I'm a major believer in omega 3 fatty acids for health and well-being.  This well researched nutritional has been hailed for its miraculous ability to slow the progression of many diseases including heart health, inflammatory diseases like arthritis, manage weight reduction, improve eye health, improve the quality of skin and manage some skin disorders,  improve anxiety and depression, and improve attention and hyperactivity in children.

In my most recent video (here), I touched on how powerful fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids can be in treating concentration, autism, ADHD and general mood disorders in children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Which fish oils do I recommend, what dosage and when to take it? As I touched on in my video, when it comes to fish oils, they are not created equally.  In fact it's quite the opposite. 

Things to consider:
1.  All omega 3 oils, even the non fish sourced oils, must be kept refrigerated.  Please invest in purchasing oils that have been stored in the fridge and make sure you keep them in your fridge at all times.   Omega 3 fatty acids are highly unstable and quickly oxidise. 
2. Dosage of these oils is dependent on the objective you are trying to achieve.  If you have an inflammatory disease, let's say, psoriasis, then you would look for a fish oil that has a higher EPA amount than DHA.  A child's dose is less than an adult.  If you're dealing with learning difficulties or mood disorders, you will opt for a concentrated DHA oil.  And start supplementing at 200mg DHA every day.  Remember it can take up to 6 weeks to see changes.  So stick with it.  Some studies go as high as 700mg/day, which is high, but has profound effects.  Always check with your health care professional for the correct dosages, but at a minimum 200mg/day for a child aged 5 is a good guide.
3. Good quality fish oil is usually obtained from small oily fish - sardines, mackerel, anchovies,  Look for these on the pack.  Larger fish tend to be higher in mercury content.  This is a no go zone for kids!  
4. When to take omega 3 (regardless of fish or plant based) - always take omega 3 oils, in fact any oils, with a main meal.  Other dietary fats helps the absorption of omega 3 fatty acids.  There is little point in taking this supplement with a banana or apple.  Take it just before or after dinner or a hearty breakfast. 
5. I have to mention, that if you are a family that consumes oily fish regularly (2-3 times a week) then this has more benefit that consuming fish oil itself.   The problem is, finding good quality, non farmed, oily fish that is local to your country.  I still suggest supplementing with oils even if you eat fish, if you have a specific concern.  If you want to improve concentration, mood, inflammatory conditions, then you can reduce the dosage of the omega 3 fatty acids, so long as you do consume oily fish regularly.  

So here are my favourite KIDS fish oils...and please remember, they don't taste like chocolate - they taste like fish oil, maybe masked a little with natural flavour.  It can take a child some getting used to the taste.  Finally, don't give up.  Teach your child the importance of taking it, so they are more inclined to avoid resistance.  Give the oil a few weeks to take effect.  Your child may complain about the taste, but the reward of a focused child is well worth the effort. 

Nordic Natural's have a fabulous range of fish oils, for all ages and most conditions.  To be honest, it's my number one preference for kids.  If you're lucky enough to live in a country where Nordic fish oils are in abundance, then most of the brands would be reputable, just because the quality of fish is superior. ​

The liquid form has a much higher amount of DHA only because the liquid you can control the dose, however the taste is less obvious than the capsules.  Kids much prefer the taste of the capsules, you'll just need to modifiy your dosage to minimum 5 capsules.   Available from most good health food stores in Australia. 

The bottom two, are also Nordic fish oils, available from iHerb.  These won't be delivered to you refrigerated, but if you live in a country where you can buy these from a store, then opt for that.

Also, before I forget, if you're interested in more about the prison study, here's one, but there are heaps more available through Google.   The research shows that prison inmates showed significant reduction in depression and violence when their diet was supplemented with high dose DHA fish oil....I remember reading this type of research some years ago and it blew my mind!

Now, it's time for me to have lunch and take my fish oil!  

Resistant StarchResistant starch (RS) is a type of starch which isn’t easily digested and absorbed.

