FASCIA RELEASE WORKSHOP 2017

Some of you may recall that I ran a few foam rolling workshops a couple years back. I have had such overwhelming positive interest in this area from clients, customers and friends about foam rolling: why do you do it? what is it? how do you do it? I often explain and showcase the benefits of fascia release through foam rolling and rubber balls to my clients in my one on one health coaching sessions and they are blown away by the benefits. I love to move and I love sharing what I know and what has benefited me, so I have teamed up with PT Michael James of Primal Fitness to show you the what, why and hows of releasing fascia in this upcoming workshop.

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Since I started fascia release a few years ago this is what I have noticed in my body:
•    My injuries have dramatically reduced
•    My osteo-skeletal issues have minimised
•    My flexibility has improved out of sight despite doing less stretching
•    My recovery after intense interval training has improved
•    I am able to manage and resolve the vast majority of my muscular-skeletal niggles myself

... and, most importantly, when I foam-roll consistently (a few times a week at a minimum) I am pain-free. For someone who spent most of their teens, 20s and 30s in chronic osteo-skeletal pain, I can’t begin to tell you the sheer ecstasy of being pain-free. Moving to a nutrient-dense wholefoods diet, being well hydrated, sitting less, sleeping more, being more mindful, quitting long slow steady-state cardio and simply moving how our bodies are designed to move, all made profound improvements to my ailing health, but fascia release (through foam rolling and rubber balls) has, without a doubt, taken it to the next level. It was the last missing piece of the puzzle in my osteo-skeletal malaise. 

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COST STARTS from $70 PERSON 

The cost of the 2 hour workshop is;

- $70 if you bring your own foam roller (short to medium length preferable) and fascia release ball.
- $80 if you bring your own foam roller and we will order a fascia release ball for you to keep AND use in the workshop.
- $110 if you bring your own fascia release ball (e.g. made by Ironedge) and we will order a foam roller for you to keep AND use in the workshop.
- $120 if you do not have your own ball and roller and we will order both of them for you to keep AND use in the workshop.

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WHAT YOU WILL GET

•  An explanation of what fascia is, its role in the human body, what causes it to tighten, the consequences of tight fascia, and how to loosen it
•  An explanation of why stretching alone is not enough
•  Practical demonstrations
•  1.5 hours of releasing fascia via foam rolling and fascia release balls
•  Opportunity to ask questions
•  Your very own foam roller and a rubber ball for you to release fascia at home at your convenience (if you don't already own both)!
•  Opportunity to check out a new gym and be given 1 week free unlimited classes!

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THIS WORKSHOP IS IDEAL FOR

•  Those who attended one of my earlier workshops and wish to take fascia release to the next level
•  Those who want to take their flexibility and /or athletic performance to the next level
•  Anyone with tight muscles, tight spots, niggling pains, or inflexibility in certain parts of their body (especially mums carry bubs, anyone who carries heavy loads, those who don’t counter all of the forward movements in day to day life, or those feeling tight /constricted in the chest, shoulders and any part of the body)
•  Anyone who enjoys the feeling of being massaged (yes please!) or would love to have a regular massage but might not have the time and/or funds for it
•  Those who feel like they are not getting enough benefit from stretching alone
•  Those who want to learn how to effectively release fascia and iron out tight spots in the comfort of their own home
•  Anyone curious to try something new and have some fun!

WHEN AND WHERE

WHERE: Primal Fitness, Shop 11 Cosmopolitan Shopping Centre, 2/22 Knox St Double Bay NSW 2028
WHEN: Friday 23rd June, 7-9pm
PARKING: street parking or paid parking in the Cosmopolitan Shopping Centre
WEAR: tight fitting gym/yoga clothes (loose clothing and loose hair gets caught up under the roller- I learnt that one the hard way!)
BRING: your ball and/or roller if you have them otherwise we will pre-order for you

Spaces strictly limited to 15.  If this class books out we will run additional classes in the following weeks.

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TO SECURE A SPOT

1. Text Soulla Chamberlain on  0407 871 884 to confirm that there are spaces available (spaces strictly limited to 15 per class) and on your equipment needs.
2. Once I confirm that there is a spot available you will need to transfer funds ($70, $80, $110 or $120 depending on if you have a ball and /or roller) referencing your name into the following bank account within 24 hours (as places can only be reserved for up to 24 hours): Star Anise Organic Wholefoods EducationBSB 062 000 Acct 1628 4526

I will then email further details closer to the date. 

