Fitness and Health Archives - Page 2 of 4

La Vie En Rose {Brauer Giveaway}

September 24, 2013 By: mamagrace7128 Comments

I don’t need to tell you how hard this past winter has been for my family. The constant colds, unrelenting sinus issues, stubborn, phlegmy coughs.

All topped by last week’s asthma flare up, resulting in an early morning visit to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Emergency unit.

And while I think the worse is over now that spring is here (fingers, toes, nose hairs crossed), there is the one issue of hay fever.

Did you know that 15% of Australians suffer from hay fever?? That’s a lot of itchy noses…and worse.

It was about 2 months ago when Nunu started a tireless habit of waking up in the middle of the night.

“My nose! My nose!!” he’d cry.

No matter how much that little boy sniffed to try and get rid of that itch, nothing helped. The only solution that seemed to work was for us to actually give his little button a couple of quick pinches. (Weird I know). But even that only gave him temporary relief.

Completely frustrated and sleep deprived, we went to our GP (I realize I’ve been talking about her a lot lately…”Hi, Annie!”). Sometimes, your family doc is that oracle you need – she always has the answers!

Suggesting that we try paw paw ointment, I remembered the Brauer’s Paw Paw tube I received at the Bloggers’ Brunch. Knowing that it had no petrochemicals and only using natural ingredients, I had a hunch it was going to be different from the other brands.

We rubbed a little under his nose and a smidgen inside his nostrils and voila!

We were so amazed with the results (and the uninterrupted sleep we were getting), Mr Surfer used it for his hay fever prone dry nose too.

So as spring has bestowed its glorious weather upon us, flowers in full bloom…and all that extra pollen set to trigger our hay fever, I have a great Brauer giveaway for you all!

In my awesome Brauer Giveaway, I’m offering 5 readers the Brauer Paw Paw 25 g tube as well as the French Rose Lip Shimmer.

Perfectly timed for spring!

I’m a HUGE fan of the Brauer Lip Shimmer as I like the fact I’m applying a pretty colour to my lips while moisturizing them with only good, natural stuff and not whale blubber or any other nasties.

All you have to do is:

Tell me what’s your favourite thing about Spring?
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Terms and conditions:

This giveaway is only open to Australian residents
Closing date for entries is 10pm Wednesday, 2nd of October.
The winner will be contacted via email on the following Thursday.
If the winner does not reply to my email within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen.
Entries will be judged on merit and decision of the winner will be final.

Joining Essentially Jess for IBOT

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Pause and ask, “R U OK?”

September 12, 2013 By: mamagrace718 Comments

It had been like any other hectic weekend visiting my parents. Exhausting road trips, lack of sleep due to unfamiliar surroundings, the craziness and chaos of mandatory family get-togethers.

But something wasn’t right.

By Monday, having returned home I still wasn’t myself.

I was tired beyond comprehension. I was shaky. My stomach felt like it was in endless knots and twists.

Driving to the mall to try and divert my attention, I stopped at the traffic lights and right there my entire world crumbled.
The tears were inconsolable. Nothing could stop me. I was lucky I didn’t have an accident.

Luckily, my GP was available later that afternoon and I booked an appointment in haste.

Within seconds of me walking through the door, she knew.
“How can I help you today, Grace?” she asked

I hadn’t thought about how I was going to tell her what I was feeling; how I was sure I’d lost the plot; that all this tension and angst seemed to come out of nowhere yet it actually was surfacing from the childhood past; that stripping it down to the core, I needed help.

“Um, I seem to have this pain in my tummy and I’m not sure if it’s just indigestion or…” my voice started to fade as I realized how unconvincing my lie was.

“Okay, we can take a look at that,” my GP played along with my little act.
Then, she cleverly caught me:
“But how are you? Are you okay?”

I’ve never cried in front of a doctor. Not when I was told having children was going to be difficult for me and not even when the boys were born.

I take a “Suck it up, Princess” in all matters medical.

But those three poignant yet simple words asked by my GP were like an emotional net ready to catch my vulnerable, completely mentally mixed up self.

Everything about life can be stressful. And sometimes it’s not enough to go solo to survive it.

It’s not about being ungrateful or whinging about what we’re thrown with or complaining about what we’re lacking.

It’s a simple acceptance that we’re all human. We’re not robots. We all need help.

That afternoon was the start of being completely honest with my mental health. That impromptu appointment with the GP, led me to seeking support.

It’s almost been a year since I first cried in front of a medical professional. From then, it opened floodgates.

And that has proven to only be a positive thing.

Today – 12th September – is RU OK Day. It’s a time for us all to remember the power in asking our loved ones, friends and colleagues a simple question that can lead to the prevention of something far more formidable.

