Thrive - August 2022

108 Pages·2022·127.1 MB·English

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The sweetness of solitude
Free to call the tune,
Free to say if you’re gonna work or play
You can have the moon
But you don’t have to have it night and day
These are lyrics from a song by Stephen Sondheim, famously performed by Liza
Minnelli. They’re also a rallying cry for those of us who – like our cover star Nici
Wickes, and like me – choose to live solo. I loved Nici’s words about her solo life in her
idyllic Port Waikato home in her book, A Quiet Kitchen, where she shares that she
spent her twenties and thirties “bouncing around seeking all the possibilities and
busily creating dream after dream”.
“Turns out moving to a tiny rural community and settling down with myself was the
outcome I’d been striving for all along,” she writes. “A life of less has created so much
more, enriching me in ways I wasn’t expecting.”
Like Nici, I have a great capacity for spending time on my own. I really, truly enjoy it
– I am rarely bored and hardly ever lonely. I enjoy socialising and love being with
others, but find too much of that can make me crave time back in my own little nest.
For me, time alone is something that fills my cup, rather than depleting me. It took me
a long time to learn that.
While we know that loneliness is definitely not good – and in fact, can be really bad for
our health – that’s not the same as simply being alone. But as Jacqui Maguire points
out on page 56, there’s a bit of a stigma attached to being alone; loser, loner, outcast are
all words that embody this.
I reckon, though, that everyone needs some alone time in their lives, no matter how
much of an extrovert they are. As Jacqui also says, pursuing solitude deliberately can
leave us feeling “full” – full of ideas, thoughts and interests.
It can also mean filling ourselves physically! I definitely subscribe to Nici’s philosophy
about cooking for one – it’s never a waste of time. There’s such joy in being able to eat
exactly as you please, when you please, and not having to cater for anyone else. Sounds
selfish, maybe? It’s not, though. Nourishing yourself is not selfish. It’s self-care. So
I hope you enjoy the nourishment for body and brain that’s inside this issue, and
I hope you get to take yourself off for a bit of solitude to enjoy it.
Niki Bezzant, editor
@nikibezzant
He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata.
Goodwill towards others is a precious treasure.
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WHAT I’M up to…
Watching:
Good Luck to You,
Leo Grande.
This is Emma
Thompson at her
most brilliant.
Every woman
needs to see this
film about a
50-something
woman finding her
sexual self. In
cinemas now.
Enjoying:

The Scenturie
range is beautiful,
natural and
vegan-friendly
skincare that’s
made in Aotearoa.
I love the gentle
scents and creamy
feel of the hand
cream and cream
cleanser. See
scenturie.co.nz.
Cooking:

In these chilly grey
days, I’m finding
myself making
soup almost daily,
from comforting
chicken broth (like
Yael’s on page 88)
to simple vege
numbers like
broccoli and blue
cheese, or carrot
and cumin.
TTeellll uuss:: II’’dd lloovvee ttoo hheeaarr ffrroomm yyoouu..
TTeellll mmee wwhhaatt yyoouu tthhiinnkk aabboouutt tthhiiss
iissssuuee ooff tthhee mmaaggaazziinnee.. OOnnee lluucckkyy
ppeerrssoonn wwhhoo rreessppoonnddss wwiillll wwiinn
aa yyeeaarr’’ss ssuubbssccrriippttiioonn
ttoo TThhrriivvee.. EEmmaaiill uuss aatt
hheelllloo@@tthhrriivveemmaaggaazziinnee..ccoo..nnzz..
FOLLOW US:
INSTAGRAM @thrivemagnz
FACEBOOK @thrivemagnz
WEBSITE thrivemagazine.co.nz
Photography by Reuben Looi

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THRIVE l August/September
14
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Contents
August/September 2022
10
We’ve been thinking… what’s on
28
the Thrive team’s minds?
12
Warm, witty feedback from
Thrive readers
13
SUBSCRIBE TO THRIVE TODAY
52
and never miss an issue
14
Foodie Nici Wickes on finding
happiness – and herself – in midlife
20
Want to eat well without harming
the planet? Our 20 tips will
help you make the switch
28
The mystery of long Covid and
what scientists know about what
you can do to avoid it
32
Wetlands are an under-appreciated
environmental treasure. Could you
32 help to save them?
42
If sleepless nights are getting you
down, adjusting how you’re eating
might help you get more rest
46
Even high achievers can be hit
by imposter syndrome – expert
tips on fighting those illogical fears
52
20 What scientists know about how
to hit that exercise high
56
Psychologist Jacqui Maguire on
why time alone is good for us
58
A fascinating glimpse into the life
of Hundertwasser – his far-sighted
vision and passion for Aotearoa
64
How I move: dancing three times
a week is pure pleasure for a busy
mum of teenage boys
66
Nourish your skin with nutrient-
42 rich ingredients from nature
70
From cheek tints to conditioner –
a host of beauty options you’ll love
6