There’s loads of research that suggests resistant starch is great for:
Improving colon health and reducing risk of colon cancer
Increasing metabolism and helping to use fat cells for energy (thereby reducing weight)
Keeping you full
Decreasing inflammation of the gut (great for those with IBD)
Acts as a great pre-biotic (feeds the gut bacteria)
 
Resistant starch is broken down by the colon during the fermentation process and is converted to short chain fatty acids (SCFA).   One of the most important ones is known as Butyric acid – which is used in the treatment of Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis.  

Unfortunately, some people don’t cope with starch very well.

People with any sort of gut flora imbalances or digestive issues might not tolerate RS very well, and could suffer from bloating, pain or other symptoms.  And some people have real challenges eating grains, legumes and/or other carb-rich foods.  But don't give up!  A little bit of gas shouldn't stop you.

What happens then? How do you get enough resistant starch?  Try a combination of different resistant starches, or introduce them slowly into your diet.  If you have a huge load all of a sudden, your digestive system will freak out.  
 
Here’s a list of some high ranking foods:
 
Lentils
Chickpeas
Black beans
Green bananas
Oats (uncooked, so use my bircher muesli)
Cooled, cooked potatoes
Cooled, cooked pasta
Cooled, cooked rice (brown rice in particular)
Sourdough bread
Sweet potato
Chia seeds

To get your hands on my Huevos Rancheros recipe, buy my eBook here:  BUY BOOK
Just omit the feta cheese (unless you're not doing 5:2, in which case add it because it's so delish.  Or if you want something creamy, use skyr, rather than sour cream.  This boosts the protein content quite a bit.

Here's my nutrition panel for the Huevos rancheros recipe

I’m a huge advocate for intermittent fasting and my favourite method is 5:2.  I’ve been doing it since 2015 and practice it as a 6:1 during winter and ramp it up to 5:2 during the warmer seasons.   It’s easy for me to manage, it doesn’t interfere with my family and their food consumption, I can change the days around to suit me, based on what events I have in the week, and on top of all of that – it works! 
 
For anyone who has not heard of 5:2, it’s a simple concept consisting of 5 days out of the week eating normally and 2 days of the week fasting (limited calorie intake).  On the fasting days, women are to consume no more than 500calories and men, 600calories.  Personally I prefer to adhering to 100 calories less than what is suggested as I find the results are better.  On the days where you don’t fast, you’re free to eat what you like, but most adhere to a healthier diet with one cheat day a week.  For many, it’s easier to adhere to the 5:2 concept than radical dieting.  The results are just as good as radical diets but with more benefits. 
 
Fasting is by no means, a new concept.  It has been followed for many years, by religious and spiritual people who perform fasting on a path to enlightenment, and also a healthier body.   Much research has been done on people who perform fasting and scientists have found a direct link between reduced instance of diabetes, dementia and cancer with intermittent fasting.  In a recent study of 100 obese females, half of them were asked to perform intermittent fasting two days a week, and found they had not only reduced their body fat, but significantly reduced their biomarkers related to breast cancer risk. 
 
But what if you’re not overweight?  There is still a lot of evidence to suggest that even fit men and women who fast one day a week may not lose any weight however their biomarkers for diabetes and insulin resistance reduced greatly. 
 
It doesn’t end there.  The amount of research surrounding intermittent fasting is huge.  Ranging from ischemic stroke, weight loss, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, degenerative neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia) and cancer all point to a reduction in these diseases.
 
For me, 5:2 was a great way to reduce my pesky post baby fat – however since starting 5:2 I have become more aware of the foods that in consume and the amount of ‘empty’ calories are eaten on any day.  My downfall was definitely the ‘empty’ calories – where I could devour a chocolate bar and consume 300 calories but very little nutrition.  Since starting 5:2 I am conscious about what 300 calories would mean and how better I could include beneficial nutrients into that intake.  A meal consisting of poached chicken breast, brown rice and steamed vegetables would amount to the same amount of calories, but a much more fulfilling and satisfying meal.   I guess, also, at my age, I would like to do as much as I could to reduce my risk for many diseases and 5:2 helps me achieve that and maintain a healthy weight range. 
 
