health & healthcare | Lisa Cox OAM

My Life With Chronic Pain

Lisa Cox — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 23:50:10 +0000

Being Young and Healthy is NOT a Vaccine Against Illness

Lisa Cox — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 14:19:01 +0000

What Makes A Good Healthcare Worker Great?

Lisa Cox — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 23:58:51 +0000

Aim Low To Reach The Stars

Lisa Cox — Sun, 05 Nov 2017 21:36:44 +0000

Top 5 Ways To Really Relax These Holidays (Without Alcohol Or Yoga)

Lisa Cox — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 00:56:11 +0000

Why Healthy Inspo Could Make You Unhealthy

Lisa Cox — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 01:41:23 +0000

Regrets Of The Living: It’s Best You Know This Now

Lisa Cox — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 02:37:12 +0000

Anxiety & Food: What You Should Know

Lisa Cox — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 01:02:00 +0000

Anxiety sucks. It’s as simple as that and there’s polite way to say it. It has been a part of my life for years and if you’re reading this I’m guessing it is a part of yours too.

Or maybe you’re really stressed right now? The two are different but they can sometimes feel similar. In many ways, the same sorts of principles can apply for you too.

There are things about anxiety you can control and things you can’t. My anxiety got worse in 2005 when I had a brain haemorrhage, aged 24. You can read more about the crazy times that followed here.

The causes of anxiety are varied and so too are the treatments. It’s little wonder Synapse call Brain Disorders, of which anxiety is a part, the ‘invisible disability’.

If anxiety has been a part of your life then you’ll be well aware of the havoc it can play on your relationships, career and even your self-esteem.

Through my work, I’m committed to helping you Find Fearless Freedom, unleash the Lioness and roar with courage and confidence! But an anxious Lioness can’t roam through life with fearless ambition. So here are a few suggestion (from the pros) about managing anxiety in the kitchen.

Take responsibility for what goes on your plate.

I can’t do anything to erase the permanent scarring on my brain. Yet I can do something to help myself and better manage anxiety with the food I eat.

This is not to say that you should swap Practitioner prescribed medication or professional intervention for organic spinach to ‘çure’ anxiety – NO WAY!

Anxiety is serious and sometimes treatment requires more serious intervention, beyond food. But I’m not a medical expert (and here’s my health disclaimer to explain things a little further) so I’ll leave that conversation for you and your health professionals.

Standard medications never worked for me and the side effects were horrible. After a lot of research, reading about other people’s experiences, much trial and error in my own kitchen and in consultation with professionals, I found a lifestyle that helped. It’s an integrative approach combining the expertise of my Neurologists, Naturopaths and others.

Below are 6 foods that nearly always go in my grocery basket. But don’t just take my word for it! Miranda Partridge is a qualified Nutritional Medicine Practitioner. Miranda has personal and professional experience in the power of food as medicine, not to cure but to manage anxiety and other mental health issues.

Here Miranda explores a little of the science behind why these foods are so fantastic for anxiety.

Salmon– A potent source of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon helps to reduce inflammation, a factor that can cause and exacerbate anxiety. The oils in the fish are also essential for healthy brain and nerve tissue. Salmon is also a good source of protein, which is important for the production of neurotransmitters and energy.
Spinach– Spinach contains magnesium, and if eaten raw, vitamin C. Both nutrients are important for the function and regulation of our stress hormone cortisol; vitamin 2 being depleted by cortisol in times of increased stress, such as anxiety. As it is a leafy green, it is also high in folate, a vitamin required for the production of neurotransmitters.
Turkey– Like salmon, turkey has protein required for the production of our neurotransmitters. Turkey is particularly high in the amino acid tryptophan, which is required for our bodies to produce serotonin and from it melatonin. Serotonin is the ‘happy’ hormone and is often low in those with both anxiety and depression.4.
Almonds– Almonds are a source of protein, important for sustained energy that doesn’t put as much stress on our bodies as simple carbohydrates do. They are also a great source of magnesium, which helps reduce muscle tension (associated with stress), generates energy production and activates the receptors for GABA (gama-aminobutyric acid), the relaxing neurotransmitter.
Avocado– These little green energy bullets are packed with B vitamins for healthy nerves and brain cells, including folate which protects your DNA and aids the production of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) often low in anxiety, such as serotonin. They are also full of antioxidants, monounsaturated fat and potassium to support brain function.
Blueberries– Fresh or frozen blueberries are high in vitamin C, which is depleted by stress, but also required to counteract the effects of our stress hormone, cortisol. The antioxidant resveratrol is found in blueberries, and is highly protective to our cells.

