CONTENTS

1. WEEK 6 CHECKLIST......................................................................................2

2. FERMENTED DAIRY VS MILK....................................................................4

3. REINTRODUCING BUTTER........................................................................7

4. EXPERT Q&A - RECALIBRATION BASICS..........................................10

5. EXPERT Q&A - STRESS & MINDFULNESS........................................13

6. THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MEDITATION.......................................22

7. 10 WAYS TO RELAX....................................................................................26

8. GELATINE 101...............................................................................................30

9. HOW TO MAKE BONE BROTH...............................................................33

10. MIXED BERRY GELATINE SQUARES.................................................35

11. THE HBF TEAM’S FAVOURITE BOOKS & PODCASTS.................36

WEEK 6 - RECALIBRATE

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WEEK 6 - RECALIBRATEYou guys did it! You’ve completed the Reset phase of the program and now it’s time to begin recalibrating. Before we do, let’s see what you guys have achieved in the last 5 weeks!

You have:

Cut out a lot of crap from of your diet

Introduced more nutrient-dense foods and lots of vegetables

Started drinking lemon water and more water in general

Given up alcohol for a month

Reduced caffeine - and even went without for a week

Monitored your sleep and implemented some new sleep improvement habits

Started moving regularly

Tried a new physical activity

Hopefully spent less time on your devices on Saturdays

Learnt how to cook new dishes

Cleaned out your pantry, started weekly meal prep and met your food vendors

Tried a new vegetable and a different type of protein

Met a bunch of fabulous people from around the world

And started taking charge of your own health

Remember that everyone’s journey is completely different. While some of you have experienced weight loss or improved digestion, others are relishing in the fact that they can now walk more, sleep a little better and know that their willpower is stronger than they ever thought it could be.

If weight loss is your primary goal, don’t be discouraged if it’s not dropping off as quickly as you want. Our nutritional expert Jad Patrick asked us to remind you that slow and steady = more permanent weight loss. So give it time and gauge your success by how YOU FEEL rather than what the scales show. In fact, maybe it’s time to throw away the scales.

Feeling more motivated to continue? Let’s do it.For the next 4 weeks, you will be getting more in tune with your body and learning what it likes and doesn’t like. Each week we’ll be reintroducing 1-2 new foods and monitoring how you re-act to them. The idea is to expand your current food arsenal without jeopardising your health.

We chatted with our nutritional expert Claire Yates about reintroductions and what you can expect. Please read our Q&A so you know how to monitor your symptoms.

If you know your sensitivities, feel free to omit those foods from the meal plan. If any of the foods are not agreeing with your body, you can remove them going forward.

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Week 6 Reintroductions Butter – After ghee (which is clarified butter), good quality butter is one of the least problemat-ic dairy products because of its high fat and low lactose and casein content. It’s also very nutri-tious! Read our article about butter further below.

Fermented dairy – The fermentation processes drastically reduce the amount of lactose (type of sugar) in the milk product. Many people sensitive to lactose can tolerate things like yoghurt, kefir and some cheeses. Read more about fermented dairy in the next article.

Alcohol – Take it easy. Stick to 2 units of alcohol per week (e.g. 150 ml glass of wine, shot of tequila with soda and lime). Feel free to avoid alcohol for longer if you like.

This week’s focus: Stress & Mindfulness

Read Week 6 material

Reintroduce butter

Reintroduce milk, yoghurt or kefir

Stick to 2 units of alcohol this week

Try to incorporate bone broth or gelatine

Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night

Grocery shopping for Week 7

Meal prep for Week 7

YOUG GOALS FOR WEEK 6

Stick to eating guidelines

20 minutes of exercise

Daily 10-minute meditation

Practice the 2-minute time-out rule

Eat meals slowly with no distractions

Make sleep a priority

Try a new relaxation activity/technique

Integrate more natural movement

Revisit your goals & your WHY

Share your experience with us

SOME OF YOUR DAILY TO-DO ITEMS

Daily 10-minute meditationWe would like you to begin meditating and make it into a daily habit. We recommend using an app called Headspace, which provides daily guided med-itations and has the potential to work for everyone. Start small and build up. You can definitely spare ten minutes from your day!

Practice the 2-minute time-out ruleTake a minute to close your eyes and breathe deep-ly, or sit quietly with your own thoughts. Do this every day, especially when feeling stressed or anx-ious. Two minutes might seem short, but sometimes that’s all it takes to mentally reset and make you feel less overwhelmed.

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FERMENTED DAIRY VS MILKAs we dig deeper into recalibration, we have a LOT to cover. When it comes to dairy, there’s simply more to it than just milk and butter. While many individuals will find that they don’t tolerate a cold glass of cow’s milk in the morn-ing, those same people might fare quite well with fermented dairy products.

• Yoghurt. This is probably the most com-mon type of fermented dairy. A quality yoghurt product will contain 2% milk fat and nothing else besides bacteria. Most commercial products are sweetened with added sugars in addition to fruits. Furthermore, most “healthy” yoghurt products are 0% milk fat. When search-ing for yoghurt, it’s best to seek out those with minimal ingredients. Another tip is to make sure that the product con-tains active cultures and the L.acidoph-ilus bacteria. The fermentation process eliminates many of the natural sugars found in milk making yoghurt a dairy choice with a lessened insulin response. ‘Pot set’ yoghurt is best.

• Kefir. Kefir is cultured milk made us-ing a starter culture in the form of ke-fir grains. You can make this at home by letting the milk ferment over 24 to 48 hours. It’s much like yoghurt, but the result is a thicker milk drink rather than a food. Kefir grains are colonies of beneficial yeast and bacteria that lend themselves to milk, or even water, when left to culture. When buyin kefir, you’ll likely come across the same dilemma as yoghurt: many brands have added

sugar. Seek out a plain variety or make your own at home. Kefir contains a lot more strains of beneficial bacteria than yoghurt.

• Sour cream. Most fermented dairy products are moderately sour which may be where sour cream gets its name from. This product is just what it sounds like – fermented heavy cream. Unlike yoghurt and kefir, both of which can be made from milk of any fat content, sour cream is very fatty – around 14% milk fat. You can make your own at home with a starter culture and grass-fed heavy cream or raw cream (if legal). If dairy is well tolerated, this fermented food can add a healthy boost of fat to your meal as a condiment.

• Aged cheeses. All cheeses are essen-tially made up of cultured milk, but aged cheeses have a longer fermentation process adding more flavour and nutri-ents. Non-fermented cheeses are sim-ply made by adding acid to heated milk while fermented cheeses require ageing and live cultures. These cultures feed on lactose in milk, making these cheeses easier to digest. Think Parmesan, aged Cheddar, Pecorino, Manchego or Comte.

TYPES OF FERMENTED DAIRY

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As a rule, the higher the fat content in the dairy, the lower its lactose content. This means that whole-fat yoghurt, kefir made from whole milk, sour cream, and most aged cheeses contain far less lactose than commercially made, reduced-fat/fat-free, non-fermented dairy products.

Furthermore, fermented dairy contains less lactose. The live cultures used to produce these foods feed on lactose (the sugars found in dairy), which lessens the amount found in the final product. For example, Greek yoghurt contains far less lactose than fat-free plain yoghurt, since much of the whey is strained resulting in its thick, creamy texture. Most hard cheeses contain very little lactose as well.

COMPARISON: LACTOSE CONTENT

The more time a dairy product has to culture, the more lactose is removed. This means the end result will likely be quite tangy, tart, or sour (due to the lack of milk sugars). Consuming fermented dairy – kefir, in particular – has even been shown to re-duce symptoms of lactose intolerance in some individuals, and even improve lactose digestion. The reasoning behind this is that some of the bacterial cells in the intestine release enzymes and digest lactose.

