Welcome to Jess's inspirational person of the week series...

This week's inspiration is the harmonious mother and daughter duo, Jane and Hannah. 

What inspirations! What delights to be around! 

Hannah and Jane appreciate their genetic make-up, heal their lives through creativity- painting and the art of gardening and enrich their daily lives through  restorative practices such as yoga, meditation and daily walks with the dog. They both exude health and vitality!
They believe in the power of the mind are committed to healthy living. 

They are a breathe of fresh air!

Daily cues and reminders from their 'inner voice' steady their pace, correct their posture, acknowledge their depth of breath and so much more.

After spending the morning with the two, watching Hannah express herself through painting and watching Jane heal herself in her garden you can see that "Health" resonates within. It is evident that the simple joys of life bring to them true inner peace, happiness and purity of life. They have found the balance! 

Glowing health!

Painting is Hannah’s outlet. Her fine manipulation of the brushstroke enhances her perception of the beauty around her.

I interviewed the two and here are their inspiring answers...

AGE:

Hannah:  21

Jane:  47

OCCUPATION:

Hannah: Art student

Jane: Landscape designer

Tell us a little about who you are, what you do, how you got here.

Hannah: Art student at Sydney University, majoring in painting… From an early age, arts and crafts were an integral part of my childhood. Drawing, painting, cutting, gluing and creating encouraged a tactile experience, and a truth to express my inner psyche. This visual expression had become a universal language for me. 

"Creativity" allows our senses to feed us.

 In the same way, I seem to use plants, as my colour palette .The result is the same, the "giving" of our energy seems to reward us with vitality.

Jane: Plain Jane is my name. I try to be a free spirited child, using my intuition but with my ego in tact. I have allowed my learning to be spontaneous (taking each opportunity as it comes). My formal studies, fortunately in both human and plant sciences (Occupational therapy and Landscape design). Now I fantasize about healing those around me. I believe in filling our space with only good things and hoping in such a small way that each ripple effect will change our worrisome world.

What does ‘health’ mean to you?

Hannah: arousing my senses=health… for me, painting extends beyond the canvas into my everyday life. Dressing my great grandmothers dining room table with a linen cloth, hand picking flowers from our garden and filling bowls with ‘edible art’, we create a feast for our eyes.

Jane: "Health" resonates within, and so to those whom are aware, feel the positive vitality and attitude being freely elicited. . Considering a holistic approach always includes our restorative sleep, creative play and constructive work feeds us our confidence and happiness.

How do you manage to stay so fit and healthy?

Share your dietary philosophy/secrets…

Hannah: Focusing on what makes me feel good… I feed off energized and creative excitement that in turn inspires all I do, facilitating my artistic expression. My art teacher always says, “Stop painting the minute you aren’t having fun”. I walk daily for the fresh air and scenic routes. 

I stick to clean, whole-foods and I eat most meals at home that are made from fresh ingredients! 

Jane: Staying in synch is constant work. Proving that all we give out  (in terms of positive physical and mental energy) the result is that we receive double rewards in return. 

Being in touch with natural wonders, caressing our Labrador, walks along the scenic coast, are only a few of our secrets.

What brings balance to your life?

Hannah: Spending time alone each day settles my parasympathetic nervous system. Painting becomes my meditative activity (setting up a calm space with natural light and sound) provides a harmonious experience for me.)

Jane: Keeping a balance is our quest!  Satisfying relationships must be our primary asset.

 Your favourite healthy recreational activity?

Jane: One healthy recreational activity of mine includes a daily doggie walk, playing in my vegetable garden and admiring the sunset whilst having a "scotch-a-clock”!

Hannah:  My best is walking along the harbor beaches and in the summer jumping in the refreshing ocean is such a relief… (It can cure any hangover!)

Who is your greatest health inspiration?

Hannah: Jess sepel- health and lifestyle (awww!!-thanks!!)

Jane: Working as an Occupational therapist with elderly gave me the inspiration to value my health.

Each day I appreciate my own vitality and genetic make-up.

