Mind Body and Balance

Lately, I've been making a conscious effort to eat and live a little differently.

There are some really important reasons why, and while I'm still figuring it all out, one thing I've realised is that healthy eating doesn't have to be as difficult, complicated or expensive as it sometimes seems.

The funny thing is... I've always struggled with knowing what to cook every day. I can cook good, well-rounded meals — I just don't always have the energy or desire to think of them, prepare them or make them. 🙈

One little trick that's been helping is opening ChatGPT, listing whatever I have in the fridge and pantry, and asking it to create healthy meal idea from what I already have.

This was one of its suggestions, and it turned out to be such a winner that I had to share it.

Buttery Leek and Vegetable Salmon 🐟🥦

Heat a little olive oil and a small k**b of butter in an oven-safe pan or baking dish.

Add 2 sliced leeks and cook gently until softened and sweet.

Add some chopped carrots, broccoli, green beans and garlic, then cook for another few minutes.

Season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper, then place the salmon fillets directly on top.

Drizzle the salmon with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place the whole dish in the oven at 200°C for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking.

Serve with brown rice, avocado, fresh parsley and a generous squeeze of lemon.

Simple. Colourful. Nourishing. And genuinely delicious. ✔️

DESSERT/SNACK 🍨
Greek Yoghurt
A Drizzle of Honey 🍯
Pepitas, Almonds, Chia seeds
Strawberries 🍓 🍓 🍓

If you've been wanting to eat a little better too, I hope this gives you one easy meal to add to your week.

Take care of yourselves. 🤍

I love it when my own family comes into the clinic for a treatment. ❤️

It reminds me that the people I care about most are the people I want to care for most.

The funny thing is... that's how I feel about this space in general.

So if your partner, kids, parents, grandparents, siblings, or anyone else in your family has been putting up with aches, pains, stress, headaches, or simply needs a chance to slow down and reset, I'd love to look after them too.

Every age. Every stage. Every body deserves to feel a little more balanced.

🤍

A few months ago, I shared the very first episode of Only Human with Ray.

Wow... it feels like a lifetime ago.

So much has changed since then. Life has happened. Some beautiful things, some really difficult things, and a few unexpected curveballs that have changed my direction in ways I never could have planned.

But I have no regrets.

Only Human was never just about making a podcast. Looking back, it feels like it was the beginning of something much bigger. It gave me permission to tell stories a little more honestly, to write more deeply, and to embrace a part of myself that I'd kept fairly quiet for a long time.

One day, I'd still love to record more podcast episodes. I really hope I get to. But for now, Only Human is taking shape in different ways.

So you'll probably notice a gentle separation between my two little corners of the internet.

🤍 Mind Body & Balance will always be my professional home. Massage, health, everyday moments, funny stories, encouragement, and the things I've always loved sharing here.

🤍 Only Human is where you'll find the longer reflections, the more vulnerable stories, and my writing. It's a little rawer, a little deeper... so enter at your own risk. 😉

If you'd like to come along for that side of the journey, just head to the link in my bio and visit Only Human. From there, you'll also find my Substack, YouTube and everything else.

And to everyone who's supported Mind Body & Balance over the years—whether you've been a client, followed along quietly, shared a post, or simply cheered me on—thank you. It means more than you know.

The clinic is still very much open, and I still genuinely love what I do. It's been such a privilege to keep welcoming familiar faces, while also meeting so many wonderful new clients lately.

Thanks for being here. Wishing you and your loved ones all the very best for the week ahead.

🤍 Michelle

Seventeen years ago, I was the Assistant Practice Manager at this medical centre.

A few years later, I became the Practice Manager of a brand new medical centre in Parramatta, helping set it up from the ground up.

Today, driving out west, we even passed the Hungry Jack's where I worked as the kids' party fairy and the drive-thru girl at just 14 years old. 😄

They're only a few pieces of a much bigger career journey, but seeing those places again after so many years stirred up memories I hadn't visited in a long time.

Back then, our eldest was only a newborn, and we were learning how to be parents while navigating the uncertainty of the GFC.

It's strange how time works.

Some seasons feel like they disappear in the blink of an eye. Others somehow still feel like yesterday.

❤️

Over the past few weeks, we've spent more time at home over the school holidays.