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Fermented foods including fermented dairy products contain loads of benefits from the healthy bacteria and probiotic content.

BENEFITS OF FERMENTATION

• Fermented foods balance stomach acid, which helps digestive upsets caused by having either too little or too much acidity.

• Fermentation makes those not-so-easily digested properties of dairy highly digest-ible.

• Fermentation preserves the nutrients in foods. When we seek out quality foods that are naturally fermented, we’re receiving both quality and quantity nutrition.

• The probiotics can help to improve digestion, slow and reverse disease, improve immunity, and keep good bacteria thriving in the gut.

• The digestive enzymes help you to absorb nutrients more efficiently by increasing their bioavailability. In conjunction with a healthy diet, this helps you to maximize the nutrition benefits from the food you eat while eliminating the need for supplements and vitamins.

• Fermented foods have a longer shelf life. While this isn’t necessarily a health bene-fit, it does benefit your budget and fridge, especially with easily perishable foods like dairy.

Reintroduce fermented dairy separately from other reintroduction foods.

REINTRODUCTION

• Avoid dairy with high lactose content. Instead, experiment with lactose-free milk varieties if available, and goat dairy, which inherently contains less lactose.

• Compare the effects of dairy versus those of fermented dairy; if you are lactose intolerant, compare symptoms or digestive distress from consuming plain dairy and consuming fermented dairy.

• Be aware of symptoms over the course of the next few days; they can occur within minutes for up to 72 hours afterwards.

• The most common reintroduction symptoms are minor discomforts such as bloating and gas. It has been shown that fermented dairy, specifically kefir, can lessen these symptoms, even in lactose intolerant individuals.

• If you experience severe symptoms, consult a medical professional.

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REINTRODUCING BUTTERAh, butter. There isn’t much that butter doesn’t make better. Hopefully, throughout the past couple of weeks, you’ve grown to love its clar-ified form – ghee! As you know, the difference in clarified butter is that the lactose and casein are removed, therefore causing no reaction to dairy. The water and milk solids are removed, leaving you with a source of pure, healthy fats.

Here are some healthy ways to include butter in your diet:

• Bulletproof coffee. Add ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter and ½ tablespoon of co-conut oil to your coffee. Blend with a splash of dairy-free milk and enjoy! The butter and oil add healthy fats, creaminess and texture, and help to slow down the release of caffeine (less jitters).

• Sweet potato. Or a regular potato – that’s up to you. It’s no secret that melting a pat of butter in a potato is the ultimate comfort food. The pairing of fat and starch makes for a lovely dinner side, and the fat helps to lower the glycaemic index of the starchy potato.

• Greens. Sauté your favourite greens lightly in butter to add creaminess and a rich, deep flavour.

• Scrambled eggs. There’s nothing like a breakfast of scrambled eggs cooked in but-ter. Consider keeping the heat lower so as not to burn the butter as you whisk the eggs. This will make them fluffy and luscious.

• Steamed veggies. If you’ve steamed your veggies, they’re lacking healthy fats! This isn’t a problem if you melt a pat of butter over the top. It takes boring, tasteless veg-gies to the next level in one fell swoop.

• Sauces. Whip up an herby butter sauce with fresh or dried herbs and use on meat after cooking.

WAYS TO USE BUTTER

Butter does contain a little dairy, which is why we eliminated it in the first place. In order to gauge your reaction to it, you should introduce it on its own. This means if you’re reintroducing rice and butter, you shouldn’t cook them together. Got it? But it’s fine over veggies or with foods that cause you no issues.

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GRASS-FED BUTTER VS. GRAIN-FED BUTTERYou should choose the best quality butter available. Kerrygold brand is a grass-fed butter that is widely available in most grocery stores. If you can source local, grass-fed butter, it’s likely worth the splurge. If you’re in the U.S., you can use this handy tool to find a farmer to purchase healthy butter from. While perusing the dairy section, look for words such as “pastured” and “organic”.

To further my case, grass-fed butter contains five times more CLA’s than standard butter sourced from grain-fed cows. What is CLA, you ask? Conjugated linoleic acid, of course! In its pure form, CLA is actually marketed as a fat-loss supplement. It also con-tains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which we need to balance out the more inflam-matory omega-6’s.

Grass-fed butter is a fantastic source of vitamin K2, which is attributed to lowering your risk of heart disease and decalcifying arteries. Overall, it’s a very protective vita-min. Butter is also an anti-inflammatory food due to the nutrient butyrate (a short-chain fatty acid). Finally, in countries where butter is sourced primarily from pastured cows, the heart disease risk is substantially lower.

All in all, butter isn’t so evil. Despite health claims that state saturated fat is bad for the heart, we’re defying logic all over the place the more and more its effects are studied. If you can tolerate butter, it’s a fantastic source of real food nutrition.

CASEIN AND LACTOSEA standard dairy product contains a perfect balance of fat, protein, and carbs. Con-ceivably, this means that you could live on the stuff – although nobody is likely to rec-ommend it. Butter falls under this category due to casein and lactose. These make up the 20% of the nutritional content in butter that isn’t fat. Casein is the protein found in dairy, and lactose is the sugar (carbohydrate).

Butter contains very little lactose while fermented, cultured, and clarified butter con-tain even less. The lactose content in butter may or may not be an issue for those who are intolerant, but the general consensus is that butter and goat dairy are often more easily digested than cow’s milk when it comes to lactose.

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Casein, the protein, is often poorly and slowly digested. This is where you might run into problems. It contains growth and immune factors, which can negatively impact your health. It’s one of the main reasons we choose to eliminate and reintroduce butter as it causes many of those problems we’re trying to identify: digestive distress, autoimmune flares, and inflammation. It’s similar to whey, considering both are dairy proteins.

Grass-fed butter is amongst the foods that are least likely to be problematic – unless you have a casein allergy. In that case, you may already be aware due to experiencing symptoms prior to our elimination. Even if you are sensitive to dairy, butter doesn’t contain all of the same properties as cow’s milk. Even so, it’s more likely to be con-sumed in lesser amounts; unless of course you’re into drinking butter by the cup (we do not condone this!).

• Digestive upset

• Bloating

• Acne breakouts

• Rashes or hives

• Brain fog

• Fatigue

• Mood swings

• Joint pain

• Autoimmune flares

COMMON REINTRODUCTION SYMPTOMS

Some of these symptoms indicate intolerance while more severe symptoms might indicate an allergy. If you have trouble breathing or experience vomiting during rein-troduction, you should seek medical help and avoid foods you may be allergic to. The only way to test allergies is through a skin prick done with your doctor.

If you DO have a minor negative reaction, you should consider eliminating butter for good. There are plenty of other sources of healthy fats that we have been using, and ghee can help to replicate that buttery flavour you miss out on.

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EXPERT Q&A – RECALIBRATION BASICS

Ah, the recalibration phase! This stuff can get tricky. That’s why we picked our expert Claire Yates’ brain on what you guys need to know be-fore and during your food reintroductions. Claire is a nutritional medicine practitioner and a for-mer lecturer in nutritional medicine, so she has a deeper understanding of the food we eat and its interaction with the body. She is also the author of Optimal Health The Paleo Way.

What is your best advice when reintroducing foods that were eliminated during the Reset phase?

The general rule of thumb is to reintroduce one to two ingredients/foods items a week at a time, starting off with a small amount on the first day and increasing the amount over the course of the week, while monitoring any reactions or changes in your mood or symptoms.

Make sure you are reintroducing individual ingredients or foods and not whole groups – as you might react to milk, but not some other dairy that has a higher fat content, like say cheese or butter.

