In pursuit of true health and wellness, together.
SANNA Health is an online natural health journal that aims to educate, inspire and support individuals – with a focus not only on the what, but also the why – as they pursue their personal path to wellness.
The meaning and intent behind SANNA Health is three-fold:
‘Sanna’ is adapted from ‘sann’, which in Swedish means true.
SANNA Health reminds us of the importance of finding a version of health that feels true for each individual, embracing holistic nutrition, natural beauty and slower living as a means of honouring our true selves. Scandinavia – synonymous with the highest levels of health and happiness in the world, attributable to the emphasis on work / life balance, a healthful diet, and connection to both nature and community, among other measures – shows us what is possible [1, 2].
‘Sanna’ is also the Finnish form of the feminine Susanna, adapted from the Hebrew for lily.
SANNA Health encourages a conscious cultivation of feminine yin energy – as opposed to masculine yang energy – to restore balance and harmony between the two, which is commonly disrupted by many characteristics of our Western culture. Yin energy is synonymous with softness, stillness and the parasympathetic nervous system (which promotes the rest and digest response), whilst yang energy is associated with action, productivity and the sympathetic nervous system (which regulates the fight vs. flight response) [3]. Meanwhile, natural health – and its powerful, complementary role in contemporary health care – lies at the very heart of SANNA Health .
Finally, ‘Sanna’ is phonetically similar to ‘sun’, reminding us of the need to honour our health – and ourselves – daily.
As the sun rises each and every day, we are presented with an opportunity to renew our commitment to our health and ourselves, and also reminded that it is never too late to start.
References.
[1] Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. D., De Neve, J. E., Aknin, L. B., & Wang, S. (2022). World Happiness Report 2022. https://happiness-report.s3.amazonaws.com/2022/WHR+22.pdf
[2] Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development [OECD]. (2020). OECD Better Life Index. Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#11111111111
[3] Hu, W. C. (2016). Yin-yang in traditional medicine and its relation to parasympathetic (NO-cGMP) and sympathetic (CO-cAMP) balance. Journal of Chinese Medicine, 27(1), https://www.nricm.edu.tw/var/file/0/1000/attach/73/pta_2245_1378576_30566.pdf
Caitlin Branch is currently studying a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) and as a Clinical Nutritionist in training, is motivated to support others to experience true health and wellness. She created SANNA Health to share her enduring passion for natural health, after experiencing exhaustion and burnout in her previous management consulting career. Caitlin also holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting, Finance) and Bachelor of Business Management (Business Economics), and lives in Melbourne with her husband and their much-loved Golden Retriever, Cooper.
