Don’t miss the latest episode of The House of Wellness with Chemist Warehouse on The Breeze, where Mike is joined by fitness expert and columnist Rachel Grunwell, former Miss New Zealand Anna Trubuhovich, Thursday Dating’s Jasmine Donaldson, author and resilience coach Brad Hook, and resident pharmacist Piyara Perera.
Featured Guest: Rachel Grunwell
Wellness coach, PT and columnist Rachel Grunwell popped in to talk about the power of strength training.
Rachel explained that strength training doesn’t have to be just about lifting heavy weights in a gym, but can start as simply as using your own body weight with push-ups, lunges, or grip work on a playground bar.
She highlighted its many benefits from boosting energy, to improving sleep, strengthening metabolism and supporting healthy ageing, while stressing that it’s about gaining muscle and confidence rather than just losing weight.
Rachel encourages people to start small, buddy up to make it fun and focus on consistency over perfection. She believes fitness is as much about mindset as it is movement, urging people to embrace strength training as a lifelong tool for health and happiness.
Featured Guest: Anna Trubuhovich
Former Miss New Zealand Anna Trubuhovich is back in the country and joined Mike to chat about The Freebird Project, her yoga and meditation studio in Bali.
After years of chasing achievements in pageantry, sport and even bodybuilding, Anna says it was motherhood that sparked a profound spiritual awakening and a shift inward.
Her journey led her from life coaching and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) to exploring somatic practices and the powerful energy of Kundalini.
The Freebird Project is a wellness retreat Anna runs in Bali, designed to help people release limiting beliefs and reconnect with their true selves through Kundalini activation, yoga and breathwork.
Now Anna has brought her retreat to New Zealand, having hosted three throughout this month and returning in January.
Featured Guest: Jasmine Donaldson
Jasmine Donaldson is leading the charge to bring more human connection back into New Zealand’s dating scene through Thursday Dating, a weekly event where singles ditch the apps and meet face-to-face.
What began as a way to help people find more authentic connections has quickly grown into a movement with events featuring simple icebreakers, themed age groups and plenty of opportunities to spark romance or even lasting friendships.
Jasmine says that while apps like Tinder or Bumble have their place, nothing compares to the energy and joy of meeting someone in person.
Featured Guest: Brad Hook
Author, speaker and resilience coach Brad Hook believes that resilience is more than grit, it's a set of learnable physical, emotional, mental and social skills that help us bounce through life’s inevitable adversities.
Brad argues that fulfilment is a core driver of resilience. He recommends techniques such as nervous-system calming, improved sleep, and the simple daily habit of writing down three things that went well to help people shift out of survival mode.
“If I can leave some breadcrumbs and some practical tools… that people can take away and get a better night’s sleep and feel kinder towards their families and themselves, that’s a fantastic result,” Brad said.
Resident Pharmacist: Piyara Perera
This week, Piyara explained that while the basics of good nutrition apply to everyone, men and women have different needs due to variations in muscle mass, body composition and hormones.
Men typically require more protein, calories and fluids, around 3.7 litres daily, while women average 2.7 litres, with higher needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Women also have increased requirements for iron, particularly during reproductive years, and vitamin D for bone health as estrogen declines with age.
She finished by recommending focusing on steady habits, eating a colourful plate, staying hydrated and paying attention to your body’s signals rather than chasing perfection.
Listen to the full episode up top and tune in next Sunday from 8 am for The House of Wellness on The Breeze.