This week and Week 7 of the program might be the time people should really look into ‘mindful eating’. As they start to expand their range of foods, they will get excited and may overeat, so by slowing the process down and really enjoying the experience they are less likely to overindulge.

If weight loss starts to stall, they may want to watch their portions of food, and stick to the recommended amounts of sauces and condiments, which can sneak up on peo-ple if they overdo them.

What kind of symptoms should people watch out for? Is there a timeframe during which these symptoms might appear?

You will usually notice symptoms over the course of the week and they may resemble the ‘detox’ symptoms – look out for things like headaches, bloating, skin irritations, mood changes, changes in bowel movements etc.

Cheese may bring on some reactions with people: obviously yoghurt and cheese may bring on ‘lactose’ type reactions – gurgling in stomach, runny or urgent stools, bad flat-ulence etc. However, hard cheeses like parmesan may also cause other reactions such as sinus congestion and histamine type reactions such as rashes on the skin, itchiness or a runny nose. This can also occur with alcohol reintroduction. This may not indicate an ‘allergy’ per se but is an indicator not to overdo these foods.

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Why do some people have food allergies or sensitivities?

True food allergies and food intolerances are very different and it is a very complex subject. A true food allergy is an immune response and can have very sudden and severe symptoms, such as anaphylaxis.

A food intolerance can be delayed and very subtle, and is caused by reactions to things like food additives, but also to natural chemicals in foods. These reactions can manifest as headaches, sleep disturbances, behavioural problems, skin irritations, and stomach upsets.

Food intolerances and allergies are on the increase due to changes in microbial ex-posure, compromised gut health and an increased pro-inflammatory diet. A perfect example of how to develop increased intestinal permeability!

Is it possible to eliminate sensitivity to a certain food after it’s been taken out of the diet for a period of time? Can your body’s reaction to a particu-lar food be reset over time?

It is possible to reduce food intolerances (not true food allergies) but I would recom-mend working with a health professional that specialises in gut health. It would in-volve testing gut microflora for imbalances, working on gut integrity and then slowly re-introducing the offending foods. Much like if a person reacts to foods containing FODMAPs – it is not about eliminating FODMAPs forever, but working on gut health and integrity so that those foods can be slowly reintroduced, as they are also benefi-cial for maintaining microbial diversity in the gut.

Cheese is very rewarding (in the biological sense, rewarding means ‘reinforcing’ – it has qualities that make you want to have more), so people may notice they start to crave it more as they reintroduce it. This is okay if they aren’t bothered by this, but for those with weight loss as a goal they may wish to add the cheese back in very slowly.

Occasionally, dairy can also have the opposite effect and cause constipation, so if peo-ple notice their bowels are more sluggish with dairy then they may wish to consume less of it and keep up their fibre intake.

If you are not sure about your symptoms or what foods might have caused them, you can always seek out professional help.

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What are some foods that people should avoid full stop, even if they are not sensitive to them?

It is really hard to talk in absolutes when dealing with the body and individuals. Most foods are really up to the individual to see how they respond – even particular grains when prepared traditionally may be all right for some people to consume, especially if it has been in their culture for a long time. However, I would obviously say I see no real need for anyone to consume junk food or overly processed foods!

How much caffeine or alcohol is healthy and why?Caffeine does cause a stress response in the body, causing cortisol to be released. It should be consumed in moderation (a maximum of 1–2 cups per day) and generally before lunch so as not to disturb your sleep. If you are using caffeine for an ‘energy boost’ or you are having ANY issues with your sleep, I would eliminate caffeine and see if it is the culprit.

The consumption of alcohol has been shown to adversely impact the tight gap junc-tions in the intestine, which may be implicated in the incidence of leaky gut – so again it will really depend on the individual. It also causes impaired absorption of nutrients; primarily B group vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and defi-ciencies in these vitamins can promote premature ageing.

Alcohol is also usually associated with excess empty calorie consumption. People drink mindlessly and when you actually start to track your alcohol intake…it is usually a lot higher than you imagined!

Drink occasionally and drink mindfully; and if you are going to enjoy a drink, make sure it is a really nice wine or beer that you love, and really savour and experience the flavours.

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Many experts believe that stress is possibly the number one contributor to the health concerns we have in our society today. Would you agree with that?In general, yes. At the very least, poorly managed stress is one of the primary culprits.

Firstly, when stress affects us, it can and often will do so through multiple pathways. There is of course the most evident psychological impact, but there are also potential health, physical, reproductive, cognitive and lifestyle effects of chronic stress.

Secondly, stress is self-reinforcing – i.e. being stressed begets more stress. Imagine this common scenario: your work schedule is hectic for several months of the year. There are numerous deadlines to make and people counting on you. Your work days are closer to 12 hours than eight, but you still have all the same responsibilities and social demands outside of work.

Why is stress so bad for us?

EXPERT Q&A – STRESS & MINDFULNESS

Stress. It’s a natural response that we all feel to varying degrees day to day, but when is enough enough? We asked stress and mindfulness expert Dr. Alessandra Wall, founder of Life in Focus coaching, psychologist and life coach, all about the types of stress, their impact on our health, and how to lessen the blow when life gets a little hectic.

Stress is not bad for you. Stress is simply your body’s response to perceived danger and threats. What we perceive as reactions to stress is actually our bodies and minds trying to adapt to and fend off dangers.

What is bad is chronic stress and un-attended stress. The above mentioned mechanisms were designed for short-term acute responses.

There are two main reasons why poorly managed, chronic, and unattended stress is so bad. And from this point forward, un-less otherwise stated, when I use the term stress, this is what I am referring to.

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What happens to our bodies when we get stressed?

This is from a post – Eating Clean, Working Out and Still Not Losing Weight? – that I wrote about the impact of stress on weight loss and physical fitness.

The stress response is designed to address acute physical and environmental threats.

When the body senses a threat (such as a predator), it secretes:

• Adrenaline to give you a quick boost of energy (so you can escape or fend off the threat)

• Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) which reduces your appetite (no one needs to feel hungry while outrunning a predator), immediately improves memo-ry and attention (so you can remember how to avoid said threat in the future) and drives the release of cortisol.

• Cortisol’s intended function is to help the body recover after an acute stress by increasing appetite, helping regulate the body’s use of macronutrients – which in this case means that it encourages the consumption of carbohydrates and helps metab-olize them into fat – and reducing the immune response. This mechanism is excel-lent in the face of short-term acute stressors and makes tons of sense.Every single one of these effects of stress is a new stressor in and of itself, which only makes you feel worse. A vicious cycle kicks in as stress leads to more stress.

You worry about performance and being able to keep up. You feel overwhelmed by all that you have to do (psychological).

As your body responds to this stress, your immune system is weakened so you get sick more often (health), your response to pain is heightened, your digestive system is a mess and to make matters worse, your skin starts to break out like a teenager (physical).

At night you struggle to sleep, both because of comfort issues and also because your mind can’t unwind (lifestyle).

As your brain and body are taxed by the extra energy requirements of fending off danger, not to mention the lack of good sleep, you find that you are more forgetful, less efficient in your problem solving and more prone to errors at work (cognitive).

Your partner wants sex, but it’s the last thing on your mind – even if you did have the energy (reproductive). To make all those deadlines, you stop going to the gym regu-larly, maybe even give up social time (lifestyle).

Every single one of these effects of stress is a new stressor in and of itself, which only makes you feel worse. A vicious cycle kicks in as stress leads to more stress.

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You are not running away from a mountain lion.

You are seated 10 hours a day and your stress comes from bills, a screaming two-year-old, or trying to make sense of why you didn’t get invited to the that party your friend posted about on Facebook.

This means, that you are not using the rush of adrenaline to run or fight. Instead, it’s just coursing through your body, making you feel jittery and on edge. You’re not eating regularly because of the CHR; but when you do get hungry, you are starving and it’s never the healthy stuff you crave.

