by | | Curated Content
October 15th 2025
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WellBeing Magazine
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Stinging nettle is a nutrient-rich herb that supports skin, hair and overall wellbeing through detoxifying and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Urtica dioica, or more commonly known as stinging nettle, is one of nature’s most mineral-dense plants and a true natural beauty promoter. While today it’s often dismissed as an irritating weed growing wild in gardens and along pathways, nettle has a long and respected history across many traditional cultures. Its roots, stems and leaves have been used for centuries in both medicinal and culinary practices — internally as a blood builder and tissue healer and topically to support skin healing from bites, burns and sun damage. It has been traditionally used in the treatment of arthritis, seasonal allergies and urinary tract disorders, as well as to strengthen the hair, clarify the skin and gently support the body’s detoxification processes.
Nettle is especially rich in key nutrients for skin, hair and systemic wellbeing. It contains significant amounts of vitamins B6, B2, A and K, along with minerals such as magnesium, silica, iron, manganese and calcium. It also delivers a wide range of phytochemicals including tannins, volatile oils, fatty acids, polysaccharides, sterols, terpenes and polyphenols like phenolic acids and fl avonoids, all of which contribute to its broad spectrum of therapeutic effects. These nutrients are often depleted during times of high stress, postpartum recovery or increased physiological demand. This is where nettle shines as a deeply restorative tonic.
Modern scientific research is now catching up with traditional knowledge, confirming nettle’s therapeutic potential. Studies show nettle to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and analgesic properties. It has also demonstrated anti-proliferative, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic effects. The plant’s antioxidant activity makes it particularly interesting in the realm of natural skincare. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals initiates a cascade of unfavorables changes in the skin, including degradation of the extracellular matrix (which is like the skin’s natural scaffolding that holds everything together, keeping skin firm, plump and smooth), disruption of collagen fibres and increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These processes accelerate skin ageing and contribute to chronic inflammation. The antioxidants in nettle may help neutralise these free radicals, making it a valuable ingredient for beauty formulas aimed at slowing the visible signs of ageing and supporting skin resilience.
One of the simplest ways to harness nettle’s beauty-enhancing benefi ts is through a nourishing herbal infusion. When steeped for several hours, or even overnight, dried nettle transforms into a deep green mineral tonic. It supports lymphatic flow and kidney function, gently encouraging fl uid movement and reducing puffiness, inflammation and hormonal breakouts. As a mild diuretic that doesn’t deplete electrolytes, it’s an ideal herbal ally for those experiencing water retention or under-eye puffiness. For deeper detoxification or iron support, a nettle tincture may be used under the guidance of a naturopath, especially when combined with vitamin C-rich herbs to enhance absorption.
While much of nettle’s medicinal benefi ts happen internally, it also has a place in topical beauty rituals. A traditional nettle hair rinse, made by steeping dried nettle leaves in apple cider vinegar, can help improve scalp circulation, reduce dandruff and promote stronger hair growth. The trace minerals and vitamins it delivers may help fortify the hair shaft, leaving strands glossier and more resilient over time. Nettle-infused facial oils or creams are also beneficial for inflamed or sensitive skin, thanks to its natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it a wonderful support for skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea or even hormonal acne.
Nettle is a perfect example of how humble, often- overlooked plants can make a meaningful difference to both our skin and overall health. Packed with minerals, anti-inflammatory compounds and nutrients that support detoxification, nettle serves as a foundational herb for anyone looking to nourish beauty from within, especially during times of physiological stress or heightened nutrient demand.
Nettle & Rosehip Infusion
Nettle provides a rich source of minerals, while rosehips off er vitamin C and fl avonoids that support collagen production and antioxidant protection.
1 tbsp dried nettle leaf
1 tsp dried rosehips
500–750mL boiled water
Combine the ingredients. Steep, covered, for 4–8 hrs (or overnight). Strain and sip throughout the day.
