All posts by Anne Paton

The Burden of Guilt is one of the worst of our emotions. Why? Because very often it’s something we feel we can’t remedy. We can’t go back and change the past.

The event, of course, is in the past and the person involved may be physically dead or your relationship is so dead that the other person is deaf to your explanations or pleas for forgiveness.

You may go over and over in your mind the circumstances leading to the traumatic situation; examining what you did wrong and what you should have done to avoid what happened.

My story

I’ll tell you my personal story and what I did to overcome the crippling pain of guilt.

In her late 80’s my Mother had a fall in her hallway, followed by an eight-week stay in hospital and then a three-month period living with me and sleeping in my downstairs spare bedroom.

She had been living in sheltered accommodation in her own apartment, which had a manager who checked on her by intercom each day, so I thought it was safe for me to just go there every few days. Unfortunately, when she fell she didn’t tell anyone. When the manager called her, she just said she didn’t feel well; she didn’t tell him she was on the floor, so she had 3 days with no food or water.

That was the first of my guilt triggers. I really felt guilty that I hadn’t been round to see her for 3 days. I only lived round the corner, and I could have gone more often; but I had a full-time job, a family and household duties that took a lot of my time; but I still felt bad.

Whilst in the hospital, they gave her overdoses of drugs that put her into a near coma; so I went there at 8 am each morning and made sure they stopped giving her that drug, and she came round again.

They then gave her laxatives, which she didn’t need, giving her days of painful diarrhea. I again had to complain and stop them giving them to her.

Finally, they gave her Beta blockers which, as soon as she stood up, made her pass out. She fell twice in 12 hours, smashed her head on the hard hospital floor, and had two lacerations to her scalp requiring attention.

Eventually, they got fed up of my interference and let her come home with me, but she was a shadow of her former self. I felt guilty for letting her stay in hospital. I wished I had just brought her home after the first few days of them rehydrating her.

She had vascular dementia; something I didn’t pick up on in the early days, and merely passed her forgetfulness off as normal old age; so when she came to live with me, she needed 24-hour care. I slept on the settee so that I could be there when she needed me. She would be awake half the night wanting the toilet and then, when she got there, she didn’t need it.

It was exhausting and eventually, and reluctantly, I had to arrange for her to go into a care home. My guilt trip just went up a notch.

They didn’t care for her the way I had. They would just put her food in front of her and take it away if she didn’t eat it, so every morning before work I would make her some porridge, go to the home and spoon-feed it to her.

She sat with her eyes closed most of the time and cried intermittently.

The final arrow to my heart was when she developed a horrendous bed sore on her coccyx, which culminated in her flesh necrotising and the nurse having to cut a big hole at the base of her spine.

I was besides myself with guilt; I felt I should have kept a better eye on her physical state.

My Mum was eventually released from her suffering by dying in a morphine induced deep sleep.

As I sat there with her that morning, I held her frail hand and told her not to stay for me. I would miss her, but I didn’t want her to suffer any more. She went that night.

The whole episode took a year to play out. A year of awful and avoidable suffering for her.

I really felt I had let her down.

The next five years went by with a cloud hanging over me and a lead weight on my chest.

The decision

Every time my Sister visited from Dublin, I would cry my eyes out and burden her with my regret and guilt, till eventually, after those five years, I decided that was it.

I made a conscious decision to stop crying; it didn’t help anyone, it made me feel worse and hurt those around me; and that’s what I did – I just stopped.

Time to heal

I still felt bad, but I didn’t pass that onto others who could do nothing to help me. Now it was time to actually change how I felt.

Even now ten years on, in low moments, I can shed a tear or two when I think of what she went through. It’s only natural to be hurt by what has hurt a loved one, but I don’t let it affect me the way it did in the past on a daily basis.

What we have to avoid is getting into the sadness habit. We wear grooves into our brains of habitual thoughts and emotions and, as Tony Robbins says, we have to “Change our State”.

Change the script

If, when we think of a person or event, we let ourselves automatically go through a range of emotions and actions, it’s like a script we’ve written for ourselves that we repeat over and over again.

My Mum had a friend called Kathy whose husband had left her in her early twenties when her daughter was a baby. He continued to support her financially, but the relationship was over.

My Mum met her when she was in her early 80’s, and Kathy was still gripped by the trauma of the event. She spoke of it daily and incessantly, and it colored her whole life. She hung onto the grief of losing her marriage tenaciously.

Grief and guilt are two very similar emotions and, if we hang onto them, they can ruin our lives.

At some point, we have to make a conscious decision to change how we think and feel about these events and try to look at the facts rather than the fantasy of the memory.

For instance, I focused entirely on the things I didn’t do right and the things I did do wrong for my Mum.

• I didn’t visit her as often as I could have
• I didn’t bring her home from the hospital as quickly as I could have
• I didn’t monitor her physical state the way I could have

I totally ignored all the things I did do for her

• I went into the hospital and challenged her drug regime
• I cared for her at home until I physically couldn’t do it anymore
• I went into the care home and fed her to try to help her get strong

We are harder on ourselves than anyone else would be and we have to accept that, whether we like it or not, some things are outside of our control.

We have to forgive ourselves. We are human and certainly not perfect; no-one is.

Chronic feelings of guilt are damaging; they drag us down and stop us from living a normal life.

