Recently I attended the Dunedin Women’s Lifestyle Expo on a mission to connect with women and mothers doing something they are truly passionate about.  The expo did not disappoint.  I met many wonderful women only too happy to chat with me about why they love what they do and how that love keeps the fire of passion burning.

It’s a similar story for Sue from Susanne Pearls and Subarb Productions.  She described the joy of being able to make something out of nothing and on top of that – having someone buy it!  I loved talking to Susanne who has been running her own business for 35 years and knows what it takes to stay in love with what you do.  “When things got tough I had to think outside the square”.

I met another Sue at In2Learning.   It was so wonderful to hear her talk about her programmes for children and adults with learning difficulties.  She literally lit up from the inside out when she talked about it. Here was a woman clearly doing something she loved. She described the buzz she got from helping kids and how touching it was to see the parents cry tears of joy to see their child finally reading.  “I help change both kids and adults’ lives for the better.” You can’t ask for more than that.
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For others it's less about what they themselves have created and more about the passion they feel for the products they sell.  High on the list of reasons given to become an independent sales consultant were the flexible hours (working around family) as well a strong belief in the quality and value of the product they sold.  For Sandy Jefferies, it was the back story of Prenzel that drew her in.  The husband and wife team from good old Blenheim who opened their own distillery and things just blossomed from there. “They have a passion for their products, that sort of rubs off on you”.  I sensed it was a combination of the amazing tastings available coupled with Sandy’s enthusiasm for a range of products (that can turn a boring dinner into a gourmet meal I'm told) that had her stand running hot all day at the expo.

​That’s certainly the sense I got from talking to Sarah at the Nutrimetics stall.  “It feels good to help women feel good” is what Sarah told me.  I couldn’t agree more. Furthermore she spoke of the supportive culture of the business which allows for less pressure and the ability to go as slow or as fast as she wants.  Just like the other independent sales consultants I spoke to that day, she told me how the structure of the organisation encourages them to support each other.  I was so happy to see teams of independent consultants standing at the same stall.  Instead of competing against each other, they work together.  They build each other up and support each other which helps them to help others. 
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A quality product and great team culture are just two reasons Dr Martha Nessler and her husband Dean sell dōTERRA.  Actually, they don’t just sell dōTERRA, they literally live dōTERRA – using the oils and products every day to support their body’s ability to heal and balance itself.  You wont meet a more passionate duo when it comes to standing behind a product that truly delivers on its claims.

The last lady I chatted with that day was Mary from the Women’s Institute.  I was very glad to come across her stall and other exhibitors who were there to promote awareness and encourage community.  I could tell from speaking to Mary how much she loves the vision and purpose of the Women’s Institute – “to encourage and inspire women within a dynamic, caring organisation”.  I adored hearing about what she loves about volunteering for the institute “the jokes the 80 year old ladies tell” was one such thing.  The Women’s Institute is for women of all ages and this is something I love.  Because I truly believe there is so much wisdom the younger generation is missing out on by not mixing and mingling with our wise elders. 
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Mary had so much wisdom to share with me as I chatted with her, I’ll let her finish this blog with her closing remarks - “You have to care about what you’re doing with your life, so that you can help others.  It does you good to do something good for someone else”.

Amen Mary, Amen.

Love Bron (passion finder in others)

As many of you know, I’m now on a journey to digestive health which is a slightly less glamorous than my journey to pin up.

On my first visit to Flourish Naturopathy, Tracey Loughran told me straight.  No more caffeine, chocolate or dairy for two weeks.  Actually, I think it’s no dairy or chocolate for two weeks.  Caffeine is probably something I’m giving up for good.  Strangely I’d already been cutting back on my dairy intake before I even went to see her.  I noticed how bloated I felt after a big milky coffee so I started having straight coffee instead.  And yet straight coffee was making my tummy felt tight and burning.  I guess the writing was on the wall for coffee. 

The reason I run off and do these strange challenges is partly due to the fact that I’m naive.  It’s something a lot of people used to tell me is a flaw.  I’ve found actually that my naivety serves me well.  It means I jump feet first towards challenges without getting caught up in worrying about whether it will work or if something might go wrong.  On the other hand, there is a downside.  Jumping without looking often means I experience steep learning curves as I find myself in over my head and thinking to myself “man, I really didn’t think this through” (putting on a conference without any clue how to market it is one example).