Almost anyone can do 5:2, however I would advise against those with an eating disorder as well as children under the age of 18.  Many parents ask me if their overweight kids can do 5:2, and my answer is mostly ‘no’.  If your child is overweight, find alternative methods of reducing their weight, either by increasing their exercise or limiting poor food choices.  Pregnant and early breastfeeding mothers need more calories as opposed to restricting their intake.  However, if your child is having one feed a day, or you are in the process of weaning, 6:1 can be included in your regime.  Definitely, ill people should not be fasting.  If anything, resting and eating nutritious meals is in order.  This includes those recovering from surgery.  Also, people with Type 1 diabetes and other significant medical conditions need to check with their doctor before starting something like 5:2.
 
With so many benefits to intermittent fasting, I would suggest starting straight away.  You’ll probably hate me for the first day, but because you know it’s a short lived hunger, you will see results, feel amazing and be prepared to tackle another intermittent fasting day.   To make it super easy, I’ve put together a simple quick flick available here…. It’s a document that details how to start 5:2, types of exercise, recipe and food ideas so you know exactly how much to eat. 
 
Finally, I need to mention another factor that makes a successful 5:2 week – support.  Get a group of friends involved and support one another during your days of fasting.  You will see results together, fast together and support one another if you feel tempted to cave on weak days. 
 
Good luck team.  It’s totally worth the effort. 

What’s the deal with antioxidants?
 
 Whenever I do a talk on antioxidants, I usually have people ask what they are.  Sure they’re good for you, but why? What do they do?  It’s a tricky talk because it requires knowledge on chemistry – and some people completely zone out.  If you want a detailed explanation to satisfy your curiosity, I suggest reading this: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/antioxid.htm
For a simple explanation, an antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules and thus our cells.  Through pollution, alcohol, refined foods (artificial colourings, preservatives and trans fats), stress are a few examples on how our cells have the potential to oxidise.  So, if our cells don’t oxidise at a rapid rate, we can, theoretically, age slower, and diseases progress slower or are prevented all together. 
 
 
Let me cut to the nitty gritty.  Just eat foods that have a high content of antioxidants.  Trust me, just do it.  Antioxidants have been strongly linked to the inhibition of free radical damage to our cells, which are responsible for diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancers, cardiovascular diseases and premature ageing.
 
What to eat?  Check out my awesome mini recipe book loaded with different ideas on how to get more antioxidant foods in your diet everyday!
 
Antioxidants come in different forms, ranging from vitamins that are fat or water soluble, amino acids, hormones and phytochemicals. I don’t want to specify which are better than others, but one thing is certain.  Eat a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, plant based proteins (or animal), and your body will know what to do with it.  If you only eat two or three foods to get the ‘best antioxidant’, then you’re missing out on a whole lot of other foods, that have other added benefits, not just antioxidants.
 
Start eating: dark green leafy vegetables – cruciferous family especially; load up on colourful fruit like berries, pomegranate, kiwis, citrus; increase your intake of lentils, grains and potatoes! The theme is becoming obvious – avoid refined junk.  Avoid take away foods – avoid stuff your body has no idea how to metabolise.  Eat foods that are in season, and enjoy eating them in different ways.   Baked potatoes can get boring, so try mashed, rosti or in a frittata; avocados are boring in salad, so make it into a cold soup by adding yogurt, mint and cumin in a blender; berries have more potential than just in a smoothie, try them on top of your toast in the morning, layer them like a sweet lasagne, using yogurt instead of pasta sheets; the possibilities are endless.  Think outside the box.  Try my antioxidant recipe downloadable mini book (QuickFlick) for great inspiration.
 
Every day I will have a juice of some sort.  I don’t stick to the same recipe, but I do include the same principles – dark veg x 1, dark fruits x 2 + a boost of veg protein powder.  Sometimes I add a bit of broccoli powder or pomegranate powder.  It depends what my husband brings home. 
 
There’s a reason why we are told to eat a rainbow of colours or 5 serves of fruit/veg a day.  It’s for the fibre, it’s for the vitamins, and it’s for the antioxidants.  There are so many reasons to include more in the diet so what are you waiting for?

Products I love and use regularly:
DefenCell  and PomGenex - high in the compounds found in cruciferous vegetables.

