by Simply Great Health | Apr 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
Meditation
Why not give it a try especially if you are in self isolation at this time.
A number of randomized controlled trials have shown that meditation can:
- Reduce Stress Levels
- Support Brain Health, especially those areas of your brain linked to memory and emotions
- Help with Chronic Pain
- Support Cardiovascular Health, especially with cholesterol levels and high blood pressure
Meditation does not just mean sitting quietly chanting to yourself, but there are a number of different ideas and practices you can do to get the same health benefits. You need to find one that suits you best. Below are a few suggestions:
- Belly Breathing – breathing meditation
Place your hands on your stomach and feel your stomach rise with the in breath, and fall with the outbreath. Concentrate on this for a few minutes to start with, and as you become more practiced and comfortable increase the time.
- Progressive Relaxation Meditation
Find yourself a warm comfortable spot to either sit or lie down, then start at your feet and work your way slowing up your body tensing then releasing each group of muscles.
- Being Present
Again sitting in a comfortable position, now concentrate on:
- Three things you can see – but look for more detail or unusual features to concentrate on such as if looking at leaves or plants, look at the shape, colour, any variation in colour, any insect holes etc
- Three things you can hear – try to distinguish between different sounds, if it is voices, can you pick out a particular voice? If it is traffic, can you pick out a particular vehicle?
- Three things you can feel, for example can you feel the pressure on different body parts when sitting? Can you feel your clothes moving whilst you are breathing? Can you feel your tummy moving whilst you are breathing?
- Guided Meditations
There are a number of guided meditations available over the internet, again it is important to pick some that you enjoy. This can be a very personal choice. Some very popular apps are Calm.com and Headspace.com, both offer a limited time free trial which may be a good way to go when starting out. Just remember to cancel your subscription at the end of the trial if you do not wish to continue. Alternately google “Guided Meditation” for a number of free meditations.
- PrayerDon’t forget prayer is a great form of meditation for those who feel most comfortable with this.
As mentioned before it does not need to be for long periods of time but little “brain breaks” practised regularly can truly support your health and anxiety levels. The less stressed we are the better we are able to cope with unusual events, especially today. This may well also help support your immune system, how many of us become sick when feeling really stressed?
Keep calm, meditate, breath and find things to be grateful for each day, all help and are free to practice.
by Simply Great Health | Dec 18, 2019 | Uncategorized
Acupuncture is an ancient practice developed in Korea and China about 4000 years ago. Tiny needles are inserted into meridian points to support and balance the nervous and circulatory systems, which are considered major systems in the body. Meridians can be thought of as pathways in the body.
How does Acupuncture work?
Due to ancient textbooks being translated incorrectly, there is a lot of misinformation about what acupuncture really is. Acupuncture is not an energy therapy, voodoo, religion, or magic, and there are no invisible energy meridians. Acupuncture is a real physical therapy based on anatomy not energy. Acupuncture improves the flow of oxygen (Qi), nutrients (Ying Qi), and blood (Xue) through the circulatory system to nourish the cells of the body.
In Acupuncture philosophy, treating the #1 cause of disease is the first priority:
1. Blood stagnation (Impaired blood flow in the body).
When there is even a minimal problem with blood flow to any area of the body, that area can require support with how it functions. The body will not heal properly without proper blood flow. Acupuncture supports healthy dilation of blood vessels so that blood flow is restored to specific areas. This is useful in conditions that involve pain and supports organ function.
2. Blocked nerves (Impaired signalling between the brain and the body)
Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system by activating pain receptors, sensory nerves, and proprioceptor fibres that travel from the skin to the spine and into the brain to release natural pain-relieving chemical messengers around the body.
Acupuncture treats the 5 main factors that support your health and wellbeing.
- The flow of oxygen in your body (Qi)
- The flow of blood in your body (Xue)
- The health of your blood vessels (Xue mai)
- The health of your organs (Zang fu)
- The health of your nervous system (Jing mai)
Acupuncture supports the body’s natural ability to heal. Acupuncture treats a number of conditions and can be used in conjunction with Chinese herbal practice or other therapies.
If you are looking for a natural solution to your health, get Acupuncture today!
by Simply Great Health | Dec 2, 2019 | Uncategorized
Christmas should be a happy time, time spent with friends and family, but we all tend to get caught up in the business of the Christmas period and end up stressed, anxious and with never ending “to do” lists. One way to help with stress levels is gratitude. There is always something each day we can be grateful for, be it waking up pain free, having the love of your family, that smile a stranger gave you when passing, the sun shining. Finding things to be grateful for can help our mental health. By focusing on positive thoughts rather than the negative ones can help reduce the affects of our stress hormones.
Below is an advent calendar for you to download and use this festive season, but rather than just counting the days until Christmas I challenge you to fill in at least one thing you are grateful for each day.
by Simply Great Health | Apr 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
We have some wonderful detox organs within our body – we are constantly detoxing. However, evidence is mounting that never before in history have our bodies been exposed to such a large number of toxic chemicals both endogenous (from within our bodies) and exogenous (outside of our bodies). These toxins accumulate in our environment, our drinking water, food and in the air we breathe – so it is now almost impossible to avoid exposure, especially if you live in a big city.
The body largely eliminates toxins by excreting them in the urine or faeces, and to a lesser degree through the skin, hair and lungs. Toxins the body cannot eliminate (due to overload or compromised detox organ function) will accumulate in tissues, typically body fat.
