My all time favourite product!

July 21, 2016 by Natalia Anja

It’s very rare that I am blown away by a product, but when I am, I want to share it with the world.

Now, I'm not going to self diagnose myself, but last year I started having arthritis like symptoms. I didn't think much of it, but my gosh was it ever a frustrating feeling. I would wake up in the morning with really sore joints and stiffness in my hands. Whenever I was shooting, my hands would cramp up really easily.

I love running and I wouldn't want to run when I was in Vancouver because my knees would be so sore, especially in the bone chilling fall and winter months.

When I went backpacking for 8 months last year, I wasn't very healthy. I left for my trip at the tail end of a flu and throughout the trip I would get sick quite often. Anything from a basic cold to a stomach and bacteria infection. I was some form of sick for the majority of the trip. It prevented me from wanting to do a lot of things. When I'm sick, my energy levels aren't there and my enthusiasm changes. I had issues with the food in certain parts of Asia, so I would eat Pringles all day which probably didn't help the situation in having a lack of a nutritious diet. (No offense, Pringles...you're delicious but I was shamefully your #1 customer last year)

At one point last year, I started to get pretty stressed out and my hair was falling out abnormally. Every morning I would wake up with tons of hair on my pillow and all over the floor. (It doesn't help that everything in my apartment was white so my shedding wasn't discreet) On top of that my nails were really thin and breaking quite easily.

One of my goals for this year is to be on top of my health and to really focus on taking care of my body.

I was having a conversation with a girlfriend and telling her about my 'issues' and she had recommended withinUs TruMarine Collagen. She had used it and had amazing results. I hadn't realized that the beautifully packaged product that I kept seeing at my favourite spin studio Spin Society was one I would be raving about so much today.

I read up about the collagen and it sounded too good to be true.

When it comes to products 'fixing' things i'm extremely skeptical.

I took 200 sticks of collagen on my trip to Europe. The packaging is perfect for traveling and people who are on the go because each stick is individually wrapped and weighs close to nothing.

One morning I woke up at 5:00am in Edinburgh Scotland to go for a hike to the top of a mountain and catch the sunrise. It was such an amazing morning! I was treated to a gorgeous sunrise and watched the city below wake up. When I reached the top of the mountain, it was the first time I realized that I didn't have the uncomfortable pain I had been experiencing.

I've been taking the collagen for 4 months now. Every morning I put 3g (one stick) in my water, juice or coffee, wait for it to quickly dissolve and start my morning! It’s made of 100% Hydrolyzed (fish scale) collagen, but don't worry it doesn’t smell or taste like anything which is a nice bonus.

I encourage anyone who is having joint pains or issues with their hair, nails or skin to try withinUS TruMarine Collagen It’s been completely life altering for me.

I love it so much that I'm giving away a two stick pack containers valued at $100.

Instagram contest details:

1. Follow @withinus_trumarine & @nataliaanjaphotography

2. Like this post and tag 3 friends who would also love this collagen in the comment below

3. Repost for multiple entries

* Applicants must have a mailing address in Canada or the US

Contest entries close on Wednesday July 27th at 12pm. Winner is announced Thursday July 28th. Good luck!

If you've tried the collagen I'd love to hear your experience in the comments below.

*Please note I am not paid by any of the brands I post about. I only recommend and suggest products I love and believe in.

Loads of love,

Natalia xx

Bhutan - The happiest country in the world. Is it true?

June 16, 2016 by Natalia Anja

What if your happiness was the most important thing in your country?

It is to the people living in a peaceful nation called Bhutan. A landlocked country in the Himalayas which rather than using GDP, it measures it’s overall health by GNH “gross national happiness”. The four pillars that form GNH are; sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and good governance.

There are many misconceptions about tourism in Bhutan. To clear it up, you can visit this serene country for a minimum of $250 US a day.

$250 US a day includes the following:

Entrance into Bhutan with a tour provider
Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations (whether that is a luxurious hotel, sleeping in tents or at a village farm house. Depending on your preference and curiosity in experiencing culture, there are different tour options to suit each traveler)
A private driver
An English speaking tour guide
Pick up and drop off at the airport

This price excludes a $40 US Bhutan Visa Fee and your flights.

You have to use a tour company to visit Bhutan. We used Bhutan Mountain Holiday and we were extremely impressed with them. We were picked up at the airport by our driver and a guide whom were extremely informative, kind and fun to be with for 5 days.

