Why you Should Drink Wine

Because you like it. That’s it. This isn’t an article about how many antioxidants are found in red wine or why it might be good for your health, it’s about encouraging you to let yourself indulge...sometimes.

No, sorry, wine isn't good for your health

Wine, well all alcohol for that matter, isn’t good for your body. But neither is caffeine, sitting all day, working long hours or eating too fast, but we do all of these things everyday.

Ideally for our health, we’d all exercise everyday, have stand up desks or physical jobs, eat almost solely fruit and veggies, and meditate daily. But! modern life isn’t like that. It’s messy and busy and we can’t always change that.

What you can do though, is enjoy the small things and stop punishing yourself for small indulgences.

Have you ever told a little kid they can’t have something sweet after they saw you unpacking it from a grocery bag? Have you seen them stare at it longingly, stretch out their little hand and try to grab it? Have you then witnessed the unending whining for said sweet item for hours after you’ve put it away? 

If we’re told we can’t have something, all we want it that one thing. When you get it? You’re more likely to overindulge.

The solution is to let yourself have it.

I won’t lie, I love wine. Coming from Australia and living in New Zealand, both countries have some of the best wines in the world, and I love taking visiting friends and family on local winery tours. I find if I drink strong-tasting wines like oaky Chardonnay or Shiraz, I’m less likely to have too much.

I went through a period of counting calories and stressing about them, but it took away the enjoyment of a glass of wine. Now, if I’m going to have wine, I let myself have it. And I love it!

Savour it, taste it and breathe it in.

Allow yourself to have that glass or two of wine. Enjoy swishing it around your glass. (My personal favourite is drinking wine in a big, beautiful, thin-rimmed glass) If you savour every sip, smelling it, tasting it and appreciating the colour of your drop, you’re less likely to drink a whole bottle without noticing.

Like anything we do, being mindful is the key to enjoyment.

 Tips for living well & drinking wine

• Try to have at least 4 alcohol-free nights per week

• Don’t let drinking become a daily habit to relieve stress - it associates alcohol with a need rather than enjoyment. Go for a walk, then have a glass. You’ll enjoy it more.

• Buy good wine glasses. It’ll make the experience a special treat rather than an everyday occurrence.

• Seek help if you’re regularly drinking more than four nights a week. Like smoking, you’ll need to change this habit to look after your body and organs in the long run.

• Remember there’s a lot of sugar in wine - so if you have a glass, limit the sugar in your meals during that day.

My best tip? Be kind to yourself.

When you feel confident and happy, you’re less likely to over-indulge and drink too much. 

If you’re after a new wine experience, try these little-known gems from Australia & New Zealand:

Rosé from Turkey Flat Vineyards

Pinot Noir from Bannock Brae Winery

Oaked Chardonnay from Carrick Winery

Rosé from organic winery Aurum Wines

Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon by Church Road Wines

Sauvignon Blanc by Sticks Winery

What do you think?

Pilates Workout Video

While I was on holidays on the luscious Hamilton Island, I filmed a short clip of a super Pilates workout. It challenges your core, balance, posture, and really works your abs too!

Give it a try!

The Zen of De-Stressing Your Tech

I love my laptop and, even though it took convincing to leave my flip phone for a smart version, I love my phone too. However, sometimes notifications popping up on a screen can make me feel overwhelmed and I used to just put my phone in a drawer, only to open it again when I heard another *ping!* Now I do things differently.

Instead of shoving your phone in a drawer when it's overwhelming you with noises, vibrations and messages you probably don't need to reply to right now, try these tips.

1. Try having a calm inbox.

Try checking your inbox just twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night. 10AM and 3PM are good times to answer any emails that need your attention and file away, or delete any others. You’ll find you inbox is less cluttered, and you actually process your email better when you’ve made time to sit and read them, rather than scrolling through them on the train. You’ll also want to turn off your email notifications on your phone, otherwise the calm inbox idea doesn’t work!

Tip: If a calm inbox just isn’t an option for your work inbox, try just doing it for your personal one. You can also change the level of calm by checking it 4 times a day if it suits you better.

2. Turn off unnecessary push notifications

Do you really care that someone you went to high school with just liked the same photo as you? No. Unless you’re a social media manager, the notifications from facebook, twitter and Instagram aren’t urgent.

Check them when you’re ready, not when your device tells you to. Without that *ping* interrupting your chat, coffee, drive or ‘me time,’ you’ll have more undivided attention directed at whatever you’re doing.

3. Change your ring tones

Just the sound of certain ring tones can put us on edge, so choose a round, bubbly sound rather than a shrill, hectic tone. If you can’t find one you like, there are plenty to buy online. Choosing a ringtone that starts softly and builds in volume can work too.