So sure, no coffee – why not? I honestly didn’t think that going off coffee would cause me any discomfort except maybe the odd craving.  I wasn't drinking copious amounts of coffee, just one or two a day so it should be easy. WRONG, dead wrong.  By the second day of being caffeine free the agonising leg pains started.  Looking up caffeine withdrawal on Dr Google, I found out that apparently this was quite a common detox symptom and only lasts for about 7 DAYS! I was shocked. It was like I had just picked up the phone to hear a little girl whispering “on the 7th day you will be out of caffeine hell”. 

Out came every natural remedy I could find from bathing in baking soda, taking magnesium supplements, stretching, oils, epsom salts – the lot.  At the end of the day, nothing brought me relief except ibuprofen and though I like to keep things natural usually, on this occasion I was all about the drugs. I’m happy to say the pains did subside by the 7th day. 

Not being able to buy a coffee at my local cafes has introduced me to the world of tea.  Well, kind of.  Tea has caffeine in it so I’m allowed to have fruit teas, chamomile and peppermint.  With an iffy tummy, fruit teas are a little harsh so really it’s chamomile or peppermint.  That was until a dear friend of mine sent me some samples of Teeccino – hallelujah! 

Teeccino is a herbal coffee.  It’s made from dandelion root and is considered a coffee alternative.  I’ll just emphasise again that it’s a coffee alternative, not a replacement.  Nothing replaces coffee in my opinion.  As an alternative to coffee though, I think Teeccino is a pretty awesome option.  It has a fuller, richer, roasted kind of flavour to it that you miss when you stop drinking coffee.  It also comes in flavours that you cannot get in tea like hazelnut, vanilla and mocha (using carob). 

And what about not having any dairy? I’ve learned lots of things since going off dairy.  Like eggs are not dairy (hooray!), there isn’t anything I can order from my local Mexican restaurant (they put cheese in everything including the salad) and at most cafes, the only sweet thing I can order is a bliss ball (and only if it has no chocolate in it), an oat and granola power bar or a piece of banana loaf.  This means that I’m going to have to get out of my comfort zone (again!) and start researching local cafes and restaurants that specialise in vegan food.  I’m not vegan but when it comes to dairy free food, a vegan cafe is going to have more to offer me than a dry, crumbly bliss ball.

So far my digestive system has remained very calm through all the changes.  Hooray! My legs had a bit to say (or scream) about the lack of caffeine but have now adjusted.  I’m actually looking forward to seeing what’s next on my digestive journey after my next visit with Tracey. 
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I’ll check in with you then.
Bron (now available with no chocolate, no caffeine and no dairy)

For those of you who read what I learned from trying a pin up look you'll have seen that process required me to embrace and honour my body. When I got back to Dunedin to resume my normal life I realised that my decision to honour my body had gathered momentum. I found myself no longer wanting to eat stuff that caused my body suffering. I absolutely LOVE chocolate and I can tell you that my body absolutely HATES it. Every time I eat it my body sends me promptly to the bathroom to reject it. I have to start listening to my body if I want to honour it. I don't want to do that to my body anymore.
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My journey of 'Frumpy Mummy to Pin Up Yummy' was me loving my body from the outside in. This has brought me to a new journey. A journey to love my body from the inside out. Starting with my digestive system. What's strange about this journey is that it's not so much a focus on what I'm eating and drinking but rather how what I'm eating or drinking makes my body feel. I'm paying attention to tightness, burning, nausea and bloated feelings. I had all these feelings before but now I'm actually listening to them.

My first stop has been a naturopath who has suggested no dairy or coffee for the next three weeks. She isn't actually so mean as to deny me chocolate at Easter time and said I could start after Easter. However, I know what chocolate does to me and so I decided to stop eating it straight away. Some have suggested that maybe I could eat just a little bit? To be honest, there has never been such a thing to me as 'just a little bit of chocolate'. If I start eating chocolate, I eat it until I can't stuff anymore in my mouth. Even though I can hear my body begging for mercy, I eat it and then later when my body rejects it, it is me begging my body for mercy. So no thanks to the chocolate.
I'm actually really excited about this journey to digestive health. It feels more motivating than doing something around 'weight loss' or 'clean eating'. It's not about shame, denying or suppressing. It's just about health and listening to my body. So stay tuned as I get out of my comfort zone yet again trying new foods and substitutes.
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Love Bron (Digestive Health Finder)