Rachel's Blog | Inspired Health by Rachel Grunwell

April 28, 2018

3 Tips for Mouth-Watering + Healthy Smoothies

green smothie bowl with pear

3 Tips for Mouth-Watering + Healthy Smoothies

By Rachel Grunwell

Smoothies & juices are an incredible way to inject nutrients into your every day.

But there are a few tricks that people often make when making smoothies. I’ve created healthy recipes for Good magazine now for years (I’m also the mag’s wellness columnist). I drink home-made smoothies and juices regularly at home of course – often after a run or doing a yoga session.

I’m super excited that some of my nutrient-dense & delicious smoothies will soon be on offer too at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa (where I co-lead the weekend-long Mindful Moments health retreats by the way) which are so blissful…

rach with green smoothie

Pic credit: Ben Parkinson, Pablo Creative

Here are 3 of the biggest smoothie-making mistakes:

* A common mistake is making the same smoothie day after day after day…I dub this “smoothie fatigue”. When you thrash the same recipe day after day, then this drink gets boring – fast. It’s also not smart to be having the same old nutrients repeatedly. Change up your nutrients often to absorb different minerals. If you consume different nutrients then your taste buds will thank you for this too. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t excite me to drink the same thing day-in/day-out.
* Another mistake is chucking in way too many ingredients, turning your smoothie into a brown muddy slush. This doesn’t look appetizing. It’s also a risk of making them calorie-loaded. You can literally end up swigging back your entire calorie intake in one sitting!And what a waste, when it doesn’t even taste good!
* Adding too much fruit can also turn smoothies into a sugar-cocktail. You don’t actually need that much sugar to sweeten up your drink. A little fruit used in the right way is key.

Here’s Rachel’s recipe for a delicious beetroot juice. Click HERE

Rachel creates smoothies for Good magazine and you can buy her smoothies too from the cafe at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. When she’s not running or teaching yoga, she’s in her office writing for Good magazine & Run4YourLife magazine.

Find out about the Mindful Moments retreats Rachel co-leads at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa by clicking HERE. She will be at the pools in the Polynesian Spa relaxing and soaking her sore muscles after the Rotorua Marathon event (check out the pic below of her in one of the blissful pools below – can’t you just imagine yourself there!) To find out more about the Rotorua Marathon event click HERE

rach in polynesian pool - medium size pool shotgreen waters medium size

Nourish yourself with smoothies and blissful soaks at the Polynesian Spa…

For more wellness insp follow Rachel via InspiredHealth’s Facebook & Instagram

April 26, 2018

Yum Healthy Recipe + 3 Tips to Lower Cholesterol

oat active

Yum Healthy Recipe + 3 Tips to Lower Cholesterol

By Rachel Grunwell

Keep your cholesterol in check – for the sake of your heart health.

3 tips to lower your cholesterol:

Move your body. This is one key to a healthy heart. Walking, swimming or cycling are great options.
Manage stress by doing something like yin yoga, meditation or Tai Chi. Again, this is to prevent prolonged stress, which can potentially lead to a risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Eat a healthy diet to stay “well” ie lots of veg, some fruit, grains (ie oats that are full of soluble fibre), healthy oils (like flaxseed oil which boasts Omega 3 fatty acid), nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, chicken, eggs, etc

One healthy option is Harraways Oat-activ® Original Oats range (they come in Original and Original with Cranberry). The Harraways Oat-activ® oat singles are contain beta-glucan (naturally found in oats) and fortified with plant sterols, two sachets a day can reduce your cholesterol, as part of your 3g of beta-glucan or 2g of plant sterols daily intake. I often have two breakfast-style-eating-options daily; I have one first thing in the morning and another around 3pm when I feel like a snack – so these will be a great addition! I know if I have a snack like oats at 3pm, then it will help me to feel full and stop me from reaching for chocolate instead!

The Harraways Oat-activ® sachets are quick and easy to make. I use them as a base and usually add a few other ingredients to change up the taste! This means I take in different nutrients at each sitting.

Here’s how I made the ones pictured above.