Normally, I'd be worrying that the house was too messy, that the kids had watched too much TV, that I wasn't as relaxed as I wanted to be, or that they were missing out on all the extra activities so many children get to enjoy.

But this time felt different.

In light of everything that's been happening, I've found myself letting go of the pressure to make these holidays "great" and simply choosing to be present.

So we watched movies. We made Play-Doh from scratch (which I was convinced was going to fail 😅). We laughed, chatted, created, fought, cried, reconciled and simply enjoyed being together.

As school goes back and we step into whatever lies ahead, I hope we can all remember to...

✨ Let go of what was.
✨ Enjoy what is.
✨ Trust what will be.

Life doesn't always become easier.
But sometimes the hardest seasons change us for the better.

They help us notice what really matters, loosen our grip on the things that don't, and find joy in places we might have walked straight past before.

Looking back, this year has been a gentle reminder of exactly that. 🤍

Seriously... I am lucky.

This morning has been really special.

This week has been filled with so much uncertainty. It's been one of those weeks where there have been a lot of unknowns, a lot of waiting, and a lot that has been hard to sit with.

And yet today, I found myself listening to story after story from people who trusted me with a little part of their lives.

I won't share their stories (of course!), but wow... they reminded me again why I love what I do and how truly privileged I am.

I walked away feeling lighter than I have in days.

Life is strange like that. Sometimes nothing around you has changed... but a conversation, a moment of connection, or simply being reminded that we're all carrying something can quietly lift your heart.

Today, I'm really grateful for that.

I don't have all the answers to what's ahead this week... but today reminded me that there is still so much goodness to notice along the way. ❤️

☑ Smile maintenance 😁 (in my new specs 👓)
☑ Random book box discoveries that felt made just for me 📚
☑ New pretty journals found ✍️
☑ Laugh-out-loud comedy on TV 🤣
☑ Absolutely no intention of being productive

Happiness is a comfy couch, a good laugh, a good book, and nowhere important to be.

What's on your tick list today? ❤️

Today didn't quite go to plan.

We had bookings scheduled at the clinic, but every appointment was either cancelled or rescheduled. It happens, especially this time of year, and we completely understand.

Instead of a day at work, we ended up with more family time. One of my girls and I even had our own little date, including a trip to pick up my new glasses from Specsavers Top Ryde, who always take such good care of us.

Sometimes the things we didn't plan for turn out to be exactly what we needed.

I'm very grateful for the extra time together today.

I hope you get to enjoy some special moments with the people you love this week too. Time really is precious.

I love the days that feel slow and ordinary 💚

Today, after a treatment, my beautiful client asked me a question I've been asked a few times since Tipping Point.

"Do you regret not taking the money before losing it all in the Temptation round?"

My answer was immediate.

Not at all.

Of course, winning would have been nice. But even now, I wouldn't change a thing.

During our session, we found ourselves talking about family, loss, gratitude, growing older, and how the people we love most are often the source of both our greatest joy and our deepest pain.

As we talked, I realised that the answer I gave about Tipping Point applies to much more than a game show.

Some of the things I would never have chosen have ended up giving me far more than I expected.

Not because loss itself is a gift, but because it has a way of revealing what matters.

It makes ordinary moments feel more precious and reminds us not to rush past the people we love while we're busy chasing everything else.

Earlier in the day, something else had happened.

While putting my lashes on in the car, I caught a glimpse of my eyes in the mirror.

I don't spend much time looking in mirrors. Between work, three kids, and life in general, there's usually something else needing my attention.

But I was surprised....they looked bright.✨️

That caught me off guard, because lately I haven't always felt very bright.

There have been worries, uncertainties, challenges, and a few things weighing heavily on my mind.

Yet there it was.

Not happiness or endless energy. Not perfection. Not a life free from problems.

Just light🌟

And perhaps a little more clarity than I realised.

Walking away with $0 on Tipping Point gave me far more than money ever could have.

It gave me memories, stories, conversations, opportunities, and moments with people I love that I will carry forever.

And maybe that's what I saw in my eyes today.

Not someone who has avoided hardship.

Just someone learning, little by little, that some losses really do give us more than we realise. ❤️

P.S. A few people have asked about the episode since it replayed recently. If you're curious, here's the link:

https://www.9now.com.au/tipping-point-australia/season-2026/episode-17