We all know how hard it can be to give up our guilty pleasures, white bread and creamy pasta anyone? But seeing as it’s a new year, its the perfect time to revamp your pantry and fridge and substitute those highly processed items with healthier alternatives. After a few weeks you won’t even know the difference and better yet a new habit will have stuck.

Bread

Everyone loves a good avo on toast, but your bread choice may be letting you down. If your choosing to buy white bread then we advise you to seriously reconsider. Not only does it have little nutritional value, removing fibre and protein but white bread also increases your chance of type-2 diabetes and can cause weight gain. The best choice is undoubtedly whole grain as it contains a range of minerals and vitamins, lowering your risk of heart disease and obesity. One such example is Herman Brot’s low carb bread, containing low GI and low carbohydrates, it’s perfect for health conscious people, type 2 Diabetics, Vegans and Vegetarians. Drawing on six generations of bakers and made in Queensland, it’s a local treasure.

Rice

There are a variety of untapped options to choose from when selecting the right type of rice. For a start brown rice is much more healthier than plain old white, containing more nutrients and fibre. There’s also the choice of quinoa, filled with protein and with even more nutrients than brown rice. Cauliflower rice is another alternative perfect for increasing your veggie intake and helps to prevent cancer and removes toxins. Coles has it’s affordable range of quinoa that won’t break the bank.

Coconut Oil

I’m sure you’ve heard all about coconut oil, it’s become a staple in so many people’s lives, and while there have been some debates over its health benefits, it’s still worth it over vegetable oil. Where as vegetable oil contains unsaturated fats that can lead to inflammation in the body contributing to heart disease and diabetes. Coconut oil on the other hand is easy to digest and is known as a energy booster, helping your metabolism and promoting weight loss as well as lowering the risk of heart disease. One such good example is Dr Bronner’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, which is fresh pressed and has a rich and nutty flavour.

Salt

Believed to be the purest salt on earth, pink Himalayan salt is known for its many health benefits compared to normal table salt. Such benefits include electrolyte balance, thyroid function and detoxification just to name a few. Where as normal table salt can lead to high blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular disease. You can find pink Himalayan salt in most supermarkets or health food stores, one such recommended brand being Mckenzie’s Himalayan Rock Salt.

Chocolate

While you may scoff at the suggestion of substituting your beloved chocolate, we have searched far and wide and found some healthy alternatives that are just as good. Cacao powder is perfect when your craving hot chocolates or smoothies, and instead of adding sugary chocolate powder or chocolate ice cream, you can add cacao powder instead. Packed with antioxidants and magnesium, its great for a healthy heart and brain. Another option is cacao nibs, which are crunchy and taste like unsweetened chocolate, they are perfect to spread over yoghurt, smoothies or to add in baking. But don’t go searching down your normal confectionary aisle, you’ll often find them in the health food section in supermarkets or in health food stores. One such example is Loving Earth Cacao Nibs, originating from the Peruvian Amazon and jam-packed with antioxidants.

Published on January 25, 2018 on She Society

Want to give back to charity or just in the mood to set a challenge for the New Year, then how about you take part in a Fun Run. As much as you might scoff at the idea of running actually being fun, here us out. There are some great causes to get behind and you can smash out a 2018 goal while you’re at it.

RACQ International Women’s Day Fun Run

On March 4, the Cultural Forecourt at South Bank will be shrouded in pink for the 28th annual RACQ International Women’s Day Fun Run, supporting the Mater Chicks in Pink. Considered to be one of the largest and longest running female fitness events in Australia, it attracts an enormous amount of men and women each year. Runners and walkers will travel across a 5km loop through South Bank and Brisbane’s CBD to help celebrate and honour the women in their lives who have fought breast cancer. Join here.

Twilight Running Festival

The Twilight Running Festival is the first major half marathon and 10km event in Queensland for the year. With over 6000 participants, it’s sure to be a great evening, featuring the 5km Run/Walk and the largest Under 12 Kids event in Australia – the 1km Active Kids Run. Join runners on April 22 at St Lucia, find out more information here.

