Travel Essentials for Natural New Age Mums

December 3, 2014 · 11 Comments

Travel Essentials for Natural New Age Mums

This time of year a lot of us take off for a bit of a break. I am heading to the beach and my boy has just gone to the UK. S

Different time zones, climates and food, contact with germs and lack of your home comforts can make us a bit out of sorts sometimes, so I like to include a few things to make us all a bit more comfortable.

These are my essential items needed for keeping well and happy while travelling. Whether you are going on a plane, train or automobile, you will find something to help here.

♥ Water

Drinking lots of water while travelling helps to prevent getting dehydration and constipation. Depending on where we are going, I try to take my portable bench top water filter with me and use that to fill up our reusable drink bottles!

You might like to try a OKO filter water bottle so you can filter your water every time you fill up.

♥ Travel Size Cosmetics

Decanting your own natural cosmetics into smaller containers like silicone tubes or plastic-free tins and bottles is an eco-friendly and economical option. It will also save you from those toxic cosmetics in the hotel rooms – just say no! If you are flying overseas, remember that you can’t take on board anything over 100ml.

If you can’t be bothered doing that, many natural skin care ranges make travel size packs. Check out my favourite Happy Skincare travel pack. It will last you two weeks.

♥ Travel Wipes

Travel (or baby) wipes are so handy to keep in the car or your handbag for travelling. Look for ones that are biodegradable and contain no nasty toxins. Find some great options here.

♥ Lavender Essential Oil

If I could take all my oils I would! But lavender is my choice when travelling. It’s a beautiful multi-purpose oil for calming, insomnia, headaches, wounds, burns, insect bites and more.

I also love our aromatherapy car diffuser for road trips. It keeps everyone chilled out and the car smells nice! Find them here.

♥ Healthy Food

I always take healthy food with me when I travel. I hate being at the mercy of fake food that leaves me feeling sick!

In the car we pack full picnics, fresh fruit, bliss balls and hot tea in our favourite Contigo insulated thermos bottles.

If I am catching a plane or train, I always pack a few non-perishable snacks. The Cocobiotics bar is my favourite – it’s filling enough to keep me satisfied and it gives me a shot of probiotics and vitamins at the same time. If you like ginger, the Gingerbiotic bar can help calm travel sickness too.

♥ Crystals

We love having that extra feeling of protection when travelling that crystals give us. I like amethyst for this purpose but tiger’s eye, moonstone and malachite can also be used. Find them here.

♥ Coconut Oil

Another essential item for its multiple uses is coconut oil. We use it for sunscreen, lip balm, moisturizer, sore throats, rashes and more. I like the little travel size coconut oil in a glass jar.

♥ Colloidal Silver

Colloidal Silver is basically pure microfine silver in deionized water. It is a great all-rounder for travelling as you can use it for purifying water, for cuts and grazes, sore throats and colds, gastro, sanitizing hands and more.

Use it with care, strictly according to directions and for short-term use only. A spray is a handy for travelling.

♥ Tea

Not only so I can have a yummy organic tea (no Bushells thanks just the same!) but because they are therapeutic! I take chamomile tea to help me sleep in a new place (and it comes in handy for pink eye or tired eyes as well). Peppermint tea also gets packed as it’s a fabulous way to ease an upset tummy or a cold.

♥ Homeopathy

From tummy upsets to jetlag, homeopathy can help with so many things. The lovely people at Owen Homeopathics have a comprehensive list of homeopathic remedies to help with travel.

♥ Sunscreen and Insect Repellent

Both are essential for holidays! But these you could find a lot of toxins hiding in these two things. Luckily we have some great natural options available these days. See my bumper lists of Natural Sunscreen and Natural Insect Repellents for my recommended brands. Hot tip, we are loving Hello Sunshine!

♥ Travel Candle

Okay, not really an ‘essential’ but gorgeous nonetheless! A travel candle helps to make me feel at home, freshens up musty hotel rooms and gives a positive, calming energy. Check out these beautiful ones from Lemon Canary here (just make sure you choose the ‘Organic Range’ which uses 100% pure essential oils only).

I would love to know what your travel essentials are. What is a must-have in your suitcase?

The Future of Travel – Health and Wellbeing

October 16, 2013 · 38 Comments

Travel can be really difficult for those of us following a healthy lifestyle.

We are okay in our own homes, cooking our own meals and doing our exercise, but as soon as we are moved to a different location, all of these things become a lot harder.

The people at Marriott Hotel and Resorts are undergoing a total re-vamp of their brand and are keen to bring in some innovative new ideas. They have asked me what I think the future of travel looks like in the area of health and wellbeing.

Well, you know I am not backward in coming forward and I have so many ideas that would make it easier for us to travel and stay healthy and well. My work background has been in several five-star hotels, so I have a bit of a behind-the-scenes experience as well.

So these are a natural, new age mum’s ideas of how I would like travel to look in the future.