The world is filled with a sense of busyness and buzz; we never know what else is brewing deep within ourselves or those around us.

Pause for a moment today and ask someone: “R U OK?”

For that person, it might be life altering, even life saving.

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Getting Nourished

September 11, 2013 By: mamagrace713 Comments

Despite having completed a Certificate in Nutrition and constantly researching healthy eating, I have an ongoing battle with food.

I know I need to manage my portions…but I don’t.

I know I need to eat less processed stuff and more that’s fresh…but I don’t.

I have a food diary that my gym asks me to fill out everyday….but I don’t.

And it’s always the same pattern for me. I’ll do all the right things for a few days – meal planning, space out 5 small yet nourishing meals throughout the day, carefully measure out my daily carbs intake – then BAM!

Life gets in the way. Chaos overrides all will power, resurfacing bad eating habits from stress, anxiety and depression.

After a full on day of screaming 3 year olds, tackling a never ending laundry pile and running a small business, all I want to do is sit on a couch, have a glass of wine and eat a packet of salt of vinegar chips.

And it’s at this crucial point, emotional eating starts to do its damage.

Who else can relate?

My dear friend Kirri White, a huge advocate of self-love, self care and an inspiring life coach has teamed up with Corona Brady, a yoga teacher and a holistic health and life coach have teamed up to create Nourished: A Loving Approach to Mind & Body Health.

The 5 week program has a plethora of information to help you get on track to a healthier lifestyle. It includes:

Life time access to Nourished.
Weekly videos and MP3 audio files,
Support and encouragement of a private Facebook Nourished group
Worksheets, exercises, meal plans and recipes
7 bonus yoga videos
Bonus Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) video that will specifically deal with food cravings

Click here to register to Nourished today.

$250 Early Bird registration until midnight 21^st September AEST. After that, registration costs $297 and will close midnight 28^th September AEST.

The course will run again at a later date but will cost $350.

Why wait?

This could be the opportunity your body and mind have really been craving for.

***This is not a sponsored post. I was invited to be affiliate of the Nourished program. All opinions are solely mine.

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Coffee Makes Me Happy {Harris Prize Pack Giveaway}

September 5, 2013 By: mamagrace7125 Comments

My past relationship with coffee was but tempestuous. I’m an allornuthin kinda gal and I gave coffee my complete all – 3 to 5 cups a day all.

Then, I did a nutrition course. While my lecturer didn’t deter me from my daily caffeine fix, it did come to my attention that I wasn’t just drinking the stuff in excess but mindlessly and carelessly.

You know, just drinking it as an emotional crutch to get through the day; an essential mummy survival tool.

So for almost 2 years, I turned cold turkey. (Told ya, all or nothing…).

Then this year, I visited a friend – a lover of fine culinary delights and damn good roasted coffee.

He converted me.

And I’m back again on the coffee cart.

But just like fine art, wine and food, this time there’s an appreciation for its taste and a respect to how the mix of coffee beans make that delectable cup for the morning.

Harris kindly invited me to a coffee tasting event where I learnt the different types of beans – from the strong taste of Robusta to the milder Arabica and the unique blends they make.

One of the big tips for grounded coffee is it’s best to store it in a cold, dark corner of the pantry rather than the popular belief that it needs to be in the freezer.

Even K-Bear has caught onto my special morning moment of having that cup of vitality.

Making me “ice creams” and “muffins” with his play dough one day, he grabbed an empty yellow play dough cup and said, “Mama, you want coffee??”

He then handed that little cup with a big smile and sweetly asked, “Mama, you happy now?”

Oh, yes, my sweet boy. Mama is happy. Coffee makes Mama very happy.

And with that, these days I’ll keep my coffee intake to one cup a day. Two at most with the exception of the make believe one served in a play dough cup.

I’m running a fabulous Harris Prize Pack Giveaway (valued at $200). One lucky reader will receive:

Bodum Travel Mug (I can’t go without mine now!)
Coffee Soy Candle (which has the most divine aroma!)
Harris Premium Beans 500 g
Harris Black Label Ground 200g
Harris Reserve Colombian 200g
Harris Espresso Ground 200g

All you have to do is:

Leave a comment on this post telling me: What’s your “Must Have” Morning beverage?
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Share this post on Facebook and tag “With Some Grace”

Terms and Conditions:

This giveaway is only open to Australian residents
Closing date for entries is 10 pm AEST Thursday, 12th of September.
The winners will be contacted via email on the following Friday.
If the winner does not reply to my email within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen.
Entries will be judged on merit and decision of the winner will be final.

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Shredding Bondi Waves? Priceless!