Where is your favourite place on earth?

Jane: Home and all the easily accessible parks and beaches. To name a few: Christianson Park and Gibson’s beach in Watsons Bay are my daily haunts. SShhhhsssh  !

Hannah: An escape to the family farm. It’s a feast of family company and food in a remote setting, surrounded by green, green, green and bright night skies. It has to be the most peaceful place on earth.

 What is your favourite healthy meal/snack?

Jane: I feel like a baby! I need 4 hourly feeds. My best fix in the morning are my homemade rusks  (see recipe)

Hannah: I love lunches at home… big leafy green salads with fresh herbs from the garden. Seasonal veggies roasted or steamed (globe artichokes, crispy cauliflower and marinated French beans to name a few). See recipe for salad dressing.

Jane also believes indulging in your favourite past time foods is essential. Moderation is key.

What is your favorite healthy neighborhood restaurant?

Hannah: Definitely my mothers, grandmother’s and aunt’s kitchen!

Jane: Sushi express (Bondi Junction) or better still Raw Bar (Bondi beach)... Ahh what about Sean’s Panorama?

What is next on the cards for you? Goals and aspirations…

Jane and Hannah: Researching our heritage proves the formidable and resilient strength we need to constantly remind ourselves that we inherently carry.

Please share one of your favourite healthy recipes here…

 Jane’s healthy rusks

 1Kg wholemeal plain flour

2 cups self-raising flour

3 tsp baking powder

500g Carmen’s natural bircher muesli

1 Tbs salt

500g brown sugar

1 cup flax seeds

2cups sunflower seeds

500g pepitas

100g sesame seeds

500g sultanas

200g hazel nuts

200g almonds

500g walnuts

5 beaten eggs

600ml buttermilk

375g melted butter

Approx. 1.5 cups warm water

Directions:

Warm oven to 180 degrees C.

In a VERY large bowl add all dry ingredients and MIX well!

Make a well in the centre,

Add wet ingredients and mix till thoroughly absorbed.

Bake in a deep and V large greased baking tray for 1hour

Cool and then place in the fridge over night.

Warm oven to 180 degrees C

Using a V sharp bread knife, slice into bite size (20cmx 40cm).

Place on trays in oven for 2 hours in low to med oven (keep checking when dry and crunchy, Viola!

Eat as a pre-breakfast snack with your morning tea or as a trail mix as you go about your busy day.

Dijon marinade/ salad dressing:

In a blender add 1 cup of mixed fresh herbs, (basil, dill and continental parsley) 2 lemons, ½ cup of Dijon mustard, ½ cup of red wine vinegar, ½ cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp of honey, 1 ½ cups of good olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. 

Guest post of the week: Strategies for Dealing with Stress in the Workplace

6 tips for easing personal job stress...

If you work, regardless of where or what industry you’re in, you’re bound to experience some type of on the job stress at some point in your career. Many jobs are stressful by nature—for instance, emergency room doctors or fire fighters. However, jobs that require sitting or standing for long periods of time in one spot, such as factory workers or desk jobs can also be very stressful to the body and mind. And little fixes, for instance in my last job I suffered back pain, but when I decided to buy an ergonomic chair, I was able to banish that stress from my work day.
The way your body and mind react to job stress largely depends on how your deal with and manage stress. For some, some stress can actually be motivating if you’re a person that tends to “strive under pressure”. However, too much job stress over a long period of time can be very dangerous to your health and well being. While you should be able to seek some help from your employer when it comes to curbing ongoing stress on the job, there are things that you can do to help ease job stress in the workplace.

Here are six strategies for dealing with and easing personal job stress.

1. Stay positive
Have you ever heard the adage “it’s all in the attitude”? Well approaching work with a positive attitude can go a long way to curbing job stress and banishing negative things that you can’t control about your job—for example, annoying coworkers, demanding clients, etc. Having a positive attitude and focusing on the good things (like your accomplishments) will help you stay motivated to do a good job even when stress sets in.