Your body doesn’t really need to recoup through increased carbohydrate intake and fat storage, but it still goes through the motions; which means you crave foods that are high in simple carbs and fat, and you efficiently store that fat (mostly around your abdominal area), instead of burning it off.

Your stress is chronic.

And that means that the effects of cortisol are prolonged. What does a long-term excess of cortisol really do? It slows the production of testosterone, which eventually leads to decreased muscle mass.

It leads to chronic immune system suppression so you are more prone to disease and infections. It triggers appetite and increases blood sugar availability, which then in-creases insulin production, which over time can cause insulin resistance. It inhibits the body from burning fat for energy and promotes fat accumulation. And finally it can damage serotonin sites, which means you tend to feel down and in the dumps.

Most people associate stress with anger or frustration, but there are dif-ferent types of stressors, both mental and physical. What are some of the most common stressors people should be aware of?

THE most common modern stressor is our “work hard, play hard” mentality and lifestyle – specifically, being over scheduled (there is no distinction here between social and work schedules – too much fun is still too much), not getting enough sleep, unrealistic expectations for performance and achievement (again professional, ath-letic or social performance) and the social stress of FOMO (fear of missing out – also known as trying to keep up with the Jones’).

• Do you feel overbooked yet at the same time underwhelmed by the things you are doing?

• Are you ending most days exhausted, wondering when you will ever find enough time to do everything you think you should do and want to do?

• Do you worry about missing out and feel compelled to go out despite feeling tired and needing a night in?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are exposing yourself to a HUGE stress – and stress begets more stress.

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The most common environmental stressor is noise pollution and I will expand the definition of noise not just to auditory noise, but also visual noise. Being plugged in and on all the time prevents our brains from resting, processing daily information and thriving. Here is a quick article on the impact of noise of all kinds and how to build a short practice of doing nothing.

What are the main symptoms that you are stressed?

As mentioned earlier, stress can appear in a number of ways. Some of the most com-mon symptoms of stress are:

• Tension – from muscle pain, to headaches to feeling tight and balled up.

• Mood swings – Irritable much? Chances are you are stressed. Crying at the drop of a hat? Stressed. Can’t handle the most common upsets in your life? Stressed.

• Feeling tired and overwhelmed despite getting enough sleep.

• Sleep issues – this can range from struggling to fall asleep to waking up before your day starts and worrying or not being able to go back to sleep. Sleep is a great indica-tor of functioning. If your sleep patterns change either to eithereatin too little or too much, check with yourself.

• Craving carbs all the time – remember the effect of cortisol. Assuming you have your eating pretty much under control, a sudden and strong craving for doughy, sweet or crunchy salty foods can be a sign of stress.

• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy – from sex to hanging out with friends, foods you loved, to your favourite pastime. If you lose interest in things you used to enjoy, this is usually a sign of chronic and serious stress (get help from friends, family and professionals as necessary).

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Is there such a thing as good stress?There are all kinds of different stresses. There are environmental stressors (traffic, noise, bad weather), physical stressors (being sick, in pain, IBS…), emotional stressors (grief, depression, anger, guilt, shame, you name it – negative feelings are stressful to experience), and lifestyle stressors (a demanding workplace, living in a city, a busy social schedule).

There is bad stress – see all the things I mentioned above. There is good stress – such as getting married, buying a house, moving in with someone you care about, becom-ing a parent, being pregnant and even the stress of training hard.

How we perceive our stressors also plays a huge role in how they affect us. For ex-ample, two people caring for an elderly relative experiencing the same stress will be impacted differently based on their perception of this stress. When the stressor is perceived as burdensome and an imposition, it is correlated with greater health is-sues and a higher mortality rate. The same is not true for someone who perceives the stressors as something they care or want to do.

The thing with stress is that – good or bad – it needs to be addressed, and life should be adjusted to the toll that stress takes on it.

How does stress contribute to the ageing process?I do understand that chronic and prolonged stress is associated with ageing. I have read that the mechanisms for this include a potential speeding up of telomeres – DNA strands – shortening and a decrease in telomerase production; which is the enzyme that staves off this process (which is associated with cell death or damage and health concerns such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, type II diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular issues).

It has also been associated with more rapid cellular degeneration – which is a natural part of the ageing process, but gets sped up with stress.

Here are two articles, one in Psychology Today and the other in The Washington Post which explain this nicely.

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Can you list 5 action points or tips for our participants to practice this week and going forward?At Life In Focus, my model is always the same. It starts with insight, understanding yourself and then identifying roadblocks. Only once you have those things figured out do you move into action. This principle applies to addressing stress.

1. INSIGHT: Take a minute every morning and every evening to check in with yourself and note down in 3-5 words how you feel. Do you notice exhausted, overwhelmed, tired, stressed or anxious coming up? If so, now you know you have a real issue to focus on.

2. INSIGHT/ROADBLOCKS: Practice the art of doing nothing. What this entails is tak-ing two minutes or more every day to tune out and daydream. Sounds simple? Most people I give this exercise to are stressed at the idea of walking out of their homes without a phone in their pockets or buds in their ears. Ask them to sit and just stare into space (not meditate, not close your eyes and listen to chill music, but just let your mind go where it will) and they get anxious. Here are some great places to start – getting in or out of your car before or after work, just sit, radio off, engine off and breathe. While your tea or coffee is brewing, don’t clean up the dishes, don’t take the trash out, just stare into space. During your lunch break or right before dinner, put a timer on and sit and do nothing. At bedtime, after turning the lights off and before you get into bed sit in a dark space and be still for a couple of minutes.

3. ROADBLOCKS: Try this five-step stress buster or listen to this Life in Focus podcast about stress to identify ways in which you might be avoiding dealing with it (the pod-cast also features the 5-step process).

4. ACTION: Using the insights from items 1, 2 and 3, choose one aspect of your life that creates stress and find the smallest action you can take to reduce that stress. For example, in my household mornings are stressful. Mostly it’s a function of trying to get three pets, one adult and two little humans fed and ready for the day in time. I found that if I prep my kids’ lunch boxes the night before, it reduces my stress. If I get them to choose their clothes the night before, we argue less. When I make a point to show-er at night and wash my hair on days I don’t have to rush to work, that also saves a lot of time and stress. Each one of these represents a small step that I eventually took to improve mornings.

5. ACTION: Get more sleep or better sleep if you are already sleeping 7.5 – 9 hours. Try any one of these this week and add on as you go: installing blue light suppression apps (like f.lux or Bluelight filter) on your devices to reduce the glare at night, wear-ing yellow glasses to reduce blue light exposure from your lamps and TV, turning all screens off 30 minutes before you plan on going to sleep, and creating a ritual (the adult equivalent of a bedtime story routine).

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Exercise and stress. Punch a boxing bag or do a few yoga salutations?Either or both.

Exercise in moderation – any exercise that challenges you and feels good – is a great stress reliever. The only “wrong” type of exercise is the kind that triggers stress. Is trying to fit in a specific class leaving you bfeeling haggard and rushed every time? Are you doing demanding workouts more than five times a week? Is every single one of your workouts leaving you depleted? If so, then your exercise choices are more stress-ful than stress relieving.

Some people will complain that working out at night hinders their sleep. This is an individual thing, but clearly if that is the case then it would add to your stress, rather than relieving it.

One of the things that we think contributes to our elevated stress levels is the constant state of busyness. Why is it a problem and what can we do to get ‘unbusy’?

The basic lesson to retain is that the human body and mind are designed for peri-ods of performance and periods of rest. Yet, we have created a world in which rest is synonymous with laziness, lack of drive, weakness and low social opportunity. We push ourselves beyond what is healthy, and the effect is that we leave no room for restorative care. Read the articles on being an Info Junkie and on noise to see how this impacts the brain and the body.