♥ Health Food Lovers Mini Bar.

When booking accommodation with a hotel, guests will have an option of requesting a Health Food Lovers Mini Bar for their room. This option will have a range of Australian made, real food, additive-free options for the guest who cares about their health.

A rocking, healthy mini bar would include things like:

COLD DRINKS: Alkalized Water, Coconut Water and Green Smoothies

HOT DRINKS: Organic herbal teas and Organic ground coffee and cacao with a French press

SWEET: Raw chocolate bars, Bliss balls and Chia puddings

SAVOURY: Kale chips, Grass-fed beef jerky and Activated nuts

As well as being able to munch on healthy food in the hotel room, these options will be handy for guests to use as snacks while out and about and on the next leg of their journey.

♥ Natural Toiletries.

Guests will be provided with chemical-free toiletries in their hotel room. An Australian made skin care range using the finest natural ingredients and recyclable, eco-friendly packaging will pamper guests and keep them healthy. As well as the regular soap, shampoo and conditioner, guests would also be indulged with a sachet of aromatherapy bath salts for the ultimate relaxation. A small aromatherapy travel candle will be next to the bed to freshen the guest’s room and help them to relax.

Miod hamper 1

♥ Healthy Body Channel.

To help guests stay fit while travelling, hotels will offer a range of wellness videos available for free via the in-room TV channels. On offer would be a range of options such as yoga, pilates, aerobics and zumba and also guided relaxation and meditation programs. They will be ready to play at any time and enable the guest to exercise and relax in the privacy and comfort of their hotel room.

♥ Chemical Free Cleaning.

To improve guest and employee health, hotels and transport companies will move towards chemical free cleaning. Using natural, plant-based products and essential oils in every day cleaning and laundry, these methods will ensure a healthy, safe travel experience for all.

♥ Care packages.

As part of a hotel’s room service menu, guests will be able to purchase care packages. The packages would feature a range of things the guest might need to feel better or enhance their stay. A first aid package, a cold and flu package, a sleep-well package, a jet lag recovery package, a happy tummy package are just a start! A naturopath can be used to advise on natural remedies and appropriate inclusions.

♥ Water stations.

Airports, train and bus stations and even larger hotels will have a water bottle top up station. For a nominal amount, travellers can fill up their water bottles with fresh, filtered water from a water station. This eco-friendly innovation would be healthier for travellers as they could use stainless or glass bottles and avoid plastic. Transport companies and hotels might like to support this idea by providing their valued guests with a free stainless steel or glass water bottle with their logo!

What do you think? Are these some ideas you would like to see?

I think the future of travel in health and well-being will head towards a more holistic approach. It will be meeting guests needs using natural, healthy concepts and forward thinking, environmentally responsible innovations.

Have you got some ideas too?

Well Marriott Hotels and Resorts want to hear what you think the future of travel will be like. You can win free nights at any Marriott Hotel.

So get your thinking caps on, come up with an awesome idea and submit it here. You can enter in the category of Health and Wellbeing or you might have some ideas for the other categories of Technology, Eat and Drink and Style and Design.

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

How do you stay healthy when you travel? Do you find it difficult?

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A Healthy Food Lover’s Guide to the Gold Coast

April 17, 2013 · 32 Comments

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A Healthy Food Lover’s Guide to the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is not all flash and touristy, there is a vibrant natural, new age community to be discovered.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the emerging health food scene. While we normally do a lot of self-catering on holidays, I also like to sample the local fare. I had done my research and had a few places on my hit list. They did not disappoint.

Here are my top 5 foodie spots on the Gold Coast where you can be assured of a healthy meal.

Madame Tojo’s Coffee Palace

The Naughty Naturopath Mum and I had morning tea at this eclectic little cafe in Chirn Park. I had a delectable gluten-free nectarine cake and a huge pot of chai. Alisha had a vegan, salted caramel and walnut tart and a green smoothie. That little scoop of ice-cream and choccy shards was a nice luxurious treat!

The food is amazing, the vibe is funky and the service friendly. They didn’t even mind too much that we were so busy chatting we forgot to pay! Don’t worry, we went back later and settled up.

eclectic vibe

fabulous food

If you go: Madame Tojos ♥ 23 Musgrave Ave Chirnpark ♥ 07 5532 2874 ♥ website ♥ facebook

Mandala Organic Arts Cafe

The next stop on our girl’s day out was Mandalas! Many of you had suggested this one to me and Alisha and I caught up with the beautiful Kirri from Kirri White Coaching. This place is just so cool – it has a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

The food is organic, vegan and/or raw. They even have a probiotic bar where the kombucha is on tap. Now, that is something you don’t see everyday! We sat outside in the permaculture garden, surrounded by lavender and herbs.

