Spoonie Mag Issue 2

issue 02

april 2021

Spoonie

community | compassion | connection

Acknowledgement of Country In the spirit of reconciliation Spoonie Mag acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Disclaimer This magazine is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

On the cover

Jessica Grimshaw @allaboutselflove_ Jessica is a mental health advocate and artist. She centres her work on the themes of self care, body positivity and mental health.

01

issue 02

contents april 2021 04 MONTHLY FEATURES This month we share some of our favourite pick me up tracks in our 'self care' playlist.

07 WHAT WE'RE LOVING A collection of things we're loving this month.

10 ARTICLES This month we hear from Chelsea Turner, Amanda Millie, Johanna, Steff Di Pardo and Talia Miele.

17 MEDITATION Katya offers her self love meditation, written specifically for people with chronic illness.

18 RECIPES A range of savoury and sweet dishes perfect for when cooking is on the self care agenda.

22 ART CELEBRATING SELF CARE

Check out our artist feature: Bella Michie.

02

Self Care To our dearest readers, we bring you this issue with the kindest and most gentle of intentions. We introduced you to our publication with the theme of community but now we invite you to turn inwards. It's important to ask ourselves, what do we truly need and how can we make it happen? No matter where you are in life, what you're facing or where you're going, as much as we have community we have ourselves. We truly have the capacity to be our own best friend with a little self care, love and patience. In this issue we bring you a range of approaches to self care from members of our community, our fave 'pick me up' tracks, a meditation and as always some delicious recipes.

Whether this issue reminds you of something you already knew, teaches you or just allows you to stop and breathe for five minutes. We hope it serves you.

Lots of love, Chronic Hope =

03

MONTHLY FEATURES

THIS MONTH WE BRING YOU: A self care playlist curated by us Our top 6 songs from the playlist 04

MONTHLY FEATURES

06

Music is inherently connected to mood. When we're sad we may find ourselves lying in bed to a backdrop of slow, sad lyrics. As we prepare to go out, we may be trying our best to bop along to an upbeat 'pick me up' track. No matter what your mood, music always has your back. So, if you're reading this in silence and are in need of a little 'pick me up', now might be a good moment to open Spotify and search 'Chronic Hope'. We've put together all our favourite songs for when in need of a mood boast! In fact, listening to upbeat and positive music is particularly useful when faced with chronic illness.

"Pleasurable music may lead to the release of neurotransmitters associated with reward, such as dopamine."

(Heshmat, 2019) and subsequently helps to relieve stress and fatigue. Obviously, music is no quick fix but it definitely can at least lift our moods while we push through the day.

05

OUR TOP 6

MONTHLY FEATURES

Our top 6 songs from Chronic Hope's 'Self Care' playlist. Available on our Spotify.

WONDER

LOSE SOMEBODY

HIGHER LOVE

Wonder by Shawn Mendes is a powerful contemplative track about his life and the society around him.

Kygo and OneRepublic join together to sing about the powerful realisation that comes with leaving someone to self reflect -to know that you truly loved them.

Kygo remixed 'Higher Love' with Whitney Houston's vocals recorded back in 1989 which sang about yearning for a powerful kind of love (including one with yourself).

WOKE BLOKES

PRETTY LADY

"I woke up this morning and felt new" - Thelma Plum.

Filled with rather honest and unapologetic lyrics, Thelma embraces her individuality and differences.

"Pretty lady Where you going so fast?". Tash Sultana presents a friendly and uplifting beat that invites you to slow down and embrace the moment.

INNER VOICE Inner Voice by Sampa the Great is filled with thought provoking statements, words 06 and embracing self-love.

06

WHAT WE'RE LOVING The Self Care Kit

The Self Care Kit envision a world where self care is apart of everyone's daily routine. With this in mind, they have designed a range of kits that make self care easy. Their goal is to shift attention away from ‘quick fix' products, and focus on creating real change from within. Inside the kits you'll find a 'me time' journal, colouring books, stickers and an affirmation stand. We love how cute these kits are!

Face Theory

Facetheory believes that beauty should be cruelty-free. We love Facetheory because they put their money where their mouth is when it come to sustainability, quality skin care and affordability. Most of their products come in amber glass jars with aluminium caps and the order is packed with biodegradable materials.

They tailor the products to your individual skin care needs through the 'build routine' feature on their website, making it one of our favourite skin care products out there.