Fun Run Pink Sunshine Coast and Triathlon Pink

Another worthwhile run is the Fun Run Pink Sunshine Coast, at the University of the Sunshine Coast on April 29. Associated with Triathlon Pink Event, an Australian sporting community event for women that includes a range of distances. So regardless of whether you’re a casual runner or a keen triathlon participant, there are a selection of events for everyone and it all goes towards raising funds for breast cancer research. Check out the link here to sign up.

Mother’s Day Classic

Such a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day and to raise funds for breast cancer research. Located at the Cultural Forecourt in South Bank, the fun run involves a 4.5km and a 8km walk and run along the Brisbane River, South Bank and West End. Put May 13 into your calendars and register here.

Pine Rivers Charity Fun Run

Covering four distances including 21.1km, 10km, 5km and 2km around Bray Park and Lawnton, everyone can get involved. Raising funds for the Rotary Club of Pine Rivers Daybreak, the event is located at the Genesis Christian College on May 20. Check out this link for more information.

Published on January 16, 2018 on She Society

Need some new inspiration for your foodie adventures, then try these hotspots around Brisbane. We promise you’ll be drooling by the end!

Opened just last month in Fortitude Valley, DoughLord is the place you’ve been dreaming off. Specialising in edible cookie dough which can be served cooled or warmed up, their range of flavours include choc-chip, honeycomb, peanut butter brownie, hazelnut crunch and a vast selection of toppings.

Craving carbs? Then head on over to Salt Meats Cheese Gasworks in Newstead, where you will find Italian dishes with a modern Australian twist. From their Flaming Cheese Wheel Pasta to their 10 Cheese Pizza, it’s a cheese lover’s paradise.

In the mood for a poke, then try out the Cheeky Poke Bar. Full of healthy and clean options that will leave you more than satisfied. Mixing together Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine, these poke bowls are bursting with colour and flavour. They have a range of seafood, meat and vegan options including Tuna, Salmon, Prawn, Chicken and Tofu.

Naked Foods has recently opened its new stores in Chermside and Indooroopilly Shopping Centres. Their range of Health Foods are 100% Organic Certified and sourced from across the globe. Along with a range of powders, nuts, seeds and spices, Naked Foods also has a vast selection of sweet treats including cacao covered fruit such as bananas, strawberries and cranberries. You will not be disappointed!

Remember the cronut, the delectable treat that was a mix between the lovable doughnut and the croissant, well The Chocolate Komberry has created an extra twist to the dessert, making it into a cone shape and adding soft serve ice cream on top. The Chocolate Komberry can be found at Brisbane’s Eat Street Markets.

While not technically located in Brisbane, we thought Taco Bell just had to be included in the list as everyone is salivating over the introduction of the American food chain. Their menu includes The California Burrito, Stacked Nachos Supreme and the Double Tacos Supreme.

Published on January 15, 2018 on She Society

The Absurdity of Human Behaviour Inspires Dark Comedy

The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek is set to be a dark comedy exploring our environment and the ways we treat it and its creatures. SheBrisbane had the opportunity to chat to the play’s writer and one of its actors before its world premiere on February 10 at La Boite Theatre.

Kathryn Marquet started writing The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek in November 2016, creating the play after feeling alienated from the world. “I felt that the world was quite absurd to me, in the way of human behaviour towards the environment, towards its creatures and towards each other. I found it strange and bewildering so that inspired me to write this play.”

Described as McDonagh meets Tarantino in a biting new comedy about leading the charge for change, The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek surrounds the isolated wilds of south western Tasmania. Where an environmental scientist named George is trying to save the world one Tassie Devil at a time. Since she was a small girl George had dreamt of halting the advance of climate change, but saving a species in the middle of nowhere would have to do, for now.

Kathryn hopes that audiences laugh and enjoy themselves. “We live in quite strange and uncomfortable times, with nuclear war hanging over our heads and the climate crisis and so we need entertainment, there’s a reason why musicals are having a ressurance because people want to escape.”