How to get unbusy: It’s simple but not simple. At Life in Focus, the way we address this is by having clients gain insight into what truly matters to them and where their values stand. With that information, we can create goals and a focus that is right for them, so they can stop wasting time and efforts on choices that aren’t fulfilling and spend time on things that help them thrive. In the end, this means much less busyness and more meaningful engagements, with less stress and guilt about not being involved in every-thing all the time.

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What is mindfulness and what are the benefits of living more mindfully?In a nutshell, mindfulness is the practice of being present and focusing on the here and now with (ideally) no judgment or assumptions about your experience.

The value of mindfulness is that it allows you to act purposefully instead of reacting to your world. With regards to stress, distress and emotional pain, it teaches you to look, understand, and experience this normal part of life without undue anxiety, fear or avoidance. This helps reduce the reinforcing mechanism of stress. If you can accept that sometimes you feel anxious, if you can learn to observe your own reactions and feelings without avoidance or rash action, then you can respond to them appropriate-ly in time.

What are some of the simplest ways to practice mindfulness in our every-day life?

The 5-step stress buster is a great way to start out with mindfulness. The art of doing nothing is another easy approach. Both exercises involve stopping and being present in the moment. They do it in different ways. The stress buster is specific to stress and has you mindfully noticing your physical tension then breathing that out, and connect-ing physical to mental and emotional triggers. The Art of Nothing is about stopping and being with yourself, noticing the restlessness, frustration, and distress that ac-company doing nothing then allowing yourself to exist and be fully present for a few minutes every day.

For people who are mindless eaters, one great exercise I advocate is starting every meal rating your level of hunger, stress and satiety – each on a scale of 1-10.

• Hunger: Hangry is 10 and complete absence of hunger is 1. Ideally, you leave a meal at 1 and your hunger grows as you progress in your day. You never want to wait to be at an 8-10 to eat because when you are that hungry, your stress is high, and you make poor choices with food.

• Satiety: Hungry is 1 and stuffed to the point of feeling sick is 10. Again, you never want to get to an 8-10 because it is indicative of overeating.

• Stress: Calm is 1, panic is 10.

While you eat, you check in periodically with all three measurements. As your hunger slowly gets satisfied (decreases), your level of satiety should increase and your stress is reduced. If you overeat, however, your hunger is gone and you are now stuffed rather than sated – and your stress increases.

This exercise forces you to be a present and mindful of your eating patterns and emo-tions while eating.

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Is there anything else you would like to mention about stress and well-be-ing that would be valuable or insightful to our participants?

Remember, stress is a normal and natural part of life. It is essential for survival, as it signals the presence of a threat and the need to take action. The issue we are current-ly facing with regards to stress in modern society is that we are not heeding that mes-sage. We feel stressed, we recognize there is a problem that requires change, yet we do nothing to manage it.

Posts to check out:Stress management 101Info JunkieEating Clean, Working Out, and Still Not Losing Weight?

PodcastLiF Ep. 1 Stress

Resources:The Focus Map – The focus map is a free questionnaire used by Life in Focus clients to gain insight into what’s right for you so you can stop wasting time and efforts on choices that don’t fulfil you. It’s about moving from overbooked and underwhelmed, to busy but thriving.

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THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MEDITATION

Ah, the delightful sounding of “ohm” at the end of your yoga session. The calm that sweeps over you as you sit cross-legged in total peace and quiet. Meditation probably isn’t totally unheard of to you. The true struggle? Being consistent! If you’ve dabbled or you’re brand new to meditation, we’ve outlined the major benefits of practicing the art of relaxation daily and how to begin.

• Meditation can be a natural cure to insomnia and other sleep-related issues result-ing in more restful sleep.

• It helps to promote an overall positive mood and lessens distress in everyday life, even for those who don’t generally suffer from anxiety. This has been studied in many situations, but it can be particularly helpful to those who experience anxiety and stress due to chronic pain or illness.

• Speaking of chronic pain, meditation has been shown to reduce physical symp-toms of diseases such as arthritis and fibromyalgia when practiced over time. In one study, individuals who practiced meditation experienced less muscle aches and pains.

• Meditation can lower or stabilize resting heart rate and blood pressure in individuals without pre-existing conditions.

• According to studies, mindfulness can help those who turn to substance abuse to relax or “escape” by instead using meditation. Studies have proven that even people with severe emotional difficulties show notable improvement with meditation over time.

• Meditation improves cognitive functioning, specifically visuo-spatial processing, memory, and executive functioning.

• It has been shown to potentially decrease stress-induced cortisol (hormone) secre-tion.

KEY BENEFITS

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• Mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation focuses on the present mo-ment. You’ll pay attention to all senses, thoughts, and emotions that bubble up during the session. You can practice this type of meditation by sitting upright on a pillow, chair, or any comfortable surface. You will become aware of your breath and surroundings. As your mind begins to wander, simply accept those thoughts or emotions and shift your focus back to breathing. Ideally, you want to be aware of those thoughts – not inside of them. The practice of mindfulness can easily be incorporated into your life outside of daily meditation sessions during interactions with loved ones, eating, and walking. The key point is to be present and accepting.

• Loving kindness meditation. In this type of meditation, the goal is to create empathy and a way to connect with oth-ers. You’ll start in the same way – sitting upright on a comfortable surface – but instead of focusing on breath, you’ll let your mind cultivate feelings of benevo-lence and kindness. You can begin with

extending those things onto yourself and then progress into bringing in oth-ers. This nurtures the notion of uncon-ditional love and wishes of happiness for all beings. The standard progression goes like this: oneself, a good friend, a “neutral” person, a difficult person, all four of the above equally, and then gradually the entire universe.

• Zen meditation. This is where the typical idea of meditation stems from, as it was originally done sitting cross-legged on the floor with the hands folded. This can be done, or you can sit in a chair; the main takeaway is that the back remains straight regardless of what surface you’re seated in. Focus all of your intention on breath and count backwards from ten on each inhale. Then, start over. This technique is easily accessible as you’re always redirecting focus to the number, which makes it more difficult for the mind to naturally wander.

COMMON TYPES OF MEDITATION

• Alleviates suffering associated with physical, psychosomatic and psychiatric disor-ders.

• In one study, cancer patients demonstrated that increases in mindfulness over time relate to declines in mood disturbance and stress.

• In another study, meditation practitioners were found to have a lower age-related decline in thickness of specific cortical region.

• One study showed that just four days of mindfulness meditation can increase the ability to sustain attention which can help overall focus.

• In yet another study, it was suggested that therapists who practice mindfulness have better results and outcomes with patients and clients.

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TIMING YOUR SESSION

• Yoga meditation. If you’ve taken yoga classes before, you may have expe-rience in practicing one of the many forms of yoga meditation. You will gen-erally be focused on a “centre of energy” like in third eye meditation (the space between the eyebrows) or chakra medi-tation (heart chakra, third eye, etc.) This also includes breathing regulation which is generally a focus during most yoga practices. Yoga is a great beginner’s step to all types of meditation, and the teach-er will help to guide you.

• Mantra meditation. This type of med-itation uses a repeated word or phrase to help draw a clear focus during the meditation, hence the name. Some people believe that the origin of the word should be meaningful while others

believe it’s just a strategy to draw a clear intention. To practice, you sit upright on a comfortable surface and repeat the mantra to yourself silently. It’s natural for the mantra to “repeat itself” or dis-appear entirely, leaving you with a clear mind.