4. Delete those apps

Do you still play Angry Birds? If you do, never mind. But if you don’t? Delete it! On a tablet, laptop or smartphone screen, seeing pages and pages of apps can seem overwhelming. The feeling that you just can’t deal with everything in your life is made worse with too many choices, options and clutter. Ditch any apps you don’t use. You won’t miss them.

5. Turn it off or on silent & face down at bedtime

As you drift slowly into a deep sleep, there’s nothing worse than *ping!* ‘someone liked your photo.’ Tech is being blamed for why so many people are sleeping badly, so don’t get sucked into the trap. If you’re reluctant to turn your phone off, put it on silent (not vibrate) and place it face down. That way you’ll still get your messages in the morning and your alarm will still go off, but your evening slumber will go undisturbed.

Technology is here to make our lives easier, so don’t let it get in the way. 

What have you tried to de-stress your tech?

Happy Easter 2016

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are, and whoever you're with. Whether you're busy with friends and family or relaxing by yourself, I hope you have a calm, happy day.

Top tip to avoid over-indulging this Easter

To those who are worried of overdoing it with the chocolate eggs this Easter, try closing your eyes, and taking in the sensation of the chocolate melting into a smooth, rich paste on your tongue. Breathe in and savour the sweet, sticky goodness. You'll appreciate your eggs so much more, and you're less likely to over-indulge when you eat with more awareness.

Most of all? Enjoy them without feeling guilty! Guilt doesn't belong at meal times, snack times or even at dessert, so enjoy those chocolate eggs....mindfully.

Have a Happy Easter.

-Caitlin xo

Pilates vs. Yoga - What Everyone Ought to Know

Pilates vs. Yoga for Runners

As a runner, it’s great to blend low impact, meditative exercises with running training to help you get stronger. The age-old debate of choosing between Pilates and Yoga continues, so let’s see which of the two is most helpful for improving strength in muscles needed for running…

Me getting ready for a run in Queenstown, New Zealand. Yes it was chilly!

Pelvic Stability: Yoga & Pilates

Pelvic control and strength is hugely important in controlling your running gait, decreasing injuries and increasing running efficiency. All of the things that every runner wants!

Good pelvic stability means the muscles around the pelvis are very strong. Strong enough that they prevent excessive movement happening at the pelvis. Running involves a period of time where only one foot is on the ground which means the entire body is supported from only one side. If the unsupported side of the pelvis slips down, every pelvic joint is placed under excessive stress while it tries to keep your body together! (Read more here)

Yoga works to strengthen the pelvis in single leg standing poses, as this really works the pelvic muscles. Single leg poses like Warrior 3, half moon, and dancer’s pose or Natarajasana are perfect for developing pelvic strength and stability.

Helen of Studio Sangha shows us how it's done.

Pilates emphasises pelvic stability with any exercises in side lying that work the gluteus medius really hard, a vital muscle that stabilises her hip during running. Exercises like bridges, side planks and side rotations, clams, single leg squats on reformer, single leg straps on reformers and any standing balance series will all help with your pelvic stability.

Single leg bridging during an Aprivé Wellness Retreat

Quad Strength: Pilates

The quadriceps are very active during running, and help to both stabilise the knee and generate power through the leg.

Yoga works the quads in poses where the knees or knee is bent like chair pose and warrior pose. The quads are also activated in standing poses when your kneecap is activated or you “lock the knee” but it’s a static activation. Rather than repetitive strengthening of the quads through changes in muscle length, quads strengthening in yoga is more static or isometric.

Healthy Hens party guests striking an impressive warrior pose

Static strengthening in yoga during a wellness retreat

In contrast, Pilates strengthens and lengthens the quadriceps. Bridging, standing series in squatting, side lying leg extensions on reformers and legs in straps all use low impact quadricep loading to strengthen this vital muscle group throughout its lengths. Pilates helps strengthen the quads without pain, making it the perfect way for runners with knee pain to regain correct kneecap alignment, or to rehabilitate knees after surgery or replacement. Strengthening a muscle at different lengths is more functional and useful for running.

Calf Strength: Yoga

The gastrocneumius and soleus are your calf muscles that work to plantar flex your feet - or essentially point your toes. They also help you generate power when you push off from the ground in running, and are the chief muscles that help you increase your running stride length. 

In yoga, you find yourself standing a lot and moving from the ball of your foot to standing flat footed. These transitions require the calf to activate, and help you stand on your tip toes. Bikram poses like awkward pose and the stand pose rely on calf strength for stability. They also help enhance your ankle strength and biofeedback which is important for running on uneven surfaces like grass and outdoor running trails. Yoga also lengthens the calf very effectively during downward dog, perfect for those runners who get tight calves. 