September 3, 2013 By: mamagrace7127 Comments

Life as a blogger can be so damn tough sometimes.

Just as I was recovering from my fine dining blind date, a week later I was booked in for a surfing lesson, lunch and tour with the famous surf school, “Let’s Go Surfing” at Bondi Beach.

Like I said, tough.

Paired up with my blogger in crime, Chocolate Suze, we were greeted by Tim, our very smiley and friendly surfing guide for the day.

Originally from Tahiti, Tim reminded me how laid back, relaxed and chilled surfers actually are. And why for a highly-strung gal like me, it was a good thing I married one.

Soaking in the sunny Saturday morning, we went for a drive around the famous Eastern Coastal Walk, visiting the neighbouring pristine beaches of Bronte and Tamarama.

All the while, Tim also explained how to do a surf check. You know, look for waves just like real surfer dudes. Über cool.

This happened to be a big tip for me because I never understood why Mr Surfer often drives endlessly from beach to beach, staring intently at the ocean. I thought he was being a big softie daydreamer. I totes get it now. He’s just looking for his perfect wave.

We headed back to the surf shack to get ourselves “(wet) suited up” and ready to shred some waves.

To be honest, I was certain we were going to freeze our tatas off. But working like 3 extra layers of fat, er… I mean skin, the wetties kept us toasty.

Then, came the real test.

I could very well have been forced to eat my words at this point. Yeah, I was married to an avid surfer. Yeah, I’ve surfed in Hawaii, Noosa and Byron Bay. But I had never paddled out on my own wave. Mr Surfer always pushes me on to one. This time, Tim promised that he’d teach me…which of course, would make me a fully fledged Bondi Surfing Girl. Woot!

Surprisingly, the water wasn’t cold. In fact, it was refreshing.

And while I was a little wobbly at first…

I did it!

And did it again!

I still got it!

Shaka!

A big morning surf like that calls for an even bigger lunch!

Tim took us to a local eatery and while watching the waves that we had just shredded minutes earlier, I tucked into this:

Behold, the lunch of surf champions.

Despite, being a Sydney eastern suburbs local myself and knowing a little about getting on a surfboard, there’s nothing like touring your own neighbourhood from the eyes that know it differently. And rather having to constantly rely on Mr Surfer, thanks to Tim, my levels of surfing confidence has shot up!

The sense of freedom from riding a wave is truly indescribable. Doing it all at one of Australia’s most iconic beaches makes it even more memorable.

I reckon everyone’s gotta try surfing at least once in their lives.

As part of the Priceless Sydney campaign, I’m offering readers a chance to win the entire Bondi experience – from the surfing, dining and exploring.

Valued at $289, the 4 hour surfing tour includes:

Transfers
An exclusive group lesson
A Surf lifesaving club tour
A casual beachside lunch at a famous local spot
Incredible sightseeing and photo opportunities based on instructors personal knowledge
Time to swim, surf, relax and catch some rays Bondi style.
The offer will be redeemable until 7^th of November.

All you have to do is:

Like With Some Grace on Facebook
Subscribe to With Some Grace
Leave a comment on this post, telling Mama G: Where’s your favourite locally famous hang out spot? And what makes it famous?

Terms and Conditions:

▪ This giveaway is only open to Australian residents

▪ Closing date for entries is 10 pm AEST Tuesday, 10th of September.

▪ The winners will be contacted via email on the following Wednesday.

▪ If the winner does not reply to my email within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen.

▪ Entries will be judged on merit and decision of the winner will be final.

Joining Essentially Jess for the one and only IBOT

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Getting To Know Your Personalities

August 20, 2013 By: mamagrace7129 Comments

Back in “the day”, being a well endowed woman, I would happily stick out my chest with pride, optimizing what (I thought) were my best assets.

If you got it, flaunt it, right?

As the resilient working machines, they served the twinlets and I well when it came to breastfeeding. Tandem breastfeeding even became a little party trick. Well, kinda. Almost. Not really.

Late last week, I thought I’d just see what my puppies were looking like. You know, get reacquainted with them because it had felt as though it’d been a while with a twin pregnancy and heavy duty breast feeding in between.

Raising my arms up in the air in front of the mirror, I noticed that my breasts weren’t the same. They were actually quite different from each other. But they seemed to also appear differently than the past.

Then, in the shower, I felt something in my left beast; nothing big or obviously severe but definitely a lump of sorts.

I made an appointment with my GP for that morning and she could feel something too. While she could feel it was slightly mobile and didn’t think it was anything to be too concerned about (“Cancer feels very different. It sticks, it’s stubborn and hard…”), she’s the kind of GP that when it comes to any kind of breast abnormality, she will write up a referral letter without hesitation or doubt.

