Do you get bored of cooking and eating the same food over and over? Or perhaps you’re seeking some inspiring ingredients to get you excited about cooking again? Why not visit your local farmers market this weekend to experience some of the Perth’s best fresh produce, direct from local growers? Here are six reasons why we think you should shop at your local farmers market this weekend:

• Support your local farmers

Buying locally grown food, direct from the farm gate, helps support your local economy. It means diverting money from multi million dollar food conglomerates so that it can go straight into the farmer’s pockets. Giving back to our local farmers helps combat today’s globalised economy.

• Eating seasonal fruits and veggies

When you shop at farmer’s markets the selection of fruits and vegetables will change with the seasons. Fruits and vegetables grown in their true season are typically fresher and more flavoursome and your taste buds will be much happier! Eating seasonally means waiting with anticipation for the change of seasons, as each new season brings a different selection of fruit and veggies to the table – mangoes and cherries in summer, asparagus in spring and pumpkin in winter. This will enable you to feel more connected to earth.

• Reduce your carbon footprint

Foods coming from local markets are transported shorter distances, which means less carbon dioxide emissions than if your food is being shipped across the globe. Eating locally also reduces packaging waste involved in global transportation.

• Get the freshest and tastiest selection

The fresh produce sourced from your local market generally has a superior taste to their supermarket counterparts. Fruits and vegetables taste like they are meant to be and not like water! Being on a market stall, they are able to ripen fully just before being eaten, rather than being frozen during transport and storage. The beautiful aromas of fresh food in farmers markets invite you to purchase real food, and not processed ones that come in a box, encouraging you to make healthy eating choices for your and your family.

• Less impact on your wallet

Foods bought at farmers markets are often more affordable that in supermarkets, especially when choosing those in season, due to reduced transport, marketing, staff and many other costs involved in running a supermarket. In the long term, eating real, unprocessed food will have a positive impact on your health. A healthy diet means saving on healthcare costs in the future.

• A more pleasant experience

Shopping at your local farmers markers is a fun experience for the whole family and makes for a relaxing weekend adventure. It’s a great place to gather with your community. Usually, farmers markets are outdoors which enable you to take in fresh air and enjoy the sunshine.

Seven farmers markets in the Perth northern suburbs:

• Stirling Farmers Markets – Stirling
• Poynter Farmers Market – Duncraig
• St Stephen’s Community Farmer’s Market – Tapping
• Wanneroo Markets – Wangara
• Subiaco farmers market – Subiaco
• Eden Beach farmers market – Jindalee
• Kyilla Community Farmers Market – North Perth

Written by Alessia Floyd, Live Well Physio.

Today we’d like to share some great Christmas gift ideas designed to inspire people to a healthier lifestyle. Whether it’s healthy eating, a healthy mindset or a healthier body, buy them something that will add to their health, not take away. Your friends and family will thank you for it!

• Give the gift of relaxation, with a massage, day spa or float and restore session.
• Build their bank of knowledge with a good wellbeing book or healthy cookbook, or vouchers to attend a health workshop. We recommend Dr Libby Weaver’s books including Woman’s Wellness Wisdom or Exhausted to Energised https://www.drlibby.com/shop/
• Help them switch their mindset some terrific Positive Gifts and Mindset Journal Starter Packs from INSITE MIND.

– Journals Choose from Mindset Reset, Move Your Mood and The ART of Positive Thinking   – The Clear Vision Box Everything you need to create a vision board for inspiring and lasting motivation – Oh Happy Day Cards The Affirmation Practice with 52 cards to swap out and say to yourself every day – Grateful Daily Practice gratitude in two ways through journaling and using a gratitude jar. A great way to start a new habit for the kids.

