Why should you bother? Because you matter. To feel fully joyous it’s important to own you truly are. You are the being that matters. ISSUE 97
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CONSCIOUS SPIRIT When you recognise the divine being that you are you stop living small and open yourself up to living large. Living small serves no one, least of all you. Accept that you are important to yourself and others. Whatever your connection is to another human being, you matter to them. Your connections to others may include a son, daughter, mother, father, sibling, friend, coworker, boss, mentor, or an acquaintance,
‘Thought processes that are wholesome, positive, optimistic, and touched with joy will affect those around you’ A SENSE OF INNER PEACE
They may not tell you how or why you matter to them, yet you actually do. The question to ask now is do you matter to yourself? And further, do you have a sense of why and how you matter to yourself? Through acknowledging that you matter you can gain fulfillment and with this a sense of inner peace. Understand that there is nothing to do, nothing to get. You are whole and complete exactly as you are: you are okay. We all have areas of our lives we’d like to see improved. Having entered a new phase of more joy, less judgment and release from errors of emotion, we are better placed to make conscious choices about which areas we would like to work on.
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THE ENERGY OF THOUGHTS
Looking at our thought processes we can choose thoughts that uplift us every day. Yes, we can decide consciously every day to be joyous or not. So what is your choice going to be? Thought processes that are wholesome, positive, optimistic, and touched with joy will affect those around you. You can make a difference to everyone who comes in contact with you. Most of us have walked into a room where there is feeling of a dark cloud looming overhead. The ‘vibe’ is bad. Have you ever wondered what the cause might be? It comes from the energy of thoughts of those in the room. In this situation, you can raise your vibration; raise your thoughts. Make the effort, and when others follow you into that room, they won’t feel that dark, heavy energy; they will feel a lightness of being. Dr Cushla Lovejoy PhD, is a channel of the Divine Mothers, New Thought facilitator, spiritual counsellor, life coach and prayer therapy healer with more than 30 years global experience. Visit: www.cushlalovejoy.com
SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS SPIRIT
In 2017
Feminine Energies Flow Empowerment opens new doors By SANDRAH WILSON
T
his year, 2017, represents New Beginnings, an opportunity to manifest the life you truly want to live. January starts it off, highlighting empowerment and feminine energy. We have been living in a combatant Masculine World, keenly evident during the past 2000 years in Pisces. September the 9th 2016 closed that door for the next 26,000 years, bringing in the new energy of the Golden Age of Aquarius. We are evolving into a phase known as 5D energy. Attempting to continue using old 3D energy will hold us back. The world has entered the cycle of god-goddess Feminine energy. Those who have struggled with a lack of power will take their power back. Feeling empowered will lead to a ‘knowing’ that they ‘belong’.
APPLY YOUR CREATIVITY
The Creative essence is in the air: those who have been denied an opportunity to explore their creative gifts will get their chance. This may involve Alternative Medicines and Therapies, Art, Writing, Music, Film, and other uplifting activities. This is good news for those who in the old curriculum of the education system did not feel ‘good enough’ to apply the skills they might have in creative fields, and so did not try. You may be a visual type, learning best by watching demonstrations or being shown a skill in a hands-on 52 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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situation. For me, learning comes easiest through watching. I learn more from watching a film than reading a book. I rarely read a novel, but I will read an article that interests me. This was not encouraged in the old education system. Discarding the idea that all learning must be highly structured will unlock new energy, opening doors for many who realise they are gifted. They will let go of the illusory safety net of perpetually people pleasing, speak their truth, and become their authentic selves. All of us will feel lighter, for we are shaking off the heaviness of past years. However, we need to remain alert, because in 2017 we must expect the unexpected. Moving forward into the new 5D energy will involve closures, endings, and resolving the past, and all of this actually began on September the 9th last year. The numbers are: 2+0+1+6 =9) 999. At that time, there began an acceleration that moved us into an intense period of healing our past. It was important to go through this phase, for it helped us prepare for 2017. Our readiness will allow us to open new doors to what we truly came here for.