“I’d also love for them to take away the deeper message and to think about their relationship with the planet, with each other and even with facts, what’s true and what’s not true.

Describing the play in three words Kathryn said it was funny, challenging and thought-provoking.

Kathryn’s belief in creating change for greater issues such as the environment is that she believes that conversation and the arts help majorly.

“As a an artist, our job is to shine a light on these issues and to ask questions without necessarily giving answers. I don’t necessarily have answers for all of our problems but I do think we can do better, that we can be more compassionate, that we can take responsibility for ourselves and that we can try to educate ourselves with the facts rather than believing everything we read on the internet.”

In the broader messages for the play Kathryn’s less interested in messages and more interested in questions. Such as how do we make change, how do we form ethical and moral judgements and how can we lay that foundation in our lives.

“I’ve always been interested in Tasmania as a kind of last fronitor in Australia for our wildlife, that there are places in Tasmania where humans rarely go.”

“The Tasmanian Tiger is an interest of mine and how we just destroyed that animal in 100 years without a second thought. The Tasmanian Devil is going the same way because of cancer and also loss of habitat. It’s just a very interesting ecosystem down there and the isolation and wilds of Tasmania definitely gives that to the play.”

Kimie Tsukakoshi plays Destinee Lee in The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek, a girl guide in Tasmania who has gotten lost in the wilderness. After getting lost she comes across the other quirky characters in the play.

Kimie’s process into her character was said be very natural, “the great thing about the play is that Destinee is a very strong, well written character so it was very much all on the page. I just read through the play a couple times and thought about how Destinee would have come to view the world the way she does. Reading the words out loud with everyone at the workshop actually really informed the way she spoke and the way she thought too.”

Kimie hopes that audience members really laugh but that they also walk away feeling challenged by the play and its message, that they walk away wanting to reassess their own life and views and how they treat the planet.

Published on January 23, 2018 on She Society

We all know the benefits of yoga and how Pilates can help you maintain a trim core but if you’re looking to diversify your fitness routine then take a look at these genius ideas. They will add that much needed fun factor into your life all the while benefiting your body.

As Christina Aguilera famously said, ‘show me how you Burlesque.’ Burlesque can be defined as a style in drama that mocks or imitates a subject, a common style is the vintage striptease made famous by Dita Von Teese. The Bombshell Burlesque Academy located on Edward Street in the city, focuses on that specific style, with elements of dance, circus, narrative and comedy fused together to create a performance. If you’re looking for something a bit special to add to your humdrum fitness routine then Burlesque is perfect!

Were you always jealous that your brother got to try karate when you did ballet, well now’s your chance to give it a go. The ancient art will not only build on fitness and core strength but will also help with confidence and pushing through your physical and mental boundaries. Give Brisbane Goju Karate or Bonsai Karate a go.

If you’ve always dreamed of being a coordinated human being on the dance floor then now’s your chance. Whether it be hip hop, ballet, jazz or tap, whatever takes your fancy, you can now become an expert of sorts. Try Mad Dance House near The Queen Street Mall or Dancecorp located near Woolloongabba.

Not for the faint hearted, Roller Derby combines roller skating with what can be considered as low level violence. With skaters using only their bodies to push the opposite team’s main skater down. This sport contains a lot of thrills and spills, but you’ll end up having heaps of fun while getting a wicked leg workout. Visit Brisbane City Rollers or Northside Rollers for more information on how to join.

Ever dreamt of scaling mountains and becoming a fearless adventurer, well you can try the next best thing. Rock Climbing will not only provide you with strength and stamina but it’s a great activity to do with friends or as a solo activity, climbing rocks while you contemplate life. Try Urban Climb West End or Rocksports at Fortitude Valley.

Published on January 12, 2018 on She Society

Feel like you’re not doing enough for the environment? Well just by doing a simple web search you can help plant a tree that will contribute towards a range of global issues. Such as the fight against climate change, deforestation and the chance to provide much needed nutrition, employment, education, medical assistance and political as well as economic stability.