The food was beautiful and made fresh to order. I had a raw, vegan pizza, salad and a green-grape kombucha. Alisha had vegan bean nachos and a strawberry kombucha and Kirri had coconut icecream and a coconut !

happy day

funky vibe

If you go: Mandala ♥ 4/2558 Gold Coast Hwy Mermaid Beach ♥ 07 5679 1762 ♥ website ♥ facebook

The Cardamom Pod

This place was so great, I went twice! The decor is funky and electic, the service friendly and the food is gourmet vegetarian. All meals are in a hot or cold buffet and you just choose which combination you would like.

The Natural New Age Dad and I had a lunch date where we feasted on tofu rice paper rolls and salads. We had a big pot of chai (they even make it the real way and brew it on the stove) and a raw, apricot power ball for afters.

Later on in the week, I met up with Vanessa from Superfood for Kidz for dinner with our kids. We had vegetable curries and rice, salads, koftas, spinach and ricotta filos and samosas. I couldn’t fit in dessert, but took home a slice of raw, vegan pumpkin pie for the next day. The kids loved their sago puddings and raw chocolate mousse. Yum.

fresh, vibrant, vegetarian food

funky decor

If you go: The Cardamom Pod ♥ 1/2685 Gold Coast Highway Broadbeach ♥ 0452 218 108 ♥ website ♥ facebook

Giri Kana Cafe

In the quieter suburb of Southport, you will find this cute little cafe. The food is organic, raw, gluten-free vegetarian or vegan. We met up with friends for a spot of afternoon tea.

I simply had to try the raw, passionfruit cheesecake (I did share) with my pot of chai. The rest of them had chocolate honey cake, carrot cake buttons and vege burgers. It was all delicious and freshly made on the premises. The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly and was full of locals enjoying the atmosphere.

luscious raw passionfruit cheesecake

funky and modern

If you go: Giri Kana Cafe ♥ Gold Coast Hwy, Southport ♥ 07 5591 3555 ♥ website ♥ facebook

Govinda’s

A cheap, healthy meal in the heart of Surfer’s Paradise? Yes it is possible! The Natural New Age Dad and I enjoyed a ‘monk’s bowl’ at $7 a piece. The monk’s bowl is your choice of curry and your choice of brown or white rice, topped with a kofta and spicy tomato relish from a hot buffet. The curry was delicious – maybe a bit heavy on the potato for me, but delicious all the same. We were so full, we couldn’t sample the raw desserts, but they looked so good.

I love the fact that these restaurants are a charity organization and every meal you buy helps out someone in need. The vibe is super friendly and relaxed. The atmosphere is not as great as I would have liked as it is in a corner of a shopping centre, but the food and value for money would make us return!

monk’s bowl

cheap and cheerful

If you go: Govindas ♥ 3120 Surfers Paradise Boulevard Surfers Paradise ♥ 07 5538 3788 ♥ website ♥ facebook

They are my top five picks for healthy food on the Gold Coast! Did you notice they were all vegetarian? I didn’t miss the meat, they were fabulous!

Do you have any other places you like to visit on the Gold Coast for healthy food?

Our Trip to Henderson Park Farm Retreat

April 6, 2012 · 6 Comments

I love those holidays where we don’t have to do anything, see anyone or be anywhere. It’s nice to unplug from the world and just be. I was desperately in need of some down time, time with my family and a big dose of Mother Nature. Kids and hubby were worn out from school and work too. So last week, we took off for a couple of days to Henderson Park Farm Retreat. Truly one of those magical spots where you can just relax and connect with nature.

sunrise over Hedlow Creek

Henderson Park is just north of Rockhampton, in Central Queensland, Australia nestled on the banks of Hedlow Creek. The farm has been in the family for generations and now they share their little piece of paradise with visitors from all over the world.

We stayed in a motel room in the lodge with a shared kitchen. It was very luxurious and comfortable. Happy Natural New Age Mum! I like my creature comforts.

four star rooms at a farm stay? you betcha!

There is not a lot to do at Henderson Park. There are no shops, no restaurants, no entertainment. Bliss! What there is to do, is bushwalk around the farm, canoe on the beautiful Hedlow Creek, and chill out. We also did a lot of napping, reading, yoga and board games! We didn’t even turn on the tv, use our phones or check Facebook!

bushwalking

canoeing on Hedlow Creek

(the canoes are free for guests to use whenever they want)

local wildlife

Being a farm stay, you will see lots of cows and you can do a tour around the farm with the hosts if you like. We also saw lots of native wildlife. These kangaroos were very interested in us paddling past them! We also saw some wallabies and lots of different birds. Apparently the odd koala makes an appearance in the gum trees, but we weren’t lucky enough to see them this time.

sunset over Hedlow Creek

By the time dark descended over the farm each night, we had enjoyed our bbq dinner, a round of Pictionary and were ready for bed !

We came back so very relaxed, recharged and happy with some more beautiful memories to cherish and add to the memory bank!

Have you had a holiday lately where you were able to really relax?