• Reduce cellular oxidative damage
• Support cellular antioxidant defences within the body
• Active key enzymes to remove cellular waste and support liver health

Resveratrol

• Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger.
• Contains important nutrients including vitamin C, lysine, proline and glycine which are required for the synthesis of collagen, elastin and firm connective tissue.
• Resveratrol helps maintain healthy blood vessels in healthy individuals.

Before I start, I need to mention how difficult I have found typing this.  It isn't easy to recall moments that you know you will never get a chance to re-create. 

I’m really looking forward to saying goodbye to 2017.  I haven’t enjoyed it much at all.  Life has a funny way of putting you down the path it wants you to travel.  No matter how much you resist it, or try to oppose it, you’re forced down what is demanded of you by the universe.  One thing is for sure, no one gets out of this life without experiencing extreme emotions.  And I find comfort in knowing that all humans, at some point will have to face extreme emotions in their lifetime.

Robert Plutchik’s theory is based on eight basic emotions as outlined below.   There are many other theories, but for now I resonate with this one.  The inner most circle are the extreme emotions.  I’m sure you can look at this and recognise where you are now and what you have felt in the past.
 
Looking at this image, I can easily identify the times I experienced most of the inner circle of emotions, except grief – until this year. This year was my year to face grief in the rawest form.   To be honest, it’s the emotion I am finding most difficult to manage. 
 
October 2013 my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung cancer which had metastasised to her bones ( her entire spine, shoulder and hips – to be exact).  She was fortunate enough to be a candidate for a new type of drug, rather than chemotherapy.  She got a good 18 months on that drug, and managed a strong and healthy life during that time.  But then, as with most cancer medication, it wasn’t effective anymore, and she required more radiotherapy and a different type of medication, which did not work as well, and she lost more weight and was feeling defeated.  As a Nutrtionist, all I wanted to do was nourish my mother back to health.  But I knew it was a difficult battle, and not one that I (or any medical professional) could win.

I recall my mother loving food, the flavours, textures, different condiments with all her meals.  She was a fan of complex flavours and unusual ingredients.  A favourite – which I didn’t enjoy much – lamb casserole with prunes and dried lemons.  Trust me, it sounds hideous and tastes weird!  But she loved it, and she would enjoy it with a spicy pickle of some sort.  However, when she became ill, her tastes changed dramatically, and she found it challenging to eat.  Her love of food was diminishing.  Her love for life was diminishing.  My zesty mother was fading. 
 
If anyone has any experience with Lung cancer, you will know it can has very dramatic changes in a person day to day.  From breathing normally yesterday, to laboured breathing today and requiring oxygen tomorrow.  Mum was dying in front of us.  I hated the way she was so emaciated and weak.  You have to understand, my mum would walk around the parklands behind her house twice a day.  She would even jog.  She would never take time to sit and relax, she was either fixing something or out an about in the city.  Whilst her brain was still sharp it was devastating seeing her bed ridden.  She could not walk, 3 steps, with an oxygen tank without feeling like she was going to collapse.  In hospital she remained for 6 weeks from October to December 2015.  During this time, I would deliver meals to her daily.  Broth and a proper meal plus a freshly mixed juice.  Her oncologist always checked to see if she was eating properly to ensure she could survive long enough to receive the new drug that was on its way from the UK.  Two days before her 75th Birthday she was lucky enough to receive the trial drug – one of two people in Adelaide to receive it.  Within 48 hours, she was breathing normally and able to speak without running out of breath.  I can honestly say, this drug was a MIRACLE.  I have never seen anything so powerful.    She was discharged two days later and started to get her strength and a little of her appetite back.  However, in the back of all our minds, was the reality that one day, the miracle drug would no longer work.  For my mother, that time was exactly 12 months later.
 
From the moment I learnt of mum’s disease, I experienced most of those emotions in Plutchik’s wheel.  However, on the 25th of May 2017, I was to experience grief like I have never felt before.  On the 26th of May, I experienced grief.  On the 27th of May I experienced grief.  At my mother’s funeral on the 29th of May, as I lay letters from my daughters on her grave, my sadness was taking over every cell in my body…and I’m still sad.  Some days are okay, and I manage, and as the days progress I learn to live with the grief.   I think about my mother daily.  I have cried a few times at my local Woolies, at school drop off, at the coffee shop and many times in my car & in my home listening to her favourite songs.   There were moments when I wondered how the hell I would get past the grief and when I would feel better.  Well it’s been just 5 months since she passed away and it has not got any better.  It’s just not as raw.  The wound is not as exposed, it is slowly healing but there will always be a scar.
 