92
71
Ethical threads: fresh spring
highlights from sustainable brands
HE WHENUA TAURIKURA
72
Recyclable fashion: why it’s harder
than you’d think to be truly green EDITOR
74
Niki Bezzant
The joy of making: skills passed
down through the generations
ART DIRECTOR Bronwyn Kayes MacKenzie
76
Craft: make a stylish hanging rack SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Rosemary Barraclough
from a worn-out ladder SENIOR EDITOR Sharon Stephenson
78 DESIGNER Marsha Smith
Homeware goodies with
DIGITAL ARTISTS Andy Kirkup,
a lighter footprint
Harry Burgess
80
Cooking for one is not a chore: SUB-EDITOR Louise Adams
try this divine cannelloni
82
Nici Wickes on what she’s learnt FOOD Nici Wickes
about the healing power of food BEAUTY Amy Houlihan
88 CRAFT & HOME Marsha Smith
Jewish chicken soup from
MIND HEALTH Jacqui Maguire
an Auckland restaurateur
PUZZLES Daniel Crew
90
Food news: vegan chocolate and
adventurous non-alcoholic drinks
CONTRIBUTORS
82
92
Home truths: live a greener life Peta Bee, Rachel Clare, Lucy Corry, Karen
94 Denyer, Todd Eyre, Luke Harvey, Andreas J
Kath Irvine’s tips for sowing
Hirsch, Kath Irvine, Deborah Johanson,
crops to boost your soil
Reuben Looi, Sacha McNeil, Melissa
97
Plant of the month: rhubarb Marriott, Monica Peters, Timo Rissanen
98 Alexia Santamaria, Yael Shochat,
The life-changing power of
Faumuina Felolini Maria Tafuna‘i
Garden to Table in schools
100
Ngā pukapuka: books to inform, GROUP PROPRIETOR
inspire and entertain Greg Partington
102
Puzzles to challenge your mind
105 GM SCHOOL ROAD Susan Browne
Good things: new and noticed
PRODUCTION MANAGER Jules Calnan
106
Poem: Faumuina Felolini
Maria Tafuna‘i ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER Heidi Van Wheeler
MARKETING & CONTENT Olivia Jackson
HEAD OF DIGITAL Melissa Platt
VISIT THRIVEMAGAZINE.CO.NZ
to subscribe and find more
Thrive stories
CONTACT US:
[email protected]
@thrivemagnz
@thrivemagnz
98
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Todd Eyre
8

thinking
We’ve been ...
News, views and inspiration from here and around the world
to help you live happily and healthily, while being kinder to the planet.
WALK for wellbeing
Recent research has confirmed what we can
feel – getting outside into nature is good for
us. And in more good news, we don’t have
to get out into the remote wilderness to feel
benefits. Researchers from New Zealand
and Germany compared the effects of
walking in two different natural settings:
an urban forest and a landscape park.
They found that both spaces increased
people’s feelings of wellbeing equally. We
feel more connected to nature in the wild,
though; the researchers also found that
when people perceived their surroundings
as more wild, their feeling of being
connected to nature increased.
'Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs , but not every man's greed.'
– MAHATMA GANDHI
Take a spring GARDEN TOUR
If the chilly days of winter have got you down, give yourself
something to look forward to this spring and plan a visit to one of
Aotearoa’s stand-out garden festivals. They offer the chance to see
gardens that are not usually open to the public, and are a fabulous
weekend away to share with garden-loving friends.
Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough offers five different garden
tours through some of New Zealand’s most sensational gardens, plus
a garden party and inspiring speakers, including Australian garden
design superstar Paul Bangay and chef Josh Emett. November 3-6,
gardenmarlborough.co.nz.
Or visit some of the 43 gardens that are open for the Centuria
Taranaki Garden Festival – the region is famous for its
rhododendrons, including at Pukeiti (pictured) but there’s a huge
variety of gardens on show, and a range of events covering topics
like composting, food forests and sustainable gardening.
October 28-November 6, gardenfestnz.co.nz.
Other garden festivals worth checking out are the Wairarapa Garden
Tour, November 5-6, wairarapagardentour.co.nz; and Canterbury’s
Hurunui Garden Festival, October 27-30, hurunuigardenfestival.com.
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