‘Those who have been denied an opportunity to explore their creative gifts will get their chance’ SUMMER 2017
WE CLEARED PAST KARMA
Last year, 2016, was extraordinarily challenging and painful, providing us with a huge opportunity to be productive for growth. The ‘Bear’ really got poked within, and stirred up our deepest darkest parts of our being that needed to be bought to the surface. We finally put to rest the pain and suffering many of us endured in this lifetime and others. We cleared all past karma. Now it is up to us to avoid creating more karma. The numbers for the year 2017 (2+0+1+7) add up to a 10 Master number. The start of this year begins with a 3. January 1st. 2017 =3 (1+1+2+0+1+7 = 12/3 this is also a 111. Be mindful of your thoughts, because in this year everything will manifest quickly, in line with what you are focusing on, whether negative or positive. Being true to self is the way forward. Worrying about what others will think of us only has the effect of making us weary. We also don’t have to carry the baggage of others. It is time to let go of that habit. The type of energy this demands is connected to the deepest emotions and core issues we thought we had dealt with until now. If you are experiencing a letting go and a feeling of ‘I no longer care what others think, this is who I am’, then you are healing old wounds, possibly even wounds acquired in past lives. There is no longer a place for stale, soul-destroying energy in our lives.
DELUSION OF ‘IMAGE’
As we evolve into the 5D energy, we more clearly recognise that less is more. From now on, we will no longer feel the need to keep up with others and will worry less about our image. We see clearly the delusion of ‘image management’ and how it kept us in fear of never being enough, forcing us to struggle and fight for everything. We were in the grip of old masculine energy that we carried through many lives, current and past. This dark energy caused us to compete, and perpetuated the feeling of being separate or estranged, needing to ‘prove’ ourselves because we felt ‘less than’. Through the many years of dark, masculine energy, fear was birthed for us. But we had to experience this dark energy in order to learn (even experience) the effects of the
opposite of love. We discovered how the dark, combatant masculine energy of past centuries created separation among many of us, racism, is an example. It launched wars, manmade religions and many of suffered under the effect of being unloved, even hated (the holocaust). With this energy being the driving force of the world, the efforts involved in love or friendships were a challenge to maintain.
‘The masculine energy of past centuries… launched wars and many of suffered under the effect of being unloved’ KEEPING THE PEACE
As we reflect on 2016, in summing up, I would apply one word: enough. All the lessons taught come down to ‘I am enough’. In resolving the best way forward for me, I have recognised how vital it will be to no longer people please. I will be prepared to ‘rock the boat’ if necessary, taking my power back in a positive way. I have arrived at this point by going back in time and looking for the core of where my people pleasing habit began. And of course the key was found in my childhood. In people pleasing, we think we are keeping the peace, but it is an illusion. This is how bullies gain their power and no one wins. People pleasing can also be described as an activity of appeasement. In overcoming my people pleasing habit, I allow myself to be authentic. I believe this is the most important change we all need to make in 2017. It is needed now, more than ever before. Saying “no” and having strong boundaries will help you reclaim your life. This will increase your self-respect, culling out those in your life whom you really don’t need. Once you are clear of the negative energies, those who see who you truly are will come forward in the spirit of friendship. Some will offer support and encouragement.
Sandrah Wilson Mystic to Empower, Psychic/Medium Works at Spellbox also Interstate and International Mob: 0434531758 www.foot-printz.com
SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 53
CONSCIOUS ARTS
SUMMER 2017 MUST READS COWSPIRACY: THE SUSTAINABILITY SECRET
the further Andersen and Kuhn dug, contacting one large Global Environmental Protection group after another, trying to find out what was being done to prevent the destruction caused by animal agriculture. What was going on that caused big companies to be hostile to their enquiries?
This is a bit like the chicken and the egg, pardon the pun, and which came first, the documentary or the book. Andersen and Kuhn set out to film a documentary based on environmental issues, namely the effect of agriculture on this planet and by doing so, uncovered many more unpalatable truths which very easily could have seen them both locked up for many years. A bit strong you many well think, for a ‘doco’ on agriculture! How dangerous could it be to travel about asking a few questions about how the food we so readily consume in increasingly large amounts is produced? As it turns out, it can be very dangerous, especially in the United States, where this research was a carried out.