Pocket Frida Kahlo Wisdom Book Inspirational quotes and wise words from a legendary icon. We love this pocket sized book that is super fun and easy to carry around with quotes to motivate, inspire and provoke deep thought. One of our favourite quotes in the book is "Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away".

Photo credit: Refinery29.

07

Self Care Checklist Things to do in your spare time

Stretch your body Hydrate yourself Pay yourself a compliment Write in a journal Take some long breaths Clean your space Give yourself a phone break Meditate

Total:

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$0.00

08

STORIES: THE RAW AND HONEST TRUTH

My greatest struggle led me to my greatest strength Chelsea Turner is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) in training, wellness blogger, and autoimmune warrior, who is deeply passionate about living life to the fullest and empowering others to do the same. Her goal is to guide women along their healing journey and help them restore balance within, so that they can find their healthiest, happiest, and most vibrant selves.

Connect with her on Instagram at @chelseaturnerwellness, or on her website where she shares her approach to healing, along with recipes and wellness tips for a nourished body, mind and soul.

I will never forget the day I received the answers I had so desperately been searching for, although they weren’t the answers I wanted to hear. After years of suffering with confusing and oftentimes debilitating symptoms, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and my world as I knew it instantly turned upside down.

When I close my eyes, I can still picture that awful day. I felt helpless, cold and numb as my doctor explained that I had an incurable disease. The more I listened, the more his words became muffled, like the adult voices on Charlie Brown, “mwa-mwa-mwa.”

I was told I would need to be on medication for the rest of my life, that nutrition and lifestyle changes would make no difference in my symptoms, but that I could still live a “normal” life. And with that, I was sent on my way.

"But I didn’t want to live a 'normal' life. I wanted to live the abundant life I dreamed I would."

What followed were some of the most difficult years of my life, filled with anger and a deep sadness. The heaviness of the emotions went beyond any of the physical pain I have experienced from this disease.

It was as if my soul was an inflatable pool that had just been pricked with a pin. Overtime, I felt my hopes and dreams for the future slowly drain out, until what was left of me was a shell of the person I once was. Those hopes and dreams were replaced with bitterness and resentment as I mourned the life I once had.

09

I woke up each morning dreading the day ahead. I was in pain, I was tired of fighting, and I desperately wished I could change the circumstances.

Over the years, my health continued to struggle as I battled various health challenges including Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), polycystic ovaries, dysbiosis, parasites, heavy metals, lyme disease, and mold toxicity.

In early 2020 I hit rock bottom. I knew I couldn’t go on living this way. I knew something needed to change.

That’s when I set the intention to shift my mindset, to change the narrative.

I stopped asking myself, why is this happening to me? and starting asking myself questions like why is this happening FOR me? and what is this experience trying to teach me?

"I channeled all my energy into focusing on self love and acceptance, and in doing so, I realised I had all the power within me to create a life filled with abundance, despite the circumstances."

For the first time, I realized I had a choice. I could choose to wake up each day filled with self-pity and resentment, or I could choose to find the beauty in this life I have been given, and to see these challenges as gifts leading me to my greater purpose.

"I stopped drinking alcohol and nourished my body with nutrient-dense whole foods. I let go of limiting beliefs, cut out toxic people from my life, and worked to heal emotional traumas."

After several weeks of putting in this daily work, I started to feel a heaviness lifting off of me, and a truly beautiful thing happened. Not only were my symptoms improving, but I also felt my inspiration, my joy, my livelihood flooding back to me. It was during this time that I discovered a relentless passion within me. Not only did I want to heal myself, but I wanted to help others like me who were lost on their journey to wellness.

I started sharing my personal story on my Instagram and blog. I found a sense of community, and the drive within me to help others grew stronger and stronger.

Looking back over the last decade of my life, I now see that if it were not for my darkest moments, I would not be where I am today. I may not even be here at all. I would not be feeling the best I have in years, belong to such a tight knit community of chronic illness warriors, or be pursuing my passion to help others.

Ultimately, my greatest struggle led me to my greatest strength, and for that I am forever thankful.

I let go of the identity I held onto of being 'sick' forever, and believed with every ounce of my being that healing was possible.

I dove deep into research. I read, listened and absorbed as much information as I could find on healing. I improved my mental wellness by practicing gratitude, journaling, and meditation.

- Kia

10

“There are days I drop words of comfort on myself like falling leaves and remember that it is enough to be taken care of by myself.”