Ingredients:

1 sachet Harraways Oat-activ® Oats (Original flavour)

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

¾ cup filtered water

Topping:

½ cup berries

1 tablespoon raw macadamia nuts (chopped roughly)

½ banana (sliced, skin removed)

Drizzle each of Manuka honey & flaxseed oil

Method: Place the oats, pumpkin and sunflower seeds + water into a pan. Heat this and then let it simmer for 30-seconds. Or you can alternatively place the ingredients in a bowl and microwave them for 90-seconds.

Once cooked, put the oats into a bowl. Then place the toppings on top and enjoy!

Harraways Oat-activ® oats are available in selected Pak N Save & New World supermarkets. For more ways to use Harraways Oat-activ® check out some more recipes HERE

You can also go in the draw to win 1 x 2 months supply of the new Oat-activ® flavours (4 x Original Oat-activ and 4 x Original with Cranberry Oat-activ®. You can share this with a friend if you wish! Enter via our Facebook or Instagram

Blog by Rachel Grunwell: Magazine wellness columnist, magazine healthy recipe creator, yoga teacher, & director of lifestyle website inspiredhealth.co.nz

This blog was sponsored courtesy of Harraways Oat-activ®

InspiredHealth is run by Rachel Grunwell: Award-winning journalist, magazine wellness columnist & healthy recipe creator, wellness ambassador, yoga teacher & marathoner

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April 12, 2018

Fitbit launches first watch for kids & new arm bling for adults

fitbit kit

By Rachel Grunwell: Magazine wellness columnist, run magazine wellness journalist + passionate marathoner and yoga teacher.

Hands up who is a Fitbit fan?

Obviously TV & radio show host Mel Homer, Fitbit ambassador Art Green and your truly are – according to this pic at the launch of the new Fitbit Versa watch in Auckland.

Actually, these two peeps alongside me are awesomely fit and inspiring and it’s always great to be in their company at Fitbit events. We were all involved in the recent Fitbit challenge, doing as many steps as we could as well as raising awareness about Diabetes and how movement helps to combat Diabetes Type 2.

fitbit trio

So what’s with the new Fitbit Versa watch? Well, as you can tell from Mel and I… there’s a super cute pink colour option!! You can change up the straps to some cool new colours. The watch has a four day battery life span, it’s super light and streamlined (so easy to sleep with), it’s more affordable than the iconic Fitbit ($349… or for the special edition it’s $399) and there are new features including accessing music that even offers “music flow” (ie a smart feature that works out the music you like). And the tracking features are just getting better and better. Soon women will even be able to track how they ovulate via new connected women’s wellness technology through the watch too. This would be super handy if you were trying for a baby.

A super cool announcement is the Fit Ace watch for kids. One in five kids is obese (says Fitbit stats), and so this health tool is an incredible way to help address this epidemic. This little Fitbit watch does not offer calorie counting or body fat insights for kids or connection to communities where adults are. So Fitbit has thought through the use of the technology well. It will be a tool to inspire kids to move more.

Meanwhile, I heard some inspiring wellness speakers at the Fitbit launch including some Fitbit representatives as well as Clair Turnbull and Rene Schliebs from Mission Nutrition. They spoke about how good health decisions, movement, quality sleep and using their Fitbit helps to power wellness.

A mum called Rachel also spoke about how she won her battle with diabetes including using her Fitbit watch to motivate her to increase her daily step count. She shared her journey on how she regained her health and went onto have her longed-for third child.

“It’s about consistency. There are days when you do not feel motivated. So when I lost motivation, I could look back at my Fitbit app and see where I had been and how far I had come,” she said.

fitbit panel

Meanwhile, Clair Turnbull shared some tips on some lessons she has learned through her own wellness journey as well as helping lots of clients with nutrition needs. Here are some of her tips:

Sleep is gold.

Remember to breathe well.

Moving is Essential.

Start small with your wellness journey.

Ask for help.

For health & wellness inspo, healthy recipes, & news of new fitness things on the market… follow InspiredHealth on Facebook & Instagram

April 9, 2018

Final Prep Tips for The Rotorua Marathon Event – from An Elite Coach

john headshot

By Rachel Grunwell

It’s less than a month to go now before the Rotorua Marathon event on May 5. So I turned to top coach John Bowden for some tips for final prep and training for all those taking part in this epic event.