It’s as though we don’t deserve to be happy, and we punish ourselves long past the time when we should have let it go.

Help is out there

But we don’t have to suffer alone; there are things we can do to dissolve this burden of guilt, and we owe it to ourselves and our friends and families to do this.

Once we’ve learned the techniques, we can pass this gift onto others who may be suffering in similar ways.

Here is what helped me:-

EFT

• This stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and it has been used over the years to overcome all sorts of trauma, including PTS syndrome.
• It works on the subconscious mind to release the effect of stored painful memories so that we can look at them without feeling the attached emotion; and we can think of our loved ones who have passed or a person we have failed without the accompanying pangs of emotional pain that have afflicted us for years. We can learn from our mistakes instead and move on.
• The website for this is www.thetappingsolution.com and, as the name implies, the therapy involves tapping on meridian points on the face, head, chest and upper body, which in turn stimulates our neural network to respond in a different way. The effects are amazing.
• There is a lot of free information on the website that can get you started, and a wealth of publications for you to refer to, to help you overcome any trauma that is troubling you.
• You can also get EFT practise on YouTube.  Just search, choose your video and follow the instructions. So easy.

THE SILVA METHOD

• This is my favorite. It’s quick, easy and effective.

• There are various techniques within the Silva method, but the one I use the most is the Mirror of the Mind.
• The training teaches you how to relax your mind and body in preparation for this visualization and meditation session; you then imagine there are 3 mirrors in front of you.

• Looking in the one to the right, you see yourself as you are, with the problem you have; so maybe crying every night because of this memory or just feeling weighed down by guilt day in day out – and you say to yourself “I don’t want to be like this”.

• You then think about what you would need to do to change this; so maybe imagine being face to face with the person concerned and asking for and receiving their forgiveness.

• The second stage is to look into the middle mirror and imagine yourself carrying out those healing actions, culminating in a hug or just a handshake and a smile.

• Finally, in the far-left mirror, you see yourself relieved of this burden. Feel the happiness and lightness of spirit of this release.

• Each stage can last as long as you want it to, minutes or hours, whichever helps you the most; and the technique can help with physical problems as well as psychological and emotional ones.

This is just one of the techniques.  If this doesn’t float your boat, there are others in the Silva family that may suit you better.  Just taking the first step is what’s important.  www.silvamethod.com 

Maxwell Maltz, the creator of Psycho Cybernetics, says we should see the world with kind eyes; we should be kind to ourselves and others; silence the critic within – don’t criticize yourself and don’t criticize others. I think he’s right.

We have a limited time on this earth and it’s up to us how we live our lives. We aren’t automatons and can choose how to react to the rocks life throws at us if we really want to.

It’s up to you.

Do you want to live a creative, productive, happy life, learning from mistakes, using that information and then moving on, or do you want to live a miserable, restricted, negative life, weighed down by your mistakes?

Someone I know’s favorite saying is “Life’s a bitch and then you die”. What a sad and awful way to live. Not exactly guilt, I know, but an example of how State of Mind can dictate how you experience life.

The choice really is yours

You can make a fabulous contribution to the world; make it a better place for you being in it, or you can waste it wallowing in self-pity, grief and guilt.

Which will you choose?

Anne xx

Stress and tension – everyone has these to some degree; some of it is good, keeping us on our toes and alert, and a lot of it is a literal pain in the neck.

It can affect our minds and bodies, giving us aches and pains, cause life threatening diseases such as cancer, reduce our brain’s ability to function and generally make our lives a misery.

The following shows you the causes, effects and solutions to this our modern burden of stress and anxiety and how to live a Stress Free Life.

Root cause of most illnesses and disease

Chronic stress, that is ongoing, never ending stressful situations such as a bullying boss, the daily commute, an abusive partner etc. etc. means that your body is getting constant exposure to stress hormones such as Cortisol and Adrenalin.

Now these hormones are essential if you are dealing with the threat of imminent danger. In the past it might be a Sabre tooth tiger attacking from a bush; so these hormones would help us to either fight the tiger or run very very fast away from the dangerous situation; and after the danger had gone, our hormones would return to normal and our body would regain homeostasis – the healthy balance of hormones.

Fortunately, these days, most of us aren’t in such a life threatening situation; instead we have the ongoing daily stressors as described above; so we have the fight or flight stimulus continuously and, sometimes, the added affect of “freeze”.

Are you frozen?

If your reaction to actually doing something about your stressful situation – say looking for and finding a new job to leave the one that’s not working for you – is to talk yourself out of it and stay within your comfort zone, no matter how uncomfortable it is, then the chances are that you are in the third state of flight or fight, which is freeze.

It just seems too dangerous to take a leap into the unknown. Your boss may be a bully, who seems to single you out for unfair criticism, but at least he hasn’t fired you yet, so you’ll just keep your head down and hope he finds someone else to pick on.

When you get home, you soothe yourself with distractions – TV, browsing the net, binge eating and drinking – they’re all self soothers that take your mind off your immediate problems and slow down the flow of the stress hormones that give you palpitations or even physical aches and pains.

Watching TV has been proven to slow down brain activity to less than it has whilst doing absolutely nothing.

How to unfreeze.

The two things we can do may seem like polar opposites, but they will complement each other perfectly.

