After discovering the power of mindfulness last year, I made a conscious commitment to spend more time nurturing both my mind and body. This year I chose to head to the renowned Gwinganna, a serene spa resort in Queensland, which luckily for us Aussies, is right at our back door.
Gwinganna is especially unique in the way that they focus on educating their visitors. Every day there were lectures and workshops run by highly trained professionals on a variety of wellness subjects. No activity was compulsory but I still felt that I wanted to be involved in as much as I possibly could. I particularly enjoyed the lecture on the importance of gut heath. I did not realise that over 90% of serotonin (our feel good hormone) is produced by bacteria in the gut and not the brain. It really is a case of health gut, healthy mind!
Health at Gwinganna is appreciated holistically as a synergy of nutrition, physical activity, and mindfulness. Here’s what I learnt from my experience at this amazing place.
1. Nutrition
First things first, this retreat is not about deprivation. The team there are not the food police and fortunately there is no calorie counting. All meals are based on the principles of SLOW food (Seasonal, Locally produced, Organic and Whole). Over the seven days, my detox meant no added sugar, alcohol, caffeine or red meat. This was great but I regretted not weaning myself off caffeine the week prior as I suffered a dull headache for the first few days. The current belief is that certain foods will cause the production of metabolic acids in our bodies which results in inflammation and possible the onset of chronic disease and ageing. There was an emphasis on the importance of vegetables to reduce stress on the liver and improve gut health. This form of nutrition significantly reduces its toll on our liver. Every meal was balanced, satisfying, creative and totally delectable and the morning tea coconut balls were my absolute favourite! This only reaffirmed my confidence in the 80/20 rule where we aim to eat clean 80% of the time and allow treats for the other 20%. This way we still can enjoy life without fear of missing out. Here is a list of foods that I like to include in my daily diet:- Good oils: coconut, olive, walnut, avocado, macadamia, flaxseed, chia seed
- Use sesame oil for stir fries as this has a high smoke point and won’t break down at high temperatures
- Fresh vegetables (particularly greens)
- Fruit (two serves)
- Whole grains: quinoa, barley, oats, spelt
- Legumes and sprouts
- Seeds (Chia, sunflower, flaxseeds, buckwheat)
- Nuts (particularly activated almonds. walnuts, macadamias and brazil nuts)
- Apple cider vinegar (one 10ml shot before meals)
- Kefir for natural probiotics
- Herbs and spices (ginger, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon)
2. Physical activity
Each morning at Gwinganna starts at sunrise with Qi Gong. This is a traditional Chinese custom of gentle yet structured movements designed to create balance between the body and mind. I really felt a strong connection with the environment and realised how much I take the sounds of the morning for granted. We were then offered a choice of morning activities that were either Yin (gentle) or Yang (more active). Current research suggests that too much exercise causes elevated cortisol which actually reduces fat burning and increases stress. The key to exercise is interval training of four intense ten minute sessions per week with a 2:1 ratio of recovery time: intense activity time. I was also intrigued to learn about the dangers of sitting for extended periods of time. Cultures that spend less time sitting have a significantly longer lifespan than more sedentary cultures. Some scientists are calling sitting the new smoking! Cramping the organs leads to internal inflammation and stress on the body. Once I returned to work after the retreat, I relayed this information to my team and as a result, we have invested in standing desks. This is a fantastic way for my team at Synergie to improve core strength and reduce time spent sitting throughout the day. It is also recommended to squat twice daily for one minute. Squatting increases core strength, gut health, flexibility, immunity and even longevity.