John is an absolute run legend. He’s a former elite athlete himself and former teacher (Auckland Grammar by the way). He competed for New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games, and has been an Athletics New Zealand selector and coach. He now trains a lot of elite runners in NZ who win marathons, half-marathons and represent NZ at the Olympics. He trains Lisa Cross who won the Waterfront Half Marathon in Auckland on April 8. He also trains weekend warriors like me (bless him)! And if you didn’t think the bloke was a legend already, then you will after I tell you he is the head of Achilles NZ (a charity that helps Kiwis with disabilities to participate in run events). John will be at the Rotorua Marathon event cheering on some of his runners.

Here are some of his top tips leading up to the Rotorua Marathon event. Take note, these are gold! Better still, really listen to him. We are lucky to tap into his knowledge.

Marathon Tips by John Bowden from The Road Running Collective:

Hydration

Despite the weather now cooling and that we are into Autumn there is a tendency not to drink as much either during your day or on your training run… DON’T STOP hydrating. So, during the day the famous 8 glasses of water per day is still a good guide to go to (or two litres)-if anything by doing this you will not be as tired by the end of the day.
On your training runs (usually the long ones) it pays to practice drinking what you will use on race day. You can also practice taking water at various spots on your long runs these next 4 weeks (by either having someone on the side of the road handing them out to you, or you can place them there the night before in a secret and safe place). Practice makes perfect when it comes to these four weeks of hydrating yourself…

Recovery & Rest

This last month it might pay to concentrate on the little things that might make a difference for your performance on race day-so get some extra sleep, earlier nights, stretch a bit more and treat your self to a weekly massage perhaps.

Equipment check

Make sure your training shoes are in good shape for the last month of training. Do not try and get through this critical time with a well worn pair of shoes. Or if you are concerned about them lasting… then change them now!
If you are going to wear a different pair of shoes for the race (lighter ones usually) then practice using them on your last few long runs.

Tapering and feeling good

Usually you begin to do less training from 14-10 days out so be careful during this time as you will start to feel better and run faster. Be in control in this phase and listen to your body and hold yourself accountable that you will train with the same intensity and pace that you have previously been doing during the past few months.

Your last long run

This should be done about three weeks out with a moderate long run say 21km two weeks out before you begin your taper. It is better to be a little underdone than overcooked for a marathon race – so be smart.

Head Smarts

Be confident in your self as you have done all the hard work with a month to go. Talk yourself up, be positive, be inspired by reading or watching achievements of others in any areas of life.
Work on your race strategy and have plans A, B and C for race day

To enter the Rotorua Marathon event click HERE

To find out more about John and his coaching click HERE

Blog by Rachel Grunwell: Rotorua Marathon event ambassador, Award-winning writer, ‘Good’ magazine wellness columnist, wellness writer for Run4YourLife running magazine (in Australia and NZ), multi-marathoner (19 marathons at the last count), yoga teacher & Polynesian Spa ambassador (co-leading health retreats in Rotorua).

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See other inspiring stories, recipes and go in the draw for health-inspired giveaways by following Rachel via InspiredHealthNZ’s Facebook and Instagram

This blog was kindly sponsored by the peeps behind the Rotorua Marathon event #sponsoredcontent

March 20, 2018

Elite Runner at Rotorua Marathon will be running in her parents footsteps

olivia burne

Elite Runner at Rotorua Marathon will be running in her parents footsteps

By Rachel Grunwell

An elite female runner doing her first ever marathon at the Rotorua Marathon event is a potential front-runner who could take out the winning title.

When Olivia Burne, 26, runs in the May 5 event, she will also be following in her parent’s footsteps. And she’s gunning for a podium spot too like her dad…

Olivia, who is an ASICS brand ambassador and works in marketing and communications in Auckland, won the half-marathon distance at the Rotorua Marathon event last year with a time of just over 1hr 16mins.

She decided to run her first marathon at Rotorua this year for many reasons.

Her parents success at this event was, of course, an inspiration.