A well-functioning liver filters about 2 litres of blood every minute, and clears 99% of bacteria and other toxins from the blood before it re-enters circulation. Possibly these days with the amount of toxic exposure we experience, the liver could do with a little extra support.
Symptoms of toxicity
These can be as varied as the individual, but generally speaking they can manifest as:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Muscle and/or joint aches and pains
- Brain fog
- Poor concentration
- Irritability
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Allergies, stuffy nose, coughing
- Rashes, itching, hives, acne
- Digestive symptoms, constipation, IBS
- Sensitivities to chemicals, foods, drugs
Sources of Toxins within us
- Cortisol produced during stress
- Hormones
- Gut bacteria, especially when there is an imbalance producing endotoxins, which have been associated with depression, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel and atherosclerosis.
Note: Phase 1 liver detoxification can produce toxic substances (often more toxic than the original toxin), which then needs to be processed quickly by phase 2. If there is an imbalance or a delay between phase 1 and phase 2, free radical damage may result from these toxins.
Sources of Toxins outside the body
- Plastics, think BPA – drink bottles, take away cups, microwaving in plastic, till receipts
- Benzene from smelling petrol
- Formaldehyde – off gassing from some new furniture, new carpet, particle board
- Pesticides on foods
- Chemicals in skin care products and household cleaning products
Heavy Metals (some examples)
- Exposure to Mercury – even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is a threat to the development of the child in utero and early in life. Possible sources are from amalgum fillings, fish higher up in the food chain such as Tuna and breaking of eco lightbulbs.
- Lead – can be passed on to the foetus. Passed exposure from lead petrol, accumulates in tissues.
Note: Heavy metals and our own minerals compete with each other. So if your own mineral status is low, this gives these heavy metals a chance to bind to receptors within our body.
But It Is Not All Doom and Gloom!
There is so much we can do to assist our body and its detoxification processes.
First it is critically important to
Remember our toxic load goes up and up and up until you reach tolerance level and then you may begin to develop disease.
So,
- Avoid as many as possible, by throwing out those plastic drink bottles, not cooking in plastic containers, use keep cups instead of plastic take away cups (this also helps save the environment), only handle till receipts if absolutely necessary.
- Stand upwind when filling up with petrol so that you are not inhaling any fumes.
- House cleaning products – be careful with chemicals, use eco friendly ones or you can even make your own with essential oils baking soda and white vinegar.
- Have a fibre rich diet. Dietary fibres help bind onto toxins and keep things moving through your bowels for elimination.
- Keep well hydrated, again this helps flush toxins out – start the day with two large glasses of water you may wish to add a little apple cider vinegar/lemon juice – as this may also help with regularity (brush teeth afterwards).
- Exercise – this helps flush out toxins, move bowels and stimulate the lymphatic system.
- Good bowel movements are essential – you don’t want things backing up and sitting there for long periods of time. The majority of toxins leave your body via the bowel.
- Finally, sweating is also a great way to eliminate waste and toxins, and is especially good for some metals and BPA. Infrared Saunas heat up the body much like the sun on a hot day. This dry heat is generally more easily tolerated and therefore may assist with a deeper more profuse sweating experience.
by Simply Great Health | Apr 9, 2019 | Uncategorized
Embrace Nature, Embrace Health.
Welcome to autumn – not a time to be sad that summer is over, but a time to admire the beauty of nature all around us. This is the season of stunning autumnal colours. Stop and take a moment from your busy life to enjoy what nature has to offer..
Nature truly has healing powers – from the wonderful plants that nourish us through the food we grow and eat, to the beautiful herbal tonics we can make using plants to help support organs and body system. Who hasn’t tried echinacea when struck down by the cold or flu? (By the way echinacea has many other uses too). Come and see our Naturopaths and Herbalists at Simply Great Health here on the North Shore to find out more.
Just being outside amongst the plants has healing powers too. A number of studies have found that by getting into nature, and better still, living in close proximity to “green space”, a number of health benefits may be experienced. A recent Spanish study published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2018, found that “Greenspaces have been associated with reduced cancer mortality among young women. Mechanisms explaining the beneficial effect of green spaces include increased levels of physical activity and reduced exposure to air pollution, which have been both associated with cancer development” (2018).
A study published in BJ Psych Int. found that “Individuals have less mental distress, less anxiety and depression, greater wellbeing and healthier cortisol profiles when living in urban areas with more greenspace” (Barton & Rogerson, 2017).
The Japanese have taken the natural healing of nature a step further and have what they call Shinrin Yoku, which translated means forest bathing. A practice of being connected with nature, recognising and utilising this wonderful health resource provided by our forests and countryside. It is a place where we can engage all 5 of our senses as we wonder through the bush. It would seem to not only help with blood pressure, memory and concentration but also seems to support a good night’s sleep. What a great way to unplug from technology, reconnect with our senses while at the same time getting some exercise and fresh air.
So as we are still enjoying such fine weather, why not take some time to get out into nature, enjoy some of our wonderful bush and give yourself a health boost at the same time. The best part is it won’t cost you anything. Give it a try this weekend and enjoy the benefits!
References:
O’Callaghan-Gordo, C., Kogevinas, M., Castano-Vingals, G., Aragones, N., Delfrade, J. Fernandez-Villa, T., … Nieuenhuijsen, M.J. (2018). Residential proximity to green spaces and breast cancer risk: The multicase-control study in Spain (MCC-Spain). Int J Hyg Environ Health, 221(8), 1097-1106. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.07.014
Barton, J. & Rogerson, M. (2017). The importance of greenspace for mental health. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5663018
