Recharge Your Body’s Batteries
Our body is made up of energy which also means it can get depleted. Just like using your phone all the time there comes a time when you have to recharge the battery. Learning how to recharge our body's batteries for longevity, health and balance would be a wise thing...
19 Ways to Use Vital Food’s Organic Colloidal Minerals
When people think about getting their daily intake of minerals, they generally think about a tablet – it’s quick and easy but it’s not the best source. Besides being made in a laboratory they are usually filled with binders, flavours, additives and stabilisers! More...
The Assault on your Pineal Gland.
Recently the pineal gland has been getting some airplay and more so on the side of the assault it is under. Has your mum or dad ever said to you ‘I have eyes in the back of my head?’ Mine used to! That ‘eye’ has to do with your pineal gland sometimes referred to as...
The Neurological Benefits of Hugging
Hugging has immense neurological benefit - it helps to strengthen your immune system, increase your circulation and calm your sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve systems as well as give you a sense of belonging and a feeling of being safe. And... the longer you hold...
Why I Stopped Wearing Sunglasses
Just over a year ago I decided to ditch the sunglasses… just stop wearing them. I did it because I asked myself this question. Why am I wearing them? I remembered when I was young and mum got some sunglasses I put them on and immediately took them off saying ‘how can...
Butter Is Better Than Margarine!
Hands down butter is better than margarine. Prior to moving we used to have a share in a cow which gave us pure, raw, unpasteurised and unhomogenised cream from which we would make nutritious and delicious butter! Butter with salt and dulse flakes, basil and garlic...
30 WAYS To Use Vital Food’s All Natural Liquid Magnesium
When people think about magnesium they generally think about a tablet. It's not often that people look to food or natural sources of magnesium to boost their intake. Let's face it the diets of the standard person around the world is lacking in magnesium and one of the...
Homemade Organic Deodorant
What is it about commercially bought deodorants that people are attracted to? Is it the smell or that 'it works.' I don't know about you but I ask our kids friends, especially the boys friends, to not spray their deodorants in the house because we all get immediate...
Healthy Benefits of Cacao Nibs
How many times have you been told chocolate is not good for you? I bet many times. However, the number will also depend on what 'healthy' circles you move in. Those that know... know that chocolate is loaded with wonderful health properties which can benefit the body...
Sports Drinks, Electrolytes and Your Health
If only more parents knew how to make their own sports drinks for their kids, packed full with electrolytes, from nature, their kid’s performance would no doubt be better and they’d recover faster! So… we are going to share a secret that we haven’t shared before.....
Nuts About Nuts
In our house we are nuts about nuts! There is never a jar far away that is filled with different nuts and it honestly feels like I am refilling them every couple of days. Nuts are our go to food for a quick top up, or to take the hunger away until dinner - especially...
The Magnificent You
It is not often that we sit and reflect on the internal workings of the body. When was the last time you thought about your heart beating or your food being digested? In fact some people never think about it. I would like to share with you the...
The Wonders of Coconut Oil
Who remembers those summer holidays walking past people on the beach and smelling the delight of coconut oil? I do and to this day the smell of coconut oil transports me back to my childhood. Coconut oil was fashionable back in the day at the beach or anywhere the...
Medical Obedience
When my blinkers were on I thought health was about how you felt … period. If your body looked and felt taut, tight and terrific and no signs or symptoms were present then, according to my world and the books I read, you were ‘healthy’. How naïve I was back then. I...
Iron Deficiency + Vitamin C
Iron deficiency is a very real health challenge for vegans, vegetarians, women with frequent and heavy menstrual cycles, pregnant women and those with a poor diet. Low iron contributes to a decrease in energy because less oxygen carrying red blood cells are produced...
Magnesium the Miracle Mineral
Magnesium is a mineral found in the sea, earth, plants and animals and has many vital roles in the human body. It helps plants with photosynthesis and acts as a metabolic reaction in animals. In our body the majority of magnesium is found in our bones approximately...