Ecosia works by planting a tree every time someone makes a web search in Ecosia’s own unique browser. The Ecosia community plants a tree every 1.7 seconds and as of today have already planted over 17 million trees, with their number constantly on the rise.

They have also announced their mission to plant 1 billlion trees by 2020.

Considering that worldwide, the livelihood of 1.6 billion people depend on forests, its an extremely important cause to get behind as trees create oxygen, and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but we kind of desperately need it to breathe. They also clean the air by filtering out pollutant gases.

Ecosia has helped many struggling areas of the world by helping to decrease the chance of deforestation. One example was the region of Burkina Faso, which Ecosia is helping to stop the increase of desert conditions and to make their land fertile again, helping to bring back life and economic gain to the region.

Nicaragua has also experienced heavy deforestation due to the area being lined with volcanos. By planting trees, Ecosia has helped the region to avoid further soil erosion, and is helping to restore water sources.

So we advise you to change your browser and take joy in the fact that every time you search for something on the web that you are contributing to a wider and very important cause.

Published on December 7, 2017 on She Society

With summer well and truly in full swing, we have made a list with all our new favourite products that have helped us to beat the heat and enjoy these scorching hot summer days. We hope these beauty’s will help you survive the summer months ahead.

With this intense summer heat, many people are prone to the uncomfortable feeling of chafing, especially…in our shoes, as the sweat cultivates into the closed off space causing blisters, sores and infections.

Blister Balm have come to our rescue and have created the ultimate spot-relief balm to combat shoe chafing and to free your tootsies from pain. Ideal for men, women and children alike, Blister Balm’s unique waxy formulation is applied to high-friction areas of the feet, such as toes, heels, instep and outstep, in order to ease discomfort, protect from infection and repair skin.

Providing intense relief for a range of footwear styles, including lace-ups, heels, boots and runners, Blister Balm is housed in a convenient travel-friendly stick for easy use at the office, gym or beach.

Let me guess, you didn’t apply sunscreen and now you’re completely burnt from your day at the beach. While you may wince in pain now, you’ll be sighing with relief when you apply Burnaid Sunburn Gel Spray. Created with aloe vera and Australian melaleuca oil, the spray helps to cool the skin to reduce pain and redness and rehydrates to minimise peeling.

Your welcome! We just found a product that lightly tans your skin while firming it to give you less noticeable cellulite marks. Is this not the holy grail moisturiser you’ve been looking for? Jergens Natural Glow + Firming Daily Moisturiser has taken us by surprise by creating a natural-looking tan with no disgusting odour. It’s also clinically proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite in as little as 7 days.

Are you a smoothie fanatic thats feeling the urge to upgrade and supercharge your daily smoothies? Then these Smoothie Bombs will be perfect for you, full of natural, healthy ingredients that will keep you refreshed all summer long.

By crumbling one pre-portioned Smoothie Bomb, adding a piece of fruit, and either water or milk and then blending, you will have created a nutritional and flavour boosted smoothie. All Australian made and created by a nutritionist, Smoothie Bombs also boast being kid and pregnancy friendly, vegan and gluten free, with no palm oil.

Published on December 8, 2017 on She Society

Christie Murray from Christie Millinery found her love for millinery by chance after walking into a store. “I actually came across a millinery shop and it was a totally instinctive thing, like I just walked into this shop and was just sort of left speechless about what was around me.”

“I couldn’t describe why but I just sort of got lost in the shop and ever since then I’ve had this feeling that it was what I was meant to do. I still went and did my degree and travelled and did all that stuff but I still had that same bubbly feeling when I thought of millinery.”

Christie said that she had to do justice to this gut feeling that she had so she moved to Melbourne and did a course in millinery. She ended up becoming a physio but always knew that millinery was what she was meant to do.

After deciding to go out on her own Christie reached out to Creative Enterprises Australia, a creative co working space that runs out of QUT campus. “It’s a big hub of small creative businesses and they have an area that’s dedicated to fashion businesses and have a program that helps people to launch their own businesses.”

