Welcome to my blog!

In this blog you can read about the experiences and knowledge I over the years have acquired on health, sustainability and life in general. My aim is to inspire and motivate to make everyday choices which will benefit our physical and mental health, as well as our Mother Earth. I have collected various life hacks that we can implement into a busy schedule. Daily we surround ourselves with environmental toxins, and our home is no exception. Household cleaners are on top of the list. If you, like me, prefer to spend your hard earned cash on fun stuff instead of expensive organic cleaning products, you will enjoy the DIY´s. I will also share recipes inspired by raw food. They are gluten free, mainly plant based and low in added sugars. In summer I spend a lot of time foraging and preparing wild plants, which I also will write about. Easy- made and yummy flavors are key words!

In mass media we are constantly bombarded by more or less valid information about our health. This information is often taken out of context, and the headlines are meant to sell. To live completely sustainably we would have to go back to pre- industrial times where horse and cart were the quickest means of transportation. However romantic this sounds, its a thing of the yester years. We can easily get overwhelmed by the current state of affairs. Perhaps one feel like there’s no point in making health promoting choices, or to make an effort what our environment is concerned. Plastic as a 1950´s invention made our lives very convenient. The task at hand now is to find a way to co-exist with it until adequate replacements are available. A large percentage of all plastic and styrofoam made today are for single- use, and generally unnecessary. Plastic takes 400 years to break down, and so we all have to make choices about what we can do without. We have all the power as consumers, and the most efficient way to wield that power is to be conscious of where we spend our money.

I have always been interested in how and why us humans work the way we do. I have a Bachelor in Nursing, and specialized in Public Health. I have many years of practice from various medical and surgical hospital wards around Norway and Sweden. The last few years I have worked as a life style coach at a municipal program assisting members of the public to make health promoting life changes. I’m now creating my own place of work as a blogger and free lance writer.

«Bella Bee» saw the first light of day 17 years ago when I, before my evening shift, sat in the hospital library to create my first e-mail address. It was the first account I ever created online, and so I was completely unprepared what username and password were concerned. My beloved granddad used to call me Bella when I was little, so that was a no-brainer. Bee was the nick-name my non-Norwegian speaking friends gave me, as the «r» in Berit seemed to be quite the tongue- twister, and voilà; Bella Bee was born. When I later, and in amazement, learned the bees pivotal role in pollination, and by that, our existence, my alias was even more suitable.

My interest in health and sustainability started early in life. Repairing, recycling and DIY´s were all important values in our home. My mum and dad took an active role in all aspects of the building of our home. They also planted a small berry- and veggie garden which I enjoyed caring for, as well as reaping the fruits of our labour come autumn. As a child, though, having «everything» home made wasn’t alway the greatest. Hair cuts, fish cakes, clothing and bread; you name it. Little did I know that the smell of freshly- baked bread actually was the aroma of care. Growing up without the internet provided the joy of innovative play, and growing up in a semi-rural area provided great freedom. This was a wonderful combination. Flora and fauna were thoroughly explored, and ones comfort zone was constantly expanded. We often talk about nature as something outside of ourselves; out there in the forest or out at sea. The thing is that we very much are a part of nature, and what we inflict on it, we in effect inflict on ourselves.

I spent a long time in Australias paradise, sleepy Byron Bay. I lived the dream, and learned a lot about natural health and sustainable environments. Every day we awoke to the crescendo of wild life sounds at dawn, instigated by the laughing Kookaburra. Early mornings were a necessity as the rays of the summer sun were too intense for anyone to function properly come midday. Being the morning person  that I am, this suited me just fine. I would hop into my flip- flops and mosy down to the beach for a power walk followed by a refreshing swim. Other days a bike ride and yoga was on the menu before the day begun. Byron has a sub-tropical climate, and so the access to yummy fresh produce was unlimited. Avocados, peaches, pineapples and herbs grew in our garden. For everything else we brought containers to the farmers market and filled them with organic deliciousness.

I attempted my first head stand at a yoga centre near Bondi Beach. My head and body went one way, and my neck the other. The result was stretched tendons, and without adequate treatment my muscles had to form its own supportive collar. Our bodies are complex and competent, and will oftentimes heal itself given the time and right conditions. Unfortunately my neck got stabilized in a wrong position, which lead to misalignment of my skeleton. Inflammation and extreme exhaustion followed as a consequence. A life on the go in both work and leisure also contributed to this I’m sure. My inner strength really got its work cut out for it during these times. It did not fail to see me through, and saw me even stronger at the tail end of it. With years of corrective muscle therapy, a healthy life style, herbs and an anti-inflammatory diet I’m finally, and almost fully, participating in my life again!

I have no need nor wish to speak more of my adversities, but wish to see the silver lining, and to make use of the valuable life experience it has given me. I spent the  down time on further research on what impacts our health and planet positively and negatively. I will share my findings in this blog, along with the odd anecdote. If I can be of any inspiration to one fellow Earthling that’s great, and if I can inspire more, that’s even better. Writing so candidly has been quite challenging for me, but hey, what is life without challenges? I hope that you find the matters of my heart interesting, and want to follow me on my merry way. And, oh, feel free to leave a comment if you have anything relevant you would like to share with the rest of the class!