Article Featured in WellBeing Magazine 218
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Nature’s beauty herb: nettle
by | | Curated Content
October 15th 2025
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WellBeing Magazine
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Sustainable fitness goes beyond the promises of eight- to 12-week training programs and extreme regimens that often lead to burnout or injury. Instead, the focus is on creating a balanced routine that can be maintained over a lifetime. It also encourages listening to one’s body, prioritising recovery and adjusting to avoid overtraining. By promoting gradual progress and realistic goals, sustainable fitness helps prevent the physical and mental strains that can come from unsustainable fitness trends.
The defining factors of sustainable fitness centre around maintenance of the whole body. It focuses on healthy aspects of detoxification, mobility, posture, strength and balance. These are the key elements of body sustainability.
Detoxification is essential for removing toxins accumulated through environmental exposure, processed foods and sedentary lifestyles. A sustainable fitness program promotes routines that facilitate detoxification, such as cardio sessions, massage, sweat-inducing activities such as a sauna, magnesium pools and steam, while practising mindful breathing.
Mobility and flexibility are crucial for maintaining a full range of motion and preventing injuries to remain sustainable. Incorporating dynamic stretching, yoga and functional movements ensures the body remains adaptable and resilient. These practices help sustain daily activities with ease, reducing strain and promoting longevity. Not only do these work the body but they also improve neurological patterning, enhancing your brain health.
Posture correction is vital for preventing musculoskeletal issues caused by prolonged sitting or improper alignment. Completing a sustainable fitness program emphasising core strength and ergonomic awareness can help maintain proper posture, alleviating discomfort and reducing long-term damage. It is the everyday functional movement of the spine that keeps us highly energised, happier and confident.
Strength training is essential for preserving muscle mass, supporting joints and boosting metabolic health. Balanced, functional strength exercises tailored to individual needs facilitate everyday movements and enhance overall resilience. Using weights or resistance bands are the most well-known keys to lifelong sustainability.
Balance training enhances coordination and stability, reducing fall risk and improving athletic performance. The fundamentals of sustainable fitness all promote balance. Activities such as rebounding or rolling like a ball are both stability exercises and proprioception drills, which will ensure the body remains agile and safe.
A sustainable fitness program ensures all aspects of detoxification, mobility, posture, strength and balance are covered. Add this quick workout to your weekly rotation — it is specifically designed to maintain sustainable fitness in only 10 exercises.
For the first part, no equipment is required as you tune into your body. For the second part, grab some light (2–7kg) dumbbells or a medicine ball. No equipment handy? That’s okay — you can use your body weight.
Complete 12–15 repetitions or hold for 12 seconds. Complete four sets of the 10 exercises.
Article Featured in WellBeing Magazine 218
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Sustainable fitness, the future of wellness
by | | Curated Content
October 15th 2025
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WellBeing Magazine
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The emotional toll of fertility can feel like a roller-coaster ride — cycles of hoping, waiting and not knowing. It’s easy to get caught up in the details and worry about missing the one crucial step that could make all the difference. The process of trying to conceive a baby can become a source of despair, rather than hope. Drawing on the wisdom of Chinese medicine, it’s possible to see the bigger picture and navigate this time with more joy.
Fertility is far more than the ability to conceive a child. At its core, it is the ability to create. It’s the life spark that can transform and regenerate.
We see it everywhere in the natural world: the rhythm of the seasons, the unfurling of leaves, the flow of the rivers. Nature moves in harmony — silent, powerful and balanced. Everything in the universe is infused with this creative pulse (including you), bringing something into existence that wasn’t there before.
In Chinese medicine, this pulse is known as qi, the vital energy that flows through all living things. Rooted in the philosophy of Taoism, Chinese medicine teaches that everything follows the Tao — “the Way”.
Taoism invites us to observe nature and its effortless unfolding. The tides do not force their movement. Trees do not strive to grow. They simply respond with grace to the elements around them. Taoism teaches us to embrace patience, spontaneity and balance.
Think of bamboo: strong yet flexible. When the wind blows, bamboo bends rather than breaks. It adapts. It yields. And it survives.
