wellbeing

Helping our local families

Curves Concord is encouraging women in the Inner West to show their philanthropic strength by participating in the annual Curves Food Drive next month.

 

From June 1st until June 30th, Curves Concord will be collecting non-perishable items and donations for The Exodus Foundation throughout June and will waive the standard joining fee for any women who contribute food between June 1st and 19th as an exciting incentive!

Sally Fitzpatrick, owner of Curves Concord, says the goal is for the community to come together to help families in need. “At the core of our business is the message that women are
stronger when they rally together, and that is the point we hope to bring home with our food drive,” said Sally. “We want to show our community just how powerful the generosity of
our members can be.”

 

As part of this effort, Curves Concord will be participating in a company-wide contest for the most food drive donations collected by Curves locations across the nation. Each year, Curves locations collectively donate millions of kilos of food to feed the hungry so Sally hopes that women in the Concord area will join in this year and show the rest of Australia what they’ve got. “In the past, our members have been extremely generous… There are so many families – right here in our own community – who need our help, “ said Sally.

Non-members and those not thinking of joining a gym are also still welcomed to get into the spirit and help a worthy cause by dropping off donations.

■ For more information contact Curves on
9743 3443, Level 1, 48 Majors Bay Road.

 

Are you ready for the sniffle season?

1 in 5 of us will come down with a cold or flu this year. So as we head into the sniffle season, the million-dollar question is: how can we get our immune system in tip-top bug-fighting condition?

Our immune health is strongly infl uenced by our diet and lifestyle – we are what we eat. So for a diet that supports healthy immune function include lots of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts and fi bre. Avoid processed foods, refi ned sugars, preservatives and other additives. Instead look out for foods that provide immune enhancing nutrients, particularly vitamins A, C, B1, B6 and E, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

 

Now would also be a good time to address those nasty habits that put us behind the health eight ball; reducing or quitting smoking and excessive intake of alcohol always improves health!

 

Balance in life supports balance in immune health. All work and no play, stress, lack of exercise and inadequate sleep leave us exhausted with no energy to keep on top of infections. To stay healthy keep a positive frame of mind and deal with any stress or emotional issues head on.

If you think you might need some extra immune support try echinacea, garlic, astragalus, shiitake mushrooms, nettle, elder, fenugreek, red clover or St John’s Wort. All have been shown to improve performance of the immune system and could be taken as a tea or added to meals. Many are also available as supplements from your health food shop or health care practitioner.

■ Sharon Smith is the Village Naturopath. To book a consultation or for more information call 0402 262 113