• Choose gifts to get them moving – what about a voucher for a pilates class? For kids, toys that keep them active should be high on the list such as skateboard, scooter, garden games, sports equipment, hula hoops.
• Feel good by doing good – there are many worthy charities that would gladly take a donation in lieu of presents. A few we love are listed below:

– Operation Christmas child shoebox – Pack a shoebox full of gifts for a young child – likely to be the first gift a child has ever received. – Timor Leste Vision is a beautiful organisation working in East Timor. They don’t have the gift cards at the moment but people can ask for donations to their favourite charity for Christmas – post it on Facebook and feed your soul. – Give a card that really counts, instead of spending $10 on a piece of cardboard, give something far better with Oxfam’s gift cards. There is even a little one for kids which explains beautifully how these cards work.

Is there anything I should ask Santa for?

Instead of asking, start with giving. Encourage your children to give too. Perhaps ask Santa for something that is fulfilling from within – what inspires you? Is there an experience you’ve always wanted to try or a craft that you haven’t pick up in a long time? When it comes to your own health, consider some supportive thongs! With beach season looming and many Perthites spending the whole summer in thongs, it is important to make sure they have support. Wearing unsupportive footwear puts a lot of pressure on your knees and back/joints. Your body will thank you for it! Have a look at Archies orthotic thongs – available at both our Hillarys and Currambine clinics.

Perth’s exploding café scene means there are now many, many more choices available for those looking for a meal out without compromising their health. Here are some of the great healthy café options now available in our stomping ground – the northern suburbs of Perth. 1. Ladle and Press, Hillarys Check out Ladle and Press for fresh, fast and nutritious food, including some delicious soups and pressed juices. All food is made on site in an open kitchen and can be conveniently packaged up for take away if you need to keep moving. With a great philosophy of supporting local growers, farmers and businesses, and keeping healthy food affordable, we highly recommend you stop by and show your support to this great little cafe next time you’re shopping at Westfield Whitfords City. 2. Health Freak Café, Scarborough, Innaloo and Joondalup It’s great to see a franchise chain of healthy cafes popping up around Perth – we’ve listed three of their north coastal locations but you will also find them in East, Central and Southern suburbs of Perth. Health Freak cafes have a delicious menu of 100% gluten and refined sugar free meals. Whether you are Vegan, Paleo, Coeliac, Dairy Intolerant, Diabetic or just health conscious – we’re sure you will find something delicious on their menu. 3. Nood Café, Leederville Nood is fairly well known for its catering options, preparing gluten, dairy and refined sugar free meals and treats. Now Nood has its own café in Leederville, open for breakfast or lunch. Fully stocked with the NOOD grab n go boxes, you can pick up a complete, nutritionally balanced meal for those times when you’re on the run, or take a seat in their comfortable dining space and fill your belly with some delicious wholesome food before heading off to take on the rest of your day. 4. JuJu Berry and Co, Mt Hawthorn Cold press juices and smoothies and tasty raw food are the focus at Juju Berry’s. An ever-changing menu of 100% raw and organic food is offered, sourced locally from certified growers. Depending on the day and season this may include soups and curries, salads and sweet treats. Open daily. 5. Little Shop of Plenty, Maylands Little in name but not in offering, this shop has a great range of gluten, dairy and refined sugar free sweet and savoury options. Their focus is on providing nourishing, tasty and nutrient dense food that will provide plenty of energy for busy people. Open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. 6. Esprezzo, Noranda This unassuming suburban café has created a strong and loyal following since opening in 2008 by consistently serving up healthy delicious food and fair-trade coffee.  Open 8am-2pm Monday to Saturday – this could be your next destination for that catch up with your nearest and dearest. 7. Pearth Organic Kitchen, West Leederville Organic café on Cambridge Street serving wholesome and healthy food for breakfast and lunch daily. All products are organic or locally sourced and free from processed products and refined sugars. 8. Eat Drink Raw, West Leederville Starting out as a delivery service bringing health and delicious lunches to offices and workplaces around Perth, Eat Drink Raw now have an on-site café open weekdays between 7am and 3pm. Their menu is based on raw, plant-based wholefoods with a range of salads, smoothies, desserts, pressed juices and organic fair trade coffee. 9. Dunn & Walton, Doubleview Dunn & Walton is an delightful organic store, kitchen and café on Scarborough Beach Road. Food is made fresh on site with a menu of takeaway vegetarian options that are forever changing and evolving based on seasonal availability of produce. Open Monday through Saturday. 10. Yelo, Trigg Hugely popular drop-in cafe, with a great choice of healthy breakfast and lunch options. If you can beat the crowd to a seat – you can enjoy your meal and the stunning views of the Indian Ocean. Open daily. Have you tried any of these or know of any others we could add to the list? Let us know below.