• The first one is to relax; not with the obvious soothers, as already mentioned, but with conscious actions which will help you to let go of all those unpleasant and damaging thoughts and activities.
• Our brains make neural pathways which form our habits, so that we can live our lives on auto. Our brains like this; the habits we have formed are safe ones, tried and tested to keep us away from danger, and that is what our brains try to do – keep us alive and safe.
• But to live the life we want to, we have to think mindfully; to be able to evaluate our daily lives and options for improvement, and to do this we have to do things which change our mental mindset and our physical physiology.
• The two things which can do this are meditation and any physical exercise that floats your boat. You can just pound the streets jogging, go to the gym, do a YouTube workout, or you can try something new such as yoga, chi gong, pilates or any other similar activities.
• The physical act of exercise will change your hormonal balance; it will reduce the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenalin and increase the feelgood hormones of serotonin and endorphins. It may seem odd to say that exercise will relax you, but because the stress hormones are lessened it will have a knock on effect to eliminating the tension in your muscles.
• The mental and emotional effects of meditation will put you in control of your own mind. Techniques such as the Silva Method are easy to learn and implement and will have an incredible effect on how you think and feel in your daily life.
• There are also guided meditations on YouTube, all totally free, and a great beginners’ introduction to the joyful benefits of meditation; just lie there and listen; the pictures they paint in your mind will change your brain vibrations and stop you thinking about what you did today and what you need to do tomorrow. We all need a break from the thoughts that go through our minds on a daily basis.
• The second one is to take action. Once you have learned how to let go, you can start planning how to change your thinking, to become the person you wish to become and have the life of your dreams.
• Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Well I’m here to tell you that it is all in your grasp. Every action starts with a thought. Everything we use – every invention – started with a thought and then an action.I
• If you’ve always wanted to be a You Tuber or a Personal Trainer for example, go onto YouTube and see how they do what they do. Look online for any free tuition that could get you started as a Personal Trainer. If you look, you will always find something that will take you closer to your dream and, if you take one step a day closer to what you want, logically you must eventually get there. The old saying of “every journey of a thousand miles starts with one step” has to be true.
• This mixture of physical, emotional and mental activities is called “oscillation”. If you do them in sequence it will help your mind and body to work better; so for instance, at the weekend, you could go for a jog first thing in the morning or, if the weather is inclement, a YouTube 20 minute workout in the lounge. This would be your physical activity. Then, when you finish that, you might do your emotional mind healing activity of meditation; and the final one would be a learning one. It doesn’t have to be a university course; just the act of reading a magazine on a subject you would never normally follow would suffice.
• Using oscillation will stimulate your mind and body in a positive way, give you good things to think about, and make you feel generally good in yourself. Variety of thought is the key to helping our brains function optimally.
  
• How do you feel about yourself? Are you a winner or a loser? Are you kind or mean? Are you generous or stingy? Your self-image is a massive part of your human experience; you can be what you decide you will be. If you say “That’s just the way I am” then nothing is going to change. If you settle with being your worst self, then you are bound to be stressed and tense.
• Instead, just small daily acts of kindness will make you feel good; if you are driving along a dual carriageway and you see someone waiting to come out of a side road, pull out and let them in. If you are at the checkout of the supermarket with your full weekly shop and the person behind you only has one or two items, let them go in front of you. What you give out comes back to you, and doing these things will boost your own self-esteem.

The mind is a party pooper.

It took billions of years for humans to develop into the amazing creatures that we are now. We are the highest form of intelligence on this planet and it is this intelligence that gives us most of our problems. If we allow our higher selves to run our lives, we can solve these problems, but all too often we are on auto and it’s our base selves that run the show.

If we aren’t careful, our minds will run us instead of the other way around. You can’t shut it up, but you can work with the mind to guide it to positivity. You can teach it to back off from and not respond to negative stimuli, not to engage with it, not to get angry about stupid things, and to release the emotions connected to that situation.

There is a really good book by Michael Singer called “The Untethered Soul” that shows us how to do this. The book gives us useful tools, shows us mental exercises and affirmations that will train the mind to honor and respect reality, allow others to be how they are (if they want to drive at 40 mph in a 60 zone, that’s their business, not ours).

Once we get it right, we can enjoy the party.

Focus

There is an old American Indian story that goes like this.

One evening, an elderly Cherokee Chief told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between the two wolves inside us all. One wolf is evil. It is angry, envious, jealous, sorrowful, regretful, greedy, arrogant, self-pitying, guilty, inferior, dishonest, prideful, superior, and egoic. The other wolf in this battle is good. He is joyful, peaceful, loving, hopeful, serene, humble, kind, benevolent, empathic, generous, honest, compassionate, and faithful.

The Grandson says “which wolf wins”, and the Grandfather answers “The one we feed”.

Which one will you feed?

The moral of this story is that we are what we think and feel. We can either let life press our buttons, making us anxious and stressed, or we can choose our own path. Buddha says that most human anxiety comes from fighting that which is outside of our control.

So we can learn to choose how we react to certain situations. If we get cut up in traffic, we can either chase the culprit and honk our horns, or we can wonder what’s in their heads to make them act that way. Are they really late for something important or have they just had an almighty row with their other half? Either way, it’s nothing to do with us and we’re better off just pulling back so we don’t end up feeling worse than they do.