“My parents have both run the Rotorua Marathon in their early 20s. “My mum completed the full marathon distance in 1981, recording 3:19 – that was one week before she married Dad. My Dad ran the full marathon five years in a row, with his top finish being a 2nd in 1979. His time was 2:25.35 – I’m not looking to break that record any time soon!” she says.

Burne says her running parents have been really encouraging of her running career and great support.

Asked if her parents have high expectations of her potential finish time, Burne quips, “I think Mum would be quite happy for me to beat her time and I think Dad would just be impressed if I beat his!”

She says she also chose the Rotorua Marathon event too as her first marathon because of the wonderful history of the event and because it is known as one of the highlights of the racing calendar.

“It’s also a beautiful setting. The cultural significance of Rotorua… the beautiful lake, the Redwood Forest, and the (Polynesian Spa’s) thermal hot pools make the whole running and recovery experience really special,” she says.

She also adds: “The race has an enormous history in New Zealand. Most runners from the 60s onwards would know the Rotorua Marathon (or Fletchers Marathon, as it used to be known) as one of the highlights of the racing calendar. Thousands would show up for the event and it attracts some of the best runners in the country. “

Burne says she is training hard for the event by doing lots of hills and miles out in West Auckland.

“I work in Hillsborough, Auckland – a suburb that’s aptly named,” she jokes.

She is training around the hilly and challenging Waiatarua course as much as possible. She too is clocking some high mileage (150km plus per week under her coach, Barry Magee.

Burne says she is looking forward to the marathon challenge and taking on a challenging course.

Her dream in the future is to be able to go onto the Olympic Games in the marathon distance in the future.

She has completed three years to date of racing the half-marathon distance.

Join Olivia and many others! Enter the Rotorua Marathon event too – there’s a distance for everyone. CLICK HERE

Blog by Rachel Grunwell: Rotorua Marathon event ambassador, Award-winning writer, ‘Good’ magazine wellness columnist, multi-marathoner, yoga teacher & Polynesian Spa ambassador (co-leading health retreats).

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See other inspiring stories, recipes and go in the draw for health-inspired giveaways by following Rachel via InspiredHealthNZ’s Facebook and Instagram

This blog was kindly sponsored by the peeps behind the Rotorua Marathon event #sponsoredcontent

March 15, 2018

Pear Spelt Muffins recipe – & the low-down on the new book ‘The Eczema Detox’

eczma book

Go in the draw to win a copy of this book via a comp on InspiredHealth’s Facebook & Instagram

By Rachel Grunwell

Up to 1 in five Kiwis are affected by eczema. It’s an important topic to the public.

It’s also something that has affected my sister, Bex, who is one of the people I love most on this planet. So through her, I’ve heard over the years about how painful this can be and how the flare-ups can be intensely painful and even disable self-confidence (even when you look as beautiful as Bex).

My sister has tried everything over the years for relief. Absolutely everything. It has been a long-running battle that has felt paralysing at times. Thankfully, this Summer she has felt the best she has ever been in over 30-years. This is thanks to the hottest Summer in Gisborne, using steroid creams, and thanks too to some help from Be Pure’s office, but also to a book penned by “eczema nutritionist” Karen Fischer which advises which foods to eat, and avoid, when you suffer from eczema. My sister also buys Karen’s magnesium supplement too which she thinks is amazing for sleep and her wellness.

So when I got Karen’s latest wellness book across my desk, ‘the eczema detox’, I instantly thought of Bex and how books like this are so important. They’re literally the difference between a pain free life, or not.

This book is full of life-changing nutritional information and advice, articulated through 3 eating programs. Both Karen and her daughter, Ayva, have suffered from skin problems in the past but now live eczema-free from following Karen’s meal plans.

As for Bex, she is great at the moment, but she does dread Winter when the inevitable flare-ups return. She’s also still searching for a way to get off steroid creams… But she says the changes she has made around foods to avoid, or seek out, through Karen’s books “has helped to change my life”.

I personally love this book too from the perspective of not having eczema. The recipes are absolutely amazing and so I’m sharing one gem below.

