Tabla de contenidos para Issue 4 en WellBeing Wild

Wild ones. Before we get into issue four and celebrate our one-year-old birthday with a good ol’ iso shindig, we’d like to pay our respects to our Country and its people. WILD is created on Bundjalung Country in Byron Bay and printed on Gadigal Country in Sydney. Now, in your hands, WILD has found a new home, perhaps on Country very far from its conception, production and print. Wherever WILD lands, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the sacred waters and lands on which we live, work, learn, rest and play. We ask that you help look after and respect Country. We also extend our respect to Elders both past, present and emerging. It’s our first birthday … can you believe it?! Issue four is in your hot little hands.…

Launched in Australia in 2019, Lakanto was first developed in Japan back in the 1990s by a company called Saraya. Dr Murata, who is considered the inventor of Lakanto, worked with diabetic entrepreneur, Shota Saraya, on the hunt for a sugar-free, all-natural sweetener that would taste just like sugar without compromising his health. Saraya’s scientists worked out a way to turn fresh monk fruit into a high-purity extract, 300 times sweeter than sugar. Lakanto hit the shelves in Japan in 1995 and America in 2007. It was only approved in Australia in 2019 and began selling in Woolworths nationally in August 2019. Now Lakanto is stocked by Coles, other leading supermarkets and health food shops. What makes you feel the most alive? When we have helped endangered animals, like we…

When do you feel wild? What makes you feel the most alive? Stripping bare, whether it be of my clothes or my emotions, and existing unapologetically. Sometimes that could see me being a “rudie nudie” in the bush or on the beach and taking a skinny dip in the pool or ocean, and other times it means being fully clothed but shedding the limiting beliefs and stories I tell myself. Both are equally liberating. And when all else fails, I know I can always go to nature to find my breath, sit with my heart and allow her to speak. She is always trying to communicate with me; I’m finding it increasingly important to learn to truly listen. You have a deep love for yoga. Please share when, why and…

What makes you feel the most wild and alive? I love to exercise and work hard to eat well, keeping my diet as natural as possible. This, along with an occasional matcha latte, gives me the energy to run my company while enjoying being a new mum. I also quarantined in southern California and really enjoyed the beaches and hiking trails when I wanted to get some fresh air and spend time outdoors. How did you go from working for a tailor in New York to designing your own pieces and launching your own label? After I finished university in Paris, I moved to New York and started an apprenticeship in the city’s Garment District. This taught me the importance of exceptional tailoring and gave me invaluable hands-on experience. I…

We’ve all experienced a time when we were caught in-between. A moment where we drifted, took a pause or felt stuck. Let’s call it a lull. Lulls create quiet in our lives and compel us to step outside our usual habits and routines. But as with all of life’s ups and downs, the suddenness of a lull can be difficult to adjust to. Especially when we are used to filling our days with so much activity. Changing perceptions In the midst of lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions, we have faced dramatic changes to our lives. For some this means less work or periods of unemployment. It also means our experience of time has changed. Now more than ever, we find ourselves losing track of what day it is or even feeling…

If you love Japanese food but feel intimidated by the difficult techniques and hard-to-source ingredients, you are who Aya Nishimura, the Japanese-born food stylist and home economist, had in mind when creating Japanese Food Made Easy. Within the beautifully styled pages of her new cookbook, Nishimura proves that all you need for delicious Japanese food at home are well-selected ingredients and some straightforward methods. Nishimura covers all bases, with healthy and fresh recipes for favourites including ramen, gyoza, teriyaki, tonkatsu and sushi. Expect back-to-basic methods such as how to make steamed rice properly and recipes worthy of a showy dinner party. Beef Tataki (Seared Beef Fillet) This is a super-easy, delicious meal for entertaining. The key is using the tail of a beef fillet, which is thinner (and much cheaper),…

Well, wasn’t issue three a stunning cover to style and shoot? We received so many beautiful images and kind words about this issue — thank you all so much. Here are a few of our favourite shots, including one from our issue three cover artist, the wildly talented Bec Flattley. You can see more of her work at @becflattleyart on Instagram. Family love JOMO! I never knew there was such a thing! I made the decision to disconnect from all social media at the beginning of COVID-19 and I am loving the peace of it. More time and love and joy and calm. I have blissfully freed my WILD heart again. PS: Your artwork and articles are enough to stir the wilderness within. Your magazine has become part of this…

Black Bean Brownies Protein and fibre-packed brownies for the 3pm snack attack or dessert on the couch with Netflix. These brownies are beautifully sweetened naturally with the Medjool dates and the Lakanto Chocolate Topping. Makes: 16 brownies 20 soft Medjool dates (approx 230g), pitted1½ cups cooked black beans, rinsed½ cup olive oil or other neutral oil½ cup almond milk or plant-based milk3 eggs½ cup oat flour½ cup almond meal6 tbsp cacao powder1 tsp baking powder1 pinch salt¼ cup walnuts, chopped3 tbsp Lakanto Chocolate Topping Topping 5 tbsp Lakanto Chocolate Topping3 tbsp cacao nibs or sugar-free chocolatePinch sea salt, to season Preheat the oven to 180°C Add pitted dates to a food processor, then add rinsed black beans. Mix on high speed. Add oil, milk, Lakanto Chocolate Topping and eggs and…