Things to avoid

While the right foods can help manage anxiety, poor food choices can make matters worse. Brian Cole from the Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria suggests that you avoid white rice, white flour and over-refined products. Over refining simply strips the nutrient value out of foods so you’re missing out on the important anxiety-busting vitamins and minerals (like those mentioned above).

To drink or not to drink coffee?

Personally, I love coffee (in moderation) and the thought of giving it up probably causes me more anxiety than the caffeine itself!

The Calm Clinic says that coffee or caffeinated beverages can either help or hinder anxiety depending on the type and severity. They suggest avoiding caffeine if you are prone to panic attacks. On the other hand, the Calm Clinic says that if you have more general anxiety, moderate amounts of caffeine can actually reduce stress and improve your mood.

Some other considerations around food

The Mayo Clinic suggests eating a breakfast that is high in protein to keep your blood sugar stabalised and avoid a panic attack. They also suggest you pay careful attention to food intolerances which can leave you feeling ‘blah’ and possibly promote anxiety.

This is an interesting one for me. While the nutrients in cow’s milk have been shown to help some people with anxiety, it’s a disaster for me. The lactose would send my stomach and my mind into a meltdown and would definitely not help me to roar with fearless ambition!

That’s why it’s so important to find what works for YOU. Dr Google is great for hints and tips but treating anxiety isn’t as simple as a Google search.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve been affected by anxiety and neither should you. As a proud brain health Ambassador for Synapse, I’m committed to raising awareness around Acquired Brain Injury and the side-affects that follow.

Anxiety is less of a taboo subject than it once was and I encourage you to keep asking questions, keep learning and keep experimenting with what works for you (with medical supervision if necessary).

Take back control, find freedom and just tell anxiety to GET FORKED!

Love life,

A Huge Mistake For Your Health Or Business Goals

Lisa Cox — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 06:51:23 +0000

Soulstainability (noun): The ability to sustain, uphold and continue ones lifestyle or business aspirations whilst remaining authentic to oneself, so as to avoid burning out.

Have you ever started a new business venture, work project or taken on a new lifestyle practice?

At first, you’re high as a kite with enthusiasm and confidence. In fact, you epitomise fearless living, which I absolutely love you for! You jump out of bed at the crack of dawn to do that something.

Creative ideas are flowing at all crazy hours of the night and you might lie awake thinking about them. There’s also a good chance you’ll talk incessantly to loved ones about your grand plans.

I’ve been there!

You’ve unleashed the Lioness! The world hears you roar with confidence and you roam through the day with fearless ambition. You courageously leap over each challenge or obstacle and nothing can stop you.

But then you crash.

I’ve been there too!

Failure is a part of life but there’s a difference between failing to recharge your mobile and failing to recharge your soul for optimal health and wellbeing. Goals, aspirations, dreams… Whatever you want to call them, need to be sustainable over the long-term as well.

I decided to apply the word soulstainability after some sad emails I received recently.

The first was from a burnt out Wellness Entrepreneur. This person had created a business they love (great!) but at a cost to their health (not great). Unfortunately, they burnt out and quit various commitments because it just wasn’t soulstainable.

The second email was from someone embarking on a new health regime. Fantastic! But unfortunately, they too had burnt out and quit. The new lifestyle just wasn’t soulstainable.

One was blogging and the other was jogging. They both failed to do what they set out to achieve… BUT THAT’S OK! There’s nothing wrong with failure, especially if we can learn from it.

