Stories

Sugar has well and truly inveigled itself into the modern diet. You will find it in many processed and pre-packaged foods, bakery items, takeaways, desserts and sweet beverages. In fact, unless you are diligently checking ingredients lists, chances are you are consuming more than you realise. While sugar may provide a temporary feeling of pleasure and satisfaction, most people recognise that its overconsumption can have negative effects on our physical health. Yet what is often overlooked or under-appreciated is the link between sugar and our mental health. The relationship between food and mood works both ways – our mood affects what we eat, and what we eat affects our mood. This is particularly true for sugar. Research shows a link between sugar intake and feelings of depression and anxiety. A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who consumed more than 67g of sugar a day had a higher risk...

Have you noticed that every possible way of eating has a label now? While it’s fantastic to see more people taking an interest in their wellbeing, these labels often come with strict rules. This set of criteria around what’s acceptable and what’s not may work for some but for others it simply isn’t sustainable. When people ask me what to eat, I will often encourage them to explore what I fondly call “flexitarian eating”. This is all about listening to what will best serve your body, health, energy (note: this does not mean tastebuds rule the choice!), and even your spiritual practice. The concept of being a ‘flexitarian’ can be used by anyone. It simply means you don’t have stringent rules. You might approach your nourishment with the idea that you have high standards. In other words, you don’t avoid that highly processed, sugar and preservative-laden snack because someone told you...

Our bodies are designed to cope with small bursts of stress but what happens when we feel stressed all the time? I like to call this the ‘stress express’ and too many people these days find themselves trapped on it. Stress hormones are designed to literally save your life and historically, adrenaline was only produced when we were in actual danger. Today, although the production of stress hormones can still save our lives (when, say, a car drives out in front of you and you need to slam on your brakes), the constant and relentless production is burdening the body. Stress is ultimately tied to our nervous system, specifically the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the ‘fight-or-flight’ system, but it also involves our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), the ‘rest and repair’ arm. When the nervous system perceives that we are under ‘threat’ – which in modern times can be due to caffeine consumption or our perception of pressure and urgency...

Many people know they need to eat less sugar. Yet, even with great understanding of this topic and the desire to change dietary sugar habits, many people describe this as a major challenge on their road to outstanding health. If you crave sugar, you might like to try some of the following tips to help break this pattern. Eat more fats Try eating more wholefood fats at the meal before you typically crave sugar. For example, if 3pm is your tough time, then amp up the fats at lunchtime. If it is after dinner, then increase the fats you have with your evening meal. Fat is incredibly satiating, and you’ll notice it will fuel you for longer through your day. Be prepared Have subtly sweet food on hand that serves your health for the time you know the cravings set in. Take some time on a Sunday and prepare a batch...

Detoxification is a process that is often misunderstood. It goes on inside us all day, every day. We wouldn’t be alive without it. However, the lifestyle choices we make influence how efficiently our body does its critical detoxification work. The liver plays a major role in detoxification, which is essentially a transformation process. It takes substances that would harm you if they were to accumulate and changes them into substances that are less harmful so that you can excrete them. Substances that either require detoxification, or impact on this process, include alcohol, caffeine, synthetic substances (such as medications, pesticides, and synthetic ingredients in skincare and household cleaning products), trans fats (damaged fats usually found in bought cakes and biscuits, snack bars and deep-fried foods), and sugars, such as refined sugars. These are the substances I refer to as ‘liver loaders’. The liver also has to detoxify substances your body makes itself,...

Dr Libby gives us her top tips to reduce household waste and eat healthier while doing it. It’s not a pretty picture: New Zealand households send a whopping 229,022 tonnes of food to landfill each year and about half of this is avoidable food waste. The cost of this household food waste being landfilled was $872 million per annum – horrifying when you pause to consider this. As with most things, small changes can have large impacts, so here are some simple strategies to reduce household waste. 8 simple ways to reduce household waste 1. Plan your meals in advance Buy the ingredients specifically for these meals. A little bit of planning can go a long way, especially when you arrive at the shop/supermarket. It’s easy to grab all manner of things, thinking “oh I might use some of this or that” but when you shop to recipes or a plan...

Do you feel like you’re running on empty? So many people have shared with me that they are feeling utterly exhausted, and it’s not surprising given the uncertainty and unpredictability that has featured in 2020. While getting enough rest is critical for energy, there are numerous other factors that contribute to whether we feel resilient and vibrant – or not – in our daily lives. If you’re regularly lacking that inner spark, could it be that you’ve been expending too much mental energy? Constant and relentless stress, worry or feelings of uncertainty and overwhelm can be incredibly draining. And, very often when people are trying to cope with this, they start to rely more on caffeine and poorer-quality convenience foods, or alcohol might start to creep in more often than usual – all of which can leave you feeling even flatter. While we may not be able to avoid stressful or...