Mary Morrissey from www.bravethinkinginstitute.com is a brilliant resource. She has a publication called “Stronger than Circumstance” that you can download for free from the website. It contains amazing insights into how we think and act and what we can do about it. A very compelling piece of reading which could change your life forever.

Here’s to a stress free, productive and joyous life.

Anne

We just love sugar, don’t we? Whether it’s a doughnut, an apple pie with lashings of custard or cream, or just four spoonfuls of sugar in our coffee. So many of us are addicted and have absolutely no resistance to this seductive confection we call sugar; so what does sugar do to your body?

We’re talking about processed sugar here, not the healthy fruity kind, and in moderation it’s fine; a little can be hidden in a meal; but in excess the results can be literally lethal.

If we don’t die from eating too much sugar, we can be just fatter, iller (if there is such a word) or just look a whole lot older than we need to, and I’ll tell you why here in these pages.

The sugar-insulin connection

Our bodies are a perfect and amazingly efficient machine and the digestion is no exception. The food we eat is converted into all the things our bodies need; vitamins, minerals, enzymes and glucose.

Glucose is important; it fuels our energy and our brains run on it. The brain and nerve cells get 25% of the total glucose we use each day. Even at rest, our brains use up a greater percentage of our glucose supply than our bodies use with activity.

In order to use this glucose, our pancreas secretes the hormone insulin, which helps the cells to absorb the glucose and use it. When there is a large amount of sugar in our system, we get the appropriate spike in insulin to cope with it.

However, after a large spike, because insulin is so good at reducing the excess sugar in our blood, we then get the inevitable sugar depletion. A typical reaction to low blood sugar is anxiety, sweating and shaking; and this then sends us running for the biscuit barrel or the fridge for another sugar spiking ice cream.

Processed carbs in bread, cakes, biscuits etc raise blood sugar quickly; they have little or no fiber and cause blood sugar to sky rocket and then plummet almost as quickly, which is why we feel so tired after eating them.

So the aim when we are eating is to keep the insulin levels on an even keel by eating foods with natural sugars in them such as legumes, starchy vegetables and whole grains. These raise blood sugar much more gradually and will give you the energy you need for your day.

Over-eating and weight gain

These spikes and dips in blood sugar cause sugar cravings, overeating and weight gain.

One study found that people who increased their sugar intake gained about 1.7 pounds in less than 2 months. Too much sugar in the system can inflame fat cells, which then causes the release of chemicals that increase weight.

Eating processed sugar floods our brains with a chemical called dopamine, one of our feel-good chemicals, which is why we don’t crave carrots or other healthy foods when we’re peckish, because they don’t stimulate as much dopamine to be released. Yet again, sugar has caused us to have another addiction – dopamine.

The excess weight, combined with the inflammation caused by too much sugar, also causes aches and pains in our joints and muscles.

Once you start on the processed sugar train, it’s hard to get off because, as with all addictions, you need more and more to get the same effect. (I’ll tell you how at the end).

Heart disease

Excess sugar in the blood can cause the endolethium (the lining of the blood vessels) to become inflamed; they then grow thicker and more stiff and so the blood has more difficulty in getting through. These artery walls and blood vessels also become stickier and can attract blood clots.

High Glucose levels also make the blood platelets stickier, again risking blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

If you eat 25% of your calories in the form of added sugar, you are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those whose diets include less than 10% of total calories from added sugar.

Diabetes

You probably already know this, but too much processed sugar and too much weight puts stress on our bodies and can cause massive problems.

When you overload your body with sugar, and the pancreas and kidneys have to work that much harder, producing more insulin and filtering out the waste products, eventually they don’t work so well, and you become type 2 diabetic.

Millions of little blood vessels in the kidneys called glomeruli act as strainers, filtering small waste molecules out of your bloodstream and into your urine. The constant high blood sugar associated with diabetes can damage the glomeruli, which then leak, allowing protein and excess sugar from the blood to seep out into the urine. You then risk kidney failure and the harsh reality of regular trips to the hospital for dialysis, or worse, transplant.

Other effects of high blood sugar in diabetes are:-

• General vision – High blood glucose levels can damage tiny capillaries in the eyes. The capillaries swell and weaken, clog and burst, impairing vision and often causing blindness.
• Diabetic retinopathy. Abnormal production of protein – Kinase C- causes the unnecessary growth of new vessels. These vessels are more prone to leak and burst.
• Nerve damage. High blood glucose damages nerves and can cause diabetic neuropathy.

You can avoid, or even cure, type 2 diabetes with a better diet, free from the sugar that poisoned you.

What you can do

But it’s not all doom and gloom; there’s lots you can do to stop yourself eating so much sugar and get your sweet tooth under control. Here are a few of them:-

• Sleep. Lack of sleep alters the release of glucose regulating hormones, leading to insulin resistance. People who sleep 5 hours or less a night are a third more likely to develop diabetes. Lack of sleep increases cytokines, the chemical messengers that direct the inflammatory process. Cytokines can also increase insulin resistance. Sleep disorders such as SDB (Sleep Disordered Breathing), Sleep Apnea and regular deep snorers boost the levels of the hormone catecholamines, which may also lead to insulin resistance, thus raising blood sugar.  The old adage “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” may be a good one to follow.  Once you habituate your body into having a good 8 hours sleep a night, you should see a marked improvement in general health, including blood sugar levels.

