Winter Newsletter 2014 - Stressbusting tips

Winter Newsletter 2014 – Stressbusting tips

Winter can be a stressful time of year for our bodies and mind.  How can you support your mind and body over Christmas and during winter?

Partying

This is the time of year when we have plenty of social get togethers.  Unfortunately this time of year should be one of closing down and hibernation rather than expansion and high energy of spring/summer.  Our liver struggles to detoxify at this time which means we find it harder to pick up after these social events.  So if you are planning a night out where you’ll be staying up late, drinking alcohol and eating rich food, how can you support yourself?

I’d recommend you drink plenty of water before you go out and have some milk thistle, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, omega 3 and curcumin (turmeric) in the house to take.  These will boost your liver and immune system and calm inflammation.

Maca, macha green tea and protein powder with water would make a great smoothie for before and after a night out. I like whey protein but if you can’t tolerate dairy then go for a plant based one.

Keep hydrated with structured filtered water. As you know I recommend the Nikken pimag waterfall.  I was out recently in town and was given tap water. It’s amazing how easy it is to take for granted delicious health giving water until you drink tap.  It was truly disgusting!

Food

Believe it or not your traditional Christmas dinner is one of the best stressbusting meals you can have (even if the making of it for big numbers isn’t always!)

Turkey is a very good source of tryptophan which makes us feel mentally well, relaxed and even sleepy (as it converts to serotonin and melatonin).
All the trimmings may well include lovely herbs – sage, rosemary, thyme – all wonderful stress reducing herbs.
And plenty of seasonal veg to give us all the micronutrients we need.

I am looking forward to my Christmas dinner!  I love the fact that I have enough turkey left over to put in the freezer for meals that take us through to March! And I always do most of the preparation the day before, even cooking the turkey.  This all helps to reduce stress on the day and frees me up to really enjoy being with family, going out for a walk on the seafront, cosying up by the fire to play games.  A wonderful stress free Christmas is in store J

Light

Some of us really struggle with the lack of daylight and suffer with low mood and count down to the solstice (21^stDecember) when the light begins to return.  Getting out for a daily walk can really help with this as can getting a natural daylight lamp.  I recommend the Kenkolight which can wake you up naturally with light and brings full spectrum light into your home. I have one permanently next to my computer. I find it really helps me stay energised and able to concentrate.

EMF electrosmog stress , protection and support

As with all things to do with health, I believe passionately that we need to proactively protect and prevent disease using a variety of approaches, from good choices, to daily exercise and looking at what we can do to move towards the lives we want for ourselves.  But also to address the biggest experiment the human race has ever faced – the exposure at home and at work to electricity and microwave radiation which has increased by a phenomenal amount in recent years and which is detrimentally affecting our health. Research is now showing that these electromagnetic fields (from wifi, mobile phones, computers, and all our electrically gadgetry) are not good for human health.  At the very least they sap our energy and at worst they are thought now to be cancer causing. 

This is why I share what I know to be excellent protective products that we can use in our daily lives that match and therefore support our body’s natural energies and reduce the effects of the ‘unhealthy’ electromagnetic fields we are surrounded by.  This is even more important during winter when we spend the most time indoors and not connected with nature. 

My family all wear Nikken magnetic products during the day for protection and to stay energised, we drink pimag energising clean water, breathe uplifting clean kenkoAir for allergy free days and nights, shower in pimag water for healthy skin and hair and sleep cocooned in a sleep system of the earth’s magnetic frequency helping to get a restorative deep sleep and clear toxicity overnight.  In short, we have a Wellness Home.  I wouldn’t be without mine to support our family’s health.

Other Stressbusting tips

If the stress does get to you over the festive holidays:

• practice daily gratitudes (all the little things you are grateful for in your life) – say them to yourself, share them on facebook
• tap on your emotional issues – there are lots of good youtube videos to show you how to do EFT/tapping if you don’t already use this great tool
• Send your focus elsewhere to help others – this is one of the best stressbusters there is – think of something you’d love to do and act on it – I have recently started to walk a neighbour’s dog – win, win, I get to have regular walks and I am helping my neighbour which makes us both feel good

If you would like to find out more about the protective and supportive products I’ve mentioned or would like to come to see me on a 1-to-1 basis please do get in touch.  I will be back to work on the 6^th January 2015.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy solstice and festive season.

Nicki

20% festive discount on the Environment Wellness Pack: KenkoLight, Pimag shower filter, Pimag Waterfall filter and KenkoAir filter. Email me for individual prices.

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Autumn Equinox Newsletter 2013

Just in case you are wondering what's going on right now and how to support yourself at this time, here's my summary:

This is an amazingly powerful time of year.  The autumn equinox can feel a big challenge for many of us.  It is a time of letting go of the accumulations of the high summer energy we have had (and that was big this year!!).

We are at the flipping point of the year where the energy starts to contract.  We can feel this change in the blustery erratic weather these past couple of weeks.

We can feel it in our bodies.  Any symptoms we currently have may feel worse. 