• Transcendental meditation. This vari-ation of meditation is widely practiced, but it cannot be self-taught. Therefore, it’s not as widely accessible as other forms of meditation, especially because you’ll have to pay a professional to teach you. It’s an extension of mantra meditation (see above), and it’s gener-ally practiced for two 15-20 minutes per day.

While covering the types of meditation, a few time frames were mentioned. As you can see, there is no designated amount of time that you should meditate across the boards. This depends widely on experi-ence level, meditation goals, and the type of meditation you choose to do.

As a beginner… you should begin with practicing at 5-10 minutes per day. Like most things, you will get better with practice, so you can increase time day by day or week by week. You shouldn’t tack on too much time too quickly; allow yourself some room to develop. If you begin with five minutes, increase by 1-2 minutes each week.

As an expert… meditation practice can last over an hour. Many people would find this incredibly challenging, but as time goes on, this goal may be feasible.

A useful tool for any level is some sort of timing cue. You can simply set a timer to indicate the beginning and end of a session or you can choose to work with an app like Headspace. Alternatively, you can purchase guided meditation CD’s and DVD’s. Finally, you can check out our ‘Beginner’s Resources’ section for guided YouTube meditations. One minute is better than none, so if you’re having trouble, start small.

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Meditation is a highly individual experience, so consider your own personal experi-ence and what benefits you hope to see from meditation. It’s a results-focused prac-tice, so the time you dedicate to your sessions aligns directly with the goals you hope to achieve. There is no right time for everyone.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU MEDITATE?Like with the duration of your meditation, frequency is a highly individual gauge. Ideal-ly, meditation is a practice that can be fit seamlessly into your everyday life. Studies show that the more experienced in meditation an individual is, the more changes in brain structure you will see. Once again, it’s a matter of the results you would like to see when it comes to how consistently you should practice.

For example, pain sensitivity has potential to decrease with just three days of 20 minute sessions. In another study, subjects who meditated four days a week for 20 minutes a day saw improvements in cognitive skills. Ten minutes a day for extended periods of time shows significant improvements in neural functioning. As you can tell, results are all across the board when it comes to how often you should meditate. The general consensus? You should aim to meditate daily and turn it into a habit, just like eating well and exercising. Again, it shouldn’t take away from your day. Simply find a time in which you can take a break and get your zen on. Over time, whether you practice for 10 or 30 minutes, you will see improvements.

Beginner’s Resources

Apps:• Headspace is a free & paid app you can download to your phone. It makes medita-

tion accessible to everyone, even the most busy and unmotivated folks. It will guide you through sessions and increase the time as you use the app. You can track your sessions so that you stay consistent.

• Buddhify is a paid app, but it features over 80 guided meditations that you can access at any time. Unlike Headspace, you can choose the duration of your sessions (from 5 to 30 minutes) and rate the quality of your sessions.

• The Mindfulness App allows you to connect with meditation experts. You can pur-chase in-app guides from respected gurus. Even without spending any additional money, this app can easily help you get into the swing of meditation.

Websites:• Fragrant Heart features a variety of audio meditation sessions for free including spe-

cific meditations for women, healing, and self-esteem.

• Tara Brach has an extensive archive of guided meditations which are accessible for free.

• UCLA has a collection of guided meditations that you can access on their website or via iTunes.

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10 WAYS TO RELAX

Stress management is a huge component of a healthy lifestyle. In today’s fast-paced, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality, we pack our days full of work and errands while sleep and relaxation take a backseat. As a result, many of us face chronic stress which leads to burning out fast and bleeds into other facets of our lives such as diet and fit-ness routines. Beyond reorganising your life so that it’s less stressful naturally, we’ve rounded up ten of the best ways to relax that you can easily incorporate into every day.

Take a bathWarm water, soothing scents from natu-ral bath products, and a clean body can all help you unwind from a long day. Consider making baths a nightly ritual if you have the time. Purchase natural bath products with scents like lavender to promote relaxation and sleepiness. A quick soak will rejuvenate and detox the body and mind. Moreover, soaking in epsom salts (magnesium) can re-duce bloating, ease sore muscles and minor aches, and promote better sleep.

YogaThis exercise is made for everyone. You can choose from fast-paced classes to restor-ative yoga which focuses on just that; restoration. Not only will you strengthen your body, learn new breathing techniques, and become more flexible over time, but daily practice will lead to reduced stress and tension overall both physically and mentally. Consider dropping into a class or trying it at home with free videos online.

MeditationIf the physical aspect of yoga is intimidating or you just can’t find the time for it, start with meditation. This practice will offer up much of the same benefits as it focuses on breathing and eliminating the need to control all of those stressful factors of your life. There are plenty of apps and online guided meditations to get you started. Meditation can actually change your brain which provides a long-term solution to chronic stress. Practicing meditation for just five minutes per day offers amazing benefits. Remem-ber, consistency is key.

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Colour in a bookAdult colouring books are all the rage right now and for good reason. Colouring isn’t just meant for kids anymore. Sitting down with some crayons and filling in the lines promotes quietness and relaxation while stimulating brain processes related to motor skills. The stimulation that it provides the brain with decreases stimulation in the part of the brain that feels and reacts to stress. Treat yourself to some fancy coloured pencils and get to work.

Take a walkFirst off, exercise and movement releases endorphins which will naturally promote those happy feelings in your brain. Before you hit the treadmill, consider walking out-side. Green spaces can help the brain find that meditative state by quieting the mind and increasing awareness; focus on the things around you rather than inside of your head. Walking with a friend can be even more powerful. Buddy up and hit the trail, because feeling supported increases resilience to stress. Finally, walking can energise you helping to combat fatigue.

Seek out sunshineSunlight releases serotonin which is a natural mood booster. Happiness replaces stress and negative emotion quite naturally. This is especially true during the less sun-shine-y winter months when people suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Ensuring that you receive sunshine daily also decreases your chance of vitamin-D deficiency which puts a lot of stress on the body. Just 15-20 minutes of sunshine can be enough. If you live in a gloomy region, a light box that produces artificial UV rays may be a good investment.

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JournalTake some inventory. Doodle a bit. Write down the good things that happened to you this week. Gratitude journaling is proven to make you happier and less stressed. The logic? Focusing on only what you are grateful for allows you to make room for positivity to overcome negativity while finding happi-ness in what you have – not what you want or don’t have which is a common stressor. You can also write down negative thoughts to practice “throwing them away.” Writing in a journal or planner daily will help you take inventory of the good in your life while plan-ning for the future and staying organised.

Listen to musicMusic is often played in the background whether we’re at home, work, or the grocery store. It plays in the car, we plug in our headphones at the gym. We seek out new music, we like to watch it on TV, and we like to see it performed live. Music can relieve stress, depression, anxiety, and even physical pain. Listening to classical music whilst studying can improve memory and information retention which is often sacrificed by stress.

AromatherapyEssential oils can be incredibly soothing like most good-smelling things. It can be practiced in a multitude of ways; you can diffuse them, use them in lotion on your skin, or inhale them. Many masseuses use essential oils during their practice as a way of increasing the relaxation of relieving tension from the body. When breathing in certain essential oils, the brain reacts by “slowing down” which relaxes the mind. Try using rose, Frankincense, lavender or ber-gamot for the most restorative relaxation. Add them to a bath or warmed up coconut oil to moisturise with for easy, daily use.

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Snuggle upCosy up next to your better half or your pet if you’re feeling a little frazzled day-to-day. We often miss cuddling when we don’t have it often enough. Physical contact with other people like hugging comforts us and releases oxytocin in the brain. This chemi-cal helps you to feel good and feel connected to others which in turn creates support that reduces stress as well. Even just being greeted with a hug at a party or event can reduce temporary social anxiety and increased stress in crowds.