The lead up to Christmas is a wonderful time of year – the excitement and anticipation, the end of year parties, delicious food and drink, gifts and Christmas lights, songs and dancing… the list goes on. However, for some people struggling with financial strain, fractured families or health issues, this time of year can be stressful and depressing.  So today we wanted to share some ways that those of us who are happy and well can help share the Christmas spirit with some less fortunate and truly in need. Here are a few awesome ways you can give back this Christmas:  Smith Family Stocking Exchange The Smith Family is a national children’s charity that helps disadvantaged young Australians to succeed at school, so they can create better futures for themselves. Their Stocking Exchange program is aiming to deliver over 60,000 new toys and 40,000 new books to children in need around Australia this year. You can purchase a toy or book online, with the option to choose an age group and it will be added to personalised Toy & Book pack for each Australian child in need. Foodbank Hawaiian Giving Box Foodbank have teamed up with Hawaiian shopping centres to gather donations for 30,000 families in Western Australia this Christmas. These will be placed into gift hampers of food for families in need.  You can donate items such as canned food (vegies, fruit, ham and fish), dry goods, disposable nappies, new (not preloved) toys, clothes and books. There are donation points around the Perth metro area – find you closest donation point here for details. If you can’t get to a donation point you can make a financial donation online here. Salvation Army Christmas appeal The Salvation Army have long been a stalwart charity providing help to many in our community who are struggling with the challenges of homelessness, natural disaster, or family crisis. They provide help in times of desperate need, providing hope and a pathway to independence. Your donation can assist with:

• shelter to people with nowhere to sleep,
• gifts for kids who would otherwise get none,
• hampers for people struggling to afford basic meals, and
• support for those struck by disaster

If you’d rather purchase a specific item, they have a Christmas Toy Appeal aiming to reach a total of 800 toys purchased. Oxfam Unwrapped Gift Cards Buying for someone who has everything already? Oxfam’s fabulous gift cards allow you to gift a goat, chicken, duck or even a water well on their behalf, empowering families and entire communities with practical resources to help lift themselves out of poverty. The person you’re buying for will receive a clever card that explains how their gift is helping others. Camp Quality This charity provides a much needed dose of laughter to children battling cancer. They have some fantastic, unique Christmas products including Christmas crackers and an amazing Acts of Kid-ness Advent Calendar with proceeds going directly towards their support programs.

Today is World Environment Day, the UN’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. This year’s theme is Beat Plastic Pollution – urging us all to consider what changes we can make in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health. Plastic is a great material. We just aren’t using it properly – we have become over reliant on single-use or disposable plastic – with severe environmental consequences. But we all have the power to change this – guided by the principle: if you can’t reuse it, refuse it. To help spread the word, today we wanted to highlight five simple measures you can take to reduce single use plastic consumption:

Say no to straws

This is a really simple one. Take your drink without the straw. Single use straws are typically used for less than 12 minutes before they are discarded yet the effects on wildlife and the environment lasts for generations. If you must drink from a straw, you can get reusable metal ones which can be easily stored in your handbag.

Go naked

When shopping, avoid fresh produce wrapped in plastic – choose naked produce instead. We don’t need our food gift wrapped. It will be fine sitting in your cart just as it is – you’re going to wash it when you get home anyway.

Bring your own bags

Here in Western Australia, this is becoming a non-negotiable, with a plastic bag ban coming into action this month. Bring your own bags and say no to single use plastic bags. Keep some in the car for those times you just swing past the supermarket on your way home. When shopping for items other than groceries, these xx bags are a great option – they fold up and fit easily into a handbag or backpack and can fit a lot when needed!