We are entering the Chinese 5 Elements, Metal Element.  This means our colon, lungs, skin and mind are especially being affected.  So if you have problems with your gut, digestion, asthma, eczema, mood then you may notice these become more pronounced during these weeks.

To help support yourself at this time, make your food choices very simple: fish or poultry and vegetables made into soups or stews.

Lots of Chicken or fish bone broth – daily, to aid your gut health and therefore support your lung and skin health too.

Focus on hydration, so bulk drinking in between meals -up to 1 pint at a time (not more in an hour).

If you can, focus on naturopathic techniques such as skin brushing, Epsom salts baths with lavender.  You can add any other oils you like too – frankincense, peppermint, eucalyptus.  If you add a spoon of bicarbonate of soda to your bath this will increase the alkalinity of your body.

You will benefit from exercise at this time of year which will keep your moods lifted and help elimination.  I recommend you start with short intense bursts of exercise (HIIT).  This could be short bursts on a exercise bike, running up a hill, running up and down the stairs in bursts with intervals of gentle exercise to get your breath back then repeat 5-8 times.  Or you may like to play sports like tennis that involve lots of short bursts of intense exercise. Also press-ups either on the ground or against the wall, pull-ups and squats will all have a very positive effect.

You may find you are particularly emotional at this time.   You may experience anger or even rage.   I have read that there is a great deal of planetary activity right now which will be having a profound effect on our cells in addition to the equinox.  There is a grand cross of planets which align every 11 years and are to do with communication.  It is a time for the feminine to come into balance with the masculine that has dominated our world until now.  We are being given a big wake up call to feel feminine anger.  If you go with this energy and allow yourself to get fired up, the anger can pass through and not cause us pain. I recommend using EFT (tapping) on whatever comes up for you to acknowledge those emotions and allow a release and letting go on this level as well as on the physical.  This will help you to find your voice in a diplomatic and harmonious way and create the exciting new world you want for yourselves.

If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and you find your mood beginning to drop then this is a good time to engage in something that you really enjoy – singing, sport, art, something creative, something for yourself that really uplifts you.  The exercises mentioned before will really help raise your mood too.

I recommend you start getting to bed earlier and pay attention to stopping any blue light (given off by laptops, ipads etc) ideally by dusk but definitely at least 2 hours before you sleep.  This gives your brain the signal to produce melatonin the hormone that signals your biorhythms of deep restorative sleep.

Even though we had a brilliant summer, the light is reducing now and so you may need to think about supplementing with Vitamin D.  This is something you are best discussing with me in a consultation along with any other supplementation that may be supportive for you individually.  If you are taking lots of supplements you may also want to review these at this time.  If you are feeling the effects of the equinox physically then reduce or give yourself a few days off over the equinox and focus on nurture and naturopathic techniques.

If you would like to come and see me, do give me a call or email to book an appointment.

I wish you a very happy equinox where you ride the waves!

All best wishes

Nicki

EPSOM SALT BATHS: A natural way to feel better fast

All traditions support bathing with most ancient civilizations highly valuing baths especially those with therapeutic added salts, minerals and oils.

Epsom Salt was discovered in 1618 in Epsom in the UK.  

What are the benefits of Epsom salt baths?

1. Epsom Salt baths are an effective way to increase magnesium levels in the body
2. Epsom Salt baths help our body detoxify more effectively

Two top speakers at this year's Weston Price Foundation Conference recommend them.
Dr. Campbell McBride, the creator of the Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) protocol for brain and digestive issues, was adamant that one should use nightly baths some with Epsom Salts to help detoxify.

Stephanie Seneff, PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), talked at length during her presentations about the importance of sulphur in our body and how it’s possible that sulphur is the missing ingredient to overcome chronic diseases like cancer, obesity and Alzheimer’s.  She recommends taking regular Epsom Salt baths.

Epsom salts are Magnesium Sulphate.  From the name, you can see the two biggest parts are Magnesium and Sulphur (there’s oxygen atom mixed in too).
It has many uses other than potential therapeutic baths.  It’s used in farming, manufacturing and brewing beer.  

What is the magnesium doing?
According to Dr. Carolyn Dean author the Magnesium Miracle “Of the 325 magnesium-dependent enzymes the most important enzyme reaction involves the creation of energy by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fundamental energy storage molecule of the body.”
And Dr. Steven Johnson agrees adding, “The range of pathologies associated with Mg deficiency is staggering: hypertension (cardiovascular disease, kidney and liver damage, etc.), peroxynitrite damage (migraine, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.), recurrent bacterial infection due to low levels of nitric oxide in the cavities (sinuses, vagina, middle ear, lungs, throat, etc.), fungal infections due to a depressed immune system, thiamine deactivation (low gastric acid, behavioral disorders, etc.), premenstrual syndrome, Ca deficiency (osteoporosis, mood swings, etc.), tooth cavities, hearing loss, diabetes type II, cramps, muscle weakness, impotence, aggression, fibromas, potassium deficiency (arrhythmia, hypertension, some forms of cancer), Iron accumulation, etc.” (2)
And “Virtually all the components of the Metabolic Syndrome of diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and lipid disorders are associated with low magnesium.” Dr. Michael R. Eades M.D.
So as you can see magnesium is very important for our health.  And most people don't get enough in their diet.  Also if your digestion is sub-optimal, then there’s no guarantee the magnesium you’re ingesting is actually being absorbed into your body.

