Where to learn about better health
Australians are once again facing restrictions in response to that virus. You know the one. People would be thinking about health - whether they just don't want to catch the virus or want wholistic health, or somewhere in between. There is more to being healthy than simply avoiding people. Great experts and inspirational leaders provide resources to help people in their wellness.
Resources for overall health
There are leaders who specialise and there are leaders who look at more of the broad spectrum of health.
The Rich Roll Podcast
Rich Roll has been talking with experts and inspirational individuals for years - including doctors, health researchers, athletes and activists. He recently spoke with Dr. Andrew Weil about "Merging science with the mystical." Everyone should listen to the episode with Matthew Walker, Ph. D, about the importance and ideal ways for sleep. Essential listening also include the multiple experts for the gut microbiome. I personally discovered great experts after they appeared on the Rich Roll Podcast. These include Zach Bush MD, Drs. Dean & Ayesha Sherzai and Dr. Will Bulsiewicz. Choose from many episodes on Youtube or the audio podcast platforms.
Simon Hill and Plant Proof
Simon Hill is an Australian nutritionist and podcast host. Read the new book, The Proof is in the Plants, for an Aussie's scientific perspective on how plant foods can transform human health and the planet. I have only heard a bit of The Plant Proof Podcast but I would like to hear more. Recent episodes featured Dan Buettner (he identified The Blue Zones), Dr Matthew Nagra ND and his views on protein, environmentalist and actor Adrian Grenier, gastroenterologist Dr Alan Desmond, geoscientist Dr Hannah Ritchie, psychologist Melanie joy and much more. Since I'm a bit new in following this podcast, I have lots to catch up on.
Food nutrition and lifestyle
Pick Up Limes
Learn from Pick Up Limes to understand how plant based food can be nutritious and delicious. Sadia is a vegan dietitian sharing recipes with her team from her studio in the Netherlands. I found quick links on her site for topics such as intuitive eating, sugar, migraine headaches, organics, oils, soy, protein, the plate method, Omega-3, iron, vitamin D, vitamin b12, eating disorders, calcium and the benefits of soaking. Find PUL on Youtube or at pickuplimes.com.
Happy Pear on Youtube
Dave and Steve Flynn are the Happy Pear - vegan chefs who create community from Ireland. These twins really know health. People can trust the Happy Pear for guidance around wellness in these changing times. Their podcast features people who focus on physical and mental health, along with sustainability. I am such a fan of their recipes. After starting a fruit and veg shop and cafe years ago, they now offer courses and books in healthier cooking and eating. They work on their courses with experts including a cardiologist, a registered dietitian (RD), a gastroenterologist, a GP and a skincare expert. Everyone will learn something from the Happy Pear channel on Youtube.
Mental health
Mental and physical health are connected. We all want to feel more sane and happy anyway.
Team Sherzai - the Alzheimer's experts
Let's nurture our bodies and minds for the long term. This pandemic is happening now. Years away, other external and internal challenges could face us. This includes the possibility of Alzheimer's. Doctors Dean and Ayesha Sherzai lead "prevention through lifestyle." This includes diet, sleep, stress and more. I will am trying to understand their backgrounds after seeing their web site. These people are smart. They are researchers, scientists and doctors. Dr Dean Sherzai is a behavioural neurologist / neuroscientist. Dr Ayesha Sherzai is experienced in preventative medicine and vascular neurology, and qualified in advanced sciences. She also had culinary training. They know the brain. They know food. We can really trust their guidance. Their book, The 30-Day Alzheimer's Solution, is a useful guide in feeding and nurturing the mind.
The Me You Can't See
I just need to say this. There is no perfect way to say it. This show is so good, people should look beyond their opinions of Harry and Oprah to simply appreciate the content. There are experts and patients from diverse backgrounds. The Me You Can't See normalises mental health as something we all struggle with at some time in our lives. The era of COVID-19 became a potentially traumatic experience or altered the mental health of many humans throughout the world. Most could relate to that. Even before this time, life was not perfect. What do we go through and how can we cope?
This series looks at the mental health struggles of people from various walks of life. Some are famous and some may have names we had not heard of until now. Some are wealthy and others are not. There are stories in developed and developing nations. They are all relatable. There is an amazing feeling, seeing one's feelings reflected in such contrasting lives. It unifies us. There should be something for everyone - each viewer probably could identify with one of the conditions or knows someone who did.
