Resources, Reports & Articles Breakfast – fast options for busy people and fussy kids You want to get maximum energy and sustained attention from your breakfast so make sure you include a high quality protein along with low-glycaemic carbohydrates in your breakfast meal. A protein shake is a great option for kids and adults. You can either blend yourself or buy one of the ready to drink products e.g. Protein Revival. You could whip up some scrambled eggs with whole-grain toast inside 5 minutes, or throw a vegetable omelette together. If you want cereal, choose a whole grain, oat-based muesli such as Carmans Original or Freedom Foods Wheat Free Muesli (or plain porridge oats if you prefer), and add some protein powder to the milk mix. Tasmanian Lite yogurt makes a quick and nutritious brekky or snack for adults or kids, and you can add fresh fruit and a spoonful of protein powder for long-term energy. You can make your own high-protein muesli mix with rolled oats, flaked almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds, coconut and hazelnuts. If you’re really running short of time, grab a protein bar e.g. Protein FX on your way out. A good breakfast will provide your brain and body with all the key nutrients it needs for sustained energy and concentration for the next few hours. Brain chemistry – are you out of balance? There are two main groups of chemicals that influence (and are influenced by) how we feel. Serotonin enables us to access states of contentment and wellbeing, and is known as a calming mood chemical. Serotonin imbalances have been associated with depression, anxiety, tearfulness, anger, irritability, eating disorders, low frustration tolerance, rejection sensitivity, addictions, feeling bullied, concentration/memory problems and suicidal feelings. Women are more likely to experience serotonin imbalance, as males make approximately 50% more serotonin. Our programs help people to promote serotonin release through psychological techniques, food and beverage choice, supplementation (e.g. vitamins, herbs, nutrients), music, specific physical exercise, leisure activities, work-based strategies and relationship behaviours. The catecholamine group of brain chemicals (dopamine, adrenalin and noradrenalin) help us access states of energy and focus, and are known as activating mood chemicals. Imbalances will affect energy levels, attention span, concentration, sensitivity to boredom, the ability to follow through on tasks and tendency towards risk, addiction and thrill-seeking. Some studies have suggested that males are more likely to have dopamine imbalances due to increased dopamine receptors in the brain. Our programs can help people boost activating chemicals through supplementation, psychological skills, music, food/beverage choice, behavioural strategies, exercise/sport choice, leisure choices and lifestyle strategies. Food – are you using fuel efficiently? Nutrition is a key component of our programs due to its enormous impact on mood, concentration and energy levels. In our extensive work with clients, we have found that changes to food & beverage intake can trigger quick and powerful effects on mood. We find common patterns of food consumption in depression, anxiety, concentration and anger problems, with clients often reporting major improvements within a week of implementing their mood nutrition program. Making sure you have the right combination of good quality protein (e.g. fish, chicken, lean red meat, eggs, cottage cheese, protein power etc) and good quality low G.I. carbohydrates (such as fresh vegetables, fruit and small amounts of whole grains) can assist in managing your energy and help your blood sugar levels remain stable. You also need to include good fats in your diet, especially to build up levels of Omega 3 fatty acids. Eat deep water fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines & mackerel, or supplement with flaxseed oil or fish oil capsules. While these general guidelines will suit most people, those with mood, fatigue and concentration problems (e.g. anxiety, depression, anger etc) can benefit from more personalized programs. Those with weight management issues will also need a program based on analysis of body composition and exercise level. Energy Adrenal health – are you running on empty? Your adrenal glands control your ability to respond to all types of stressors. Whenever the body has to adapt to stress e.g. conflict with others, illness, driving a car in heavy traffic, too many late nights and poor food choices, your adrenal glands are called upon to provide the chemicals needed to power your body and brain. Overuse of the adrenal glands can lead to problems. The first stage of adrenal dysfunction is a state of hyperadrenal. Your glands are overproducing adrenal hormones due to extreme or prolonged stress and have lost the ability to switch off. You may feel panicky, anxious, irritable, hyper, have difficulty sleeping, feel worse after certain types of exercise and experience changes in appetite. The next stage is hypoadrenal. At this point your adrenal glands have become exhausted and have difficulty producing the hormones needed to help you deal with stress. You may feel low in energy, feel dizzy if you get up quickly, have sleep problems, overeat, feel exhausted after exercise, develop allergies, become susceptible to viruses and only feel energized under pressure. Your mood may also be affected, with feelings of overwhelm, depression and anxiety common. The final (and more rare) stage of adrenal exhaustion is similar to states of chronic fatigue, where you have very low energy, low immunity, frequent illness and inability to recover from stressors. People working in high-stress occupations are probably more prone to adrenal exhaustion, although genetic factors seem to play a part in our level of adrenal strength. Our programs aim to build adrenal strength through nutrition, quality sleep, supplementation, psychological skills and lifestyle/career management. Wellbeing Optimism skills Our level of optimism is a major factor in determining our psychological health, wellness, performance under stress, level of persistence and ability to recover after setbacks. Research suggests that our level of optimism is partly determined by genetic factors, along with early childhood and teenage experiences. We can measure optimism using several different psychological instruments that are quick and easy to administer. Once we have determined your level of optimism, we can develop strategies to boost or maintain optimism. Strategies include changing thinking patterns, changing brain chemistry, mood nutrition, use of music and exercise, personality analysis and lifestyle management. Some people have optimism blocks in certain areas of their lives (e.g. relationships or weight management) while others have an optimism block across different aspects of life. Research suggests that we can permanently improve our optimism levels through learning key strategies such as those in our programs. Personality Psychologists generally agree that there are five main traits measured in personality tests. One model, developed by Paul Costa and Robert McCrae in 1991 looks at the following five independent dimensions. Most people fall in the middle on most traits, with less people at each extreme. We use a personality profile to measure these factors for individuals and for organisations recruiting staff. The five factors are: 1. Emotional Stability – level of anxiety, depression, hostility, vulnerability to stress, self consciousness 2. Extraversion – level of gregariousness, positive emotions, activity level, assertiveness 3. Openness to experience – creativity, novelty seeking, openness to own emotions, conventionality, ideas and actions 4. Agreeableness – level of warmth, compassion, altruism, tough/tenderness, trust in others 5. Conscientiousness – degree of organisation, self-discipline, need for order, follow-through Use of this personality measure has been found to be predictive of behaviour in the workplace and is used by many organisations to assist with recruitment as well as personal and professional development. | 