CONSTANT STONEWALLING
Author: Keegan Kuhn, Kip Andersen, introduction by Chris Hedges Publisher: Insight Editions ISBN: 9781608878437 Website: www.newsouthbooks.com.au
This then begged the question, what was the driving factor behind the production of more and more food for an ever increasing, rapidly burgeoning worldwide population that called for constant stonewalling from these groups? Chapters 1 to 9 will horrify you and make you ill to the stomach. Chapters 10 and 11 provide hope. At this point, you will have much to contemplate about what you choose to eat, and where you gather that food. There is also their Cowspiracy documentary you can watch that will lead you to change your food choices. Many points raised are unpalatable, confrontational and sickening and the strongest is that we as consumers need to be more responsible. We need to be better informed as to how our food is produced. We need to enquire further into the environmental issues surrounding food production at all levels. Each of us can make a difference by simply taking the time to learn more and make small but significant changes in what we eat. This will benefit our health and our environment.
PLANET IN PERIL
The project started out in a harmless manner, with Andersen seeing the film produced by Al Gore – An Inconvenient Truth – in which he talks about Planet Earth and its inhabitants being in peril because of the effects of global warming Gore, a leading political figure, lent credibility to the information. Around the globe, millions of people took Gore’s words to heart and began making changes in their lives to help save the planet. Andersen and Kuhn were among them. Together, they began to take a deep look into what else might be contributing to the destruction of our world. This took them to places they never imagined they would venture. They met people who kind of believed what they were doing in the way of food production was ‘best practice’ as far as environmental issues were concerned. For these producers to say otherwise would not be a good business move. The more horrifying the statistics uncovered about animal agriculture (right down to how eggs are produced)
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Kip Anderson
Keegan Kuhn
San Francisco Bay area vegans Keegan Kuhn and Kip Anderson co-directed Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. Kuhn is an award winning documentary filmmaker, video producer and professional musician. In addition to Cowspiracy, he directed Turlock: the documentary and Something To Be Thankful For. Anderson is executive director of Animals United Movement, a non-profit body that produces films and media promoting sustainable, compassionate and peaceful living. View Cowspiracy at: youtu.be/S-XP79o8gqQ
SUMMER 2017
Reviewed by JAN MAWDESLEY
See more reviews at bluewolf-reviews.com
THE BEE FRIENDLY GARDEN
Author: Doug Purdie Publisher & Distributor: Murdoch Books ISBN: 9781743367568 Website: www.murdochbooks.com.au Internationally known horticulturist and author Doug Purdie has spent decades living with and loving his own garden, as well as the gardens of others. In The Bee Friendly Garden, he looks at a natural resource that has been taken far too much for granted. He brings to the forefront of modern gardening the importance of planting wisely to encourage bees. After reading just the first few pages of The Bee Friendly Garden, it becomes easy to understand what is needed in modern gardens: native flowering plants that attract bees that once established will be seriously water wise. If selected carefully for the area, your garden will look beautiful all year round. Reading further into the book, you realise the importance of creating a beautiful, bee friendly garden.
POLLINATORS ARE DISAPPEARING
Bees were everywhere during our childhood; you could not walk on the grass during spring when the clover was flowering for fear of being stung. Now you are struggling to find the clover let alone the bees. So what to do is the major question, as this is not something prevalent only in your area, but nation-wide and indeed worldwide. Bees, our major pollinators, are fast disappearing because we are rapidly destroying their environment. Like most major environmental changes happening throughout the world, the magnitude of the idea that we are losing bees can be paralysing. But, Purdie repeats again and again, we can each do a little, and by doing a little, a lot will happen.
ENCOURAGING THE BEES
In this beautifully presented book, Purdie takes us on an educated journey, not just into establishing best practice gardens, but into a world of colour and delight which can easily be achieved wherever you live. Whether you have a small Juliette balcony or a large acreage, Purdie has tips and advice for planting that will give you the aesthetic results you desire, while encouraging bees to return to your ‘back yard’. More than half the book is devoted to species of plants from the native to the exotic, insects we need in our gardens and herbs that are colourful, useful and taste delicious. Coupled with serious information on the best way to establish your bee friendly garden, there are glorious SUMMER 2017
pictures to enjoy as you sit and plan your new garden, plot, pot or in some cases ‘olive oil’ tin of herbs or flowers. A lovely section on Bee Hotels is educational and encourages a little quirkiness in your new bee friendly garden. The final segment, the Appendix, is on Pest Control Recipes that take care of the unwanted critters in the garden, protect and encourage the most desired and keep your flowers, vegies, natives and herbs bee friendly as well as environmentally friendly. Author of The Bee Friendly Garden and Backyard Bees, Doug Purdie, is a co-founder of The Urban Beehive, launched in 2010, which manages more than 100 hives around Sydney on city rooftops, Doug Purdie balconies, back yards and in community gardens. He can be seen on You Tube and he runs beekeeping courses, including for beginners at The Centennial Parklands. Visit theurbanbeehive.com.au youtu.be/sWRsjqI2dio youtu.be/phLH0Tf-PnM
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 55
CONSCIOUS ARTS
SUMMER 2017 MUST READS THE BAREFOOT INVESTOR
basis, there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel: taking advantage of what is available is as simple as taking the first step.