Zinc and the Common Cold
Zinc is an essential mineral in our body and is the second most abundant one to Iron. When you think zinc, you might think common cold and so only think of increasing your zinc intake every so often and perhaps usually on those seasonal changes. However, zinc is...
Why Colloidal Minerals are so Important to your Health?
If it’s not in the soil it’s not in your food! Colloidal Minerals lost from our farming lands leave our crops devoid of essential minerals required for good health. Now that we know the minerals are not in our food, where do we look to supplement our body needs? A...
Kids Health: What I Discovered
I remember almost a decade ago before nodding off to sleep I asked a simple question ‘If a child is in their physical body for the first 7 years of life, what comes next… after the physical body?’ I drifted off with an open and curious mind and woke in what seemed...
Nutrient Rich Goodies from the Ocean
Begin the year with some nutrient-rich goodies from the ocean. New year, new you?! Yep, it’s the time of year for New Year’s resolutions and after all the over-indulging of the holiday season it might just be time to look at how we can get some healthier foods back...
My First Trip EVER to a Medical Doctor at 17
I bet you were expecting Dr Sarah, my mum, to write this one but instead I am. I’m Dr Sarah and Dr Randall’s eldest boy and seeing this story is about me I thought why not be the one to write it! A little over a week ago a possibility was presented to my mum that...
Proprioceptive Walking and your Nerve System
To engage fully with your environment, you need to use all your senses… including a sixth one. We know all too well about the five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch but what about your sixth sense? Do you know what it is, how to stimulate it and how to...
The Invisible Danger: EMF’s and your Nerve System
With Apps, mobile phones and the faster 5G network coming out this generation of kids, and the ones that follow, are going to get bombarded with EMF’s. It’s important for us as parents to stay abreast of the changes and know the impact to their nerve system and our own.
Salt and your Nerve System
In our house we LOVE salt, we are salt junkies, we have it on almost everything we eat! However, if there were a top-10 list of minerals that have gotten a bad rap, sodium would be close to the top of that list. There are numerous reports and articles that malign this mineral to the point that people try desperately to rid it completely from their diet which is a dangerous action to take.
Sick or Health Expression?
Prior to bringing kids into the world my husband and I were living a great life – travelling and eating in great restaurants for close to eleven years. When we decided to have kids, we wanted to make sure we were congruent in our health beliefs and our health...
Are your hormones getting to you?
Here comes the hot flush! Those in the know understand what I am talking about. Perimenopause and menopause are like birthing, you don’t know what it’s like until you actually go through it! And when you are going through it you want your best friends on your side to...
The Oxymoron of Junk ‘Food’
I was writing an article the other day and whilst writing it prompted me to ask myself ‘what is food?’ Remember the quality of your life is based on the quality of your questions and so I went digging to see if I can bridge this gap between what food actually is and...
Diabetes: What’s the missing leg?
Diabetes is getting a lot of airplay with the ever-increasing obesity rates and subsequent diagnosis. However, is it all to do with genetics, sugar, junk food and perhaps a lack of movement? When I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s diabetes was little known, you...
Vital…it’s all in the word!
The word “vital” is one I find myself using daily, and not just because it’s in our business name (Vital Wellbeing), but because it sums up so much about what we do and the philosophy by which we live our lives. But what exactly does it mean? And why is it so...
The Souvenir Sonogram
It doesn’t look like the Ultrasound industry is going to ‘die off’ anytime soon. Indeed, the industry is forging ahead with its new 3D imaging wanting to capture those ‘first moments’ for you and for a few dollars more they’ll put the images to video with lullaby music. For once I agree with the FDA that this is a potential health hazard for women and child.
Nutritious Food whilst Traveling…in the Air!
Once you have made the firm decision to change your eating habits, you will find many little tests along the way. These situations like parties and restaurants can present challenges however the biggest challenge of all lands when you decide to travel…by plane!
‘Raw Milk Fake Milk’
My sister and I used to walk to school, and as a treat to ourselves on the walk home we would visit the Clydesdale horse stables which were almost on the corner of Malvern Road and Glenferrie Road in Melbourne. It was a large stable with blue cobble stones and we'd...