• Exercise. People in a Finnish study were able to slash their diabetes risk by 58% with just two and a half hours of exercise a week (21 minutes a day). Moderate exercise – walking, biking, swimming, tennis etc is enough to improve your odds.

• Food: If you love nut butters, you’re in luck; they’re both blood-sugar friendly and good sources of appetite-suppressing healthy fats.
• Researchers think that the monounsaturated fats in nuts may build healthier “skin” around the cells, allowing blood sugar to enter more easily; the fiber and magnesium in nuts appear to help manage insulin levels, while their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant proteins may regulate blood sugar and insulin.
• Do keep nut butters at a healthy intake though, as they are high in calories and could cause weight gain if you overdo it; a handful of nuts or just one tablespoon of nut butter a day is plenty.
• Have 4 or 5 small meals a day, instead of the normal 3 – so eat half your sandwich at lunch time and the other half a couple of hours later.  This will help your body burn fat more effectively, and keep your blood sugar on an even keel.

And finally, it’s never too late to change the eating habits of a lifetime. I was a terrible sugar addict for years, starting at the school gate.

Every evening on the way home from school my Mum and I would go into the sweet shop and I was allowed to get a bag of the most sugary sweets you can imagine. My haul would grow and grow by the week until, after a while, my Mum would ban them for a week or two until I wasn’t quite so demanding. I’m sure my teeth suffered and eventually, in adulthood, so did my weight.

My savior came in the form of a book called “Fit for Life” by a man called Harvey Diamond and his wife Marilyn, which is all about combined eating. It didn’t specifically ban processed sugar, but the way of eating was so healthy that my usual favorites were overtaken by healthy ones.

My transformation took a matter of weeks.

A 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology says that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit. The average is said to be 66 days for the new behaviour to become automatic.

We all have habits, both good and bad, and they can be hard to get rid of, especially a sugar habit, but it is just that – a habit.

We have them for so long that we think we don’t have a choice -“That’s just the way I am” –  but just think; if we change our habits, we change our life;

Not only will we live longer, we will live healthier, happier and less painful lives.  A better life not just for ourselves, but all those people around us who love and care about us.

I know which I would rather have.

Here’s to a long and fruitful life; a life well lived.

If you would like to check out Harvey and Marilyn’s book just click on this link.

Anne

Therapeutic Living Inspiration

 

 

 

Please be aware that as an affiliate of Amazon, I will benefit from any purchase you make as a result of clicking on one of my links.

 

Breathing – Yep, got it sussed; do it every day, even in my sleep; in-out, in-out; it’s a doddle.

You may be surprised to know, though, that you might not be doing it right. Yes, all these years you just might have got it totally wrong.

I’m only kidding, of course, but how cool would it be to know that you can dramatically improve your health just by regularly doing specific breathing exercises to improve lung function, change your physiology, your body chemistry and lots, lots more.

Your lungs’ lifeblood

The amount of oxygen we inhale directly affects the amount of energy released into our cells, controlling chemical and physiological body systems.

The possible benefits of improved breathing techniques are as follows:-

• More energy
• Immune system boosting
• Stress relief
• Clarity of mind
• Blood pressure control
• Cell detoxification
• Relief from emotional problems such as panic attacks and anxiety
• Pain relief
• Mood elevation
• Sleep improvement
• Concentration improvement
• Relief from headaches
• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Digestion
• Improves function of the glands, giving your body the necessary chemicals for good health
• Reduces heart load and helps the heart to function longer
• Controls weight
• Regulates body temperature
• Massages internal organs
• Beats common respiratory illnesses such as Asthma and COPD

Here are a few breathing exercises to get you going.

Wim Hoff – The Ice Man

Wim Hoff is a crazy Dutchman (his words) who has devised a regime of breathing exercises, exposure to cold and commitment to certain ideas.

Using his techniques, he has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, ran a half-marathon above the arctic circle barefoot and stood in a container covered in ice cubes for 112 minutes. He can control his breathing, heart rate and blood circulation, and he rarely gets ill, even though he is in his 60’s.

Now, although all the above are to do with his relationship with cold temperatures and their beneficial effect on the body’s systems, he also has a specific regime of breathing exercises.

I describe them below, but if you would like to be taken through this by Wim himself, he has a lovely free guided breathing session on the landing page of his website www.wimhoffmethod.com/breathingexercises. His voice is hypnotic, so I do recommend you do this.

Here is what you will hear.

Wim’s gift

• 30 deep, rhythmic deep breaths in and out, quickly taken, without pause between inhalation and exhalation, into the belly and chest. On the last one, breathe out and hold.
• Hold the empty lung for one minute, whilst Wim gives you instructions of how to let go of your stress.
• Deep breath in and hold for 15 seconds.
• 30 more deep, rhythmic breaths, without pause between inhalation and exhalation – then, as before hold your last breath on an empty lung
• One and a half minutes breath hold with empty lung (OK to breathe in if you can’t manage this)
• Fully breathe in and hold for 15 seconds
• 30 more deep breaths as before
• One and a half minutes breath hold with empty lung
• Become aware of the way your body feels
• Breathe in and hold for 15 seconds
• Let your breath return to normal

On the website, you will find a free app, free mini classes, video courses, activities, products and an academy.

