Habits that nourish body and soul
Ostend Medical Centre’s Health Coach Tessa provides some fun and easy tips to give your health and wellbeing a boost this spring. If you’d like free, personalised health support from Tessa, give us a call on 372 5005 and we can organise an appointment for you!
September is often a busy time in our homes and gardens as we undertake an annual ‘spring clean’. You can apply this same thinking to your health and wellbeing by dusting away the cobwebs, clearing the weeds, and getting back into habits that nourish both body and soul. Here are three things to try.
1 Get outside: Walking in nature lowers stress hormones like cortisol, reduces blood pressure and improves mood. It combines the cardiovascular advantages of physical exercise with the mental restoration of green spaces, helping to clear mental fatigue and boost the immune system. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful nature walks on the motu, and spring is a brilliant time to get your walking shoes on and explore. If a long walk is difficult, have a short wander along Oneroa Beach. Alternatively, a meander around the Matiatia headland or a hike to admire the Cascades at Whakanewha Regional Park is great for both physical and mental wellbeing.
2 Eat fresh: As the days start to get warmer, many of us find that we crave fresher food, and helpfully, nature provides the goods. Keep the ‘ideal plate’ in mind when shopping for and preparing meals: aim for 1/2 a plate of non-starchy colourful veges (these are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to keep you nourished and your digestion on track); 1/4 of a plate of carbohydrates, such as wholegrains, legumes, kūmara, potato, pasta or rice (for dietary fibre and sustained energy) and 1/4 of a plate of protein, such as red meat, chicken, fish, tofu or eggs (which keeps you feeling satisfied and supports muscle health). A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, legumes and healthy fats like olive oil, avocado and oily fish helps promote optimal heart health and overall wellbeing.
3 Connect: With the return of warmer days and lighter evenings, it’s a good time to get together with friends and whānau, or to join one of the many opportunities for connection offered by the community. The World Health Organization’s 2025 Commission on Social Connection confirms that connection is linked to improved health and longer life. “Social connection can protect health across the lifespan. It can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health problems, foster mental health, and prevent early death . . . In contrast, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed.” If you’d like to get involved in a group or regular activity on the island, get in touch with Health Coach Tessa or Health Improvement Practitioner Rozanne Gold; we can provide you with a comprehensive list of what’s happening on the island, and support you to get connected.