Healthy, nourished skin starts in the kitchen, and certain foods can help you get that radiant glow. The health of our skin can have a big impact on our confidence and how we show up each day—but it can also give us clues about what’s going on inside our body and what nourishment it might need. If your skin is looking tired and dull, or if you are feeling frustrated with symptoms like breakouts, redness, dry skin, or rapid ageing, this can be your body’s way of saying you need to make some changes. The choices we make each day impact the health of the skin cells that are born and nurtured below the surface, and they’ll eventually become the outer layer that we see. So, when we focus solely on topical creams, serums, lotions and potions, we miss an entire (and rather important) piece of the picture. Healthy, glowing skin...

Diet and lifestyle are key to supporting a healthy hormonal balance, which in turn plays a big role in how we look, think and feel. Too often I hear stories from women who are at their wits’ end when it comes to their hormones. From the CEO who experiences uncomfortable hot flushes in the boardroom to the mum who feels out of control when it comes to her monthly mood swings, or the young professional whose menstrual cramps are so debilitating she’s forced to take time off work. Not to mention the increasing percentage of the population who spend their days feeling tired but are then too wired to sleep well because of all of the stress hormones they’re churning out. Or those who feel their body is betraying them because their thyroid hormones are out of whack. Hormones play an enormous role in how we look, think and feel, and...

We know what we need to do, so why don’t we just do it? Here’s a few common obstacles. The beginning of a new year signals a time for many people to assess where they’re at and to set some intentions for the year ahead. When it comes to health, many people declare that this is the year they are finally going to make their own health a priority and make some changes. And things usually start off so well. But despite the best of intentions and great knowledge, it doesn’t always last and many people return to some of their less supportive habits. Have you ever wondered why? Something I love to explore is why we do what we do, even though we know what we know. There is so much gold in understanding what is really driving our choices because from this place, it becomes much easier for us...

Temptations abound during party season but it is possible to stay healthy without missing out on the fun and festivities. With the silly season upon us and the numerous events this can bring, it’s easy to consume far more alcohol and poorer quality foods than we might usually. While alcohol can fit into a healthy lifestyle and enjoying it occasionally may be nourishing for your soul, regular over-consumption can have significant consequences on health and wellbeing. With all the work parties, family gatherings and social events spanning these months, many people share with me that by the end of the festive season they are feeling far from their best. It is entirely possible to maintain great health and energy across this time without compromising your social life or missing out on the fun and festivities. Here are some tips to help: Stay hydratedDuring these warmer months, it’s important to stay well...

Dr Libby’s book The Invisible Load takes a new approach to understanding stress by delving into where the stress is coming from. She tells Cityscape she wants people to know they can have a full and busy life without pushing themselves to breaking point. Many people would agree with you that our stress levels are rising – why do you think that is? In one respect, I think there’s now a sense of normalcy around it. We just expect and accept that our life is supposed to feel stressful and overwhelming because we can’t see any other way. When we look around us, we see everyone in our lives doing exactly what we’re doing – or we perceive they’re doing even more – and so we think there is no other option but to push ourselves near to breaking point to do what we need to do and to get where...

Eating the right foods will help support your immune system during the winter months. So make sure these staples are in plentiful supply – your body will love you for it. During the cooler months, strengthening the immune system becomes a focus for many people. But our immune system does more than just help our body to ward off common colds and the flu – it also helpsour body to react to foreign substances and forms part of our anti-cancer response. Immune system function is also tied to energy. Whether an increased susceptibility to viruses or infections or perhaps glandular fever, anything that triggers your immune system can be fatiguing. Optimising your immune system function can therefore help you to achieve and maintain great energy. So, how can we support our body’s immune system? Aside from supplying the building blocks for our immune cells, the foods we eat also provide the...

Starting the day well means more than a muffin and coffee on the go. Giving yourself more time in the morning will change your outlook on everything that follows. When it comes to our health, what we do repeatedly can have a significant impact on how we feel. For many, morning is the most dreaded time of day – it conjures up images of falling out of bed, still exhausted, and diving straight into a cup of coffee. How you spend those first few hours upon waking can have a significant impact on the outcome of your entire day. If you wake up feeling stressed, overwhelmed and tired, or if you are already running late due to hitting the snooze button several times, then you’re definitely not getting the day started with the best mindset. Here are some simple but powerful ways to positively impact your morning and help you take charge...