My mother said to me,
You water the garden when there are plants and flowers to enjoy; for once they are dead you will be wasting the water.
 
I can’t tell you how true that is.  While she was alive, I did as much as I could for mum, even though we lived in different states.  When I was with her, I was 100% with her.  I would return home to my own family exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally for days, and then I’d repeat the whole process again weeks later. I went to many oncologist appointments with her, held her hand as I tried to re-explain what the doctor had mentioned.  I would take her where she wanted to go, we would sit in the sun together, I would cook for her and shower her.  I would massage her every night I was with her.  I can actually take myself back to those moments and feel her skin, her bony back and my fingers pressing into her flesh.   Her warm smooth skin, drinking the oil as I helped relieve the tension in her lower back.   She whispered, “I feel so safe with you Vicky”.  It was like looking after a child, and I’m sure she felt like one in those moments. 
 
As I write this, with my heart open to you, tears streaming down my face, there is an upside to my grief.  You see, a few months before mum passed away, I told her I was working on a new business idea.  A business that involved using my knowledge and experience in nutrition.  What good is it having knowledge if you can’t share it with people?  So instead of spiralling into depression from my grief, I decided to move it into a productive form of serenity and love (see Plutchik’s wheel). 
 
I have written a recipe book for patients suffering from diseases like cancer, patients who have had surgery or those living with chronic side effects from medications.  This book, Stairway to Health is available from my site, and it's loaded with easy meals that are nutrients dense, designed to help the body repair and return to some state of health and wellbeing.  The book is categorised by side effects of illness/surgery/medication to make it easier for patients to navigate and find a recipe suitable to them. All the recipes were trialled by my mother - and she provided feedback in the nicest possible way.
 
I have started a catering business aimed at delivering only nutritious and organic meals to people who need good food.  No disrespect to other companies in the market place, but my mother would gag at the sheer sight of their meals.   My specially designed organic meals are delicious, highly nutritious and use ingredients that assist with particular side effects, ranging from nausea, change in taste, loss of appetite, dry mouth or difficulty swallowing.  Vegan, Vegetarian, FODMAP, sugar free meals are available, as well as meals for those who can’t chew or have a dry mouth; those who need low sodium, high calorie and much more.
 
I do need to mention that while nutrition alone is not enough to cure a disease like cancer, it is essential that the body receives the right nutrients to assist the body while it is undergoing cancer treatment.  Gone are the days where people can turn a blind eye and say ‘Nutrition means nothing” or “Food plays no role in a positive outcome”.  Doctors are not even saying that.  My mother’s oncologist was a huge supporter for proper nutrition.  There’s a plethora of research that advocates proper nutrition during cancer treatment.  And if a doctor suggests that nutrition doesn’t play an important role, I suggest finding a new doctor because they’ve just failed Biochem 101. 
 
My mother’s initial prognosis back in 2013 was 3-6months.  Because of her optimal nutritional state, and her cancer type she was a successful candidate for medications that helped prolong her life – for an extra 3 1/2years.    To the doctors that helped my mum, thank you – to the pharmaceutical companies that provided the medications, thank you, and to my mum, who ate everything I prepared and kept her nourishment up, thank you.  Ultimately, the disease took over but I know that mum amazed a few oncologists with her longevity of life. 
 
Finally, as I have found a positive outlet for my grief, by helping provide meals to those who need it, or educating people on what to prepare, there are still times when I lapse into sadness.  There’s a wonderful poem written by Rumi that does help to realign my emotions a little and force me to recall how this grief has made way for better things.
 
 
The Guest house - Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honourably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
 
 
My grief has violently swept my "house" – but it has definitely cleared me out for a new delight - by helping others have more time with their loved ones.  I hope to move towards serenity in the near future. 
 
For mum…I think of you every day.  At night I dream of hugging you again.  My success is for you. 

