Author: Christine Pope

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Homeopathy, Innovation

Group programs an innovative way to reduce healthcare costs

Have you ever participated in a group program or workshop ? Working with a group of people on a common issue or health problem is often far more successful than working individually with a practitioner. The group itself contributes so many benefits, whether its a sense of support, accountability or motivation as well as specific knowledge or expertise.

Recently I finished a book called “The Community Cure” by James Gaskell. It was recommended by a colleague who was running training in Oncology and she suggested it as a strategy for providing supportive care for oncology patients in an affordable way. In a healthcare setting the original groups were set up to support Hispanic patients with diabetes and have expanded to a range of healthcare challenges.

My own introduction to group programs was through some group coaching with a colleague called Tammy Guest. The group was working on developing their businesses with a range of offerings and I found the process very helpful and supportive. It’s always easier when you understand that others had the same challenges clarifying their offer, dealing with technology or realising that once you have built the course or program you know need to get your head around facebook ads or other marketing.

In the two years since I finished that group I have run a number of small groups myself and my first one was a small group who did a “Reset” through COVID lockdown. That was a highpoint of my week during that last interminable lockdown. Two others really stand out for me were the first “Ageing Outrageously” when I added a weekly call and check-in to the online program and my “Using Homeopathy Made Easy” group where the group helped decide what we covered in the last couple of weeks. That was both inspirational but also meant I knew I was building a course they could really use.

Some of the benefits of group programs include;

  1. Support System: The sense of belonging and understanding that comes from knowing you’re not alone in your struggles can provide immense comfort and strength. It can also provide you with a supportive group who understand your challenges and can provide advice.
  2. Shared Knowledge and Resources: Within a group there are often such a wealth of knowledge and resources that can be tapped into. It can be as simple as having a facebook group where the focus goes from the practitioner answering all questions to the group contributing their strategies and suggestions. Whether it’s learning a new skill, or accessing healthcare services, the power of shared knowledge is invaluable.
  3. Sense of Belonging: Humans are social beings wired for connection, and a strong sense of belonging is essential for our mental and emotional well-being. Being part of a community provides a sense of identity and purpose, fostering feelings of acceptance and inclusion. Whether it’s a neighborhood group, a sports team, or an online forum, finding your tribe can enrich your life.
  4. Accountability and Motivation: When you’re part of a group, you’re not just accountable to yourself but to the group as a whole. Whether it’s sticking to your fitness goals, pursuing personal growth, or contributing to a shared cause, the support and encouragement of your peers can fuel your motivation and keep you on track. Knowing that others are counting on you can be a powerful motivator to strive for excellence.
  5. Opportunities for Collaboration: Collaboration breeds innovation, and groups are fertile grounds for collaboration to flourish. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, pooling resources, or working together on projects, the diverse perspectives and talents within a community can lead to creative breakthroughs and impactful outcomes. By leveraging the strengths of its members, a group can achieve far more than any individual could on their own.
  6. Emotional Resilience: Life is full of ups and downs, and having a strong support network can bolster your resilience. Whether it’s celebrating successes together or offering a shoulder to lean on during tough times, the emotional bonds forged within a group can provide solace and strength.

Group programs offer a range of benefits that can enhance our lives on both personal and collective levels. From providing support and belonging to fostering collaboration and resilience, communities play a vital role in shaping our health, happiness, and overall quality of life.

If you are interested in experiencing a group program yourself sign up to my list and be notified when the next live group is scheduled. If you are ready to learn more about natural medicine enrol in the on-demand course, Homeopathy 101 or join my signature program, Ageing Outrageously.

Posted by Christine Pope on in Gluten Free, Health Care, Meal Plans and Recipes, Nutrition, Travel

Finding the best options for gluten free on the Central Coast

Every year we like to have a little break before the full on madness of the Christmas season hits and this year we decided to book accomodation at Terrigal on the Central Coast. Normally I would research options on Trip Advisor however my first point of call was a couple of friends who travelled up there on a regular basis. The advice was literally it wasn’t hard to find gluten free options and most cafes at Terrigal could accomodate requirements. A couple of special night out recommendations were Yellowtail and Four Hands Pizza Bar and Grill, both of which had a good range of gluten free options.

First up its always important to find your “coffee bar”, well for me that was Bellyfish Cafe, mainly because they had decent pots of tea and a really good quality gluten free bread. The other advantage was a breakfast and lunch menu with a little more variety than bacon and eggs, with options like a loaded banana bread, crab fritters, gin cured salmon with smashed avocado and acai bowls. Gluten free lunch options included a salmon cutlet and pork belly waldorf salad. In peak periods they offer dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.

