Jess Ainscough - The Wellness Warrior


It's pretty safe to say that if it were a financially viable possibility, almost everyone would choose to eat organic food. Am I right? Thought so. You don't count, Colonel Sanders. For some of us, stocking our fridge and pantries with organics is already a top priority; while others find it difficult to justify the extra spend. If you fall into the latter category, you will probably yell obscenities in excitement over the news I'm about to share with you. The wonderful people at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have created two lists, dividing common conventional foods into those that are heavily sprayed with chemicals (The Dirty Dozen) and those that receive minimal toxic sprays (The Clean 15). In other words; foods that you can get away with eating from the supermarket and foods that should only be eaten organic. According to EWG, you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce, according to EWG calculations.

"We recommend that people eat healthy by eating more fruits and vegetables, whether conventional or organic," says Ken Cook, president and founder of Environmental Working Group. "But people don't want to eat pesticides with their produce if they don't have to. And with EWG's guide, they don't."

So, if you're not willing to commit to a 100% organic shop just yet, splurge on the items from the nasty side of the list and you can still pat yourself on the back for easing yourself into your new healthy lifestyle.

The Dirty Dozen (from worst to best)
1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Capsicum
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

The Clean 15 (from best to worst)
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon 

Click here for a printable shopper's guide.

This info comes in handy when you're agonising over whether it's worth sacrificing pretty things for healthy things. However, if you are really keen to only feed your temple with clean, nutritious, sparkling food then it is a good idea to gradually build up the amount of foods you buy from the organic market. Even if a conventional item hasn't been heavily sprayed, it is not grown in organic soil and therefore is nutritionally impotent compared to its organic cousins. Click here to learn more about buying organic on a budget.

Positive affirmation for the day: Today I will release old habits of pessimism and cynicism, and choose to be grateful.

Jess Ainscough - The Wellness Warrior

Bare with me while I'm completely biased for a moment: Yoga is the best form of exercise ever. Before you get all shirty and alert the writing police, hear me out while I put forward an argument to support my claim.

When you practice yoga, you are exercising, stretching and meditating all at the same time. You can tone your body and raise your heart rate while at the same time calming your mind. Yoga improves your posture, increases your body's intake of oxygen, and enhances the functioning of the respiratory, digestive, endocrine, reproductive and elimination systems. It also has a wonderful anti-ageing effect. As we age, our muscles tend to stiffen, creating more pressure on the joints. Regular stretching will prevent this gradual stiffening and joint deterioration. What other form of exercise offers you all of that?

A form of open-eye meditation, yoga's effects on your emotions are equally beneficial. It calms the mind, attunes us to the environment and helps with insomnia caused by mental restlessness. Yoga also works to unite the split between the body and the mind. So much healing is going on when you hit the yoga mat.

The best part about yoga is that there are so many different types out there so chances are you will be able to find one that suits you and your level of fitness. Most classes are suitable for beginners right up to the more experienced yogis.

Here is a brief run-down of the most-popular practices:

Hatha: Usually more slow-paced and gentle, Hatha provides a good introduction to the basic yoga poses.

Iyengar: This style of practice is most concerned with bodily alignment. Iyengar usually emphasises holding poses over longer periods.

Vinyasa: Vinyasa means breath-synchronized movement. This tends to be a more vigorous style based on performing a series of poses in which movement is matched to the breath. Vinyasa can also be called Vinyasa Flow due to the way it flows from one posture to the next.

Ashtanga: Ashtanga is a fast-paced, intense style of yoga. A set series of poses is performed, always in the same order. Ashtanga is physically demanding because of the constant movement from one pose to the next (also called flow).

Power yoga: Power yoga describes a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style yoga. Most Power yoga is closely modelled on the Ashtanga style of practice, but unlike Ashtanga, Power yoga does not follow a set series of poses. There is an emphasis on strength and flexibility.

Kundalini: Kundalini is the combination and science of breathing, specific postures, chanting, mudras, meditation and relaxation, which rid the body of negative 'patterns'. Poses in Kundalini are held much longer and done with powerful breathing techniques.

Bikram: Often called hot yoga, Bikram is practiced in a room heated to 40 degrees. The heat helps to warm muscles, which allows you to work deeper in a shorter amount of time, seeing results faster. Heat takes the trauma out of stretching, heals and helps prevent injuries. It also promotes sweating, which assists the detoxification process using the body's largest organ, the skin. Click here for more on Bikram.

What form of yoga is your favourite? What do you love about it?

Positive affirmation for the day: Today I will be true to myself and my own needs, whether anyone agrees with me or not. I have the courage to follow my own inner voice.

Jess Ainscough is The Welness Warrior, in pursuit of perfect health, mind, body and spirit. Read more by following her on Facebook or Twitter.

Minister receives report to tackle negative body image

BNIT Director, Lynne Foley, and Queensland Health Senior Director Human Resources (HR), Russ Wilde, recently presented
35 Queensland Health HR practitioners with a Certificate of Congratulations at two celebratory dinners held in Brisbane. 

BNIT Principal Consultant (Training and Development) Julie-Anne Standfield said the events, organised and funded by Queensland Health, commemorated the achievement of the Queensland Health employees who attained a Certificate IV in Human Resources.

The events concluded two highly successful contextualised pilot programs, which were jointly coordinated by Ms Standfield and Queensland Health’s Renee Shea, and were delivered by BNIT teachers Kathryn Bryce and Nick Martin. 

The programs were developed in consultation with Queensland Health HR specialists and focused on the unit requirements of the Certificate IV in Human Resources qualfication, as well as the Queensland Health HR Competency Development Framework.

“The Queensland Health HR Practitioners’ Network commissioned BNIT’s Public Sector Training Unit, managed by Faculty of Health and Education Operations Manager Kathy Bannister, to deliver a program that would enhance the quality and consistency of HR services in Queensland Health,” said Ms Standfield. 

“The programs were also directed at strengthening the skills and abilities of the participants as well as maximising the employability of individuals completing the qualification.

“Each pilot program was delivered over three two-day face-to-face workshops where units were clustered to meet the requirements of the Queensland Health HR Competency Development Framework, which include professional capability, business acumen, relationship management, change facilitation and strategic capability.”

The workshops were supported by three video conferences focussing on the program assessment.

“The two trial programs have been delivered over the last six months so that review opportunities and improvement strategies can be immediate in order to establish a smooth operation for future delivery in 2010,” said Ms Standfield. 

“The participant and client feedback from both pilot programs has been excellent.”