Being a woman in today's world isn't always easy and comes with many challenges!  Although we probably have more opportunities than ever before, we are also taking on more roles than ever before and asking more of ourselves emotionally, mentally and physically and sometimes that can take a toll on our health. They may be subtle, occasional things such as headaches, neck and shoulder tension, indigestion and stomach bloating, skin rashes or perhaps mood swings. Or more serious and chronic conditions can be making their presence known - weight issues, sleeping problems,

hormonal imbalance, constipation, depression, anxiety and ongoing fatigue or flagging energy levels. 

Whatever the symptoms, frequent or occasional, mild or severe, they are all signs of imbalance somewhere in our bodies and in order to be optimally healthy we need to get ourselves and our health off the bottom of our to-do-list and start making it a priority! Although many of us may be managing our many roles without being optimally healthy, imagine what we could do if we were!

Imagine how much better we could do our jobs, how much more productive and effective we could be if we had endless energy and clarity of mind. Imagine what better mothers we could be if we didn't catch every cold our kids did and had the energy to keep up with them! It would also be great to live not only a long life but a quality life with no regrets and where we can strive to reach our true potential. It is possible......if you live in the Wellness Zone. When you live in the Wellness Zone you are still exposed to all the same pollution, chemicals, infections and stressors out in the real world but your body is more resistant, more resilient and is able to cope better.

Living in the Wellness Zone comes with a suit of armour that is not easily pierced, where as outside the Wellness Zone this suit of armour is often like glad wrap, easily pierced and leaving us exposed to whatever is out there! So how do we get into the Wellness Zone and then how do we stay there? Well first we have to change the way we think about our health. We live in a society that is anti-sickness rather than pro-health, that is reactive rather then proactive. We only tend to seek out the ‘healthcare' system when we are sick and we often expect a quick fix by way of some sort of tablet or treatment.

However optimal health is far more that just the absence of symptoms - it is a state of balance physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, nutritionally, hormonally and so on. Every choice we make on a daily basis with regards to what we put in our mouths and our lifestyle will either take us one step closer to Wellness or one step closer to Dis-ease - it's our choice! Here are my top 10 tips to help you enter the Wellness Zone and we will expand on these over the next few months.

1. Make the decision today to be responsible for your long term health and be proactive about the choices you make. Deciding to be optimally healthy should be a life long commitment, not a fad or short term goal.

2. Review your diet and eating habits and those of your family - is it balanced containing complex carbs, protein and good fats? Do processed and convenience foods make up more than 20% of your diet? Are portion sizes appropriate? What are your weaknesses and how can these be controlled?

3. Establish and maintain a healthy weight range - there are many things that can influence our weight - stress, hormone imbalance, metabolism, thyroid function, gut function- and unless these are addressed no fat loss program will work.

4. Incorporate enjoyable exercise and regular movement into every day - don't make exercise another thing on your to-do-list that adds to your daily stress. When you are already busy and stressed exercise needs to be fun, something to look forward to so try something different, a new class, a new walking track, a social game of tennis!

5. Take appropriate plant based nutritional supplements, specific for women to ensure foundational nutritional requirements are met.

6. Nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc are essential for women's optimal health and more than 50% of women in Australia are deficient - are you one of them?

7. Manage and minimise stress - do you know when stress is having a negative physiological effect on your body and what to do about? Stress is always present, the key is knowing how to manage it and getting help to support your nervous system if necessary.

8. Look after our gastrointestinal systems so we are digesting and absorbing our nutrients effectively and eliminating waste products efficiently.

9. Strengthen our immune systems so we are not susceptible to infection and allergies.

10. Be kind to ourselves, we deserve our love and attention just as much as our families. Living a life of joy is key to optimal health.

Written by: Simone Morley, B. Pharm, Grad.Dip Herb. Med., Adv.Cert NFM Simone has more than 18 years experience as a clinical pharmacist while also achieving post graduate qualifications in nutritional, environmental and herbal medicine and natural fertility management. She now works as an Integrative Pharmacist and Natural Healthcare Practitioner runs her own clinic from home called The Centre for Wellness and Fertility and where she combines the best of science and nature to nurture, empower, educate and inspire women towards a better state of wellness.   mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.wellnessandfertility.com.au