Straight after my GP appointment on the Friday morning, I called the Sydney Breast Clinic and booked in for a check up for first thing, 8am on the following Monday.

We’re damn lucky we live in a country with fantastic medical specialist facilities. The clinic ran like clockwork and most of all, the staff make you feel comfortable and relaxed, despite the unknown, somber circumstances.

During my extensive check up, I discovered the following:

Women in their 40’s are prone to getting a higher density of breast tissue, meaning it will be harder to detect cancerous cells. In this case, my Breast Physician suggested that every 12 months, I book in for a mammogram.

Mammograms are unfortunately still uncomfortable and slighty painful (All that squishing and squeezing! Yeouch!). The good news they are now available in 3D, called a tomogram. Obviously the images are far more accurate and can be examined by the radiologist with one layer at a time without hidden tissue been overlooked.

Tomograms are provided as an option and while a lot more expensive, at the Sydney Breast Clinic, 85% can be claimed back through Medicare with a referral.

We’re all aware that our breasts constantly change – the shape, size and even our nipples. To keep abreast (Pun completely intended) on anything out of the ordinary, check them out on a monthly basis. Right after you’ve finished your period, get into the habit of doing breast self-examinations. And while a breast check isn’t going to be as life saving as a mammogram, it’s a start in becoming proactive with something that’s vitally important for your health but also for the well-being of your family. What would they do without you?

An initial consultation with a Breast Specialist, a mammogram, another consultation with a Breast Physician, then an ultrasound and finally back to the Breast Physician again to get the final all clear, I was in and out of the clinic in 2 and a half hours.

Not every lump or bump means that it’s cancer. My Breast Physician told me that 90% of lumps found are benign. Having said that, as our own personalities develop with age, so do our “other personalities” The most important thing is getting to know them well. Really well.

Joining Essentially Jess for another fabbo round of IBOT

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Wordless Wednesday – The Crazy That Be City2Surf

August 14, 2013 By: mamagrace719 Comments

It’s my 4th year joining in Sydney’s biggest running event of the year.

This year though, there was no running (damn you, patella tendonitis) but instead, lots of walking.

Throughout the entire 14 kilometres and among the 85,000 participants, there was a LOT of entertainment and community spirit to keep me occupied.

A bit of monkey mayhem…

The mandatory Smurfs (Now I know where these blue creatures keep their mobiles handy…)

And even a smiley in the sky.

Linking up for Wordless Wednesday with the awesome Trish of My Little Drummer Boys who RAN the entire race…Go, girlfriend!

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The Perks of Patella Tendonitis

August 13, 2013 By: mamagrace7117 Comments

There is certainly lasting glory after completing a half marathon. You find yourself with a huge self-esteem lift and carry your shoulders a little bit higher.

What I didn’t take into account were the injuries.

A couple of weeks after running the grueling 21 kms race, I felt a painful twitch at the top of my left knee. Thinking it was a bruise, I was curious to find there was no ugly, blue prominent mark.

Finally, I called on my worse fears and went to the physio. Yup. Post halfie injury.

It was text book stuff apparently and it has a name, patella tendonitis.

What? Paella? Isn’t that a yummy Spanish dish?

For the past 2 months, I’ve been nursing an inflamed tendon, sticking to the routine stretches strictly instructed by Jeff.

And of course that also means absolutely no running.

Right smack bang in the middle of pavement pounding season.

How to kill me slowly.

Firstly, I had to sadly decline a fine invitation from Matt at Dad Down Under to join him in a 10km run in the Sydney CBD. I was so ready to fly like the wind and have a cold beer with him at the end of it.

But last Sunday was the beloved City2Surf run. And missing out on my favourite running event hurt my feelings.

Simply for the fact that it’s a race that first got me believing in myself; helping me prove that just because I was now a mother, I could still have goals and challenges; I could still learn and enjoy how to be a runner.

Life teaches lessons through all different paths and avenues. My knee injury, for all of its pain and dissapoint, was a very unlikely one.

Luckily this year, I had a childhood friend come up from Melbourne to hang out for the weekend but also decided to sign up and walk the City2Surf.

Pre-injury, the plan was for us to meet at the finish line.

When I told her I was injured, I realised that a 14 kms walk was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the sights, have a chat and catch up.

As I waited for her at the starting line, watching all the keen competitors doing their serious stretches, fixing their caps and sunglasses, rubbing in last minute Deep Heat, I decided to soak in the atmosphere.

It was like being the only sober person at the party. I started seeing things from a very different perspective.