–Brian Andreas

11

5 Ways To Practice Self Love When You Don’t know Where To Start!

Words by Amanda Millie @mandsmillie

We are living in such strange times at the moment. Times that none of us could’ve ever predicted. Going through a pandemic has had major impacts on a lot of lives, so it’s very normal to feel a little (or a lot) out of sorts.

In the past year we’ve seen tremendous loss. Relationships have suffered and life as we know it has changed significantly. Add being chronically ill to the mix and days start feeling longer and heavier.

Having to live with pain on a daily basis can make it really hard to practice self love.

I think there is a misconception that self love is this beautiful and simple thing that we can do for ourselves and suddenly everything is magic!

Unfortunately for a lot of people, that’s not exactly true. Most times we don’t know where to start or how to practice self love in a way that is measurable.

So here’s 5 ways to practice self love when you don’t know where to start.

1. Make time to switch off, get grounded and quiet your mind.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the doing-ness of the lives we lead.

The internet, social media, the news and just everyday life, makes it so easy to focus on things other than yourself. Set an alarm (even just 510mins) to check in with yourself.

This can look different for a lot of people. Walk in nature, meditate, have a dance around your kitchen...you get the idea.

2. Set healthy boundaries for yourself and your relationships.

Boundaries are so important and an essential part of living a healthy life. I consider them a huge act of self love because when you set boundaries, you are clearly saying, this is what I’m ok with and these are the things I won’t tolerate. It shows a level of respect for yourself and your space.

If you’re not used to setting boundaries this can be challenging at first. It’s like a muscle, the more you practice and work it, the stronger it gets.

Amanda Millie is addicted to living up to the best version of herself. Perfectly imperfect and biohacking her way to live more consciously, healthier and longer so she can be a present mama for her kids and herself.

3. Let go of toxic relationships.

Anyone who makes you feel less than amazing doesn’t deserve to be in your life. It’s important to surround yourself with people who are able to show the love and respect you deserve.

4. Practice Gratitude Gratitude helps to shift perspective really quickly. We are all human and have down days, that’s just a part of life. Finding things to be grateful for everyday really helps to shift your energy about the life around you.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Reaching our to friends, family, colleagues or your community and asking for support is an act of self love. We are not designed to be solitary creatures and you are definitely not expected to go through hardships alone.

Bonus tip!

Get creative! Have fun! Go out there and do the things that make you happy. Celebrate yourself and live your life on your YOUR terms.

12

STORIES: THE RAW AND HONEST TRUTH

How I turned negativity and selfcriticism to positivity and loving life I got diagnosed early on as a child with many chronic illnesses but it wasn’t until my twenties that my mental health really took a deep dive.

After symptoms of reactive arthritis worsened, I lost mobility and was going to the doctor nearly every week without ever really knowing what was wrong with me. I was home all day long for months and all I had was hours upon hours to think about my circumstances and what was happening to me. I had not started university yet, so I was faced with the fact my new physical boundaries would limit my career options.

I felt like there was no future for me, so I stopped thinking, completely. What I did instead was watch tv series.

"As an empath with a vivid imagination, I would live through the characters, cry their pain instead of my own, anything to stop thinking about my life."

Words by Johanna @chronicallyjohanna

I didn’t exactly want to get better because I knew I’d have to face some serious demons and relive the darkest period of my life. But I was wise enough to understand, that if I didn’t do the work, I would pass my behavior on to any future children.

So I begun the work. And boy it hurt! When I had to face accepting my illness, it was the toughest mental work I’ve ever done. I was depressed and cried for weeks for the opportunities and for the life I might have had.

It’s now my third year in therapy and I've achieved so much. It was truly the greatest form of self-care I ever did for myself. I took a hard look and did the work.

Later I learned what happened to me was called disassociation.

I am now able to create boundaries, take care of myself, have a career and a fitness hobby. I’m living my life instead of just being a living body in front of tv! I crave positivity and instead of looking at the bad I concentrate on the good.

It took me eight years to finally receive a diagnosis (ankylosing spondylitis) and two more years, after facing burn out and being laid off, to finally accept the fact I needed help.

Chronic illness is not a death sentence! It is possible to live a full life, so please, remember to take care of your mental health as well as your physical wellbeing.

I went to a psychiatrist and he offered to set me up with a psychologist.

13

Self-care is different for everyone

Words by Steff Di Pardo @totallyfunkless The topic of self-care is something that’s talked about a lot in mainstream media these days. Grab a face mask, take a bath, give yourself a mani-pedi and drink some lemon water.

What I’ve realized though, is that self-care is completely different for everyone. There seems to be some grand idea that all we need is a face mask to feel better. As a person with a chronic illness, I highly disagree with that idea.