Experts give insight into mental health conditions. Visit https://www.themeyoucantsee.info to read about the experts. There is an advocate, a Surgeon General, professors, psychiatrists, researchers, a philosopher, psychologist, founders and leaders of mental health organisations and an independent health and social care consultant. Watch the series on Apple TV+.
Mindful yoga in connection with nature and the self. Image: iStock, edited
Mindfulness, Meditation, Yoga and Soul
I will share a quick list of resources for spiritual health, mindfulness, meditation and yoga. There are so many ways to reconnect the mind, body and soul. There are my favourites:
Headspace
Watch the show Headpsace Unwind Your Mind on Netflix. Use the Headspace web site or app for guides on areas such as sleep, procrastination, loneliness, stress, movement, focus and kids.
Shekina Meditation and Path of the Beloved
I would recommend these communities for anyone who walks the path less travelled. The Shekina Meditation Podcast offers long meditations with scripture readings. Keep an open mind and ponder the words. Path of the Beloved brings together real spiritual yoga and an inclusive path to Christ. The space is home to those who may not fit the norm. Find the yoga and meditation on Patreon. I trust these spiritual leaders so much.
Insight Timer
Turn to the Insight Timer web site and app for support on a many areas of mental and spiritual health. There is something for recovery from depression, grief, healing, pain, body image and addiction. Explore happiness. Work on anxiety. Explore spiritual awakening and intuition. Relate to others with compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, love and patience. There is something for everybody with content from belief systems that can be secular, religious, spiritual, scientific or new age. There are talks and musical sounds. Try practicing some yoga, concentration, gentle repetition, mindfulness, movement, self-observation, sound healing and visualisation. Just writing all this, I realise I should have used this app more often. Insight Timer really covers everything for emotional and spiritual life.
Environment, consciousness, gratitude
We depend on this planet and are responsible for human impact. We can minimise the material things and excessive intangible aspects of our lives to focus on meaning. We all share consciousness with fellow human beings and the broader universe. Here are some resources for exploring our relationship with the material world and beyond.
Russell Brand
Subscribe to Awakening with Russell on Youtube to nurture your individual spiritual self. He talks about freeing from self-hate, real friendship, the ego, purpose, Kundalini yoga, mental health awareness, anxiety, intuition and purpose. Russell Brand's original Youtube channel is a mix of spiritual inspiration and political opinion. Under the Skin is essential for anyone who wants to broaden their horizons. Subscribe on Luminary if you can or find shorter clips on Youtube.
The Minimalists
We need to have less stuff. We need to minimise the clutter of information, connections, things and everything in our lives. We need to focus on what matters. The Minimalists are needed as much as ever. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus are faces of minimalism. Whether you're anxious about COVID restrictions or getting more freedom now, there are more meaningful ways to feel good instead of consumerism. Clutter may cause stress. When we buy less, we could save money and reduce financial stress. Having less things, we free up time that would have been spent on maintenance. The environment desperately needs us to shop consciously and sustainably. The Minimalists have a free Minimalist Rulebook: 16 rules for living with less. They have multiple books and a podcast. Find it on Youtube or podcast apps. There's even more on Patreon. Watch the films Minimalism and Less is Now on Netflix. Just take it steady - keep a minimalist approach to consumption of minimalist content.
Sally Gillespie - climate & consciousness
As the pandemic continues, the climate is continuously struggling. Eco-conscious people may feel anxious about the ongoing issues around climate when it seems as though the world is focusing on other things. Sally Gillespie wrote an entire book about how to be more conscious of climate change in a mentally healthy way. Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Re-imagining our world and ourselves explores, "psychological challenges and developmental processes of climate awareness for individuals and societies" such as the mythological narratives, emotional grief and hopeful innovation in response to climate change. This book is a big read. I better understood grief and other people's conflicting perspectives when reading this book. Sally "lectures and facilitates workshops on climate psychology and ecopsychology." I'm getting through the Amazon Kindle version of the book. There are also, hardcover and paperback versions.
Brigid Lowry - self care
A Year of Loving Kindness to Myself is Brigid Lowry's journey step by step through self care strategies in her everyday life. It is an example to inspire others' own paths. I feel ready to read it a second time. As described by the publisher, "Informed by contemporary psychology and Buddhist philosophy, Brigid’s essays offer reflections on everything from friendship to grief, and from gratitude to self-care." Brigid's book inspired me to appreciate the simple things in life, meditate in stillness and accept the difficult feelings. Gratitude and mindfulness are important for health. We can shape our self-care based on these examples.
Feeling happier and healthier in nature at the beautiful coast in Australia. Image: Pixabay creative commons.
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