September 2016                                           1974                                                            1977

I believe that tinned tuna is one of the most popular 'healthy' lunches people will steer towards.  When I worked in a busy office environment, more often than not, at lunch time I would hear the cracking sound of a tin of tuna being opened, then strained and generously piled onto a bowl of salad or some bread.   Seems reasonable, it's a healthy protein packed lunch.  But there's tuna, then there's TUNA.  We are often led to believe that it's a healthy lunch, but what are we actually buying?  Is it filled with oil or brine?  Are there any additives or flavours?  Where is this tuna sourced from?  What happens if we consume too much canned tuna?  These are questions that came to mind as I watched a dear friend have tinned tuna Everyday. 

There has been some hype about the mercury content in fish, particularly tinned tuna.  To be honest, you would have to consume a lot of tuna to see the nasty side effects (tingling sensation in arms/legs and loss of balance, mood changes); but if you have a small can a day with a well balanced diet, there is not much chance of that happening if you purchase fish that has been caught in seas where there is little contamination.   Most of the tinned fish on our supermarket shelves are sourced from fish that is close the equator - like Thailand and China; around the Indian and South Pacific Oceans.  The fish caught in this area has the high mercury content compared to the fish caught in the Mediterranean, North Atlantic Ocean.  Fish from these regions are 'cleaner' so to speak.  They contain less contaminants, and in general their produce tastes better (maybe there are better quality food sources for the fish in these seas).

While it may seem tiresome to check for the country of origin of the canned fish you purchase, it really is worth the extra effort.  The problem is good quality fish is not usually readily available at your local grocery store.  Sometimes only speciality stores stock them.   My favourite is Capriccio, Delicius and Consorcio (divine!).  All these products source their seafood from the Mediterranean; the fish is meaty and superb.  The olive oil used is exceptional. However Capriccio tuna slices in the glass jars are my ultimate favourite.   If you live in Melbourne, try Leo's Supermarket, Terra Madre or some Italian Deli's. 

It's now time to make some brown rice noodles and crack open a jar of tuna! Yum....

I've had this niggling desire to discuss things on this blog that would otherwise be shunned upon, but because they're my ramblings, I figure I can get away with it.  It's my blog and I'll ramble if I want to.

Many years ago, at university, I lived on campus and shared my life with a multitude of people from different backgrounds.  I lived with 11 people at any one time, though we had our own rooms, we shared bathrooms, kitchen and a dining room. Every year, the people living on the floor would change, the aromas emitting from the kitchen would change, the dynamics of the 'team' would change, but one thing was constant.  Our comradery.   The older folks would look after the young ones, and the young ones would liven the mood at dinner time.   We looked out for each other, supported each other during tough times (family turmoil, exam madness, relationship breakups, nervous breakdowns, suicides, drug overdoses....); and we propelled each other when we needed encouragement (finish a never ending thesis, get those assignments in on time and make soup when all someone needed was a little love).  It was the best experience that helped shape me to be the easy going person I am today (well, I consider myself easy going and easy to live with even my husband will agree to this).   But after living on campus for 5 years, I had to embark on the big scary world by myself.  I started working and realised that I had to do things for myself.  No one really cared to help.  No one wanted to be involved in my life after work.  No one wanted to share their daily experiences with me over a dinner.  I felt...  angry.  Why didn't anyone want to talk? Share? Help?    I could have  become a sheep and follow the way people around me were living their lives, but I refused. 

Now, many years later, I live in a nice suburb in Melbourne.  People are mostly 'nice'.  Of course there are fake people and I am not interested in wasting my time with them.  But I realise there is a small subset of people who, just like me, are in love with the idea of communal living.  I don't mean 20 families living in a big hippy house, and swapping partners, with kids running naked in the garden.  I mean, people in a community coming together and helping each other in times of need.  Being able to trust and rely on people who can look after your kids for an hour, getting a hug from a neighbour as you endure an emotional family issue; having someone cook a meal for your family because you've been so caught up in a personal health crisis.  It's hard...really hard to find people who are honest and open to this concept.  I understand it may come across weird.   Some people are creeped out by genuine kindness and love.   But I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of,  I love the idea of people coming together for a shared purpose.  In fact, I love people.  Everyone has an amazing story.  It's just taking time to listen.