If you want to know even more about this amazing man, he is featured on The Gloop Lab, which you can find on Netflix, where he takes a group of people and puts them through all the features of his breathing methods in the comfort of the indoors and then takes them outdoors in winter in their bathing costumes. They do exercises in the snow and finish off by diving into an ice-cold lake.

Now you might say “No way Jose”, but maybe stop to think for a minute. Wim’s methods are extreme in the least, but every single person on that day said their bodies were tingling and they felt incredible.

Not only that, but one lady, who suffered from panic attacks and general anxiety, was able to control those feelings. Jumping into the lake triggered the feelings she normally had when an attack was coming on, but she was able to use the breathing techniques to stave off a full-blown attack. Once back home in USA, she was interviewed and confirmed that she had not had a panic attack since she returned.

The Renegade Pharmacist

This site is run by Niraj Naik, a Pharmacist with a Master’s Degree. He advocates many natural therapies, so hence his title as the Renegade Pharmacist. His website, should you be curious is www.renegadepharmacist.com/breathhold.

One of the things on his website is something called Rechaka Pranayama, which is the yogic practice of holding the breath on an empty lung, which is said to have an effect on the sympathetic nervous system and immune system.

Hypoxia Therapy

Another name for this practice is Hypoxia, which Niraj explores, and the claimed benefits are as follows:-

• Increased number of red blood cells through the production of EPO.
• Development of new blood vessels
• Induces Nitric Oxide Synthase, which has a positive effect on cells
• Induces tumor Protein P53, known as the Guardian of the Genome, to protect cells and prevent them from turning cancerous.
• The stem cells in our bone marrow may be stimulated to migrate to other cells during Hypoxia and stimulate repair and growth.
• Stimulates neurogenesis in rats which helps memory, cognitive function and even depression. Who knows, maybe it could do the same for us humans.

One commenter on the site said that using this method helped with their Ulcerative Colitis.

The practice is very simple, and it does help if you do a few deep breaths first before you try it.

After your round of deep breathing, on an empty lung, hold for one minute at first and then gradually build up to one and a half minutes.

Sit in a safe place and, if you feel dizzy or unwell at all during this practice, stop, take a rest with normal breathing and then try again later.

There has also been a massive study of this on the following site www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215.

A wealth of resources

If you look on any of my other articles on this site, you will see that I am a massive fan of YouTube and this is no exception.  I didn’t want to make this post too long, just in case your attention wandered, but I really would encourage you to go onto YouTube and explore this Aladdin’s cave of jewels for your health and wellbeing.

There are lots and lots of fabulous videos which will guide you gently through the many different kinds of yogic breathing.

They will introduce you to another world where you will discover the natural health benefits of controlled breathing exercises;  they are enjoyable, calming and will leave you with the best feeling ever; that of fabulous good health and vitality.

Happy breathing.

Your guide to health and happiness.

Anne 

Modern lifestyle and the price we pay

Many modern ways of earning a living these days are quite sedentary, with many people sitting for long periods of time at computers, driving long distances and generally not being able to get up and move around very much during the day.

The result is very often back, neck and shoulder pain due to inflammation and congestion in our joints and muscles.  We feel stiff and achy; more often than not resorting to pain killers to ease our discomfort.

Spinal Traction – Help for your back pain

Instead of reaching for our usual medication to ease our pain, perhaps we could look at an alternative remedy which is sweeping the world; and that is the Inversion Therapy table.

Never heard of it? Then let me explain; the Inversion Therapy Table is basically a see-saw suspended between a supporting frame, with different settings so that you can adjust it to your height, weight and body type.

It might sound like an instrument of torture, but many people swear by it as shown by this review snippet:-

“Bargain! Already paid for itself as it’s doing the same for me as a weekly osteopath visit was. Using it two or three times a day plus after exercise is helping get my back into better shape.”

Let me explain what the benefits of using an inversion table are.  I can’t vouch for the validity of the claims, but here is what is being said:-

PRO’S

Better mood

Helps Back pain by reducing pressure on discs

Reduces pressure on all joints, including the neck

Can boost blood circulation

Better menstruation/menopause

Puts viscera (organs) back into their proper place

Improved hormones

Inverted stretching can help with flexibility

Improved digestion and elimination

Blood flow to the brain can help raise mental alertness

Get better posture by inverting regularly

Better complexion/Hair growth due to extra blood flow to the head

Relieves stress

Prevents loss of height

Realigns spine after workouts

Anti aging

Relief of insomnia

There are, of course, some contra-indications.  Some medical conditions would not benefit from hanging upside down like a bat, and so the con’s are as follows:-

CONS

Pressure on the eyes would be damaging to anyone with Glaucoma or retinal Detachment

Increased blood pressure would again be damaging to someone who already had high blood pressure

Anyone with Heart Disease should ask their doctor first, depending on the actual heart problem

Anyone who is pregnant should, again, ask their doctor first, depending on which trimester and their general health

My experience with my Medicarn Inversion Therapy Table

I have had my table for about nine years now and have used it with varying regularity throughout those years; sometimes I don’t use it for weeks and sometimes I use it several times a day.  During this Coronavirus lockdown, it has been the latter.  Sitting around watching TV is not good for my poor old bones, and ten minutes on my table is just what the doctor ordered to get me moving again.

