Change Day: Do something better together.

Have you heard about Change Day? Next week on 6 March, thousands of people across Australia are joining together to celebrate their pledges to do something - one small thing - better to help improve the health and wellbeing of others.

It's so inspiring to read all the pledges, simple things like taking the time to smile at a stranger, being kind to difficult people, visiting elderly relatives, being compassionate at work, sharing research, and encouraging others. They sound like small things to do, but the collective impact of people across Australia making a commitment to positive actions will be huge!

I am pledging to tell the good stories about health and challenge 'everyday' racism.

Health is often a negative story here in the NT. By pledging to tell the good stories, I'm hoping that health practitioners and everybody working within the NT primary health care sector will be encouraged to continue with their amazing - and often undervalued and under-recognised - work.

By challenging 'everyday' racism I'm hoping that this small action becomes part of a wider community that recognises that racism is not OK. The effects of racism have a negative impact on health* - let's reverse this and help to Close the Gap!

What is one thing that you can pledge for Change Day?

Why not make a pledge today? Right now, in fact?! Go on, do it! You don't have to work in health care to make a pledge. Anyone can make a difference, including you!

Visit www.changeday.com.au, follow on Twitter or like on Facebook.


*National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/B92E980680486C3BCA257BF0001BAF01/$File/health-plan.pdf

A treat for ya feet.

Would you believe, I have never had a pedicure. Nope! Not ever. Partly due to my excessively ticklish feet, but mostly due to laziness. That's not to say my feet don't need a pedicure. Things can get a little dry and a little extremely cracked from those long summers doled out by the desert.

Here is a little treat I whipped up after a quick search of the internet (I don't even remember where I found the recipe!). Try it. Your feet will thank you for it. Mine sure did, although I have spared you a foot portrait (phew!).

Pour some olive oil into a small bowl. Stir in some sea salt. Add some drops of essential oil - I used lavender, and some fresh rosemary leaves, shredded a little. Mix it into a paste, and it's time to slather it on. Best to do it in the bath, or with a bowl of warm water handy to wash it off. But not until you've spent some time massaging it into your feet. It feels and smells a treat. 

Lavender oil from Mount Wayo Station Lavender Farm. The only thing I bought at the Alice Springs Show!

Sea salt

Rosemary...mmm

Mix. Then slather.

A little bit of detox (but nothing too wanky).

This week I decided to do a little bit of detoxing. For no other reason than to focus my eating on fresh, non-processed, non-refined foods for three days. Not that I eat terribly, but lately some little bad habits have crept in. Probably exacerbated by a bit of (a lot of!) stress and not feeling 100%. I've been making small changes to get back on top of being energised, such as the sleep hygiene improvements I mentioned a couple of weeks back.

So, the detox was nice and simple. Nothing fancy, no superfoods, no acai berries or chia seeds or whatnot. Yes, I ate mostly raw foods but I'm refusing to call it 'clean eating' (a là this article!). So, what did I eat? And more importantly, what didn't I eat?

Did eat/drink:

• Vegetable juices (celery, carrot, beetroot, ginger etc)
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Celery
• Raw almonds
• Sushi for lunches (+ felafel salad for lunch today)
• Cucumber
• Snow peas
• Mandarin
• Vegetable soup for dinners
• Herbal tea
• Lots of water (which is usual for me)

Did not eat/drink:

• Bread
• Meat
• Cheese
• Anything processed
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Pasta
• Milk/dairy
• Alcohol

So that's that. I am feeling good, quite bright and perky, but I'm not really sure how much of that I can attribute to these three days. 

I am going to try and do this (or similar) regularly.   

Needless to say I am looking forward to a coffee tomorrow!

So, the photo on the left is me two weeks ago when I was not feeling well. It's pretty obvious from the yukky greyness of my face. And on the right is me today, after three days of detox and lots of good sleep. A bit perkier, don't ya think?