See? Pretty easy to make your life a better place to live. We can all spare a few minutes out of our day to make a few of these actions daily habits that fit seamlessly into our routine and relieve stress. Relaxation can provide both short-term relief and long-term benefits, so consistency is key when it comes to these techniques.

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GELATINE 101

Here’s a superfood that’s worth the buzz: gelatine! Yep, it’s the secret ingredient in the rainbow of artificially flavoured jelly products at the supermarket. It lends its texture to liquid which solidifies when it’s cooled.

This simple culinary component has po-tential far beyond the kids’ lunch boxes or grandma’s oddly shaped, fruit-filled moulds. When you take out all of the pre-conceived notions of not-so-healthy, pro-cessed grocery staples, you’re left with a true nutritional powerhouse.

The health benefits of gelatine are endless. Even better is that this ingredient is SO easy to use and make a part of your daily routine. The product itself is comprised of boiled bones, skin, and tissue from cows. Okay, the inside scoop isn’t exactly glamor-ous, but we eat weird things for our health sometimes! Think of it as powdered bone broth. It may go without saying that it’s best to use a grass-fed brand just as you would any animal products. The healthier the animal, the healthier that food is for you.

Difference Between Gelatine and Collagen

If you’re perusing the shelves, you’ll likely find two products: collagen and gelatine. Collagen is essentially gelatine that does not gel. This makes it simpler to include in drinks and food products that you don’t want to look or feel like jelly. Both contain approximately the same nutrient profile, so collagen has all of the amino acids while having different chemical properties. Collagen is broken down during processing, so it can be easier to digest for some.

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• Digestion. Gelatine helps to produce stomach acid. Gelatine is also a binding agent. This combination means that the stomach acid will move more quickly to the food that needs to be digested, which will overall lead to a more efficient process. In the meantime, you can expect to experience less gas, bloating, and discomfort after your meals.

• Protein. With 6 grams of protein per tablespoon on average, gelatine is a great source of the stuff. Moreover, it is an animal protein which is better digested and more accessible to our bodies. It’s an easy way to add protein to meals, promote satiety by mixing it into drinks between meals, and fuel your muscles after the gym. If you choose to use gelatine in drinks, make sure to use collagen which won’t gel when mixed with liquid.

• Collagen. Glycine and proline – both amino acids – protect collagen. Collagen is one of the most prominent pieces to the puzzle of our skin. Consuming gelatine which is rich in both aforementioned compounds can help keep your skin glowing and healthy. It can also fight the effects of sun damage and improve elasticity (less wrin-kles, yay!). Keratin will help both nails and hair grow faster and stay strong so you’ll be less prone to thinning hair and brittle nails.

BENEFITS OF GELATINE

AnxietyGlycine is a non-essential amino acid found in gelatine. Since it is an inhibitory neu-rotransmitter, it slows down the production of norepinephrine which tends to induce feelings of anxiety. This can either decrease specific instances of anxiety, or lessen the intensity of the feelings when they do come on.

SleepGetting a good night’s rest is often at the top of our priority list, yet suffers the most often. There are tons of known remedies ranging from food to supplements to pre-scription sleep aids, but there is no “one size fits all” solution. Glycine – that amino acid that also alleviates anxiety – can improve the quality of your sleep as well. Who knew something deemed “non-essential” could be so beneficial? It can help reduce the core body temperature, which is especially helpful to those who have trouble staying asleep. In essence, glycine has the potential to improve sleep hygiene. Lastly, one of the most positive aspects of using gelatin as a sleep aid is the lack of side effects – no more weird dreams or groggy mornings.

Bone healthSince our bones are made up mostly of collagen, supplementing with collagen (gel-atine that doesn’t gel) helps to build them up. In turn, your bones will be denser and less prone to loss over time. Gelatine also helps manage inflammation which in turn helps to manage discomfort in the joints. People who suffer from arthritis can use this supplement to reduce pain.

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• Thickening agent. This food can thicken stews, soups, and sauces.

• Gummies. Missing candy? Try making gummies with gelatine and your liquid(s) of choice.

• Supplement. Mix up some collagen into your water, tea or coffee.

• Protein powder. If you need a quick fix after the gym or want to stay full through-out the day, you can blend gelatine or collagen into your smoothie.

• Hair treatment. You can make a solution to rinse through your hair for thickness and strength.

So, are you convinced of the magic that is gelatine? This superfood can be used in so many different ways, there’s hardly an excuse not to include it in your regimen. It’s one of the most naturally healing foods on the planet, in addition to being an amazing source of nutrients, amino acids, and protein. Get on board with gelatine!

USES OF GELATINE

Add water or other liquid to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle gelatine over your liquid while whisking, to prevent lumps. Heat the liquid over medium heat until steaming, stirring often to prevent the gelatine from sticking to the bottome of the pan. Once steaming, remove it from heat. Cool the mixture to warm and comfortable to touch, then add they hon-ey, vinegar, and any other ingredients.

While the mixture is stil warm, apply to clean, wet hair. Work it down from roots to tips. Leave the mask on for 10-30 min-utes. If leaving for longer than 10 minutes, cover the hair with shower cap to stop it from drying out. Rinse thouroughly, follow

with conditioner or some diluted apple cider vinegar rinse, and allow to air dry.

Go to this recipe for more tips and liquidalternatives.

Gelatin Hair Mask Recipe from Mommypotamus.comIngredients

• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatine (grass-fed gelatine ideally)

• 1/3 cup water or other liquid (you could use other alternatives, see the link above)

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

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HOW TO MAKE BONE BROTHForget about ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’; it’s all about having a daily cup of homemade bone broth to heal your gut, improve immunity, reduce joint and arthritis pain and keep our nails, skin and hair looking healthy and beautiful. The best thing is – this ‘super food’ is also ‘su-per cheap’.

Bone broth is rich in minerals and ami-no acids arginine, glycineproline and glutamine.

WAYS TO ENJOY BONE BROTH• Heat it up and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

• Add some crushed garlic and lemon juice.

• Add a little grated ginger, chilli and chopped green onion.

• Add fresh coriander, chilli and lime juice.

• Add 1/2 tsp of fresh miso and some dried seaweed.

• Add 1/2 tsp of tomato paste, chilli and fresh basil.

• Whisk in an egg until cooked, like an egg drop soup.

• Use in soups, stews, casseroles, gravies, sauces, and reductions. It can also be used to braise and sauté vegetables or added to mashed potatoes.

Bone broth is essentially a stock cooked for hours to draw out as many nutrients and gelatine from the bones as possible. It’s a good idea to use a variety of bones as they deliver different qualities to the stock. Try to get the bones from a healthy source, ide-ally grass-fed and free-range. You can find bones in most supermarkets, local butch-ers, local farmers, online meat suppliers and you can use leftover bones from roast chicken, duck, turkey or goose.

It is recommended to consume half a cup to a cup of bone broth a few times a week, if not daily. Most people try to consume it in the morning before breakfast but any time during the day will still work wonders on your body.

Making bone broth can take time but it’s very easy. The recipe below makes around three litres of broth, which will last for two weeks if you consume about a cup a day. You can use some of the broth for meat stews or soups, and freeze the rest.

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Bone broth recipeMakes: 3 Litres

Ingredients• 2.5 kg (5.5 lb.) mixed bones (beef marrow, knuckle bone and some meatier bones like ribs and neck

bones - add chicken feet for extra gelatine)

• 3 tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar

• 4 litres of cold water

• 2 brown onions, cut into quarters

• 2 carrots, roughly cut

• 2 celery stalks, roughly cut

• 1 teaspoon black or mixed colour peppercorns

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 star anise

• Bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf and parsley tied together with a string)

• One very large pot and roasting tray

Instructions

Place the bones with less meat in a large pot with vinegar and cover with water. The acidity of the vinegar will help with the release of nutrients from the bones. Set aside for 30–40 minutes. In the meantime, place the meatier bones in a roasting tray and cook in the oven, at 200°C (390°F), for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned.