What is the sulphate doing?

Sulphur is the 8th most common element in the human body by mass (4).  It’s used in every area of the body. 
Sulphate is needed for

• proper pancreatic enzyme action
• is essential at forming the mucin proteins that line the gut walls
• is necessary for the formation of brain tissue and proper neurotransmitter function
• is needed for proper joint lubrication and function
• Sulphur containing compounds are a very important part of Phase 2 detox in the liver

Bad digestion, bad brain status and hurting joints are all things many of us struggle with.  Sulphur plays a major role in all of these.
There are 3 ways to get more suphates into your body.  Eating it, absorbing it through the skin, or creating it from methionine and cysteine.  The problem is: the ability to absorb it from eating sulphur containing foods is very inefficient (5).  And if you have IBS or any gut dysbiosis,  it’s even worse (6).


How to take an Epsom Salt Bath

Fill your bath with hot water (ideally with the chlorine removed - Healthy House bath ball or whole house water filter or Nikken shower filter if over the bath)
Add up to 1 kg of epsom salts
Skin brush
Soak in the bath for 20mins or more and allow the water to cool before getting out.
Go to bed.
You may find that you feel dizzy, exhausted, need to pee after the bath.  This is your body ridding itself of toxicity.  But you will also find you will sleep deeply after an epsom salts bath and feel better in the morning.

It is a good idea to have a bath once a week and 2-3x a week if feeling a bit under the weather or very stressed.  If you have children, this is a great remedy if they are showing signs of coming down with a cold.  It's my first port of call for all the family.  9 times out of 10 you feel better in the morning.

N.B. If you have varicose veins or are pregnant please ask a health practitioner before using epsom salts.

References:
1 -http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6042851.html
2- http://www.mpwhi.com/magnesium_for_life.pdf
3- http://www.jacn.org/content/24/3/166.abstract
4- http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/sulfur_obesity_alzheimers_muscle_wasting.html
5- http://physrev.physiology.org/content/81/4/1499.full.pdf
6- http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/articles/sulfation_benefits.pdf

A positive attitude with TED

For a fascinating insight into attitude view this talk available on the inspiring TED website, The Happy Secret to Better Work.

My Next Cookery Workshop is on Healthy Baking on 8th December

If you want to eat cake at Christmas but think you oughtn't then come and bake with me at Varndean School, Brighton, on Saturday 8th December, 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

During this hands-on afternoon you'll learn how to make healthy cakes, biscuits and desserts to tide you over the festive period which will not put weight on you and may even encourage your metabolism to cause you to lose weight!

You will also get the nutritional information behind the ingredients and how the nutrients work in the body thrown in.

And importantly you will get to sample the delicious food so no need for tea when you get home!

Children welcome but must be supervised by an accompanying adult.

Workshop cost for 1 adult is £40 including recipe sheets, ingredients and tasters.
Worsshop cost for an adult plus a supervised child (age 6+) is £50 including recipes, ingredients and tasters.
Earlybird discounts £35 for adults and £45 for an adult plus supervised child (if booked before 21st November).

Call 01273 230947 or 07786405366 to make a booking.

Don't be a Couch Cat

DON'T BE A COUCH CAT! IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR HEART - Just a brisk 5 minute walk strengthens the heart and lungs, increasing overall fitness as it burns calories. The increased supply of oxygen gets rid of the waste products and toxins in the tissues. Regular walking is excellent for spinal discs, which receive minerals and vitamins through the pumping action it causes. The best thing is that you can see results from walking reasonably quickly. So get up and move

By: One Minute Healings

Whole Woman Workshops

Whole Woman Workshops are an opportunity to explore a natural approach to the phases and transitions that women experience during our lives, from periods to pregnancy through to menopause.

I would like to see all women enjoy these natural processes and transitions, free from pain, discomfort, depression, anxiety and the many other pitfalls that can come along.

The first workshop in a series is "A natural approach to... periods" Saturday 17th July 9.30-1pm.

Please call 07786 405366 for further details or visit www.wholewoman.co.uk

One Day Cookery Workshop 16/10/10

My next cookery workshop run with Kirsten Chick will be on 16th October 2010 at Hove Park School. Please contact me on 07786405366 for further details.

Spring Foods, Detox and Health

Has anyone experienced headaches, rashes, bloating, irritability, nausea, cravings, achy limbs, flu or lack of energy recently? These symptoms are signs that the toxins leaving your body are overwhelming your lymph, blood and liver. Well this is quite normal for spring time. Your body is going through a natural spring cleanse whether you like it or not.

With all the detoxification your body is going through you can support yourself at this time and reduce those symptoms by following these guidelines:

Baby Weaning

I am giving a talk about weaning babies at Cliffe Osteopaths, High Street, Lewes on Saturday 27th March 2010.

Please call 07786 405366 or email for further details.