Author: Scott Pape Publisher: Wiley ISBN: 978-0-7303-2421-8 Website. www.wiley.com
ASSESS YOUR SITUATION
Australia’s financial ‘bubble’ has burst and the government’s cost cutting measures are beginning to bite.This makes Scott Pape’s book on how to save money and invest wisely a MUST READ. Pape, his wife Liz and their baby son were among the many victims of the devastating bushfires that swept through country Victoria in 2014, leaving their property blackened, livestock dead or dying and their home and possessions, charred rubble. Looking out at the devastation surrounding them, his wife screaming with the pain of their loss, the baby crying and feeling shockwaves of overwhelming emotion, Pape took a deep breath and said to Liz, and himself, ‘I’ve got this…’ not completely understanding just what he had ‘got’.
STRATEGIES FOR PROGRESS
Liz and he went out and bought an apple tree to plant as a symbol of a new beginning. A respected leader in the world of financial investment and management, in his book Pape shares his experiences of needing to rebuild and develop strategies for progress, so that his family could thrive. Throughout the chapters in The Barefoot Investor, Pape has set out the simple strategies he used to build wealth and a future he’s proud of. Perhaps the strategies may not be what other sources would advise, but Pape recognises that life is full of issues, some large, some small, including divorce, death, redundancy, natural disasters and so forth. Although they will affect each of us in a different manner, on a financial 56 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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Each chapter is well laid out, written in easy to understand language. Pape’s approach begins with assessing your situation, taking a good look at where you are now, where you want to be and then going out to dinner to put into place The Barefoot Steps: you really cannot go wrong! The Chapters or Steps end with a case study, all offered by people from various walks of life who found themselves in a financial mess for one reason or another. They took Pape’s advice to heart and are now happily in charge of their finances and financial futures. Nothing is based on ‘rocket science’. It is plain, common sense knowledge relating to how financial institutions operate and how, after careful assessment, you can take steps that save you money and help you prosper. In Part II, Pape offers more advice on what possibilities you may like to investigate once you have achieved your goals and are perhaps considering leaving a legacy, rounding out a journey to successful financial management, yours! Get the book, read the instructions, follow them and, most importantly, while you accumulate financial freedom, learn to live life, because life, as most of you understand all too well, holds many unknown challenges. Author of The Barefoot Investor Scott Pape has the unusual ability of being able to convey his knowledge of sound financial planning with those who ‘don’t do finance’. Among his many stellar achievements, the Australian Government has employed him to overhaul financial education in all Australian schools. Visit barefootinvestor.com/about
SUMMER 2017
Reviewed by JAN MAWDESLEY
See more reviews at bluewolf-reviews.com
THE ART OF FRUGAL HEDONISM: A GUIDE TO SPENDING LESS WHILE ENJOYING EVERYTHING MORE
Authors: Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb Publisher: Melliodora Publishing ISBN: 978-0994392817 Website: www.frugalhedonism.com Have you almost given up on cracking the secret of how to live ethically while making money, having better health, enjoying life and saving the world? Do you sometimes yearn to return to the simple life you led as a child, when with each new day you discovered something new and fresh? Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb’s enlightening little book will make you happy. It is packed with important advice to help you make the relatively easy changes that will put you on the pathway to having more time, more money and more pleasure in your life. You will gain genuine benefits that while being easily achieved create a positive and financially rewarding way forward. Each chapter is dedicated to revisiting the many areas of our life that can be improved with a little tweaking here and there in a way that is educational, humorous and surprisingly enjoyable. You can use this guidebook as a training manual for setting yourself free of old, restrictive ideas and habits.