Meanwhile, here are Karen’s top 12 foods for eliminating eczema.

mung bean sprouts

flaxseed oil

red cabbage

beets

fish

spring onions

oats

papaya

saffron

pears

There’s so much advice in the book that is gold too including all those foods to avoid for eczema sufferers.

Here’s that amazing recipe below to get you started. If you try it, please let me know.

karen's muffins

Pear Spelt Muffins

Makes 12 muffins, preparation time 15 minutes, cooking time 15 minutes

• 1 egg (or use Egg Replacer, p. 211)

• cup real maple syrup or maple sugar (see ‘Eczema-friendly sweeteners’, p. 52)

• 1 cup organic soy milk (see ‘Non-dairy milks’, p. 54)

• cup Parsley Oil (p. 134) or rice bran oil

• 2 cups spelt flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder (wheat-free)

• 2 large ripe pears, peeled and diced (not Nashi/Asian or Yapears)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place paper patty pans into the holes of a 12-cup muffin tray (or alternatively grease the tray holes with a little extra rice bran oil). If using Egg Replacer make it now. In a small food processor, blend the egg (or equivalent), maple syrup and milk until smooth. Then, while the motor is running, open the chute and slowly drizzle in the oil and blend well until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and briefly mix using a large spoon. Then stir in the pear. Spoon the mixture into each muffin cup, ensuring each is about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Test with a toothpick to see if cooked through.

Notes:

• These muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.

• If you have tested egg during the FID Program (in week 3) and there were no adverse reactions after four days then you can use real egg in this recipe.

• If you are gluten intolerant, use rice milk or ‘malt-free’ soy milk and gluten-free self-raising flour instead of spelt flour. If you are using gluten-free self-raising flour, don’t add baking powder.

• If you are following the Eczema Detox Program, you can sprinkle the muffins with chia seeds

Extracted from The Eczema Detox by Karen Fischer available from www.exislpublishing.com and wherever good books are sold.

Inspired Health is run by Rachel Grunwell. Follow her via InspiredHealth’s Facebook & Instagram

InspiredHealth is run by Rachel Grunwell: Award-winning journalist, magazine wellness columnist & healthy recipe creator, wellness ambassador, yoga teacher & marathoner

March 13, 2018

9 Top Recovery Run Tips + Choc Chia Recipe

rotorua marathon blog march 2018

Blog by Rachel Grunwell: Rotorua Marathon ambassador, multi-marathoner, qualified yoga teacher, magazine wellness columnist, magazine recipe creator & Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa ambassador

Follow Rachel via InspiredHealthNZ’s Instagram and Facebook

9 Top Recovery Run Tips + Choc Chia Recipe

It’s not long now until the Rotorua Marathon event on May 5 and so training is hitting its highest gear. The long runs are longer and it’s an increasingly longer time on the feet for walkers too. So, use some great recovery methods is incredibly key right now. You want to be using everything you can in order to arrive at the start-line injury-free and ready to do your best on race day!

rotorua marathon blog 3 2018

Here are 9 Top Recovery Tips: I use all these tips and they’ve helped me conquer 19 marathons. So I swear by them!