You can watch our entire Bhutan experience here:

9 interesting things about Bhutan:

Bhutan is the only nation in the world to have banned the sale of tobacco
Bhutan has stopped using plastic bags since 1999
There is a beautiful monastery devoted to promoting fertility. “Chimi Lhakhang”. While walking to the monastery you see wood carved phalluses painted on homes and in the windows symbolizing fertility. People from all over the world who have been unable to have children travel to Bhutan to visit this monastery where a monk will treat the couple to a fertility blessing and it in theory helps them in conceiving.
There are no traffic lights in Bhutan
Alongside the road while driving through the mountains, instead of traffic signs telling you to slow down, there are a series of hand painted, positive and funny mantra’s such as “Life is a journey! Complete it!” and “After whiskey, driving risky.”
Bhutan takes protecting their environment very seriously. It absorbs more CO2 than it gives out and it’s apparently the only country whose largest export is renewable energy.
They call the dogs ‘solar dogs’ because they sleep all day and have an insane about of energy at night.
Travelling through Asia, I unfortunately saw many stray malnourished dogs on the streets. In Bhutan, most of the stray dogs look healthy and well fed. The people have so much compassion, most dogs live within certain neighbourhoods and rely somewhat on human charity. Due to a dog overpopulation in the past, The ‘Humane Society International’ started a spay, neuter, and vaccination program throughout Bhutan where they have targeted more than 50,000 dogs over six years.
Perched on the side of a cliff 3000ft above the Paro Valley is the Tiger's Nest (Taktsang). Not only one of the most famous Buddhist pilgrimage places in the world but one of the most challenging to get to. At the time, I thought I was extremely out of shape and embarrassed to be huffing and puffing so much but I was told that we were at an elevation of 10,000 ft (which made me feel a little better about my gasping for air) This was hands down one of the most epic hikes I've ever done.

Bhutan was a foreign country to me as I’ve never heard of it prior to seeing it on our Global Degree itinerary last year. I didn’t understand when people told me Bhutan was the ‘happiest’ country in the world. I thought, how can a country label themselves as that? Although, when we arrived at the airport the energy was so positive and light. Everyone was smiling and it was the first airport I had been to that wasn’t hectic. That energy continued on throughout our trip and I felt extremely safe throughout the country. I have to say, the rumours are true ...it may just be the happiest country in the world!

If you’re looking for an authentic cultural experience, a respect for peace, environment and happiness I highly recommend visiting Bhutan!

Loads of love, Natalia xx

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My History Class Through Experience

May 31, 2016 by Natalia Anja

One of the reasons I love to travel so much is because I believe it is the best form of education. At least it has been for myself.

I'm not knocking down education because I believe it's truly important but I can hardly remember any of the information I read about in a text book, especially in history class. It's places like the ones in this episode below that have affected me the most. It's instances like going to Cambodia and learning about the Genocide, walking on peoples bones and clothes that were left in the killing fields and seeing a sign that says "killing tree against which executioners beat children".

It's moments like going to Poland and walking through Auschwitz, a concentration camp where more than 1 million innocent people lost their lives. My eyes seeing rooms filled with suitcases, baby clothes, and shoes that once belonged to people... those lessons will never be forgetten.

Those moments leave chills on my skin and bring tears to my eyes. The places I can feel the history and I know I will never forget.

I always saw beautiful photo's of Cambodia and it was one of the top 3 places I wanted to visit last year purely based on images.

When I arrived in Cambodia it was so much more than beautiful landscapes. I was in awe of the way people smiled and laughed when I wasn't even sure if some of them had a home or food to eat. I remember looking out the window on the bumpy bus ride as we drove to Siem Reap and embracing the way the locals live and how much love they have for one another. I remember thinking how grateful I am for being able to experience this country. How lucky I am to have the opportunity to be free, travel, and not have to worry if I'll be able to eat that day.

I had no idea about what I was about to see and the amount of history Cambodia has. I was walking through S21 (Tual Slend Genocide Museum) which was a former high school, where I first heard of the mass executions and torture led by Pol Pot between 1975 and 1979 where an estimated 1.5 -3 million people had their lives taken. A place where we saw photo's of the faces of the innocent prisoners at the high school and where I had the opportunity to meet one of the survivors.

What blew me away the most was how ignorant I was to all of this happening. It was only 40 years ago and this was the first time I had ever heard about the Cambodia Genocide.

If you're unfamiliar with it as well, I highly recommend watching our Global Degree episode (below) and seeing a glimpse of the beautiful Cambodia we experienced.

S-21 - Tual Slend Genocide Museum — S-21 - Tual Slend Genocide Museum

“To travel, to experience and learn: that is to live.”

— Tenzing Norgay

Loads of love, Natalia xx

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What's in my backpack?

May 20, 2016 by Natalia Anja

Embarking on a long backpacking trip can be a little overwhelming when it comes to packing. Fitting my life into one bag seems a little unrealistic at times but I make it work.

When packing for a long trip, I take the following into consideration:

- What’s functional

- What's lightweight

- What will benefit my lifestyle

- What's good quality

- What's cost effective

- What will be comfortable but also looks good

I learned a lot about how to pack from our last trip filming with Global Degree where we travelled throughout 24 countries in Asia within 8 months. The trip itself was beyond incredible but I was sick for a long duration of it. Whether it was a stomach infection, bacteria infection, or a basic cold, I rarely felt 100%. My immune system was really weak and because of that it affected my exercise regime, which affected a great deal of how I felt and what I was wanting to taking part in. I was pretty stressed at some points that my hair started to fall out an abnormal amount, my nails were breaking really easily and because I wasn’t healthy, my body was struggling with all of the excess weight I was carrying in both my backpacks (One of them weighed WAY too much) Surprisingly my clothing bag weighed less than my camera bag.