EXPERIENCE REAL PLEASURE
While this book will not turn you into a ‘hippie’, the way to begin your journey is to try something simple, such as savouring every drop of the next coffee you buy, walking to the local shop and taking delight in the SUMMER 2017
scenery along the way. Use a carry bag rather than rely on plastic from the supermarket. Plant a tomato bush in your garden and experience the real pleasure of fruit that tastes sensational. These initial ‘baby steps’ are the beginning of your journey to becoming a frugal hedonist. Can’t be done, you say! Yes it can. Reading further into the book you will have AH HA moments, recognising the changes you can make. What the authors present is the way our society was before marketing got a hold, deciding that we needed more and more and better and better and larger and larger to be happy; before we began to believe what the spin doctors are selling us, and chasing a pathway that has led to enormous debt, pressure in the workplace, poor health and, believe it or not, serious obesity. Overhauling your actions and some of your habits will be enriching, delivering many of the rewards you are seeking. Annie Raser-Rowland is an artist who switched her focus to gardens, gained certificates in horticulture and permaculture, worked in several Melbourne nurseries and visited Tanzania to work on Annie Raser-Rowland permaculture systems. She and Adam Grubb also co-authored The Weed Forager’s Handbook: A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia. www.eatthatweed.com Adam Grubb was working in IT when he was alerted to energy depletion. He founded Energy Bulletin, got into permaculture and with Dan Palmer founded the now global permablitz movement. Dan and Adam Adam Grubb are co-directors of the consultancy Very Edible Gardens and Adam runs edible weed walking tours. www.veryediblegardens.com
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 57
CONSCIOUS ARTS BOOK REVIEWS HARMONY IS SUCCESS
AWAKENING CHILD
Presented in the manner of a workshop Ken McLean shares his many years of searching for peace and harmony in a manner which can easily be used to take a step back and re-assess the pathway you are travelling. Based on the principles of The Four relationships, those of Harmony with Self, Relationship’s, Nature and the Universe, underpinned with the practice of Aikido and Ki Shiatsu, he takes us on a voyage of discovery to be able to capture the illusive state of Harmony on a regular basis. Should you be considering setting out in a new direction for 2017, Harmony is Success should be considered as a starting point to the rest of your life.
Mindfulness is a topic currently being treated as ‘on trend’; the latest thing to take up if you are looking for an alternative way to manage a variety of life’s ills. Heather MacKenzie came across mindfulness when her life took an unexpected turn and she was struggling to make sense of what and why. Somewhere along the way she realised that you do not have to be an adult to discover and use mindfulness in your life; in fact, teaching it to children at a young age, in this stress laden world, is both a beneficial and a wonderfully peaceful way of helping them cope better as they move towards adolescence and young adulthood.
Ken McLean Short Stop Press 9780994496072 Website: www.shortstoppress.com
Author: Heather Grace MacKenzie ISBN: 978-1-78535-48-3 Publisher: O Books Website: www.o-books.com
DYING TO WAKE UP
Dr Rajiv Parti and Paul Perry Allen & Unwin ISBN: 9781925267037 Website: www.allenandunwin.com
TOO SIMPLE FOR WORDS: REFLECTIONS ON NON DUALITY.
Dr Raj Parti has told his story of his Near Death Experience from a basis of complete truth as he examined his previous lifestyle, struggled to make the changes requested, to come to terms with the fact that he had truly witnessed the tortures of Hell, had somehow gathered the services of the Archangels Michael and Raphael and met a powerful Being of Light. Moving into Divine consciousness to this extent is not for all who experience a Near Death Experience, but reading this beautifully told story of one man’s experience, how it changed not just his life, but those around him is inspirational, thought provoking and encourages considering changes in your own life in order to live a better and more fulfilling life.: to set about spreading the universal love that is Christ-consciousness. 58 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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Author: Graham Stew Publisher: O Books ISBN: 978-1-78535-271-3 Website: www.o-books.com
There are times when we all reflect on who we are; are we an individual or simply a one part of the whole picture and if so what part is that. Just who we really are is perhaps the most complex question we often ponder and seldom do we come up with an answer which will satisfy. As you work through this reflective and intriguing look at how you can discover who you really are, who the real person is hidden deep within, enjoy the poetry used to create necessary breaks in the journey, but also designed to help guide you into the next revelation. You will be inspired. SUMMER 2017
Reviewed by JAN MAWDESLEY
See more reviews at bluewolf-reviews.com
MUSIC REVIEWS IMMORTELLE
BEYOND WORDS
There is a slight shift of focus in this latest and perhaps most gentle release from Deuter as he has based each of the compositions on herbs with healing properties located about the various countries that he has either lived in or visited. As with the various restorative and healing properties of the plants selected so too does this music reach deep to heal the spirit and the soul. Moving through the many pieces, a delightful sense of relaxation pervades the environment moving outward, encompassing the space and the place, allowing a sense of well-being and peace to flow over the listener.