As the COVID-19 dance of lockdown laws and ever-changing restrictions continues, online interactions have become the norm. If I’m not facilitating an online workshop, I’m group chatting with friends or attending my millionth Zoom get-together. In a recent meeting, a fellow writer said she couldn’t wait to meet me “in real life”. “But,” I said after unmuting myself, “isn’t this real life?” With the dramatic changes our work and social lives have taken this year, it may feel like we’ve hit pause on “real life”. On social media I’ve read many laments of wanting to “delete 2020” and comments like, “When will we get back to reality?” This makes me consider if our world is “on hold” or if this pandemic space we now inhabit is more liminal and less…

Longtime lovebirds Thirty years ago, Ronnie was speaking at an event in Newcastle when Aunty Kerrie first saw him. “I want that one,” she thought. He was a T-uhoe leader and “a speaker that others would be jealous of … magnificent and beautiful in his language”. Then they met. “Kia ora, I’m Ronnie.” “Kia ora, I’m your next wife.” Today, Aunty Kerrie calls out from the kitchen, “Are you happy I snagged you all those years ago at the marae?” “How can you say no to that?!” he exclaims, his face smeared with tempura prawns and the Thousand Islands dressing she’d prepared for him. Ronnie was diagnosed with aphasic dementia earlier this year. “He’s not really verbal anymore. It’s not only a tragedy for me and him but for his…

When do you feel wild? What makes you feel the most alive? I feel the most alive when immersed in whatever creative scenario I find myself in, whether that’s designing things, dreaming up ideas and bringing my visions to life. Music and movement, my home, art and personal style all make me feel wild. I also love op shopping — I get such a thrill out of the hunt! I also love spending time with my family, going on adventures together and being truly present in the moment. Lastly, it sounds silly, but I feel wild when I’m driving in my car solo blasting something other than the Frozen soundtrack. It takes me back to my teenage years when I first got my licence and gives me a nostalgic sense…

What is a quality you love about yourself and another you love about your work? The qualities I value most about myself are my determination and positivity. I think these have been crucial in enhancing so many aspects of my life. In work I love being able to have flexibility and diversity. How was St. Agni created and why? My partner and I started St. Agni from square one. We had $3000, little to no experience and not a lot of free time (due to us both having full-time jobs). What we did have was an idea to create simple pieces we felt were difficult to find in the market. We launched the label in 2014 with just three bags and it has been growing ever since. Can you share…

While on a ladder ramming wet hempcrete into wall cavities of Tom’s soonto-be home, I chat to the architect, permaculturist, teacher and surfer and find out what it’s like bringing a hempcrete house to life. Hempcrete, also known as hemp concrete or hemp lime, is a biocomposite made from a mix of hemp plant wood, lime binder and water. The result is a lightweight material with excellent insulation properties that weighs about six to eight times less than concrete. Hempcrete is a great choice for sustainable builds due its ability to store carbon after being harvested. It’s also free from toxic or hazardous materials, is highly resistant to mould and repels pests like cockroaches, rodents and termites. For Tom, hempcrete was the natural choice for a home nestled deep in…

Let’s not beat around the bush. School taught us a lot of things, but how to master our financial lives was not one of them. We are not a generation that shies away from taboo topics for the sake of protecting archaic social norms. We want to share the lessons from our financial mistakes and triumphs so collectively we can catapult our global money game to new healing heights. Even though people, planet and purses feel more fragile than ever before, financial sustainability and fulfilment is not an impossibility. The meaningful contribution you can make by being conscientious citizens and consciously caring for your money also offers a calm and centred space from which you can embark on life with renewed confidence. Yes, you have heard it all before, change…

Aries March 21–April 19 Aries, you are a fireball of passion trailblazing and starting things with your magic, energising touch. This season for you is all about slowing down to become more deliberate and clear. Mars, your ruler, has been retrograde since the 9th of September and goes direct on the 13th of November, activating its post-shadow period where the lessons of the retrograde start to integrate and take you through to the rest of the year. You have been asked to slow down, engage in less impulsivity through being more deliberate about the leaps you take. This is like the Savasana at the end of a fiery, yang yoga practice: the deep integration of what’s just been. Don’t get me wrong though, Aries, your drive is essential — it’s…