Add roasted bones to the stockpot and bring everything to the boil. Some of the impu-rities will float to the top as greyish foam. Skim it off with a slotted spoon and discard.

Add vegetables (not including garlic or herbs), peppercorns and salt. Bring back to boil and then turn the heat down to gently simmer. Cook for 12 hours. Check every 20 minutes for the first hour or two to remove any new scum that floats to the top. Add garlic, star anise and bouquet garni in the last two hours of cooking.

Once the cooking time is up, remove the bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large container or a bowl (it won’t look pretty at this point). Cool the liquid in the fridge and then use a spoon to remove the congealed fat that forms on the top. Transfer the stock to smaller containers and keep some in the fridge for up to a week and some in the freezer for up to six months.

I like to start the process on Saturday by roasting the bones first and then storing them in the fridge. On Sunday morning I start the cooking as I have a couple of hours to look after the broth. After that I leave it on very low heat and get on with my day. A slow cooker or Instant Pot makes this process even easier! You can also make a quick-er bone broth from leftover chicken carcass or your Sunday roast bones. Even a 4-6 hour broth is beneficial!

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MIXED BERRY GELATINE SQUARES

Makes: 8 squares

Ingredients• 1 heaped cup mixed frozen berries (I used blueberries and strawberries)

• ½ cup hot water

• Juice of ½ orange

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey

• 4 heaped tablespoons gelatine

Instructions

Add all ingredients (except for gelatine) to a blender and process for 30 seconds, until very smooth. Transfer to a small pot and place on medium-high heat. Warm up until it starts steaming a little but not boiling or simmering. It should be hot but you should still able to touch it with you finger. If you have a thermometer, you can measure the temperature. I keep mine anywhere between 43-50C.

Cool it down if needed. Add the gelatine and mix through, then transfer back to the blender and whiz a couple of times for the gelatine to mix through properly. Transfer to a glass Tupperware or a shallow small tray, or moulds if you like. Refrigerate for for 1-2 hours or freezer for 10-20 minutes until firm. Then slice into squares.

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THE HBF TEAM’S FAVOURITE BOOKS & PODCASTS

Looking for resources? We might just have a few favourites. Whether you’re a reader or a listener, consider taking a few rec-ommendations from this list to build your knowledge. The more you know…

If you’re new to podcasts, you can gener-ally download them for free on iTunes on your computer or phone. Alternatively, you should be able to stream the most recent episodes from the websites linked below.

Podcasts:• The Balanced Bites Podcast with Di-

ane Sanfilippo and Liz Wolfe. Whenev-er I first made big changes to my diet, I would put an episode from the archives on while I cooked. I dug deep into the episodes, and I learned SO much. Diane and Liz are informative, experienced, unique from one another, and hilari-ous. They have a long list of qualified guests on the show to cover every topic imaginable. Diane is multi-talented as an entrepreneur and cookbook author while Liz has a lot to say in regards to homesteading and motherhood. There’s something for everyone here.

• America’s Test Kitchen. Here’s a pod-cast that isn’t just about healthy eating, but about food in general. It’s captivat-ing, and it will teach you more than you think you can learn, even if you’re an experienced cook. If you search through past episodes, you’re sure to find some health-focused foodie topics worth lis-tening to.

• The Paleo Women Podcast. Noelle Tarr and Stefani Ruper are another fe-male-centric, dynamic duo who put out a weekly podcast. Their show is focused on positive body image, healing, and some nitty gritty hormonal stuff. Their transparency is admirable, and they’re both experts in their own right.

ALEX’S PICKS

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Books:• The Paleo Approach Cookbook by Sar-

ah Ballantyne, PhD. This book is the quintessential cookbook in terms of real food. Sarah focuses on interesting in-gredients and highly accessible recipes that are suitable for any level of culinary skills. This comprehensive guide makes eating well make sense. If you’re looking for a more thorough explanation on a real food diet or the autoimmune pro-tocol, The Paleo Approach is the way to go.

• Eat Bacon, Don’t Jog by Grant Peters-en. While this book is a bit blunt, and I do jog sometimes anyways, it’s a fun and easy read. Petersen helps make sense of how to tap into your primal in-stinct when it comes to eating and mov-ing with a focus on strength training and bodyweight exercises. Bonus: diagrams of hipsters swinging kettlebells.

• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.

I can credit my interest in cooking food from scratch to this guy. After reading all of his books, this one stands out as my favourite. I discovered Michael Pol-lan a few years ago, and he changed the way I approach food in so many ways; from the source of my food to the mind-fulness I implement while chopping onions (not an easy task!), he has a lot to say about the food industry and how we can change it.

Podcasts:• Ben Greenfield Fitness. From the latest nutri-

tional research to the world’s craziest fitness and body bio hacks, this is a podcast that will get your brain ticking. It’s a bit nerdy but full of insightful, thought-provoking info and guest interviews.

• The Model Health Show. This is a fun and in-formative health, fitness and nutrition podcast by Shawn Stevenson. Similar to Ben Greenfield Fitness but less geeky.

IRENA’S PICKS

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Books:• The Perfect Health Diet by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet. This book pretty much

sums up how I eat and my own Paleo evolution. It’s a simple, science-based, “Paleo perfected” diet that promotes effortless weight loss and peak health—written by two Harvard scientists. In Perfect Health Diet, Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet explain in layman’s terms how anyone can regain health and lose weight by focusing on nutrient-dense foods, eating the right amount of food and taking the correct supple-ments. The PHD, as it’s referred to, allows a few more starchy foods such as white rice and white potatoes, some dairy and includes intermittent fasting (having a larg-er window without food to allow the body to rest). The best part of the book is how educational it is without getting too geeky. A must-read for anyone!

• Death by Food Pyramid by Denise Minger. I love everything Denise has done – she is a very clever woman – and this book is a fantastic, fun read for anyone who wants to learn more about the science behind what we eat, how it all comes together, and how dodgy it often is. I think this official description of the book is very accurate:

“Warning: Shock and outrage will grip you as you dive into this one-of-a-kind exposé. Shoddy science, sketchy politics and shady special interests have shaped American Dietary recom-mendations—and destroyed our nation’s health—over recent decades. The phrase Death by Food Pyramid isn’t shock-value sensationalism, but the tragic consequence of simply doing what we have been told to do by our own government—and giant food profiteers—in pursuit of health.”

• The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. This book simply should simply be on every school kid’s reading curriculum. What should you eat? Where does your food come from? Eye opening for anyone not familiar with the commercial food industry practices. Most things by Pollan are great to read.

• I guess I should plug my own cookbooks here too. If you’re enjoying my recipes in the meal plans, then you might like to check out my published cookbooks. My inter-national besteller Eat Drink Paleo Cookbook will get you started with a solido over-view of the paleo diet and over 100 delicious recips for breakfast lunch and dinner. My follow up cookbook is Happy Go Paleo, in which I elaborate on my 80/20 nutri-tional philosophy and share my favourite complete meals for every occasion.

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Books:• Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It by Gary Taubes. This book was an actu-

al life-changer for me. I knew nothing about nutrition when I started reading it, and it blew away everything I had been told about how our body processes and stores food. This book ultimately got me interested in Paleo and led me to start the MyPa-leoPal app and then the Happy Body Formula.

• It Starts With Food by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig. This is a very well written book that explains everything you need to know about good health and nutrition. It’s an easy, entertaining read and makes a great present for someone looking to change their lifestyle.

SEB’S PICKS

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PODCAST OR BOOK?Share with us on our HBF community Facebook group.