Aroma’s on Sea which is at the front of the Crowne Plaza is also a nice spot with a lovely aspect across the road from the beach. The food choices are a bit more limited for gluten free but the big breakfast is a good choice as it includes home made baked beans, which were slightly different every day. If you are coealiac avoid the hash browns due to a high risk of cross contamination.

Four Hands Pizza Bar and Grill was a good casual option with lots of tapas options as well as gluten free pizza’s. We really enjoyed the cauliflower florets, patatas bravas, lemon pepper squid, charred octopus and the beef brisket taco’s. The first night we were there they were clearly trying out some junior staff, who were fairly clueless and at one point I ended up directing them to take the orders from the table next door to us as well as ours as they had been waiting for even longer than we had. It may have been a timing issue as pre Christmas it did seem that many places were gearing up with new staff and the second occasion we ate there the staff seemed more on the ball. The food both times was good and the staff seemed to be across food intolerances.

Another good option for a casual takeaway or quick meal is Spice Noodle Bar which is a hole in the wall opposite the Crowne Plaza beer garden. It has a range of classic Thai food with lots of gluten free options and even entree options such as tod mun pla ( fish cakes) and satay chicken. The Pad Thai and stir fry with chilli jam are also family favourites.

Yellowtail has a menu with Mediterranean influences and also offers a degustation menu. We found they were excellent at dealing with allergies and food intolerances, service was good but the venue would benefit from consistent air conditioning (we were there on a very hot night). Key recommendations for the menu were duck and seafood. They do offer a degustation menu as well if you are looking for a very special evening menu.

One of the surprising meals we had was a very good value paella at Terrace Grill . The menu is modern australian with mediterranean influences and offered a good range of seafood and steak as well as pasta dishes. We enjoyed sharing a paella however we also scoped out the seafood platter as an option for the next time we dined. They also offer a locals menu mid week with two courses and a glass of wine for $59 with a choice of five entrees and four main courses.

Christine Pope is a naturopath and nutritionist based at Elemental Health, St Ives. She is also a blogger who writes about health, Ageing Outrageously and gluten free travel. Have a look at her recent blogs on Holidaying on Hamilton Island what are the best gluten free options? , Finding the best Gluten Free options on the North Coast of NSW and Gluten free Canberra .

Posted by Christine Pope on in Environment, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Recipes

Ten easy New Year’s resolutions you can totally nail for 2025

We have all made those New Year’s resolutions that ultimately set you up to fail. You know the “Lose 10kgs” and “Get Fit” or “Save a deposit”. Gyms rely on us making those resolutions so that we set up a membership use it for a few weeks and then gradually forget all about it. This year I wanted to share ten easy New Year’s resolutions you can keep and help you start the year with a win!

First up before you review the list and pick just one thing (cos I am determined that you succeed) have a look back over 2024 and see if you can find two or three things that you are really pleased that you did do or achieve. From a work perspective it could be trying or learning something new, mentoring another staff member or finally getting a well earned promotion. At home it could be as simple as finally getting that door fixed or another project that was bugging you, decluttering a room or planting your own herbs in the garden.

From a health perspective is it something you have done for yourself that you noticed made a difference ? For me it was committing to twice weekly Pilates as its made a real difference to my strength and stability. It’s also interesting to notice how after 6 months of regular activity you notice that your recovery from other activity (like cooking Christmas dinners) is so much better. It doesn’t need to be a big thing it could be as simple as drinking more water to stay hydrated or having more salads at lunch!

This list is broken down into sections to make it easier for you to pick one! Please make sure you post in the comments section which one you chose and how it works out for you.

Decluttering!

  • Declutter your email – unsubscribe from ten newsletters. It’s amazing how many pile up in your inbox each day and how much time you waste deciding whether to read it, delete it or perhaps you may want to look at it later. Reality is if you actually have a need for it you can always Google later. So hit Unsubscribe and enjoy a decluttered inbox.
  • Rather than scrolling through your phone on Facebook or Instagram open your photo’s and start pruning them, maybe aim for 10 photo’s. If you don’t have a huge number try sorting them into albums so its easier to find material. My current albums include food and tea, so I have always got some inspiration handy for my social posts.
  • Pick a drawer – whether its in the kitchen or the bedroom start by decluttering one drawer. Use the three pile method – empty the drawer out and then sort into three piles, usable, repairs needed and bin. Sort through and be quite aggressive with what gets binned, for example if you start with a sock drawer then throw out the unmatched socks, the ones with holes and the ones where the elastic has gone. Throw out the bin pile, set aside the items that need repair (could be buttons or hems with clothing) and then return the usable items to the drawer after wiping the drawer clean first.