Books A Climate in Chaos NEAL LAYTON, HACHETTE Looking for a simple and clear way to explain climate change to your kids? Neal Layton’s latest children’s picture book, A Climate in Chaos, is written for kids aged five years or older and clearly explains what climate change is, what’s causing it, and why it’s dangerous for all inhabitants on Earth. In detail — and keeping his younger audience in mind — Layton discusses greenhouse gases, renewable energy sources and sustainable living. The book lists practical ways kids can positively impact the planet, like growing vegies, walking and cycling instead of driving, and thinking carefully about waste. A Climate in Chaos leaves young readers excited about what they can do to make a difference and encourages them to think of new…

Clémence Organics Clémence Organics has created an organic super serum, highlighted by rosehip, calendula and jojoba, which promotes skin repair and renewal and rapidly calms redness, pigmentation and scarring. Fast absorbing, this serum will leave skin feeling nourished and rejuvenated, with a light glow. RRP$69.95. W: clemenceorganics.com The Natives Co The Natives Co is the country’s finest cleanbeauty destination for premium Australian and international brands. It offers a hand-picked selection of potent natural beauty products that support self-care, anti-ageing and wellbeing rituals It’s where natural and organic beauty products — which are safe, luxurious and good for you and the planet — are a way of life. W: thenativesco.com Fitcover’s Tanned & Toned Self-Tan Mousse Fitcover’s Tanned & Toned Sweat-Ready Self-Tan Mousse is formulated with skin-firming properties to boost your…

Knowledge is power and being informed about all the contraceptive options available can help you decide which is best for your health. Why choose non-hormonal contraception? You want to keep your own wonderful endogenous hormones flowing through your body so they can go about their job making you feel, function and look your best. You want to understand and know your body on the deepest level, which means not “switching off” your own hormones. You want to work with your cyclical nature as a woman. You want to ensure you are optimising your fertility as best as possible. Remember that fertility is much more than having a baby; it’s about feeling your best, most balanced self. You want to avoid the lengthy list of side effects that can arise with…

Split ends, frizzy fly-aways, dull and dehydrated hair? If you’ve complained about these hair woes, there are ways to overcome them — but don’t expect the answers to await inside the latest haircare packaging. Traditional advice of “it’s the products you put on your locks” is missing important pieces of the haircare puzzle. Real healthy hair starts from within and is then managed and maintained by how you look after it once it sprouts from your scalp. The vitality of your scalp also needs consideration; it’s a nonnegotiable foundation for ultimate hair care. What is hair, really? According to stalwart beauty industry chemist and Biologi formulator, Ross Macdougald, hair grows in follicles. This can be thought of as “little pockets”, where hair begins growing from a root. These roots are…

What makes you feel the most wild and alive? I’ve always been lucky enough to travel a lot. I love being introduced to different cultures, new experiences and unfamiliar surroundings. I adore a new adventure and I’m an absolute sucker for a sunset or starry sky. When did your love for art and textiles first begin? Some of my fondest memories as a child are those with my grandmother. She is an incredible painter and sewer. She used to sew these extremely detailed artworks and from afar they would look painted, but up close they were all hand-stitched. She had a huge creative influence on me; we were always sewing, drawing, painting, even making our own Christmas decorations. I think this is where my passion for art and textiles really…

When you stumble upon your sexuality in your mid-20s, or rather realise your heterosexuality is presumed rather than definite, the experience is similar to a really well-planned surprise party. You have no idea it’s going to happen although you’ve definitely thought about it once or twice, and when it does you feel both bewildered and excited. Your initial fight-or-flight terror is quickly replaced by total, unselfconscious joy. When your sexuality reveals itself, beaming with a loud “SURPRISE!” you experience a level of uncertainty that a stable, heteronormative upbringing does not prepare you for. For me, this sexual stumbling was more of a faceplant; haphazard, ungraceful, kicked off by a moment of shared frisson with a friend who joined me in the hope that someone had planned their surprise party too.…

Being a great mum has nothing to do with your relationship status. In fact, it has nothing to do with anybody else. For the women who choose it and thrive in the role, motherhood is simply a state of being. So can you do it on your own? With the help of a sperm donor and modern medicine, yes you can, and there are thousands of single women doing exactly this. They call themselves “Solo Mothers by Choice” as they deliberately take the pregnancy journey without a partner. The process of falling pregnant can be a little more challenging on your own. But, as 32-year-old solo mum Lauren found out when she gave birth to her daughter in 2019, the joy at the other end makes it all worth it.…

When did it all begin? What inspired you to start KeepCup? KeepCup started in a Melbourne cafe with a simple idea: keep it and use it again. I co-founded KeepCup with my brother, Jamie, back in 2009. At the time, we were running cafes in Melbourne and had become increasingly concerned about the volume of packaging being consumed, particularly disposable, non-recyclable cups. From there KeepCup was born, the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup for people to enjoy better coffee on-the-go. Today, KeepCup has grown to define a product category. We advocate for positive change and continue our mission for a world that no longer needs, wants or uses single-use cups. Today, KeepCups are used in more than 65 countries around the world. When you reflect on that, how do you…