Take a water bottle with you

Get yourself a fabulous drink bottle and fill it up before leaving the house. Think of it as an essential, along with your phone, wallet and keys – and you’ll never need to buy a single use plastic one again! That saves the planet and your hip pocket.

Use a reusable coffee cup

If you are a fan of coffee – invest in a reusable coffee cup. Keep it in your handbag or car and bring it out whenever you need a quick cup of joe. Better still, take time to sit in at the café and take five minutes to drink your coffee.

Use refillable containers for food and drink.

This one will also save you money in the long term. Purchase bulk food – package free or with less plastic packaging per gram and then use refillable containers to carry your meals and snacks. For example, instead of a 6-pack of single use yoghurts – buy a large tub and spoon some into a smaller container to take with you, which can be washed and used again and again. As individual consumers we wield a lot of power. When enough people start demanding change, suppliers are forced to accommodate. Your individual action can make a difference towards curtailing plastic pollution. Find out more about World Environment Day here

Are you eager to start your own vegetable patch but not quite sure how? The path to success is simple if you follow these suggestions:

Start small

Keep it simple with a few small containers, or one small garden bed, and plant a few of your favourite vegies. This keeps it manageable and hopefully steels you towards success. Choose vegies that can be harvested over and over, like tomatoes, snap pease or lettuce and the rewards will last longer.

Consider your location

Access to sunlight is one of the biggest factors to consider when choosing where to place your patch. Most veggies like maximum sunlight – up to 6 to 8 hours a day. Typically a north facing position works well if possible.

Prepare your patch

Whilst it’s exciting to pick some seedlings and plant them, don’t rush ahead and skip the most important part – getting your soil in tip top condition. Invest in a good quality potting mix if using containers, or feed your soil with an organic fertiliser to establish a good base before you plant. The better your soil, the more you will produce.

Tend to it regularly

Spend a little time, every day or so, checking in on your patch and you’ll keep on top of pests and diseases, and watering requirements. Good gardening is all about observation and a little regular attention goes a long way.

Whilst it’s only October, Christmas will be here before we know it. And if you’d like get into the true spirit of Christmas a little early, we encourage you to consider participating in Operation Christmas Child. This wonderful project, run by Samaritans Purse, helps provide gift-filled shoeboxes to children in the developing world by partnering with local churches. Packing a shoebox is a personal way we can give back, and also teach our children about giving. For only a $10 donation, and a box filled with a few school supplies, clothes, hygiene products and toys you could make a huge impact on a child’s life!

How can I get involved?

It’s really quite simple. The idea is to grab an average-sized shoebox, and decorate the lid and box in brightly coloured paper, or you can order a pre-printed shoebox. You can decide whether you wish to pack a box for a boy or girl, and an age bracket, either 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Then it’s time to fill your shoebox with some simple gifts. It is recommended to try and fill the shoebox with at least one item from each of the following categories:

• Something to wear
• Something to play with
• Something for school
• Something to love
• Something special
• Something for personal hygiene

From there, you can order labels and decided whether you wish to follow your shoebox on its journey. Once you have the labels, you simply drop off the shoebox at a designated drop centre. The Perth OCC Processing Centre is in Osborne Park at Unit 4/408 Scarborough Beach Rd, Osborne Park WA 6017 and is receiving shoeboxes until Nov 30. All the details and exactly what to do can be found here. Packing a shoebox is an easy and practical way to contribute and support children less fortunate in many corners of the world. All children receive a shoebox regardless of race, gender or religion. It is simply a free gift given out by local churches in their own village or town. Many of the shoebox recipients have never received a Christmas present before. We think it’s a great way to spread Christmas joy far and wide.