I’ve looked online and can’t see any new Medicarn Inversion Therapy Tables, so I can’t tell you how much one would cost today.  I got mine pre-used from Ebay all those years ago, so again, probably not relevant today, but here is my little friend.  As you can see, she folds up nicely against the wall of my small second bedroom, and when I have people come to stay, I walk her into my bedroom and she slips neatly up the side of my wardrobe; so although they are a bit large when unfolded, they are quite a flexible piece of equipment.

 

This table is an indispensable part of my self care.  I use it especially when I have been sitting at the computer for long periods of time; when I feel as though gravity is crushing my spine.

I use it in the mornings, and combine listening to a morning “get up and go” meditation on YouTube with getting my poor old achy body stretched out and ready for the day.  Similarly, I sometimes have a night time stretch too if my day has been spent sitting for too long for any reason.

I’ve worked up to being varying degrees of upside down for about 15 minutes now; occasionally going flat if I feel the pressure in my head is getting too strong.  I initially started with just 3 minutes and gradually added the minutes.   It’s so much fun being able to see-saw if you want to just by slight movements of your arms, which I do if I get bored.

It is so easy to control, and I feel like a million dollars when I can eventually tear myself away.  If I had my way I would stay there all day.  It feels so nice to have my spine and neck stretched, the vertebrae separated again so the gap is what it’s supposed to be, and the tension in my neck and shoulders considerably eased.

Prices start at about £70 (about $86) and go up to £509.95 ($629) and here are two examples from both ends of the spectrum for you to check out.

Teeter  Contour L5  Inversion Table  –   £509 ($629)

• Easy reach, triple lock security for ankles.
• One click balance feature, adjusts the balance point to suit your body.
• Curved front for ease of mounting and dismounting.
• Specially designed ankle grips for comfort and security
• The back support is flexible – moving as you do without any noisy distractions
• Adjustable pillow for extra comfort and support
• Teeter accessories: Teeter lumbar bridge for extra support and Teeter acupressure nodes to relieve muscle tension.

 

Yoleo Gravity Table – £138.99 ($173)

• Heavy duty steel frame for durability and stability
• Easy reach adjustable ratchet ankle locking system
• Precision chuck buckle and safety lock pin system – makes the table more secure when inverting.
• 3 angle position adjustable rear cross bar for easy inversion angle adjustment to eliminate usual strap system.
• Headrest pad and padded backrest
• To suit 4.26 ft to 6.1 ft person
• Certified for safety

 

There are several books written on the subject, and the example I have here is one called:-

• “Inversion therapy – relieve lower back and sciatica pain, improve posture and revolutionize your health”  written by Mia Campbell. 
• Paperback  £6.99  ($8.64)
• ISBN – 10-1523278765
• ISBN – 13 – 978-1523278763
• Kindle version £1.99 ($2.47)

In the book Mia tells us that Hippocrates is known to have devised a version with a system of ropes and ladders to relieve pressure on his patients’ spines around 400 BC; so you can see it isn’t exactly a new idea.  I think we have drastically improved the design though from ropes and ladders.

If you are considering trying out an Inversion Therapy table for yourself, but aren’t sure which one to get, maybe try one of the cheaper ones and, if you find it suits you and you gain benefit, then maybe you could sell that one and go for a more expensive model.  There are always people like me looking for a bargain on Ebay.

They are all built on the same principle, so I’m not sure why there is such a large difference in prices; maybe ease of use, durability, quiet operation without any clanking of metal.  All those things will be worth paying extra for some people.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my review and given you something to think about.

I look forward to seeing you again when I post my next article.

In the meantime, I hope you stay healthy.

Anne.

 

 

Please note, I may receive payment as an Affiliate for any purchase you make, as a result of using my website.

If you’ve never heard of Louise Hay or Hay House, you’re in for a treat in this review of her life and tireless work for us, her fellow humans in helping us with our own self-improvement and motivation.

Louise’s Story

But, before I start, just let me give you a little background into the founder.

Louise was born in October 1926 and her early years were truly horrendous.  At the age of 5 she was raped by a neighbour.  The ensuing court case was terrible for her; not just because of the trauma of events, but because she was made to feel that it was her fault.

Her childhood and teenage years continued to be tormented, so much so that she ran away from home at a very young age.  She went to New York, became a model and married a rich business man.  It appeared that her life had turned around, but 14 years later her life changed again when her marriage sadly ended.

After her divorce, Louise started attending meetings at the Church of Religious Science and became a popular speaker.  This led to her counselling clients, which soon became a full time occupation for her.

She began to compile information that she observed about the connection between mind, body and emotions, which eventually became her first book, written in 1970, “Heal your Body”.

Her struggle with Cancer

She got to put her beliefs into practice in a very personal way soon after writing the book when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  She developed an intensive regime of affirmations, visualizations, nutritional cleansing and psychotherapy.

Within 6 months, the cancer was totally eradicated.

She reasoned that the many traumas she had suffered throughout her life, and the emotions she had held onto and bottled up, had caused her body to attack itself.

Louise finally died or “transitioned” as her friends prefer to call it, on 30th August 2017 at the age of 90.