* Make friends with a foam roller. These are seriously amazing for “ironing” out niggles ie making those tight muscles less oucheeeee. Use a roller for a few minutes on areas like your calves, IT bands, thighs, shins and quads. It’s even lovely to roll your back over a foam roller – it’s an amazing self-massage tool. There are other self-massage tools on the market too like stick rollers and other weird-shaped (torture) tools! Find the tender spots and roll them with LOVE. Your body will thank you for this, I promise.
* Eat ideally within 30-mins roughly after a long training run or walk to help boost muscle recovery.
* Some sports physios and massage therapists are increasingly training in needling. This can target really deep tissue hotspots if you need to iron out niggles that are really deep and you can’t seem to shake. If you are not afraid of needles, then I’d recommend trying this treatment. It doesn’t hurt a bit, I reckon.
* Get a professional sports massage. I can’t rate these high enough. These experts are worth their weight in gold. They can target any tiny issues you might have and give you amazing advice too. Plus you get to chat away to them and they have to listen ha ha ha ha. Or is that just me who loves to talk, talk, talk lol.
* Sleep like a prince or princess. This affects your physical and emotional health. So, it affects how you recover from training runs and how well you feel while running (or walking). Feel more alert and power your performance with more shut-eye… This is also FREE, of course. Bonus! If you get to bed by midnight, this is most ideal (it’s to do with cortisol levels ok babe…)
* Drop the habit of drinking so much alcohol. This can disturb your sleep patterns and can stop you from going into REM – the very rejuvenating sleep.
* Try some gentle yoga classes or at least take several minutes to do some static stretching after running or walking to reset your body. This will help you to move well. For some of my fave run stretches that I use often and highly recommend CLICK HERE.
* Go for a recovery swim. If you are in Rotorua, then I’d recommend the Blue Lake, Lake Tarawera or Lake Okareka. Better still, indulge in the rejuvenating hot pools at the Polynesian Spa. Bliss!
* Make a pact with yourself to eat more nutritionally-rich kai. Smart eating will help you think better, feel better and perform better. So, add spinach to your scrambled eggs or swig back a home-made juice (so you know what is in it). Here’s an amazing beetroot juice recipe CLICK HERE. Or here’s a Choc Chia Pudding to try below which is full of chia seeds which boast Omega 3 alphalinolenic acid. This is good for your brain, building new cells, and heart-health. Chia seeds are great for satiety too ie filling you up! This also tastes amazing and you can eat it anytime for a snack. Hopefully this will stop you from reaching for chocolate instead!

rotorua marathon blog 2 2018

Post Run Choc Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

1 banana (skin removed)

2 cups almond milk

½ cup coconut cream

1 tablespoon rice malt syrup (or you can use maple syrup instead)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cacao powder

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

3 tablespoons Chia seeds (back or white)

Method:

Put all the ingredients (except the chia seeds) into a blender and blitz until smooth. Lastly, add the chia seeds and stir these in with a spoon. Pour into pudding bowls, or I put them into small glasses. Leave them to set in the fridge for 30-minutes or longer. Use a spoon to dig out the mixture and enjoy!

Rachel's Blog Award-winning writer & recipe creator, magazine columnist, wellness ambassador, yoga teacher & multi-marathoner.

Blog by Rachel Grunwell: Rotorua Marathon run ambassador, wellness blogger & magazine columnist, yoga teacher and Polynesian Spa ambassador. Follow her via InspiredHealthNZ’s Instagram and Facebook

To enter the Rotorua Marathon event or find out more Click Here

This post was sponsored by the awesome peeps who “run” the Rotorua Marathon event. #collab #officialblogger #runambassador

March 3, 2018

Polynesian Spa announces homegrown ambassador

Pictured: Rachel Grunwell at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa

ROTORUA, Thursday 25^th January 2018: Health and wellness expert Rachel Grunwell, who grew up in Rotorua, has been announced as the new brand ambassador for New Zealand’s leading hot spring and luxury spa experience, Polynesian Spa.

A mother of three, Rachel is a yoga and meditation teacher, wellness magazine columnist, keynote speaker, healthy recipe creator and runs the Inspired Health website and social media channels with a combined fan base of around 20,000 Kiwis.

Polynesian Spa chief executive Gert Taljaard says they selected Rachel to be their ambassador because of her influential health and wellbeing background, but also because Rotorua is very close to her heart. She was born and raised in Rotorua and even once worked with the complex as a massage therapist.

“It’s great to have an ambassador who has had a lifetime relationship with Polynesian Spa having spent her childhood years growing up enjoying our pools and her early career working as part of our team. Having authentic ambassadors on board is very important to us” says Taljaard.

As brand ambassador, Rachel will be inspiring people to lead a naturally healthier lifestyle by integrating the benefits of mineral bathing, spa treatments and mindful moments into their wellness regime.

“I’m excited to be part of the Polynesian Spa family. I can’t wait to share real-life and science-backed wellness wisdom to help people to be healthier and happier. I’m looking forward to being back in Rotorua more regularly and it’s great to be collaborating in an industry which I am passionate about” says Grunwell.