Basking in the unusually warm winter sun, I took better notice of the community spirit that was happily bouncing around me.

Maybe I was getting a little high from the smell of the Deep Heat but taking it down a couple of gears from “Challenging” to “Chillaxin’” helped me see that graciously sitting out this year’s City2Surf wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I had the past 3 events under my running belt, with now a half marathon to add.

I was fine. I just had to stop think that I was chasing my next big personal best with every single bloody run I signed up for.

Taking time to appreciate past achievements is as good as planning for the next. And there will always be another. Just not right now. And that’s okay. For now, let’s just do some basking.

Basking in some IBOT with Essentially Jess

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To The Light

June 4, 2013 By: mamagrace7135 Comments

One of the beauties of time is the self-reflection it offers.

I distinctly remember the day that I wasn’t feeling well – in my heart and in my head.

Nothing seemed to resolve itself. The harder I tried to cease the anxiety, the stress and the anger…the more it surfaced. Fizzling to the top, spilling into a convoluted emotional outpour.

I can vividly recall stopping at the red traffic light and breaking into a sudden burst of tears. Suddenly discovering that this. What I was feeling, wasn’t normal.

Returning home, I found my husband in the kitchen and ran over to hug him tight. Again and again he asked me what was wrong.

Finally, in between the violent sobs I whispered, “I think I have depression…”

Funnily enough, until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much of a muddle I was actually in.

And having uttered those very words terrified me.

I was so sure I knew who I was. The essence of me held inner strength, ambition and confidence. I was the extrovert. A communicator. The sociable, affable one.

Or so I thought.

Since that teary day, when I ultimately faced my demons and asked for help, the journey to recovery has been slow. But steady. And then not so.

There have been detours and setbacks.

But I can look back and see how far (and deep) I’ve come. There are still underlying issues that need to be uncovered and dealt with.

But from here on now, there’s a stronger, controlling grasp on life.

And for what it’s worth, there is far less doubt as to who I am.

To the light again.

Joining the IBOT team over at Essentially Jess

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The hunt to getting healthier {Higher Living Tea and Wellaby’s Giveaway}

May 27, 2013 By: mamagrace7123 Comments

For the past month or so, I’ve had a dilemma. A hot beverage one.

Since giving up coffee over a year ago, I hadn’t really found a sustainable replacement.

I thought Soy Chai Lattes were my saving grace. Alas, with all the different varieties that each coffee shop offers as well as the continuing debate about the possible detrimental effects of soy milk.

So, I’ve been on the hunt for good quality herbal tea alternatives as I found that unless it was in loose leaf form, tea bags just weren’t cutting it for me.

Along side this extensive search has been my dissatisfaction in healthier snack options. I will easily head for a pack of chips in the pantry to satisfy the 3 o’clock hunger pangs.

At the Kids Business Bloggers Brunch earlier this month, I came across Higher Living Tea and Wellaby’s crackers and snack foods.

My hunt was over.

Organic, 100% natural and caffeine free, the Higher Living Tea rich flavours have done all sorts of wonders for my insides. Literally.

I religiously have the “Evening” infusion before bed and first thing in the morning, bowel movements are *ahems* moving like clockwork. Sorry, too much information?

There’s the “Vitality” flavour that I have in the morning for some get up and go and “Cinnamon” that has converted Mr Surfer to herbal teas.

Wellaby’s Classic Cheese crackers have been a great accompaniment with the Higher Living Tea. And because these delicious snacks are baked (not fried) as well as gluten, wheat and nuts free they’re perfect for our nuts free zone household.

To kick things off this week, I’m offering a Higher Living Tea and Wellaby’s giveaway!

2 lucky readers will each win a prize pack that will include:

2 Higher Living Tea packets of Licorice, Ginger Kick, Cinnamon, Evening and Vitality Higher Living Teas (Total value of $29.90)

1 of each Wellaby’s product line of Cracked Black Pepper Lentil Chips, Kalamata Olive Hummus Chips, Classic Cheese Cheese Ups, Feta, Oregano & Olive Oil Crackers, Parmesan and Sun Dried tomato Crackers, Classic Cheese Crackers and Grated Parmesan Mini Crackers (Total value of $28.43)

To enter, all you have to do is:

Leave a comment on this post telling me: Which of the High Living Teas and/or Wellaby’s snacks sound most appealing to you? And why?
Follow With Some Grace on Facebook
Subscribe to With Some Grace by Email

Terms and conditions:

This giveaway is only open to Australian residents
Closing date for entries is Monday, 3rd of June.
The winners will be contacted via email on the following Tuesday.
If the winner does not reply to my email within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen.
Entries will be judged on merit and decision of the winner will be final.

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