As with all of Chadburn’s albums there is something so gentle and relaxing about them they simply wash over you, bringing with the music a wonderful sense of peace and tranquillity. Beyond Words is no exception. Based on the many aspects of life lived by us all, the moments of joy, happiness, sadness and sorrow, music is often the one thing that can reach out and help begin the healing, add that special memory to a day filled with joy; music can transcend everything by capturing that moment in time that cannot, and never will be, experienced in the same manner again.
Deuter www.newearthrecords.com
Dan Chadburn www.DanChadburn.com
DANCING ON THE WIND
Shoshana Michel www.shoshanamusic.com Delicately a leaf blows across an open space, the soft morning mists lay on the ground before the day awakens, the gentle fall of a feather in the drifting breeze are just some of the many images bought to the forefront of the emotions as you listen to the opening piece, When Leaves Dance, in this second solo album from the talented Shoshana Michel. This album has been created from original compositions, which shows a remarkable depth of understanding of the human psyche, which has entwined within each of the beautifully crafted and performed pieces. SUMMER 2017
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CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE 59
CONSCIOUS ARTS MUSIC REVIEWS MAJESTICA: IN THE MIDST OF STARS
CROSSROADS
This delicious, allencompassing collaboration between award winning flautist Sherry Finzer and multiinstrumentalist Cass Anawaty has created something very special that words really cannot describe, nor create, the sublime bliss felt, when listening to this work. From the opening track, In The Midst of Stars you are immediately wrapped in warmth that invites you in, invites you to listen, to feel, to enjoy the treat that is in store for you. This is an album of sensual beauty that will be long remembered for the understated majesty and beauty created by two musicians who are not only Masters of their craft, but blend their skills together in an almost divine manner.
Even if you know absolutely nothing about the background of this music, and let’s face it, we listen to music without any idea of what the composer has gone through to create beauty in sound; you will be treated to music that is powerful, wonderful, totally enjoyable, often unexpected and inspirational. Billed as a ‘cinematic’ pianist, Marc Enfroy has delivered the goods with this wonderful soundscape built on emotion of the rawest kind, after having to face and accept the death of a beloved Sister. He was faced with unanswerable questions which inspired him to create beauty out of tragedy, which helped to heal his soul and spirit and by doing so, offering a wonderfully creative body of work for all to enjoy and experience.
Sherry Finzer and Cas Anwaty www.heartdancerecords.com
PARADISE PAINTING Uwe Gronau www.cdbaby.com
Gronau has done it again and in great style: he entices you in with a tantalising, gentle melody that floats through the air; teasing, yet mellow and gentle, belying what is to come with the rest of the album. Noted for his wild extravagances within the music framework, one thing is for sure, when you collect his latest CD, you will not be disappointed in the range, flair, scope and intriguing styles compiled once again. As with all of his music over the past five years, there is always a personal experience to establish the basis of the theme. With this album, it is based in a dream he experienced where he went to Paradise. The opening track Paradise Painting reflects this beginning, and once there played a piano never before seen or heard, which is also reflected in Prophecy; and so the journey begins into a world that has to be heard to be experienced. 60 CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE
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Marc Enfroy www.marcenfroy.com
MULTIDIMENSIONAL VOICES Ben Carroll www.bencarrollmusic.com
This musical odyssey has the unique and intrinsic soundscape that is extremely close to traditional religious chanting, refined to an art form by Monks of many religions, over hundreds of years, born into the modern, musical arena. The freedom of the sound is pure bliss in that is a many layered composition which combines far more than just incredible and highly skilled musical talent, it borrows from ancient means of sonic vibration, melodic chanting, traditional instruments, modern digital instruments and the power of the voice, to weave a tapestry created in magic. SUMMER 2017
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Expand and Grow Your Business Exhibit with us in 2017
June 3-5
Living Well in WA
Health and Wellness Festival November 3-5
Conscious Living Expo Celebrating 30 years of Expanding Consciousness
Join the event Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
APPLY NOW for Earlybird Rates & receive your FREE guide to Exhibiting Success
/ConsciousLivingExpo
www.consciouslivingexpo.com.au