Ironically one of the two exclusive alkaline and acidic springs that feeds into the 28 pools that Polynesian Spa boasts onsite is named the Rachel Spring and the new ambassador has been excited to rediscover the history of the therapeutic and rejuvenating waters.

“What makes Polynesian Spa so unique is the access it has to these two wonderful springs. The alkaline spas from the Rachel Spring are hot and relaxing and leave your skin with a silky feeling while the Priest Spring relieves and rejuvenates tired muscles, aches and pains. It is very uplifting for the soul,” says Rachel.

Rachel’s first job is to assist with developing a wider range of healthier choices for the new 88Ra Café menu and will host the highly successful Mindful Moments Retreats during the year.

Mindful Moments Retreats will be held on the following dates:

Saturday 9th June – Sunday 10th June

Saturday 11th August – Sunday 12th August

Saturday 10th November – Sunday 11th November

To find out all the details check out the Polynesian Spa website. Click HERE

Rachel Grunwell is a wellness magazine writer, yoga teacher, health blogger, healthy recipe creator for Good magazine and an ambassador for the Achilles charity which helps Kiwis with all kinds of disabilities to participate in events.

For wellness inspiration, follow Rachel via Inspired Health’s Facebook & Instagram

Rach-yoga-pic-at-Thievery-studio

February 15, 2018

Travel to the Whitsundays – highlights for a family

whitsundays palms
Experience sun, sand, sea-life and unforgettable adventures and memories with your family in the Whitsundays. Rachel Grunwell shares her family’s holiday highlights.

Instead of buying my kids lots of “stuff”, I’ll invest in experiences.

Visiting the Whitsundays, in Queensland, was on our family’s bucket-list. The treasure: The Great Barrier Reef. This is one of the seven wonders of the world. It’s easy to reach for Kiwis. It’s about a 3hr flight to Brisbane and 1hr 15m flight to Whitsunday Coast Airport (Proserpine). Here are some highlights on what to do, where to stay and eat for a family.

After arriving at Proserpine, we drive in a hire car for 50-minutes to Bowen. This place is famous for a giant mango which cost $90,000 to make. We loved eating frozen mango here.

The area is renowned for mangoes, and growing lots of other vegetables and fruits. Nearby, you feel in paradise on the beach at Rose Bay or Horse Shoe Bay with clear sea views for miles. Swimming at Horse Shoe Bay was so incredible my son Lachie, 10, asked “can we stay forever?” We slept at the Rose Bay Resort which boasts a great pool, palms and sea views. I watched over the balcony as my kids splashed in the pool and then looked out to sea to try and spot whales.

For cheaper accommodation in Bowen, you can stay at Queen’s Beach Tourist Village. This is only a short stroll to sandy beaches, playgrounds and tennis courts. I met a guy here who has visited yearly for 26-years. It’s so beautiful and there’s so much sea adventures on your doorstep.

Up Flagstaff hill , you can view the bays of Bowen. You can see endless blue seas and the stunning curves of many islands.

We had a great dinner at the Grand View Hotel nearby. This is famous for being in Baz Luhrmann’s film Australia, starring Nicole Kidman. This charming and renovated building is an old-Queenslander-style beauty. For good coffee and a family-friendly menu, we enjoyed two places in town: The Le Sorelle Coffee House has a great playground on site and awesome menu. While, the Sails on Main, has a cool nautical theme, boats on display and also good kai. For dinner, you can’t beat fish-and-chips at Birds Fish Bar. Here you eat just-caught seafood overlooking the beautiful Bowen Harbour, fishing boats and watching the sunset here is magic.

www.rosebayresort.com.au

www.qbtvbowen.com.au

www.lesorellecoffeehouse.com.au

www.sailsonmain.com.au

From Bowen, we drove 50-minutes to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsunday island cruises. Walking along the Airlie Esplanade, beside the beach, is bliss. An amazing local café for smoothies, salads and fresh, healthy food is Bohemian Raw Café. We came here three times!
The Great Barrier Reef was better than we imagined. The moment my son Zach, 12, swam with a giant humphead wrasse fish (and other fish and coral of all rainbow colours) was magic.

whitsundays zach and fish

Finn, 6, squealed over turtles coming close. He also loved the underwater viewing observatory and semi-submersible (like a submarine). Cruise Whitsundays offers an incredible all-day adventure to ‘reef world’. This is a giant platform in the ocean, which caters for all activities, a buffet lunch and so many adventures. If you have a bigger budget, you can hire a helicopter or go diving.