Gosh I miss that life I had at university.  As sad as this may sound, I still go back and walk the grounds of my old uni, breathe the communal air, sit under that communal sun and let my kids run around.  I take my girls to where I lived, where I would eat, crazily finish my maths assignments, walk through the engineering department and let them embrace the way I used to live.  Those were the days, let's bring them back.

I was very fortunate to have a great mentor in my final year of study.  He wasn’t the type of practitioner that allowed students to sit with him, but ‘through a friend of a friend who owed someone a favour’ I managed to get six months clinic time with someone who changed the way I viewed illness.  Admittedly, initially I was totally intimidated by him – and it takes a lot for me to feel this way about someone.  I’m rarely frazzled in someone’s presence; however this practitioner managed to overawe me in many ways.  His knowledge astounded me, his techniques were unusual and his bedside manner was…well…it could definitely improve.  But his knowledge was like no one I had known before.  However I know I must have left a good impression, as to this day, he keeps in contact with me regularly to see how I’m going and how my life is progressing.   Though, I really do miss the daily lunches we would have to discuss patient cases and general life dialogues there were some amazing discussions I will never forget.  One that I think about every Tuesday when I see my patients is...

“Vicky, there’s something key in all patients – something amazing happens when you realise that their emotions run their health.  I have never seen a happy person be sick. Never. Remember that.  It’s pretty important.”  Now, at the time of hearing this, I was reflecting on all the unwell people I knew and all the patients we had been working with and realised ‘Shiz, this guy is right.  None of them are happy.’

But is it enough to be happy?  I mean, what the heck is happy?  Who is happy?  When I think of happy I think of balloons, fairies and cupcakes.  Yeah, they make me happy.  But it’s not really sustainable.  I think there has to be more than being happy.  There has to be meaning in our lives.  The best way I can explain this is – I have kids, they give me purpose, they give me meaning.  I get up to ‘serve’ them (in the crudest possible description) – am I happy that I have to get up to serve them?  No.  Am I happy that I had to give up an amazing career and lifestyle filled with travel and fun?  No.  But…and here’s the big but – I have meaning in my life.  That’s what ultimately makes me happy.  WEIRD!   To give myself and be completely selfless (and I can’t believe I’m going to say this), makes me happy.  ARGHHHHHH!!! Giving makes me happy.  I used to think that ‘taking’ things made me happy.  Having more things – money, bags, shoes, holidays, electronic gadgets, blah blah blah (okay, I still love shoes).  But I wasn’t happy.  I had a lot, but I can honestly say, I wasn’t really happy.  I was striving to be happy.  Now, I’m striving just to get 8 hours sleep.  Somehow giving my life, time, knowledge and love to other people makes me feel so happy.  Have I been sick in this time?  Prior to having kids, I would get sick every year, and one year was quite serious.  Since having children, I may get a little cough, but nothing that a good sleep couldn’t fix.  I guess there’s no time to feel sick, I am too busy thinking about my purpose that I recover so quickly and get on with it.

Let’s go back to my mentor’s philosophy about happiness and illness.   If you have meaning in your life, there’s little room for chasing the ideology of happiness.  There’s no time to feel sad trying to be happy, there’s no time to get sick.  You have purpose, you have meaning, and you’re busy being busy.  Surely there’s a research paper substantiating my claims….*takes 10 minutes to scour scholar.google.com* 

…Yup, there are quite a lot of articles that suggest that someone’s happiness reflects their state of health.  But is it sustainable?  If someone takes a way your job which makes you happy, you ultimately become unhappy and therefore get sick?  Possibly.  Then there’s the theory that people get sick when they take annual leave.  Is it because they have no meaning during their holiday time there’s ‘time’ to get sick?  What about the universal law of parenting?  Mothers can never get sick.  I’m becoming more and more inclined to believe that it’s not just happiness that dictates our emotions, but our sense of meaning in our life.  Next month I’m having lunch with my mentor.  I can’t wait to discuss my new theory.  One of two things will happen, he will applaud me for my thinking or…he won’t remember that conversation we had 8 years ago and think I’m weird.  Either way, I’m happy.