Sure I guess a face mask and a mani-pedi would feel fine, but it doesn’t exactly help me feel better.

I want to share some things that I do for self-care that aren’t considered to be part of the mainstream idea of self-care but are to me.

1.Lying in bed and watching YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, etc.

Some people would consider this 'lazy' and 'unproductive', but when I’m going through a pain or fatigue flare, this is all I need. I just lie in bed and get comfy, and watch some content that will distract me from the pain and fatigue for a while. Maybe I’ll take a nap, who knows!

2. Taking a bath - Okay, I’ll give it that, I do love baths. Baths are super helpful for my pain and just de-stressing after a long day or a bad morning. I make sure the water is nice and warm because heat always helps me the most, sometimes I use Epsom salts or bubbles, and maybe even a bath bomb!

3. Journaling - I find journaling really helps me. Lately, I’ve been writing down a positive affirmation, followed by my feelings and thoughts for the day.

At the end, I write down a small to-do list and that’s it. I haven’t had a whole lot of energy lately to write too much, so I find that this is a good journal exercise for the levels of energy I’m willing to spend on journaling every day.

Getting my thoughts and feelings out on paper always helps me feel better.

These are some of my ideas for a nice self-care day for me. Keep in mind that everyone’s idea of selfcare is different, and what works for someone else may not work for you and that’s okay! You need to find what makes you feel better and do exactly that.

14

Self care the Spoonie way Words by Talia Miele @taliamiele

You can’t buy self-care. Well... you can, but it’s not the only way to wrap your hands around the all-important practice of finding balance.

After more than two decades of illness, I’ve learned to recognize a tightening in my throat and chest when I’ve been “pushing through” for too long.

To take a minute, a day, even a week to unchain ourselves from obligations and expectations can be more freeing than that moment our meds kick in (you know that moment I’m talking about). Our illnesses are pervasive in our daily life. There is no denying that. So, shouldn’t we make the counter efforts of self-care equally ubiquitous?

It happens when I haven’t allowed myself the time to fully inhale, with eyes closed and a quiet mind. I’m out of balance. Myriads of posts and articles are devoted to detailing ways, both big and small, luxury and affordable, to indulge in self-care. But I’d like to propose a different way of caring for oneself, a Spoonie way.

If we look at self-care as more than bubble baths and facials, deeper than manicures and massages, an unending catalogue of options unfolds in front of us.

By expanding the definition, we can better see all the ways to treat ourselves with the devotion we deserve. There lays the opportunity to grant ourselves balance.

Although we can’t force ourselves into a bubble bath when flaring makes bending down an impossibility, we can always wrap ourselves in the warm blanket of community. Asking for help is a powerful way to honor ourselves and revitalise. It doesn’t have to be through a direct conversation, the Millennial nightmare of picking up the phone to say, “Hey, I need support.” That can be harder than washing my hair on a flare day. But help from other Spoonies to lighten the emotional load of illness can be a genuine gift.

As we seek to regenerate our spoons, we choose to put more focus on the pieces of ourselves pushed to the back burner by life and illness. Often those pieces are our mental and spiritual health.

I’m not talking about religion, but the ability to feel a sense of peace and breathe in deeply, however momentarily.

Asking for help is a powerful way to honor ourselves and revitalize. Selfcare comes in many forms, and vulnerability just is one.

So, how can strangers on Instagram help lighten the load?

The answer is empathy.

15

Recently, I had a panic attack during an MRI.

Nobody is better suited to listen than someone for whom no explanation is necessary. No scene has to be set before venting. Spoonies get Spoonies.

Although it wasn’t the first time, I was still disheartened and disappointed. Surprised it happened again, I couldn’t shake off the overwhelming sense of defeat within myself.

Rather than DM or call a Spoonie friend one-on-one, I posted a sarcastic and selfdeprecating Instagram story about the incident.

Somehow, I knew posting about it wasn’t so much self-indulgent as a roundabout way of asking for support.

My inbox was filled with sweet messages of love, stories of similar experiences, and tips to deal with it better next time.

But what made me truly grateful was the compassion around medical trauma and its effects, even after 23 years of Primary Fibromyalgia.

Feeling heard and so easily understood regenerated the energy and drive needed to push through another day. I had a new level of revitalization empowering me to stand up straight, inhale, and keep going.

Self-care comes in many forms, and vulnerability just is one.