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Look at those gorgeous blues of the Great Barrier Reef. Ahmazzzzzzzing!

whitsundays zach and rach

Zach and I sharing memories underwater that we will treasure forever.

There are 74 island wonders in the Whitsundays. Another we will remember forever is Whithaven Beach. Cruise Whitsundays does a half-day trip here. The sand is 98% silica, a cool temperature and has the same texture as coconut-flour. The water is postcard-perfect. The white sand and aqua waters will be something I dream of returning to again.
whitsundays whitehaven beach

Check out that white, white sand!

whitsundays rach in water

The water is so clear. It’s bliss here.

A great family-friendly place to is the 26-acre BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort. This boasts pools, a new mega waterslide park, go-carts, mini-golf, tennis, outdoor movies, jumping pillows, and a kids’ club. There is camping, caravanning to luxury cabins. This place is so entertaining for kids. My kids met new friends here and had so much fun. While they enjoyed a movie here one night, I walked 10-minutes up the road to Yoga Therapies. This 90-minute yin yoga session was a highlight for me.

The accommodation highlight for my husband and I was the Mantra Boathouse Apartments. You look out over the Port of Airlie Marina and the hotel and pool facilities are swish. We had five cockatoos land on our terrace in the morning. I’m not sure who was more delighted – the bloke or the kids. Ten minutes walk away is the Anchor Bar and Grill. There’s a cheap kids menu and relaxed and friendly atmosphere here.

The Whitsundays delivered on magic memories for our family.

This article was published in print and on-line by NZME. To read it click HERE

whitsundays fam

www.cruisewhitsundays.com.au

www.adventurewhitsunday.com.au

www.mantra.com.au/queensland/whitsundays/airlie-beach/accommodation/mantra-boathouse-apartments
Rachel’s trip was supported by Tourism Whitsundays. Find more to do: www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au

Rachel is the director of lifestyle website inspiredhealth.co.nz

Follow Rachel( InspiredHealth Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/InspiredHealthNZ/

& Instagram https://www.instagram.com/inspiredhealthandfitness/

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February 12, 2018

Beetroot Juice

beetroot juice

Blog by Rachel Grunwell: Award-Winning Writer, Good Magazine’s Wellness Columnist & Smoothie-Creator, Marathoner, Yoga Teacher. Follow her via Inspired Health’s Facebook & Instagram for recipes, lifestyle inspo + giveaways.

Beetroot Juice

Want to fuel your body well for it to perform well? I’m a big believer in eating wholefoods to help to power you feeling well and full of energy.

I change up the nutrients I consume regularly because it’s good to have a broad diet. I’m loving beetroot juice at the moment and you’ll love the benefits too! Beetroot supports liver detoxification. It is known too for containing nitrates which produce a gas (nitric oxide) which helps to widen blood vessels and can help support blood pressure. If you want glowing skin, this should be a go-to (avocados and salmon are also good skin foods by the way). Here’s a juice recipe:

Beetroot Juice

Ingredients:

2 medium beetroots (washed & cut into chunks… remember to use gloves to avoid stains on your hands. I often use the ready-to-go ones I buy from the supermarkets too in packets because it’s easy!)

1 green apple (de-core)

2 stalks celery (washed under water)

1 chunk of ginger (I use about a 3cm piece because I really like the taste, but use less if you like)

squeeze of lime juice

Put all the ingredients in a juicer (apart from the lime) and pour into a glass. Add the squeeze of lime after into the glass and stir. You can drink this as is, or sometimes I add a cup of coconut water too. Enjoy!

Happy running everyone! For more of my recipes/wellness inspo/giveaways follow Rachel via InspiredHealth’s Facebook (CLICK HERE) & Instagram (CLICK HERE)

rach run:stretch

Read some of Rachel’s stretch tips. CLICK HERE

Read about some run pre-race rituals CLICK HERE

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