An Interview with Jill Davey – Author of ‘The Menopause Cure – Hormonal Health’
I recently spoke with Jill Davey to discuss her book and the reasons why she feels so passionate about helping women navigate their way through ageing and menopause. The menopause is a delicate word which proclaims old age – this, however, depends on which angle you’re scanning life from. Truth be known, it’s a new era, a new beginning! Jill’s advice is to embrace it, not shy away from it.
With the silly season over I am at that beginning of the year stage of utter determination to turn my body into a temple. The fridge and pantry are stocked with plant-based wholefoods, and the new exercise schedule is in full force. But I have found myself still searching for the missing piece, the ultimate nutritional supplement. A supplement that is effective, potent, and rules out the need to pop umpteen various vitamins and minerals on the daily to ensure my body is getting everything it needs. Does it exist?
As I sit here with a bad case of the sniffles I only have myself to blame. My usual morning ritual of vitamins and juicing has gone out the window as of late, and with what seems to be a sudden shift to winter temperatures my immunity has decided to crumble.
For a few months now I’ve been hearing all about the benefits of Ashwagandha, and have been meaning to get my hands on some. The benefits of this superfood are many and varied, one of which is it’s purported to be a fantastic immunity booster. Although I’ve already succumbed to the dreaded lurgy, I’m keen to get on the Ashwagandha train ASAP and reap all its health giving benefits before winter well and truly sets in.
Borne from a Personal Journey to Wellness
Psoriasis, heart palpitations and fluctuating weight issues. These were just some of the outward symptoms that manifested from the stress and pressure of Deborah Delaney’s career as a successful broker in fast paced London. Deciding a drastic change was needed to get her health back on track, she packed up her life in England and embarked on an overseas adventure with her two children in tow. Finally settling in Phuket, Deborah immersed herself in studying Thai herbs and ancient healing remedies under the tutelage of Master Lew, a 91-year-old Thai Chinese herbalist. Slowly her health returned through the use of herbs, raw foods and juicing, and her body regenerated to a healthier, leaner and fitter state.
Over the years I’ve done many different detoxes, including the ‘Master Cleanse’ (I lasted 3 days on essentially lemon juice and maple syrup), a 5-day juice and nut milk only detox (I lasted 3 days before I couldn’t face another liquid meal), colon cleanse powders, and various detox supplements. Nothing had any profound results other than making me utterly unbearable to be around.
When I was a child my grandmother had a giant aloe vera plant outside her front doorstep. At any sign of a burn or skin problem she would cut off a piece of the plant, split it with a knife and smear the gel all over the affected area leaving me sticky until my next bath. The cooling sensation was immediately soothing, and most of us have used some form of aloe vera topically in the same way before.
Cleansing from the Inside Out
Describing the details of your colonic hydrotherapy treatment is not the easiest of tasks. In saying that, I feel I would be doing you all a disservice if I didn’t put my bashfulness aside and let you in on something that could change your whole sense of wellbeing.
All I seem to be hearing about these days is the wonders of collagen. It’s apparently responsible for lusciously thick hair, strong, healthy nails, glowing, youthful skin, and even balancing hormones. The latest I’ve heard is that studies are now showing a link between collagen supplementation and weight loss! When I scroll through Instagram every influencer worth their salt seems to be touting the benefits of some brand of collagen or another, and even my best friend swears by it after experiencing hair loss and thinning after two pregnancies.
As a born and raised Kiwi it wasn’t uncommon to find a jar of Manuka honey in the pantry at home. Mostly it was just slathered onto a piece of buttered toast without any thought about its health properties. All I knew was that it tasted damn good! These days it’s widely accepted as a wonder product for health and beauty. Kourtney Kardashian swears by it, feeding her kids a spoonful at the first sign of a sniffle, and she’s even a brand ambassador for natural skincare line Manuka Doctor Skincare.
I have a love hate relationship with coffee. The aroma, the taste, the rush of feel good stuff that flows immediately following consumption is hard to beat, however I’m well aware I’m probably doing my body a disservice by drinking too much of this nectar from the gods. While a couple of cups of coffee or tea a day aren’t bad for most people, more than that can cause health problems such as irritability and anxiety, sleeplessness, increased heart rate and muscle tremors. That’s why I’m constantly on the lookout for a halfway decent substitute. And no, I don’t mean a virtuous cup of green tea or a turmeric latte – I’m talking about something that actually smells and tastes like coffee. Does this elusive concoction exist?
With intentions for the new year set, and chilly winter weather outside, this is the perfect time of year for cosying up with an inspirational read and a hot drink. Here are the wellbeing books at the top of the Nourish reading list for 2019.
There seem to be two types of people in the world. The ones that always wake up each morning with a ravenous hunger, and the ones who need a few hours to get their bearings before developing any type of appetite. I fall into the latter. Unfortunately I grew up in the era where it was pummelled into us that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ and subsequently forced myself to ingest something that constituted a balanced meal before doing anything else. But now things have had a shake up! Intermittent fasting is the new craze, and before you say ‘oh no, another fad’, this one actually has some merit. Here’s the lowdown.
A quick tally in my head tells me back in New Zealand my weekly ‘wellness’ spend was over $150 (around €95). I was a member of the flash inner city gym, had weekly personal training sessions, was a member of yet another gym specifically for boxing, and had netball club fees on top. Add buying all my produce and supplements at the local organics shop and it was one hefty price tag in the name of health.
Moving to Mallorca and leaving the cushy corporate job (and paycheck) meant I had to swiftly change my ways. But how could I stay healthy without all the bells and whistles I was used to? I had to improvise before my mentality (and waistline) began to suffer! Luckily it was a lot easier than I expected. Here are some thrifty tips and tricks I’ve picked up over my two years on the island.