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PLACES WILL BOOK UP QUICKLY! IF THE CLASS IS FULLY BOOKED MORE WORKSHOPS WILL BE RUN IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD TO ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS.

CANCELLATION POLICY: ONCE FUNDS ARE DEPOSITED INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT THEY ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

How to keep your home (especially wardrobe!) mould-free in humid and damp weather

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important note!

SINCE FIRST WRITING THIS BLOG IN 2017:

• DUE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF QUERIES I RECEIVE ON A DAILY BASIS ABOUT MOULD, I HAVE PUT TOGETHER A ONE PAGE MOULD PROTOCOL WHICH SETS OUT A FOUR STEP PROCESS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH MOULD (BOTH IN YOUR HOME AND IN YOUR BODY). TO ACCESS OR DISCUSS THIS PROTOCOL, PLEASE FILL OUT THE CONTACT FORM ON THE ESSENTIAL OILS PAGE OF MY WEBSITE AND ONE OF MY TEAM LEADERS WILL CONTACT YOU.

• I WOULD NOW CLEAN MOULD USING YOUNG LIVING THEIVES RANGE OF PRODUCTS AS PER THE PROCEDURE SET OUT IN THE MOULD PROTOCOL REFERRED TO ABOVE.

• I NOW EXCLUSIVELY USE AND RECOMMEND THESE BUILDING BIOLOGISTS AS MY BUILDING BIOLOGIST OF CHOICE.

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Last year I wrote a comprehensive and lengthy blog on my harrowing experience with mould in my home and how I tackled that beast. Restoring my home and health took months and months of very expensive structural building work, remediation work on the contents of my house and an in-depth study of what caused it and how to create an environment that prevents it from growing back. 

Due to the most humid and damp weather Sydney has experienced on record this month, mould has been rearing its ugly head even in typically mould-free homes. I have had numerous phone calls and emails from people asking for help. Last weekend when I did a routine monthly scan of my wardrobe (the one place where mould tends to grow in my house) to my horror I discovered it growing on some shoes, a bag and 2 leather jackets. After all of the work, energy and money I spent last year to mould-proof my house I was totally guttered and disheartened to discover mould growing yet again! What the??!??! 

After an intense week of numerous emails, texts, conversations with my go-to panel of experts and my own research, here is what I have learnt that I felt incumbent to share:

1. Mould growing in wardrobes, especially in damp and humid weather, is VERY VERY VERY common...

So if you find it growing there, do not throw your hands up in despair as a failure. Even though it might be common, you still need to swiftly take action to remove it, as mould is a biotoxin and can cause health to unravel (congestion, sore throat, mucous, headaches, and coughs are often tell tale signs of mould toxicity).  The purpose of this blog is not to discuss how to remediate mould i.e. how to physically get the mould off property and belongings. The purpose of this blog is to discuss how to create an environment that will prevent the growth of mould in non-ventilated areas in humid and damp conditions that are prone to mould. In terms of how to remove mould from home and contents, I discussed that in my previous blog. But the short of it is that you need to remove mould in a very particular way and typically involves wearing gloves, a mask and sometimes a suit. How you remove the mould depends on what surface it is growing on (e.g. hard surfaces need to be HEPA vacuumed first), then wiped down with particular solutions (typically 80% white vinegar, 20% water solution), and then thoroughly dried with a dry cloth, and being mindful not to spread the mould to the rest of the house (i.e. quarantine the room until the mould has been cleared to avoid spreading the spores to other rooms). 

2. Find the root cause of the mould

Even though the cause of the mould in my present case wasn’t structural (i.e. there was nothing more I could have done to the actual physical structure of my property to have prevented it e.g. no leaks, adequate drainage etc), the cause was poor ventilation (air flow) in that bedroom, combined with extremely damp and humid conditions. These 2 conditions combine to create a perfect breeding ground for mould, especially on sandals (where human sweat is found in trace amounts on the soles of the shoes), leather garments and bags. 

3. Ventilate and dehumidify like all hell

If poor ventilation in a room is an issue (which is often the case with wardrobes which by definition are small confided closed dark spaces) then here are a few things you can do when the weather is especially damp and humid:

• Keep wardrobe doors open (or insert mesh grills on them) to increase ventilation and light to the area. I found it easier /cheaper to just keep the wardrobe doors open 24/7 as no one ever goes into that room and sees the contents of my wardrobe other than me and my kids.

• Invest in a dehumidifier. The one I recently bought is this one here upon the recommendation of my integrative GP Dr Min Yeo. It is rated #1 by Choice.