Education

  • Try a new board game or card game, ideally something that challenges your brain a little and possibly in an area you aren’t that good at if you want a little bit of brain training as well. Popular board games in our house at the moment include Settlers of Catan and Pandemic, which are a little different as they are more collaborative games. A couple of newer card games that are have also had good reviews “Snake Oil”, great if you love a bit of drama and “Crew”, a modified version of 500.
  • Listen to a webinar or a podcast and learn something new. Whatever your areas of interest just ask for referrals. There are currently two free webinars on offer on my site at the moment and you can chose from 6 tips for Ageing Outrageously or Natural medicine for first aid

Health

  • Add a new recipe to your repertoire. There are quite a few suggestions on my blog as well as the Easy One Pan Meal Download . Just add an easy curry, salad or a few veggie sides. There are twelve vegetable side recipes in my Healthy Holiday recipes including sweet potato and peach with rosemary and maple beetroot and pear.
  • Do a walk by the beach or in the bush, ideally as much or as little as you are comfortable with for your current fitness. This afternoon we are heading to Davidson Park to do the lyrebird walk which is 2km each way and runs alongside Middle Harbour, best of both worlds as you are by the bush and the water.
  • Create some calm in your mind. Try doing a meditation there are a wide range on commercial apps such as Calm and Gaia and the free 30 day meditations on Themeaningoflife.tv are well worth trialling. You can just do ten or twenty minutes and see if the format is right for you.

Self Care

  • Have a mini spa day with a bath with mineral salts and combine it with a facial treatment with a mask or scrub. Quite often you have been gifted bubble bath or other products so take advantage of them or simply buy a box of Epsom Salts and add a little lavender oil to the bath.
  • Book a favourite treatment to enjoy in January, whether it is a remedial, lymphatic or craniosacral massage or a facial or pedicure.

If you don’t have the motivation to tackle any of these changes then consider joining my email list for regular inspiration!

Posted by Christine Pope on in Gluten Free, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Nutrition, stress

Seven ways to make sure Christmas is as much fun as when you were a kid!

Do you remember the excitement of Christmas when you were a kid ? Trying to figure out where Mum and Dad had hidden the presents ? Looking forward to eating three different types of desserts or just pudding and custard? Better still if the weather was fine enjoying weeks of school holidays with a gang of friends moving from house to house.

When you get older it gets harder to enjoy the day as so often the run up to Christmas day can be exhausting. It’s often a busy time with a combination of end of year events, extra shopping and cooking plus organising a range of presents. All this whilst trying to hold down a job as well as possibly wrangling children as well. So how do we find the magic of the day again?

  1. Start by only accepting invitations to events you really want to attend. Things that sound like fun or at a restaurant you really like or with people you really want to catchup with in person. Also look at your diary and make sure there aren’t too many events in the same week. If the invitation involves standing around at a pub drinking and you would rather be soaking in a hot bath then give it a miss.
  2. Make sure you are looking after yourself in the weeks leading up to Christmas – prioritise exercise by scheduling it in first. Book in appointments that are important for you whether its massage, acupuncture, beautician or hairdresser. You will enjoy the day more if you are in top physical form and not jump limping to the end of the year.
  3. Make gift giving easier by suggesting Secret Santa, even if its just for the adults. Buying one gift instead of six or eight reduces the load for shopping and also usually means that you get one gift that you really like. Other options could be doing a charitable donation instead of giving presents. It really depends on what will make your family happiest and reduce the stress associated with gift buying.
  4. On the day ensure the food preparation is shared with all the adults attending. Splitting responsiblity (and costs) for the celebration make it easier. Whether its prawns or ham, salads or desserts, sharing the work makes a big difference. If you are dealing with a variety of food intolerances then have a look at my blog A Gluten and Dairy Free Christmas .
  5. Break out the board games for entertainment, having some at an appropriate level for the group can really provide good entertainment for a few hours. Current favourites in my house are Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Katan but don’t forget old favourites like Monopoly and Scrabble. We also have a tradition of finding the silliest games possible like Hungry Hippos and Peanut Elephant.
  6. Make sure your Christmas menu includes something you really enjoy. The most recent addition to our Christmas menu is Donna hay’s wonderful stuffing cup recipe. It’s not hard to make and ensures there is enough stuffing for everyone.
  7. Start a new tradition such as watching classic Christmas movies as a family (options rang from Die Hard to Love Actually or The Holidays) or enjoy opening one gift each on Christmas Eve. Bake a favourite cookie, pudding or mince pie. The blog A Gluten and Dairy Free Christmas has my recipes for both pudding and mince pies, well they are modified versions of my mother’ recipes and are gluten free with a dairy free option.