2. Accept your faults and the faults of others
No one is perfect—not your coworkers, not your boss, and not you! If you approach your job realistically (with the idea that everyone makes mistakes and that no one is perfect) you will be more willing to accept your failures and those of others, you will also be more willing to ask for help and aid when help is needed.

3. Take a break
Sometimes when you feel the stress thermometer raising it’s best to just walk away. Taking a 10 minute break to refocus leaves you more motivated than ever when you return to work. So take a break next time you’re feeling stressed—take a brisk walk, go outside and feed the birds, or sit quietly and breathe under the shade of a tree.

4. Banish clutter
Just because your workplace is a mess, doesn’t mean your own personal workspace needs to be a mess. Clutter is distracting so do your best to keep your own personal space tidy so you can focus and work without distractions.

5. Make friends
Having a work confident to talk things out with is a good way to combat stress at work. After a stressful day, sometimes it’s nice and cathartic to blow off steam by confiding in a trusted friend. And maybe this coworker will have some insight into how to remedy a stressful situation as well.

6. Remember—it’s just a job
Think of it this way—it’s just a job and you can always look for another one if the stress becomes too unbearable. So if you’re workplace is actually unhealthy or your boss is abusing his or her authority, start looking for a new job. You are the one in control of your own situation after all.

About The Author:

Gina M Casillo is a staff writer for Serenity Living Stores, your choice place to buy a Barcelona chair. She enjoys decorating the bedrooms for her active twin boys and writing about home décor – especially when it comes to the spaces she’s most intimate with.

MY SUPERFOOD BITES

The perfect nutritious snack. 

PERFECT for your morning tea/afternoon delight/dessert 

Health benefits you may be wondering? 
100% whole food! Powerful antioxidant! Blood sugar stabilisation! Omega 3! Magnesium!

Mix the following in a bowl/ use a food processor if you wish:

1 serving of protein powder (1 scoop-50g)- whey/sprouted brown rice protein
1 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs LSA mix (optional)
2 tbs buckwheat
1 tbs oatbran
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs honey/maple syrup
1 tbs natural peanut butter/almond butter (optional)
1 tbs goji berries
1/2 tsp cinnamon

How to make:

• Splash of water and mix ingredients. 
• Roll ingredients into balls with your hands. Should make 10-15 balls. 
• Roll balls into desiccated coconut. 
• Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set. 
• Enjoy this delight with mindful eating. 

NOTE: These are similar to my Protein Bites- just a few slight differences. You can mix and match the two recipes. Don't fret! Work with what you have got! 

JESS'S POWER PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

It makes a great breakfast or on-the-go snack option. I recommend it in the afternoon too when you feel that lethargic slump coming along. 

This will help you control your cravings and your weight!

Put the following into a blender: (work with what you have access to)

 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder- either 100% natural whey protein/sprouted brown rice protein (must be totally natural-from a health store if possible, see links below) 

2 tsp stevia (natural, calorie free sugar alternative – look out for a post on this in the future)

1 tsp cinnamon ground

1 tsp vanilla extract (if available) 

1 tsp chia seeds (full of omega 3, protein and many vitamins and minerals.)

1 tsp acai berry powder/maqui berry powder (a powerful antioxidant)

1 tsp Goji berries (cult antioxidant powerhouse)

1 tsp bee pollen (effective and underrated hormonal balancer)

½ Frozen banana/handful frozen berries (any fruit available) 

½ cup of milk (good quality cows milk/ almond milk/rice milk)

1/2 cup ice blocks (more ice the creamier!)

1/2 cup Coconut water/Filtered water

Feeling a bit hormonal, PMS? For Hormonal Balancing-ADD 1 tbs Maca Powder. 

Extra hint of choc flavour?  Add 1 tsp cacao powder! 

Top with some desiccated coconut/cut up fruit/nuts/seeds if you like. 

Here are the NATURAL protein powders I recommend:

http://www.sunwarrior.com/- this is my fav!

http://tonysfeir.com.au/

http://www.180nutrition.com.au

http://www.optimumnutrition.com