What I learnt about burnout and soulstainability

I’ve been writing professionally for nearly 15 years (minus 1+ years in hospital before I had a laptop to take in with me – you can read more about that here).

At first I was Copywriting in the corporate world and loved it. When a client’s exciting creative brief came across my desk, I’d have sleepless nights and bore friends or family with details of the concept, television script, radio script, headline or promotion. Needless to say, I burnt out a few times.

These days I’m still writing and doing work that I absolutely love, with a routine that is more soulstainable for me. I still bore loved ones with the details of projects but I’ve learnt a few things about building soulstainability that I want to share it with you, below.

A soul-based lifestyle shouldn’t be soul destroying.

Like many of my readers, I’m a graduate of IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition). I’ve been very proud and excited to see other graduates launch their own health and wellness businesses or routines.

But unfortunately, for every new soul-based lifestyle that pops onto my news feed, there seems to be another that has failed because it just wasn’t soulstainable.

Katie Wyatt, Host of The Wellness Entrepreneur on The Wellness Couch has seen similar patterns around soulstainability, particularly for those working in the health and wellness industry.

“Sometimes, we’re trying so hard to improve the health and wellness of others, we can become burnt out and forget to prioritise the health and wellness of ourselves. It’s important for al Wellness Entrepreneurs to remember that if we are not in peak energy and health, we will not do our best work for others. “

– Katie Wyatt

However, you needn’t be Wellness Entrepreneur to heed Katie’s advice. It applies to all of us, whether you’re the CEO of a multi-national or a self-employed yoga teacher… you get my drift!

So how do you ensure your business is soulstainable? How do you keep the fire burning without burning the candle at both ends?

Here are 8 ideas on how you can live and work soulstainably.

Sleep

Number one has to be sleep. If I’m fatigued, so is my business. There’s a tonne of research from around the world to show just how detrimental poor sleep hygiene can be to your physical and mental health. If you’re doing a job you love, you’ll need to love sleeping too. For more details see this recent article on The Huffington Post.

Prioritise your own health

Eating and moving well is important for your physical and mental health. Especially if you’re working in the health and wellness field, you need to walk your talk! Or in my case, wheel the spiel

Learn the warning signs

Most of us know when we’re getting a bit run down or working too hard. Some of these things we can control with a little rest on the couch but if it’s more than that, have a chat with a professional.

Find your off switch

Depending on your current lifestyle and commitments, this could be anything from closing your laptop to physically getting away for a few minutes or days. You may even want to consider a media detox to help you unwind and you can go here for more on that.

Have a wind-down routine and stick to it

In corporate advertising agencies we had no real routines. You went home anywhere from 5pm until dawn. You’d get the work done but sometimes at the expense of your health.

Stop comparing

Just because it’s soulstainable for someone else to be working at 2am or jogging at 4am doesn’t mean it’s right for you. We all have individual definitions of what’s soulstainable.

Surround yourself with the right sorts of people

It’s well documented that your success is the average of the 5 people they most associate with. Having a supportive, uplifting group of friends will help you through the harder times. Fellow Entrepreneurs can also be helpful because, often, they’ve been there before and know what you’re going through.

Prioritise your commitments and set non-negotiable rules around them

Actions speak louder than words and sometimes we ‘say’ something is a priority but our actions might not reflect that.

I hope some of these suggestions can give you a few ideas about living soulstainably, because I really don’t want to see you burn out.

I still have busy weeks or insane deadlines and commitments – you might too. Just remember to be honest with yourself about what is truly soulstainable for you.

Soulstainability is achievable and sometimes it just takes a few little tweaks to see your business AND YOU absolutely thriving!

Love Life,

References

If you have a spare 3.5 minutes, here’s a great video by Dr Tracey Marks about saying no and getting ‘Beyond the burnout’.

Sleep and productivity in the Huffington Post: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/carolyn-gregoire/sleep-workplace_b_3294409.html?ir=Australia

How the people around you affect personal success: https://lifehacker.com/5926309/how-the-people-around-you-affect-personal-success