We believe that everyone should Live Well, no matter what your life circumstances have brought you. At Live Well, we are fortunate enough to spend our working days helping our clients to improve their health and wellbeing. Some people don’t even have their basic needs met, let alone be in a place to think about wellness. Give Well is our way of helping those who are struggling to meet even their basic needs and to help improve the quality of their lives. We believe that contribution to our community by way of giving of time, funds and kindness, help us to improve our own health as well improve our community’s health as a whole. Give Well is the philanthropic wing of Live Well. It is our space to give back, to think of others and to spread kindness. We have thought long and hard about how we can best support those in our community who are really struggling, need to know that some one cares and need help with their basic needs to get back on their feet. As such, we have created three arms to Give Well:

Three key charities we support regularly by way of monthly giving:

Mission Australia  Food Bank Share the Dignity

Local community

Our local community initiatives provide a space for our team, clients and community to get involved. We focus on activities that assist our three key charities above at a local level such as food drives, collection of clothing and blankets for people who are homeless in our community, ‘It’s in the Bag’ campaign and volunteering. We also love our beautiful coastline and help to keep it beautiful by doing beach clean ups at our local beaches!

Acts of Kindness

This one is very close to our heart. Each month we select a team member and give them an amount of money at each clinic. The team member can choose to spend the money on an act of kindness in the community to help some one who needs help the most. The effect of giving on our own health is amazing and we believe that a sense of contribution and connection to our community is critical for good health. These ‘Acts of Kindness’ have had incredible effects on our team members as well as the people at the receiving end – sometimes just knowing that someone else cares is all we need to help us improve our lives/move forward. Make sure you follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our latest Acts of Kindness giving as well as ways you can get involved and make a difference. Kindness is free, sprinkle it everywhere! 

World Earth Day is all about honouring this beautiful planet we live on and doing what we can to look after it. Here are 10 simple ways you can help our planet:

1. Recycle.

Seemingly small habits can combine to have a powerful effect and recycling is a great example of this. If you are already recycling, take another look at how your household is using it and how you could improve your efforts. Get your entire household involved and brainstorm ideas!

2. Invest in a reusable coffee cup.

Saving 5 disposable coffee cups and lids a week from landfill is around 300 over a year! Bring your reusable coffee mug to your regular coffee shop and ask them to put the coffee in there — some chains will even give you a discount.

3. Use earth-friendly cleaning products.

Cutting down on harsh chemicals that you use in your household is not only good for the environment but good for you and your wallet. Search online for natural, home-made alternatives. It’s amazing what some vinegar and baking soda can do!

4. Use reusable shopping bags.

There are so many reusable bags that fold up to a tiny size for easy storage in your bag or car, ready for when you stop to shop. Designate separate bags for meat and dairy items, and remember to clean the bags on a regular basis to prevent harmful germs from accumulating and spreading.

5. Use reusable food covers rather than cling film.

Disposable packaging definitely offers convenience, but it’s not the most environmentally friendly option. Try  reusable beeswax food wraps to fold up around foods and cover bowls of leftovers or seal them up in reusable containers.

6. Keep a set of cutlery and a reusable straw in your car.

We throw away millions of single-use, disposable straws and cutlery pieces every day. Instead, keep a set of reusable ones —made from stainless steel, silicone, or bamboo — in your car. They won’t break and are easy to clean in the dishwasher.

7. Be vegetarian for the day.

Not only will giving up meat for a meal open you up to other food options, it’s better for the planet, as the meat industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. There are plenty of easy and delicious vegetarian recipes online, so for one day why not give it a go!

8. Compost.

Setting up a compost bin is a great Earth Day project and it only takes a few hours. Food waste and other organic rubbish doesn’t decompose properly at landfills because it doesn’t get enough air and ends up creating methane gas in the process. Composting biodegradable food and materials is a great way to feed soil, organisms in the soil and plant life while reducing waste.

9. Refuse to buy fruit and veg wrapped in plastic.

Most large grocery chains have fresh fruits and vegetables that don’t come prepackaged. Or shop at a local farmers’ market. Not only will you be supporting growers in your area, but buying local helps save transportation energy and fossil fuels.

10. Go paperless.

Think about how much paper you can save just by getting bank statements and bills sent electronically and paid the same way. It’s the same with event or travel tickets. Most places don’t require physical copies anymore. Make the switch from paper receipts, bills, and other paper forms and copies to digital.

Every little bit helps and changing small habits creates a big impact.