7 Ways to Support a Well-functioning Immune System
Winter: time to rejuvenate. What? Usually people are encouraged to 'deaden' themselves in winter! We're told to get flu shots and raised to trust in over-the-counter medications, yet this means the cold, cough and flu hang around for longer than needed. So, yes,...
To Sneeze, Blow or Plug your Nose
When you look at the body as an intelligent being you'll see there are many patterns as to why people create opportunities to grow. For example, when growing up I was told to wear shoes and rug up when going outside in the cold or I would likely 'catch' a cold. As a...
Vital Wellbeing Top 10 Traditions With Kids!
Traditions are, for many of us, the things that mark the seasons of our life. For some, the traditions are an anchor to their family line and something to be cherished and passed on. However, there’s is a fine line between traditions and indoctrinated systems. If...
Words matter. Are you speaking the right words to communicate HEALTH to yourself and your child?
It's long been said that words are powerful, able to build up or cut down an idea in a heartbeat. Everything we create begins with a thought that is then communicated through words, actions or an image. With our health, it is valuable to consider that what we speak is...
Health: what are you teaching your children ?
Would you like to be healthier in the next 12 months? I’m hedging my bets you said ‘yes!’ However, do you have a plan to get there? We’re all good at wanting to write goals, but do you achieve them? For the majority of people, goals become a distant dream as...
Breast milk… ‘FOOD’ tailored to your child
Most mothers understand that breastfeeding is a natural, healthy choice for their child. Some mothers have no difficulty getting into the rhythm of breastfeeding, while others encounter challenges and may consider formula as an option. However, I know some mothers...
“Ear infections…glue ear….grommets…or wisdom?
When your little one is in pain with a recurring ear infection, your natural instinct is to find the quickest solution that seems to be effective.One option the medical profession offers is to have grommets inserted in your child's ears. Grommets are little PVC rings,...
Big Pharma or Self-sufficient?
Life's getting more convenient every year and statistics about increased life expectancy and 'stamping out disease' are proudly quoted. But is it really getting 'better' because of the pharmaceutical industry? Today, as parents, we have incredible choice in the way we...
Mummy Overwhelm
No matter how you look at it, being a mum changes your life. And what an amazing thing it is to care for another human being as they grow from infant to toddler, through childhood and the teenage years, and then to get to know them as an adult. Yet for a growing...
Why Lice Make Their Home In Your Child’s Hair!
"How can I get rid of lice… it is so annoying!" I bet my bottom dollar that as a parent or a health professional you have asked or been asked this question… many times. It's the same question asked by parents in different countries around the world – Australia, NZ,...
5 Ways to Double Your Health and Vitality
Let me ask you a question: "What controls everything in your body?" Hopefully, you answered the brain - that amazing computer in your skull that is made up of hundreds of billions of nerve cells. Every second of every day, your brain is sending and receiving thousands...
I’m Doing This For The Rest Of My Life…Will You?
I was told as a young tacker to eat my veggies because they were good for me; I did and still do. I was told to exercise because it was good for me and I still do that too. I ate and still eat my fruit because I was told it was good for me. I was also told to just...
You Don’t Medicate Your Children…Really?
For years I thought health was about how you felt. I would, as a child, be taken to someone to get something to take something away. Interestingly, however I was also taught by my father at the age of seven that I had all the answers inside of me all I had to do was...
The Significance of the “Wibbly” Tooth!
I’ve been guest blogging lately for a couple of sites and I’ve found myself speaking about teeth a lot hence the prompt to write down our Vital Wellbeing thoughts on teeth in a health alert. I have been mostly writing about a child’s transition from their physical...
Is Life Like The Truman Show? The Normalising Gaze
I was first introduced to the normalising gaze when I was very young, I just didn’t know it. As I progressed through life I continued to be unaware that it existed… until now. I was on a tram recently in Melbourne, Australia, my home town. As I sat I noticed a...
Yuck Wash Your Hands!
