Philosophy
[ PROJECT ]
a supplementary, long-term educational assignment necessitating personal initiative, undertaken by an individual
[ SOUL ]
the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans
Welcome to Project Soul - a culmination of my passion and interest in all things holistic health.
This is the place where I can bring together all my inspiration and knowledge about what health and wellness is on all its many levels… a balance of good nutrition, movement, mindfulness, relationships, self awareness and self-love.
My soul journey is an ongoing project, as is everyone’s. Our lives are a constant movement of change, improvements, adjustments and MANY lessons along the way which I’m hoping one day, will turn into wisdom :)
Life can be stressful, but learning how to react to our environment, the situations and the people in it, can transform how we live and in turn, minimise our stress levels.
In the past 2 years, I feel like life dealt me about 10 years worth of stress in one hit. What I have learnt about coping and the inner workings of myself has been invaluable. It has changed my life forever.
As the storms in my life pass and the sunshine slowly starts to emerge, I am more motivated than ever to continue on this path of wellness.
I’ve learnt that if your mind is not in balance, it doesn’t matter how healthy you are, how much exercise you do or how many green smoothies you drink, your body will suffer.
The mind and body are not separate entities - they are interconnected and the state of your health and mental state has a direct link to your increased chances of stress and preventable diseases.
As I continue to learn and understand how powerful the mind and body connection is, the more I want to study and deepen my knowledge.
There is an illness epidemic going on in the western world and it really concerns me. As does the state of our food industries. The deeper I go, the more I learn. It would be easier to put my head in the sand and pretend none it’s going on. However, better the devil you know though, than the one you don’t.
I have always been fascinated by nutrition and holistic health - doing my own research and self-study (thanks to Google, documentaries, magazines and many books). However two triggers in the last year have led me to learn more and delve into formal study of nutrition and wellness which I have now begun.
My mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer. She is now thankfully cancer-free after a very tough 18 month journey including hospitalisations, chemo, radiation and two surgeries. I became my Mums carer during this time and hit the research hard, so I could help her through the process of her ongoing healing and recovery in the most natural and holistic way.
In 2016, I gave up eating meat. Not as a line in the sand ‘I’m never eating meat again’, but to have a break from it. To significantly reduce my consumption. And I have found that 98% of the time, I happily don’t eat it. The other 2%, my body has craved it. Not in the form of a steak, but every now and again, I feel like chicken broth, generally when I'm not feeling well. So I make some! With the best quality organic free-range chicken I can get my hands on. My partners Greek grandmother taught me her traditional chicken soup recipe and it is the greatest gift she has ever given me. It’s a method that has been passed down through the generations and it truly has healing power.
I stopped eating meat for a few reasons - for animal welfare, ethical and environmental reasons and I really didn’t enjoy it. I decided that I love animals more than I love eating them.
Deciding to have a break from meat was one of the most relieving feelings. It hasn’t been a walk in the park in making the adjustment in my diet. I have finally found the right alternative foods and natural supplements for my body and energy levels (with help from my GP and Naturopath/Nutritionist).
Cutting out a major food group forced me to analyse my diet and made me even more interested about nutrition - for myself and the interest in individualised diets. Because every single person is different and has different nutritional needs.
Food isn’t what it used to be. It is very different to the food our previous generations ate. There is a minefield of information out there, so I’m hoping to methodically work through the information and make it digestible (pun intended) for myself, and others.
I have the upmost respect for the holistic team I have in my life - the experts who support and nurture my health. The more I get to know them and their field, the more interested I become in taking responsibility for my own wellbeing. I look forward to sharing more about these amazing people as Project Soul progresses.
This isn’t about living a perfect life. No one is perfect and as a recovering perfectionist (something that still challenges me on a regular basis), I have given up trying to be perfect. Instead, I am real and have learnt to laugh at and embrace my flaws. And I intend to stay like that.
Thankfully, I love eating and cooking good wholesome food, so it’s not a chore for me. That said, I also love the occasional potato scallop or beautiful glass(es) of wine. If I feel like chocolate, I eat some. If I overindulge in cheese sometimes, so be it. And that will never change.
I respect Western medicine and believe there is a time and place for it. Medical advances and ongoing scientific research are very important. But I also believe that our society reaches to western medicine as a first option and/or quick fix.
Holistic approaches can be very complimentary when treating illnesses and I think when they are used as preventative measures or teamed together with Western medicine, there are a so many extra benefits than when medicine is relied upon just on its own.
We put things into and onto our bodies without second guessing or questioning them. And most scarily, we put things into our body thinking they are the ‘healthy’ options, when a lot of the time, that’s not the case.
My personal long term goal is to never need drugs or medication. There is no guarantee in this life and this little organic eating, plastic-phobic, boxing, stretching, yoga, meditating chick is by no means immune to any illness. But I want to know that I’m doing everything I can to prevent or minimise my risk of illness and to live the healthiest life I can. So hopefully when I’m a 95 year old organic eating, plastic-phobic, boxing, stretching, yoga, meditating grandmother, I can thank my lifetime of good choices and know that I did everything I could to give myself the maximum amount of wellness.
My philosophies:
/ Prevention is better than cure
/ You only get one body - look after it
/ Knowledge is power
My mission:
To live the best quality life I can. To make good decisions each day that are the happiest and healthiest choices for my mind, body, soul and the planet.
My aim for Project Soul:
To live by example and make small, achievable changes along the way that will better myself, my family and the planet. To learn, share and inspire others to do the same.
Kate xxx