It has been a very busy year, and certainly an interesting one with the current circumstances in the world we live in.

Here at Discover it has been business as usual, doing what we do best and enjoying the amazing improvements that you are all making in your health and lifestyle choices. It never ceases to amaze me at how dedicated you all are and this inspires me to keep educating and sharing our knowledge every day.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support. As we move into the New Year of 2009 please continue to contact us to let us know what pleases you, and also wherever we can improve our services to assist you further in your journey. We do appreciate your feedback and encourage it with open arms. Our hours over the festive season will be as follows:

December 23rd 2008 – closing for business at 6pm.
January 12th 2009 – opening for business at 10am.

Do watch out for our new hours in 2009, as we see it essential to make ourselves more available to you all, therefore we have employed more naturopaths and will be offering longer opening hours, the exact times of this we are still working on.

As things get more frantic leading up to the holiday period, don’t let others stresses become your stress. Take time for yourself, keep happy and healthy. Embrace life and surround yourself with positive energetic people. It makes the journey so much more rewarding. Remember it is a season to be enjoyed and although there are additional stresses put upon us all – watch the children and see their excitement. It is infectious if you let it be.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous Christmas and New Year. I look forward to seeing you all in 2009.


Jen

Simple steps to keep healthy over the holiday period:

Laughter is the best medicine, this crucial activity helps to exercise and relax muscles, improves respiration, stimulates circulation, increases the production of pain killing endorphins, decreases the production of stress related hormones, enhances immunity and remember also that humour induces positive emotions that have beneficial effects in the absence of laughter.

Take regular time out to relax with regular activities such as yoga, meditation or simply taking time out to read a book or spend time with family and friends. Relaxation helps to increase the levels of chemicals in your brain that make you feel happy.

You are what you most “consistently” eat. The best way to achieve your goal of wellness is to consume a diet you can sustain for the long term. You will eat an average of 21 meals in a week, not everyone of those meals must be perfect. Allow yourself one or two meals a week to eat whatever you want and then go straight back to healthy eating for the next meal. By following the 7 healthy steps to healthy eating you will be on track to staying well over the holiday period.

• Include protein rich foods in each meal or snack ie fish, seafood, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy, soy and legumes
• Enjoy a minimum of three cups of fresh vegetables daily
• Enjoy 2 pieces or one cup of fresh fruit every day
• Limit starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potato
• Include nuts, seeds, avocado and healthy oils in your diet
• Drink around 30ml per kg of body weight of water each day to stay hydrated, natural flavours such as fresh lemon, lime and mint in water can be used
• Enjoy a freedom meal once a week to maintain a wellness based lifestyle

Ensure to get regular exercise to keep stress levels at bay, increase fat metabolism, improve cellular energy, improve sleep and the feeling of wellness. A minimum of 45 minutes 4-5 x a week is recommended. Make the most of the summer and get outside and stay active.

Enjoy the summer sun, the Vitamin D that it brings with it, the smiles and fun of Christmas, the full feeling of over indulgences, the first swim of the season, the time off with family and friends and most of all enjoy your health and happiness.

Tea of the month:

Christmas Cookies
A perfect Christmas companion: black tea together with sweet cinnamon, spicy coriander, cardamom, cloves, pepper and orange make this delicious taste experience a must-have mild yuletide treat.

Also please check out our range of tea wares, vouchers, skin care ranges and hair care which are available for great Christmas gifts.

Recipe of the month:
 

Buffalo Mozzarella and Capsicum salad

Ingredients:
1 large red capsicum
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 fresh buffalo mozzarella
½ bunch Italian basil

Method:
To prepare capsicum, rub the skin with olive oil and place on a hot grill. Keep turning as it cooks until blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover. Leave to steam for 30 minutes. Peel, de-seed and slice capsicum into thin strips. Dress with oil, vinegar and seasoning and set aside. To assemble the salad, cut mozzarella into 1cm slices and arrange in a large dish. Shred basil over the top and add capsicum strips. Finish with a little oil, vinegar and salt.
Serves 4
Ideal to serve with BBQ or roast Turkey, fresh seafood or Christmas ham

This month’s favourite food:

Strawberries

These great fruit for the season are high in antioxidants making them very protective against many of the ageing conditions such as heart disease and cancer as well as lessening the effect of COX (an inflammatory chemical in our system) which in turn helps to decrease inflammation. Inflammation is the biggest pre cursor to disease known to man so anything to reduce this is fabulous.

Strawberries are also known for their protection against macular degeneration (loss of sight), and consuming them regularly will go a long way in assisting with prevention. Being high in Vitamin C strawberries are also protective for the immune system, cardiovascular system and adrenal glands. Ensure to get a good intake of these over the summer season.