Sydney-based Canadian Anna Feller is the model mama behind newly launched site Wilder, which focuses on taking a holistic approach to children's lifestyles...
We caught up with Feller to find out more about Wilder, her approach to health and wellbeing and how to make healthy banana ice-cream. Photography: Bec Parsons Go to www.wilderbyannafeller.com
Can you tell us about the launch of Wilder by Anna Feller?
It’s about creating a more conscious awareness and broadening horizons to help guide mothers who may want to integrate a more holistic approach to their children’s lifestyles. It is about real day-to-day life and achieving optimal wellness, becoming more mindful and helping to create this environment in your home from an early age will only positively impact our children’s future. There will be articles, recipes, remedies and natural beauty tips, lifestyle and fashion shoots, guides, interviews with like minded mothers and much more on the site.
How to you approach wellbeing?
My key to living a whole life, is everything in moderation of course, but it is important to take care of our bodies. It may sound cliché, but treat them as machines (gentle ones). They need to stay well oiled and maintained. I focus on eating organic foods, getting into nature, going for a swim or digging in a garden, sweating once a day, treating myself to a massage once in a while, enjoying some raw dark chocolate and Pinot, laughing and crying with friends – feeling all of this is essential to my wellbeing.
How can busy mothers approach health and nutrition?
Everyday we are provided with more health food shops and cafes that offer options for healthy living on-the-go. Some suggestions of amazing places to go in Sydney would be Health Emporium, Orchard Street or The Broth Bar. Start your day with a green juice (spinach, kale, parsley, lemon, ginger, cucumber and a bit of apple) as this will start your day right. When busy mothers do this, they tend to continue to make healthy choices for the rest of the day. It all goes back to self care. We must look after ourselves so we can in turn look after our children and our businesses.
How do you start your day?
Always with hot water and lemon to wake my body up before anything. Then gentle stretching or a few yoga poses, a green juice or a high frequency food and a strong coconut milk chai or matcha. Then either boxing, Pilates or a swim with my son Banjo.
What’s the last thing you do at the end of the day?
After Banjo falls asleep, I usually work for an hour or two doing admin or cleaning or writing. After I am done that I try to meditate for 30 minutes before falling to sleep.
What does success mean to you?
Happiness.
What’s the biggest misconception about you?
I think a lot of people think my approach to health and wellbeing is just a fad, but in all honesty I was raised in a very health conscious household, most of the food I ate while living at home was from my Mum’s garden. I grew up in health food stores. Having five siblings, my family probably kept most of the health food stores in town in business while I was growing up. It is all I know.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t move to Australia – it’s too far away from your family. Ha!
Can you share Banjo’s favourite recipe?
Banana ice cream: 4 frozen bananas chopped up 1/2 cup coconut milk Vanilla bean powder Handful activated walnuts Blend everything in blender and serve in a waffle cone