What is creative conception?
If you are trying to conceive, aren’t you essentially trying to create something from nothing?
Yes, there is an egg and a sperm, but an extraordinary sequence of perfectly timed events must unfold to form an embryo.
It makes sense that, during this sacred time, immersing yourself in other creative practices could help tune you into the same energetic rhythm that causes flowers to bloom, rain to fall and life to take root within you.
When you are in a state of artistic flow — whether painting, journaling, dancing or dreaming — the body and mind merge into a space of pure presence and possibility.
This creative state mirrors the ebb and flow of a woman’s cycle: open, expansive and generative. Anything that nourishes your soul and activates your imagination supports this process. It doesn’t have to be productive or even particularly artistic.
What matters is how it makes you feel. Does it connect you to your essence? To the energy of motherhood? To life itself?
How creativity can support conception
For many women, the fertility journey can be fraught with grief, frustration and longing.
Cultivating creativity can be an anchor during this time, offering both emotional relief and energetic alignment.
Managing stress: Creativity is a powerful stress reliever. Activities such as painting, knitting, journaling, gardening, music or movement calm the nervous system and invite flow. Reduced stress supports hormonal balance, reproductive health and emotional wellbeing.
Exploring options: A creative mindset is open and adaptive. It helps you navigate different fertility pathways — whether through lifestyle changes, cycle tracking or assisted reproductive technologies — with more ease and flexibility.
Building emotional resilience: Creativity helps reframe setbacks to find meaning and hope. Art, poetry, storytelling and symbolism can help you make sense of emotional ups and downs. A 2018 research study by Streeter and Deaver found that art can be effective in reducing depression symptoms in women experiencing infertility.
Deepening connection with your body: Creative practices based on mindful movement such as yoga, qi gong or dance can increase awareness of your body’s rhythms and signals — helpful for tuning into ovulation cycles and hormonal cues.
Processing complex emotions: Creative expression can be an outlet for grief, longing and reproductive trauma. Think of artist Frida Kahlo, whose iconic works vividly explore themes of fertility, loss and the emotional depth of not being able to conceive. She transformed her pain into art.
Nature to the rescue
As always, nature has the answers — if we pause to listen.
Recent research shows that women tend to be more creative during certain phases of their menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is not just a biological rhythm; it also influences mood, cognition and emotional expression.
During the follicular phase, the first half of the cycle leading up to ovulation, oestrogen levels rise. This hormonal increase is linked to enhanced cognitive flexibility and verbal fluency — two key components of creative thinking.
A study from SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw found that women generated more original, varied and perspective-altering ideas during their ovulatory phase.
The researchers suggest this surge in creativity may be evolutionary — part of an adaptive strategy for courtship and mate selection.
Dr Galasinska, co-author of the study, explains:
“Women evolved in a way that when the time to conceive occurs, they unconsciously start to behave differently. Sexual hormones are a kind of mood enhancer and a positive mood affects the flexibility of thinking. Also, women feel more courageous and powerful … to be creative, we have to take a risk a little bit, as creativity requires breaking through patterns and mental blocks.”
It all comes down to qi
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), qi is the life force that animates everything. Yin is the substance — blood, tissue, fluids, the nurturing and cooling element. Yang is the function — the heat, movement, drive, metabolism. Health (and fertility) requires balance among these forces.
Creative energy is seen as a reflection of your vitality and the flow of qi. When qi is stagnant or blocked, both fertility and creativity can become stifled. It can also lead to emotional imbalances like frustration, anger or sadness. In fertility, free-flowing qi is essential for the smooth release of the egg from the follicle during ovulation, blood flow to the uterus and a thick, receptive endometrial lining.
A woman requires an abundance of yin to conceive. Yin is soft, nurturing and receptive — qualities often at odds with the pace of modern life. In striving for success, many women are conditioned to embody yang energy: fast, achieving, competitive and assertive. While this can lead to professional success, it can cause hormonal imbalances. As always, work-life balance is especially crucial if you are trying to conceive.
Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, which can suppress reproductive function. When the body is in survival mode, fertility is not prioritised. There is substantial scientific evidence showing that cortisol restrains non-essential functions — like digestion, immunity and reproduction. Menstrual cycles may become irregular or stop altogether.
Stress also depletes jing — the well of vital essence stored in the kidney meridian (energetic organ system), which governs fertility and longevity. Without sufficient jing, conception becomes more difficult.
Fertility, creativity and emotional wellbeing are all rooted in the free flow of qi.
TCM offers holistic practices to help restore this flow utilising acupuncture, herbal medicine, mindfulness and lifestyle balance. When qi is flowing, the body becomes a fertile landscape for both conception and creative expression.
Creative energy
Connecting with creative energy begins with following your curiosity and leaning into what feels interesting, rather than what’s “correct”. Create space for inspiration to find you — whether that’s quiet, candlelight, music, time in nature or simple stillness. Move your body: stretch, breathe, dance and let qi flow freely.
To immerse yourself in creative energy is to let life move through you as effortlessly as music or your own breath. You enter a space where imagination isn’t just welcome — it lives.
Here’s what that unfolding can look like:
• Flowing: ideas that move like water, when you let go of control.
• Playful: there’s no pressure to get it right — just the joy of exploration.
• Embodied: creativity lives in your senses, your hands and your emotions — not just your mind.
• Transformative: it turns raw experience — joy, grief, longing — into something meaningful.
• Sacred: painting, writing, cooking, dancing or dreaming becomes a ritual, a form of devotion, self-expression and connection.
Let go of the need for a perfect outcome. Instead, embrace the process for its own sake.
Honour your natural cycles, too — some days are for gathering ideas, others for expressing them. This is yin and yang in motion.
Creative conception is about more than making a baby. It’s about cultivating a fertile life — rich in meaning, beauty and flow. Whether or not you conceive a child, you are still a powerful creator. The universe moves through you. Trust it.
Article Featured in WellBeing Magazine 218
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Creative Conception
by | | Curated Content
October 14th 2025
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Wellness Mama Blog | Simple Answers for Healthier Families
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Years ago when I had little ones who liked going to the pumpkin patch, we’d always come home with a few pumpkins. While I don’t always have time to make homemade pumpkin puree anymore, our family still loves pumpkin bread during the fall. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup and features all the warming spices […]
Continue reading Maple Glazed Pumpkin Bread (With Almond Flour)…
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https://wellnessmama.com/recipes/almond-flour-pumpkin-bread/
by | | Curated Content
October 14th 2025
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WellBeing Magazine
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Discover how hormonal changes affect your skin in perimenopause and menopause, and how targeted, science-backed care supports smart ageing.
There’s a moment, often subtle at first, when your skin doesn’t quite behave the way it used to. The glow feels dimmer. Makeup sits differently. Products that once worked wonders suddenly fall flat. Welcome to the hormonal shift that is perimenopause – a biological milestone that changes not just how you feel, but how your skin functions.
For years, conversations about menopause focused on hot flushes and mood swings. But beneath the surface, one of the most profound shifts occurs in your skin. As oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, so does the architecture of your complexion. Collagen – the protein responsible for firmness and bounce – declines by as much as 30 per cent in the first five years after menopause. The skin barrier becomes thinner, drier and more reactive. You may notice redness where there was once calmness or fine lines that seem to deepen overnight.
This isn’t just “ageing” … It’s hormonal ageing. And it requires a different conversation.
When “anti-ageing” misses the point
Traditional anti-ageing formulas were designed to tackle wrinkles and pigmentation, but they rarely considered the hormonal landscape beneath. During perimenopause and menopause, skin physiology changes at a cellular level. Your skin’s oil production drops, hydration decreases and your pH becomes less acidic, weakening its natural defences.