I learned A LOT from last year so this year I set new goals which were mostly health based. I wanted to share my experience with you and provide you with a list of the things I’m really excited about having in my backpack this year:

MEC backpack

Starting with the most important item...having a good quality backpack is key. I bought my 85L MEC backpack because of it's adjustable straps that make it really easy to walk for longer periods of time and the pockets are perfectly placed. I like to keep very organized and the versatility of this bag allows me do that. I also picked up a waterproof shell to keep the rain out and to protect the bag while it's on airplanes, trains and busses.

RYU clothing

Clothing can be tricky when backpacking because I don’t have the option of steaming or ironing them and because of that I love fabrics that don’t need any additional care. I stumbled into the RYU store last fall and fell in love with their brand and culture.

Before I took off for Europe I went to town on their gear. Their brand is extremely practical for my lifestyle and I LOVE the look. When I travel, I’m always outdoors so having comfortable, good quality clothes is very important to me. I stocked up on sports bras, shirts, pants, hoodies, a hat and a warm jacket. I try to run at least 4 days a week so having easily accessible, almost hidden pockets is really important for me while travelling and their clothes offer that. You can tell that every article was very well thought out when designed.

Dish & Duer Denim

I love the look of jeans but I can't stand the uncomfortableness of most of them. I discovered this amazing brand, Dish & Duer that has maximum performance denim that's sweat proof, fade proof, and is ridiculously comfy. They also apply silver ions to prevent bacteria growth. I picked up a couple pairs of jeans and joggers so if you see photos of me hiking with jeans on, now you will understand why. The first day I wore my joggers I managed to spill coffee all over them and it immediately wiped right off which made me love the brand even more.

Nike runners

I do everything in my Nike's and I wear them with everything!…seriously. I take them to the mountains or even wear them with my leather pants or a skirt. I just love them! They're comfortable and extremely light.

(Odd but great travel tip) - A friend taught me to travel with dryer sheets. He puts one in each shoe to keep them smelling amazing - and it works.

Roo Rain Gear

I said it last year and I'll say it again, my rain gear was a life saver! We backpacked through Asia during monsoon season and the Roo Rain Gear was big enough to covered myself, my camera equipment bag and my 85L backpack. To top off an amazing product, the whole poncho is made from recycled plastic bottles. I don't know what I would do without it, this poncho never leaves my camera bag.

Ray Ban Transitional Lenses

I'm too scared to get laser eye surgery so I usually fumble between contact lenses, sunglasses, prescription glasses, and prescription sunglasses on a daily basis. (What a nightmare and waste of space). I may have been the last person to hear about this but I recently discovered the world of transitional lenses. I picked up a pair of Ray Bans that I can use as prescription glasses and as soon as I get into the sun they turn into sunglasses. (So magical)

WithinUs TruMarine Collagen:

I told a friend about my health experience from last year so she had recommended WithinUs TruMarine Collagen - 100% Hydrolyzed (fish scale) Collagen. It replenishes your skin, hair, nails, bones and joints. I really support this product and brand because it's organic, non GMO and perfect for traveling. I picked up 200 sticks to take with me which each include 3g of collagen. I add one stick to my morning water or coffee and let it dissolve. It tastes and smells like nothing. I'm really excited to share the results I've had.

Hyperbiotics

I was sick so often last year that my main priority is to keep as healthy as possible so I stocked up on Hyperbiotics, probiotics. I travel so often and usually don't have access to a fridge so these are great because they use a specific manufacturing process that increases stability without refrigeration.

Kobo ereader

I love reading books but they're inconvenient to pack while travelling. I was always nervous to use ereaders because I have sensitive eyes and I thought it would hurt them but my Kobo is perfect for me. It's easy to change pages, it remembers where I left off, allows me to take notes, I can store a lot of books on it, the battery life lasts a really long time and I can adjust the brightness. English was my third language so I have a really bad vocabulary. I love that I can highlight a word and it defines it immediately opposed to pretending like I understand it.

Toiletries

There’s nothing like opening your bag to a liquid explosion... This is why I love the Lush liquid-less products. My personal favourite is their body butter that keeps your skin feeling incredible and also leaves you smelling delicious.

I bring a very minimal amount of makeup while traveling and when I do, I store most of it in contact cases. They’re so small so it’s nice to get rid of all the excess packaging.

I've had an amazing time in Europe so far. Eating, exploring and learning lots!

If you have any travel packing tips and tricks feel free to comment below. I'd love to hear them. :)

Please note I am not paid by any of the brands listed above. I only recommend and suggest products I love and believe in.

Loads of love, Natalia xx

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