• Run an air purifier right near the wardrobe or other affected areas. Be sure to purchase one that kills mould spores. The one I have is AirOasis from the USA but even better are Innovaair (and they are Australian made!).

• Leave windows open as much as possible (only if there is no chance of rain coming in!).

• Have a portable fan blowing directly into the affected area or a ceiling fan going on low 24/7 or as much as possible to circulate the air. This is important when it is raining and you can’t leave windows open to get air flow naturally.

• Throw in a few packets of moisture absorbers into the bottom of your wardrobe or affected cupboard (especially on shoes and leather garments) for good measure. I buy mine here.

• Move storage of shoes and leather bags to higher up in the wardrobe if the lower part of the wardrobe is where mould tends to grow due to rising damp. If you live on a bed of rock or sand or a sloping block then chances are that you have metres and metres of dampness under your house. Unless you pick up your house, lay a plastic sheet on the ground and put the house back on it, that moisture is going to rise up from the ground hence why (all other things being equal) mould tends to grow on the floor or bottom of walls of buildings. So some re-organisation of your wardrobe might be in order.

• Make sure items are completely dry before putting them away. I suggest leaving sandals out of cupboards after wearing them for a good 24 hours to ensure that any remnants of sweat are gone before putting them away in a cupboard or wardrobe. Ditto for jackets or coats that have been rained on. Leave them hanging up in a dry airy part of the house if you can’t leave hang them outside due to rain. If something is not dried within 48 hours or stays wet/moist for 48 it can be prone to mould.

• Certain essential oils like Thieves by Young Living are great for killing mould but do not use an essential oil diffuser in a room that contains mould or has poor ventilation as it will simply add moisture to the room. You can get the benefits of the essential oils in other ways like dropping some Thieves oils on tissues or cotton wool balls and leaving them scattered in your wardrobe. Once the room is mould-free and well ventilated you can start diffusing again.

4. Routine inspections of wardrobes and other mould-ripe areas is critical

Fortunately, I was able to nip this little outgrowth in the bud as it was only 1 months worth of mould (as opposed to years) due to regular examinations of my wardrobe.

In terms of your own health if you have been exposed to mould, refer to this blog to help detoxify your system.

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My favourite BACK TO SCHOOL fridge, freezer and pantry BASICS!

I’m not ready for it. My kids aren’t ready for it. We don’t want the summer holidays to end. I can’t guarantee that the emotional transition back to school next week will be an easy one for you either, but I can assure you that with some basic fridge, freezer and pantry staples, you'll be well prepared to tackle the early morning rush hour with less haste and more ease and grace and ensure that your little chimps will be well fed with nutrient-dense foods that give them the energy and building blocks to learn, play and concentrate all day without energy dips. 

Here is what I make sure I have on hand at a minimum:

1. Rectangular and square leak-proof stainless steel lunch boxes with removable dividers
2. Nesting trio of 3 round leak-proof stainless steel lunch box containers
3. Insulated food jars to keep food cold (e.g. yogurt) or hot (soups, broth, stews)
4. If permitted, activated nuts (especially our 30g nut packs which are the perfect snack size) 
5. Refined sugar free treats such as our medjool date sweetened white chocolate bliss balls or our 2 ingredient carob bears (totally sweetener free!!)
6. Gruyere raw milk cheese (perfect to team with fruit for morning tea or can be the protein part of lunch)
7. Preservative-free cured meats from Bundarra Berkshires eg Capocollo and Little French Ham
8. Wild smoked salmon (delicious with lemon juice and capers folded through salad)
9. Kooee beef jerkey made from 100% grass fed meat

These are all available from Broth Bar & Larder in Bronte. We are open 7 days a week 8am-6pm. We can also ship these out to you if you email orders@staraniseorganic.com (cold items only for Sydney and Wollongong residents). 

To become a lunchbox pro, book into one of my school and work lunches WORKSHOPS that I am running in early Feb where I will share with you my secret tips and tricks, school lunch and morning tea “formulas” for success, discuss over 1 hour of nutritional theory and 2 hours of prac, and showcase how to prepare a nutrient-dense grain-free, processed food free lunch in 5 mins flat -I kid you not!

And don't forget to check out my social media posts to see what my monkeys are taking with them to school each day. 

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For more (grain-free and processed-free) lunch box inspiration check out my SCHOOL LUNCHBOX INSPIRATION ebook.

INSPIRING PARENTS TO RAISE VIBRANTLY HEALTHY KIDS ONE NUTRIENT-DENSE MOUTHFUL AT A TIME!