Meanwhile, glycation – the process where sugar molecules bind to collagen and elastin, stiffening them – accelerates. This internal “caramelisation” makes the skin less supple and more prone to dullness. Add to this the stress hormone cortisol, which rises in midlife and further compromises barrier repair, and you have the perfect storm for sensitivity, dryness and inflammation.
The answer isn’t to fight ageing – it’s to work with it supporting your skin through perimenopause and its hormonal evolution with targeted, science-backed care.
That’s where Synergie Skin steps in.
The science of hormonal skin support
Certain ingredients have emerged as game-changers in this area of skin science, offering specific support for oestrogen-deprived skin.
Soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens – plant-based compounds that mimic the effects of oestrogen in the skin. Studies show they help boost collagen synthesis and improve elasticity, making them ideal for restoring firmness during menopause.
Pink microalgae is another powerful ally for your skin. Rich in antioxidants and natural peptides, it works to defend against glycation – the invisible culprit behind the loss of youthful resilience.
Carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide, offers dual protection: it neutralises free radicals and inhibits glycation, effectively slowing the cascade of oxidative stress that accelerates visible ageing.
Together, these three potent ingredients represent a shift toward “smart ageing” – skincare that respects biology rather than resisting it.
Clean Science® and ethical efficacy
For over two decades, Australian brand Synergie Skin has championed this philosophy through its Clean Science® approach. Founded by cosmetic chemist Terri Vinson Jones, the brand bridges the gap between laboratory precision and conscious formulation, proving that high performance doesn’t have to come at the expense of safety or sustainability.
Their latest innovation, PressPause, embodies this ethos. Designed specifically for perimenopausal and menopausal skin, the serum harnesses soy isoflavones, pink microalgae and carnosine to target collagen loss, dryness and sensitivity. Backed by clinical research, it’s a product born not from marketing trends but from genuine biochemical understanding.
While PressPause stands out as a personalised solution, it also symbolises something larger: the recognition that women’s skin deserves research and respect.
Beyond skincare: lifestyle synergy
Skincare alone can’t outpace hormonal changes, but it can work in harmony with lifestyle habits that support skin longevity. Managing stress is crucial as high cortisol levels accelerate collagen breakdown. Prioritising sleep, practising mindfulness and engaging in regular movement all help balance hormonal rhythms.
Nutrition also plays a quiet but powerful role. Reducing sugar intake minimises glycation, while omega-3-rich foods like salmon, sardines, chia and flaxseeds along with adequate hydration nourish the skin from within. Together, these practices form the foundation of what might be called “whole-body dermatology” – the understanding that how we live directly shapes how our skin ages.
Pressing pause and moving forward
Your mindset is important here. Menopause isn’t a decline; it’s a recalibration. Our skin reflects that story – one of transformation, resilience and renewal. By approaching this stage with curiosity and care, we can redefine what ageing beautifully means.
Smart ageing isn’t about turning back time; it’s about supporting your biology with intelligence and integrity. And when science, self-care and ethical innovation meet – as they do in formulas like PressPause – the result is not just better skin, but a more empowered relationship with the mirror.
Visit synergieskin.com to learn more.
References
Shuster S, Black MM, McVitie E. The influence of age and sex on skin thickness, skin collagen and density. Br J Dermatol. 1975 Dec;93(6):639-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1975.tb05113.x. PMID: 1220811.
The post The hormone-skin connection: Understanding perimenopause and menopause appeared first on WellBeing Magazine.
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The hormone-skin connection: Understanding perimenopause and menopause
by | | Curated Content
October 13th 2025
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Dr. Will Cole
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The Best Fertility, Pregnancy & Postpartum Nutrition Protocols | Lily Nichols Click An Icon Below To Subscribe WATCH THE FULL-LENGTH EPISODE HERE ON YOUTUBE! In this episode, I sit down with registered dietitian and best-selling author Lily Nichols, whose work has transformed how we think about fertility and prenatal nutrition. We dive into the rising…
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The Best Fertility, Pregnancy & Postpartum Nutrition Protocols | Lily Nichols