When I take a leap, or even fall by accident, this community is there to catch me like a wide net. In my experience, fellow Spoonies have arms outstretched and are ready to use all their strength to bring me, and you, back to standing (something I’m all too willing to reciprocate). Once I can get my feet securely back on the ground, I can breathe again and see I’m right where I’m meant to be.

The trick is knowing when we need the care of others to help find our footing again.

16

self love M E D I T A T I O N Katya (@positivelychronictravels) is an advocate in the chronic illness community who shares tips for traveling with chronic illness and general management strategies.

Through her mediation she takes us on a journey to self love.

HOW TO LISTEN:

-Download the 'Insight Timer- Meditation App' off the App Store -Search positivelychronictravels on the app

Click here to go directly to the meditation 17

healthy and easy breakfast pancakes ingredients 1 banana 1 egg 1/4 cup oats 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp baking soda with a pinch of salt oil or butter for greasing

instructions Begin warming up a frying pan over a low heat.

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Blend until smooth (you want a runny consistency but not too watery, you can add a dash of milk if it's too thick).

Grease the pan with a little oil or butter.

Pour enough mixture into the pan to make your desired pancake size.

Cook over a low heat, flipping when bubbles form on the surface.

Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Serve pancakes with your choice of toppings e.g berries, cacao nibs, maple syrup or honey.

18

LOADED HEALTHY LUNCH BOWL This lovely light bowl of goodness contains the following: lettuce, carrot, baby tomatoes, salmon, almonds, mixed nuts and seeds RECIPE BY@LYDSHEALINGFOODIE 19

Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe by @princesspoorly

The Ingredients 1 Chicken Breast 1 tbsp of Olive Oil 1 Carrot peeled and chopped into cubes 1 Stalk of Celery chopped into cubes 2 tbsp of Leek (green parts only) chopped finely.

1 tsp of Thyme 500mls of Low FODMAP, chicken stock (I used Massel) 500mls of Water 1 medium sized Potato A small handful of gluten free noodles/pasta (I used spaghetti and it worked a treat!)

Salt and Pepper to taste Spring Onion to garnish

Procedure Start by heating a large pot over a medium heat begin to fry off the carrot, celery, leek and thyme in olive oil.

Once the vegetables have slightly softened add the chicken stock, water, salt and pepper. Allow this mixture to simmer for a few minutes. Add the chicken breast whole to the stock and vegetable mixture. Make sure that the chicken is fully covered by liquid so you can add more water if you need to. Allow the soup simmer for around 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove the chicken breast from the pot and carefully shred it, using two forks. Then add the shredded chicken back into the soup and allow the mixture to continue to simmer. Peel and grate the potato and add this into the soup as well, stirring to combine.

Lastly chop the noodles or spaghetti of your choice in half and add them to the soup. Cover and simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until the noodles are fully cooked. Once the soup is ready, serve warm and garnish with spring onions.

20

“Invent your world.

Surround yourself with people, colour, sounds, and work that nourish you.”

-Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

21

ARTIST FEATURE

Bella Miche @bellamichieart Throughout my life I’ve always struggled with my mental health, specifically my self image. For some reason I could always see the beauty in other people's forms except my own. I found myself particularly struggling during quarantine, last year when I was living in Madrid and we were constantly in and out of lockdown. However, it was only recently during my month long hotel quarantine upon returning to Australia, that I rediscovered my passion for art. Being isolated in my home country, away from any other human being was extremely difficult. I found my mental health deteriorating, especially in relation to my self image. Being unable to exercise in the same way I used to, my body changed, which was a difficult thing to accept.

Fortunately enough I had a good support system, including friends who dropped off art supplies. It was in this time I start exploring body image, and how we use it to express emotion. I explored the different ways light hits a figure, observing their curves and shadows.

Previously I had always stayed away from colour in my works, finding it too intimidating. However, in my solitude I discovered a newfound confidence in my abilities. Who cares if I experiment with colour, no one is around to see it. Slowly my art became more abstract and colourful, focusing on expressing emotion rather than realism.

Through my art I found a sense of contentment, which I hope to provide to those who view it.

22

Spoonie Mag is a creative and resource filled space for the chronic illness community.

If you would like to share your story, art, recipes, etc.

Send us an email at: spooniemag@chronichope.org

Please show your support by following and liking our socials! @chronic_hope @house0fhope Chronic Hope Chronic Hope House of Hope chronichope.org

Chronic Hope 608 Harris Street Ultimo NSW 2007 https://www.chronichope.org

From the team at