I was prompted to write this after a Face Book discussion on germs. I thought it futile to comment in the thread as there just wasn’t enough space! Most were alluding to germs being nasty, disgusting and need to be gotten rid of. It's understandable that parents wish...
The Bully or The Bullied What I Taught My Children
I have had people of late either emailing me or private messaging me on our Vital Wellbeing Facebook page about bullying. All correspondence had an underlying theme of "what do I do to support my child." Interestingly we recently had two bullying situations created...
What Your Child’s Behaviour Teaches You About Yourself!
Have you ever found yourself wondering where the child you once knew went? One day your child can make a decision and the next day they won't. Or one day they can tell you what they want for breakfast and the next day they can't? Have you ever wondered why this...
Teach Your Child To Read The Ingredients!
At times I feel like a giant ogre with my kids as I harp on about food and making wise choices. I am sure as a parent you have felt this at times too. I unapologetically say "No!" in front of people now if I feel the food offered is not appropriate. I'm no longer...
A Fence or An Ambulance?
This poem I first read back in 1998 and it has stuck with me. My memory of it was triggered the other day when having a conversation with a mum who was chasing symptoms rather than looking at the cause of the health expression she had created. It is a great reminder...
Are You In A Rush To Get Your Health Back?
Every process we go through requires time. Whether it is the aging process, the birth of a child, job promotions, graduating, or learning new skills like walking, talking or riding a bike. Reaching new milestones and new levels in understanding takes time. I imagine...
Birth Dystocia What You Need To Know!
When you're pregnant you get a whole lot of unsolicited information pouring your way, right? When I was towards the end of my pregnancy with my eldest I found myself listening to a lady in the aisle of our local Hy-Vee supermarket in the USA, rambling on to me about...
The Sun Are You Tired Of Being Told How Bad It Is?
As summer is fast approaching here in the southern hemisphere I thought it would be a great opportunity to write about sunscreens. It's certainly a great time to evaluate what's in the tube BEFORE you put it on! Did you know the Cancer Council of Australia in 1980...
Nature, Birth, Butterflies and Babies
A man watched a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. He watched intently and noticed the butterfly struggling with the process. The man thought: I should help the creature birth. Taking a pair of scissors, he cut through the chrysalis in the hope that it would help...
I had to have a Caesarian…
C-section rates are sky-rocketing and so too are the reasons people are being told to have a caesarean; major abdominal surgery. I have heard everything from: 'Your pelvis is too small', or 'too twisted' 'The baby is small and won't have the strength to birth...
What Keeps You Functioning?
So what keeps you functioning? I don't mean the "what" part of this in reference to a person that is keeping you organised. I mean what is "it" that keeps you functioning… on the inside? Have you ever thought about what "it" is? Most people think "it" comes to them...
Drug pushers are closer than you think!
In this Vital Wellbeing post I give you my "tell it like it is" approach in Drug Pushers are closer than you think. This is not an article for the faint hearted but one to "alert" you to the fact that they are right there. This may even spark some conversation, which...
Swelling And Ice Might Not Be So Swell!
This Vital Wellbeing blog is about physical injuries and bites! You might be saying what do they have in common. The answer… ice! How many times have you been bitten by an insect or a spider and how many times have you sprained something let’s say an ankle for the...
Water and Electricity the Two Don’t Mix or Do They?
There are many myths about water consumption and how much exactly we should drink. There is however one missing piece which I have not seen any one talk about which makes this Vital Wellbeing blog post unique in and of itself. So let's explore water… How much do you...
Got a cut? Lick your wound!
I am sure as a parent you've done the internal "Ouch!" as you've seen your child skidding off a bike! All children create opportunities for cuts and abrasions; whether it's falling off a bike, a scooter, a rock, from a tree, a skateboard or a surfboard. How you handle...
Fevers
A well known newspaper in New Zealand – The New Zealand Herald 1 – had an article heading last year which read “Don’t Use Paracetamol for Fever” when I read it I was celebrating. This is something I have been saying for decades, yes decades and those before me have been saying it for longer. A fever can be worrying too many parents, I hear that, and it is one of the most common reasons parents seek medical advice.