Christine Pope is a naturopath and nutritionist and has an online program called Ageing Outrageously. She is in practice at Elemental Health, St Ives and appointments are available on (02) 8084 0081 or by booking online at elementalhealth.net.au .

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care

Why do I want to encourage people to Age Outrageously Well?

A couple of years ago I was working with a wonderful group in a program called Maverick. We were encouraged to think about our vision for our healthcare practice. Mine was to reduce the burden of chronic disease by 50%. A big goal but we need some big goals in healthcare as our current system is not always delivering good outcomes for people.

What are these chronic diseases that affect 46.6% of Australians? They include cancer, arthritis, type two diabetes, respiratory diseases and heart disease. The cost of supporting people with these conditions is $38 billion annually, but this money is mainly spent on acute treatment and medications rather than any real focus on prevention. Nationally our preventative health spend is around 2%.

For those with Type two diabetes for example the treatment is likely to be glucose lowering medications rather than exercise or nutritional prescriptions. Even if the GP has time to discuss nutrition chances are they don’t have the time to work through the dietary changes needed to effectively balance blood sugar. The GP also doesn’t have the capacity to refer for appropriate exercise options under Medicare.

Balancing Blood Sugar is a critical part of improving your health as you age, a concept that was highlighted in the ReCode protocol training in delaying Alzheimers. The brain is the biggest user of glucose in the body relative to size accounting for about 30% of our use. Systemically if we are having issues with glucose metabolism, such as commonly found in hypoglycemia and metabolic syndrome, then our bodies become increasingly resistant to insulin which is essential for the uptake of glucose. A 2011 study in Neurology showed an increased risk of dementia in people over 60 with elevated blood glucose.

Another key risk highlighted in the Recode training was underlying infections and heavy metal toxicity. The Indian journal of Pyschiatry’s 2006 article on “Reversible Dementia’s” highlight’s the reversible causes at between 0-23% and includes on its list a range of heavy metal toxicities as well as infections such as spirochetes which are seen in Lyme like illnesses.

In clinical practice I often work with older clients who see good improvement in their health and energy by improving their diet, tweaking or adding more exercise and supporting themselves with appropriate supplements. Unfortunately not everyone has the ability to commit to a course of naturopathic treatment and work individually with a practitioner. My eight part Ageing Outrageously program was developed to bridge this gap, providing people with the information they need at the cost of approximately one consultation.

The program covers all the key information that you can use to improve your health and how well you age. It looks at critical dietary support with a focus on Balancing Blood Sugar and Getting Moving as well as looking at whether there are possible interactions with common medications. In addition the program focuses on supporting your Gut and Digestion, which are essential to being able to absorb nutrients from your diet as well as looking at how you can support effective detoxification.

The major advantage of an online program is that a bigger group of people can work on improving their health than I can work with individually. It mightn’t get me to a 50% reduction in chronic disease but its a good start. More information on the Ageing Outrageously program is on this link. Registering on this link means you will also get regular content on Ageing Outrageously as well as being advised of any specials including the upcoming Black Friday sale!

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care

What do you do with all the leftover pumpkin?
delectable baked pumpkin pie
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Halloween is usually all about candy but what happens to all the pumpkin that is left over after all the carvings and decorations are finished ? In this blog there are seven ways to include pumpkin in your diet with smoothies, bowls, muffin, porridge, humuus and loaf recipes.

Pumpkin is a nutritious orange vegetable, high in fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta carotene. These nutrients may reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration. Including brightly coloured vegetables in your diet is a good way to keep a good range of nutrients. Beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A, is an important nutrient for the immune system and may assist in supporting respiratory health.

Scroll through the recipe booklet below and see which recipes you might like to try and then download the booklet if you would like to keep the collection. Happy Halloween!

pumpkin-minDownload