Downward dog during a healthy hens party in Queenstown

Pilates works on strengthening your calves with calf raises and pointed toe positions, but the reliance on ankle stability and changes in calf length aren’t as great as yoga. The exception is if you have a specific calf- heavy Pilates workout created for you, as I have done for patients with ankle injuries and calf tears.

Core strength: Pilates

In runners, core strength:

• Helps to prevent lower limb injuries (save on the physio bill!)

• Works to maintain leg alignment (no more sore knees)

• Increases spinal stability (forget that lower back pain)

Sounds good right? Core strength is so important in runners and can elevate your running from being good to phenomenal. Not only does core strength help your torso stay strong, it stabilises your entire body so your lower leg muscles are actually more powerful. Your core is a group of muscles that help your spine and pelvis stay stable throughout movement, and includes muscles like the transverses abdominus (TA) multifidus and pelvic floor. 

To learn how to activate your core, and how to find it, read more here.

Teaching core activation during a health and wellbeing retreat with Aprivé Wellness

Plank pose during a yoga/Pilates fusion class at one of our retreats

The essence of Pilates is core activation and stability. In every Pilates class, you should be working to keep your spinal curve in neutral, and not let your lower back rise off the floor when you’re doing exercise lying on your back. All Pilates exercises require you to activate the deep abs (TA) for stability, and help you get a strong core from repetitive classes. Remember though, your core doesn’t ‘turn on’ automatically, unlike a bicep. You need to consciously activate it, and your Pilates instructor can help you with this.

Pilates teaser at a healthy hens party in Queenstown

Whether you love Pilates or Yoga, both have benefits for runners. If you like both, Pilates can be a great way to work on specific aspects of your training that need conscious improvement, while yoga can be a way to relax while exercising without focusing on specific developments. Once you find a good instructor, the benefits you get from Yoga and Pilates are huge, and your running will improve!

*Please always see a Physiotherapist and Dr if you have an injury or complaint. This article is not to be used as medical advice.

Motatapu 2016 Queenstown, NZ

If the phrase Ultra Run makes your stomach churn, you're not the only one.  If luxury relaxation, low impact exercise, a fun nutrition workshop and a beautiful mountain top setting is more to your taste, the Queenstown Wellness Retreat on March 5th is your ultimate day out.

Motatapu Isn't for Everyone

Mountain biking through mud, running around mountain tops and the feeling of your heart tearing through your chest may be your worst nightmare. It might feel like you're the only one who doesn't like adventure races, but you're not! There are plenty of people who prefer low impact, gentle and inspiring exercise, so why not join them for your own healthy day out?

The Benefits of Low Impact Exercise

You don't have to run up a cliff to be healthy. Health and wellness is about finding what works for you! If you like to get a workout without hammering your knees, and prefer to be calm rather than feel your breathe rattle through the cold, a wellness retreats' yoga/pilates fusion class is a great way to workout. Rather than a gruelling cardio workout, these yoga/Pilates classes work on your balance, core strength and overall toning.

Tips to Eat For Your Weight

You know how to eat healthy right? We all do, but somehow we just don't. The interactive nutrition workshops at a wellness retreat teaches you how to make healthy eating the easiest choice for you. You'll learn things like how to make tasty, healthy salad dressings and how to create deliciously decadent smoothies to inject superfoods into your diet without compromising on taste.

Luxury in Queenstown

Nothing beats a spa day. The soothing waters of a hot tub, calming steam room, refreshing sauna and gentle cool of the plunge pool at the luxurious Nugget Point Boutique Hotel & Spa can't be beaten. You'll enjoy these luscious features in the last two hours of your wellness retreat, leaving you calm, refreshed and ready for your perfect Saturday night. If you crave a champagne or wine finish, you can head to the bar at this beautiful hotel to end your retreat day.

Photos: Queenstown Life

Best Vegetarian Food in Queenstown

Your lunch at this wellness retreat is handcrafted by the top chefs at Nugget Point Boutique Hotel & Spa. From filling, delicious salads jam-packed full of nutritious goodies to a cheese board (because life's about balance) you'll find the best vegetarian food in Queenstown at our retreats. You'll also stay energised mid-way through the day with a chia-seed filled smoothie.

Photos: Queenstown Life

What to do on Motatapu Weekend

Choose your own adventure, and pamper yourself with an inspiring wellness retreat at Nugget Point Boutique Hotel. Forget mud, cliff running, crowds and hammering your knees and joints, choose a gentle, motivating and beautiful day out. You'll see the best views in Queenstown, eat tantalising food, get a gentle workout and treat yourself to luxury relaxation.

Any questions? Ask me now.