Christie was the first milliner to be accepted into their program.

“From a business perspective the biggest lesson I have learnt is the power of your brand and how important it is to be true to what you’re about with every decision you make as a business. It’s a constant evolution, you’re trying to find out who you are and what you’re about but the thing about really good brands is that they have this core DNA to who they are. Whether it be words or feelings or an aesthetic or a design type, but everything you do has to speak to that brand.”

One of her career highlights include a collaboration with Australian label Camilla last year, where Christie made headwear for all their stores around Australia and for David Jones.

Her plans for the future include breaking into the bridal market. “At the moment I’m shifting my focus from fashion to bridal headwear, I’m in the middle of designing a new manufacturing process of bridal headwear that combines traditional millinery headwear, sort of couture elements with modern manufacturing processes. My goal is to bring a modern edge to a traditional art form.”

Christie was also lucky enough to be approached by Vogue to do headwear for the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. She designed 5 different headwear pieces with all of them saying Vogue, each made of different mediums. One was made of feathers, one was made from a 3D printed Vogue in script writing with Swarovski crystals all over it and one 3D printed Vogue lit up with LED lights.

“The coolest thing was that I had no idea how they were styling the show, but the most amazing thing was that just as the show was about to start all the lights went out and Madonna’s Vogue song came on, all these strobe lights started going around and this model came out on the runway. She was wearing just my Vogue headpiece lit up, but everything else was dark and as a designer that’s kind of a dream.”

Christie’s favourite places in Brisbane include, Bakers Arms in Woolloongabba, New Farm Park, Mount Coot-tha, and hiking in D’Aguilar National Forest.

Her three words to describe Brisbane are, eclectic, the perfect size and great weather.

Published on November 29, 2017 on She Society

Australian country music singer, songwriter Amber Lawrence’s voice has been gracing our radio stations for the past decade, singing her way to numerous awards and number one spots on the country music charts. But this time around Amber has decided to get fully into the Christmas spirit by releasing a children’s Christmas themed album called Aussie Aussie Christmas, full of cheery, fun tracks that will have the kids singing along in the car.

“I had really enjoyed doing the kids music as a bit of a side project, so I just wanted to release another project and so I just thought what a better time to release music for kids than Christmas,” Amber said.

“For me that’s the most fun I have as a songwriter and I think with kids songs you just have to have fun, you don’t have to over think it. They don’t think whats the deep and meaningful of this, they just want a song that will make you sing along and laugh and that’s what we did, it was really fun.”

While next year Amber will be focusing on her own original music. “This year was about the collaboration with Travis Collins and doing another kids album and I guess I just squeezed it in by getting it out for Christmas.”

Amber’s favourite Christmas tradition always includes either a blowup pool or an in the ground backyard pool, having a competition over who can do the biggest bomb dives.

Nominated for a whopping six Golden Guitars last month, Amber said that to get six was just mind blowing.

“It’s quite gradual, because they read out the nominations one by one, so there’s one nomination and then there’s two and then there’s three and you start thinking I’ll be pretty happy if it’s just three. Then it’s four and by the time that hour of announcements is up, you go hang on a minute how many was that,” Amber said.

“Previous to that the most I had was three nominations so to have six is just a real validation for the song and the writing and all the effort that went into it.”

Starting in her early twenties, Amber’s journey in the music industry has been long lasting for 15 years, after initially deciding to follow her passion and leave her accounting job behind. “My music was my passion and when music, something that I loved doing became viable to have a career in, I had to make the decision and I couldn’t juggle both. It was kind of an easy decision to pick the one that actually made me happy as opposed to one that made me just get a pay check and not necessarily drive my excitement and passion, so it was a pretty easy choice,” Amber said.

Her plans for next year include writing and releasing her 6th studio album, she said that she’s not entirely sure on the theme but that it could revolve around stories about Australian people, events and characters.

Published on December 1, 2017 on She Society