The Company she worked to hard to create is now run in her honour as a Not for Profit organisation, to carry on the amazing work she started.

What’s on offer now

Hay House has since published many of her books, together with guest authors with names such as Dr Wayne Dyer and Dr Joe Dispenza.  She grew her website and Company to encompass as many therapies and products as she could to give everyone the best life they could have and be the best people they could be.

They have a wide range of products, the following of which is just a taster.

Online courses:

You can search through them by either Topic – such as Health, Lifestyle, Healing, Affirmations etc.,  Author –  Wayne Dyer, Joe Dispenza:  A featured item – Making your mind matter: Manifest your soul’s Purpose.

Events: 

Again, you can search out what is going to be on by Featured events – such as Hay House Live: By Location – East Coast: Canada etc.  and again by Author, as above.

Shop:

The list is pretty extensive, so only a snippet here, but you can browse through by topic and under each heading there will be a massive range of books and CD’s available to you in subjects such as Affirmations, Motivational and Inspirational quotes, Change, Laws of Attraction, Love, Grief, Stress, Confidence, Fear, Anger.

An absolute cornucopia of all things we humans need to flourish and thrive, emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

There are even colouring books with positive affirmations to entertain and uplift you.

Besides us adults, children do have their issues too, and it is good to know that they haven’t been left out of the Hay House collections.  There are specific books for them to form a good base of knowledge at an early age, to help them to grow into healthy adults.

Not just books 

Besides the fabulous books on offer, Hay House also have the On-line courses already mentioned, Audio Books and Power Thought Cards.

They also offer a newsletter which you can subscribe to and, when you do, you will get a free audiobook of Louise’s book “Love your Body“,  and everyone loves free stuff, don’t we?  “Love your Body” is a positive affirmation guide for loving and appreciating your body and everything it does for us.

If you do register with them, you will get notifications by email as to when the Hay House Summit is due to run.  This is an on line event that runs every 3 to 4 months and is a coming together of all authors and practising therapists.  There is lots of free stuff, affirmations, webinars and general positive advice on subjects that interest us all.  An absolute eye opener into what is available out there; both fascinating and sometimes life-changing.

An added bonus is Hay House Radio (radio for your soul), which I am sure is a welcome change to all the bad news we get when we turn on our usual channel.

You can browse the website on your PC or laptop, and they have apps to use on your mobile phone too, so your access to Hay House is seamless and far reaching.

And finally, they have joined the modern world, and Louise has a Facebook page with lots of great content on it.

Their baseline is Self Improvement and Self Love; something we forget from time to time.

Louise’s legacy

Although Louise has gone from us, she leaves behind over 50 years of observation and study of life and its challenges.

We are blessed to benefit from the struggles and triumphs of an ordinary human being, with an extra-ordinary passion for helping others.

If you would like to learn more about Louise and Hay House, please do go onto their website www.hayhouse.com or if, you would like to hear her story from her own mouth, head over to YouTube;  she has many videos there, and one is her story from the beginning.  A truly uplifting story of courage and compassion.

Thanks for reading.

Be happy.

Anne.

 

 

 

Your body’s many cries for water

Do you feel any of the following on a regular basis?

• Tired
• Heartburn
• Brain fog
• Aches and pains in joints and muscles
• Colitis pain
• Migraine headaches
• Constipation
• Unable to lose weight
• Depressed or anxious
• Are you pre-type 2 diabetic?
• Do you have allergies or asthma?

Well, believe it or not, all of these physical and mental problems could be due to one very simple thing, your body’s many cries for water.

Yes, this elixir of life, freely flowing from the taps of those of us who are lucky enough to live in the developed world, is the one thing that many of us are just not getting enough of, and the lack of it is damaging our health and causing us to take medications that damage our health even more.

This knowledge has been out there for many years now, and Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D, an eminent pioneering physician, has spent twenty years of clinical and scientific research into the role of water in the body, and he explains it all to us in this book. He has discovered that Unintentional Chronic Dehydration (UCD) produces stress, chronic pains and many painful degenerative diseases.

Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.’s book “Water – You’re not sick; You’re Thirsty – don’t Treat Thirst with Medication“ will amaze you with its factual information and case studies that show just how powerful and essential water is to our continued good health, both in prevention and cure.

This review is not meant to replace professional medical advice, but to give you information you might not otherwise receive.

Medicine – The pharmaceutical scandal

Whilst no-one can argue against the fact that medicines such as antibiotics have contributed much to the treatment of serious infections, and their effect on us when suffering is nothing short of miraculous, it is also a known fact that correctly prescribed medications make over 2 million people sicker, and kill over 100,000 every year.

Mistakes involving prescription medications kill a further 100,000 a year. These mistakes include misdiagnosis and errors in the selection of medication, illegible penmanship of physicians and dispensing errors at the pharmacy.

When the body needs a top-up of water, it is given toxic chemicals instead.

In December 2003, the unthinkable happened; Dr Allen Roses, International Vice President of Glaxo-SmithKline at the time, one of the major manufacturers of drugs in the world, went public in a front-page interview with The Independent newspaper in London, England. He admitted “The vast majority of drugs – more than 90 percent- only work in 30 to 50 percent of people”.

These figures were correct in 2003, and things may have changed a little by now, but I would be surprised if they have gone down.

In fact the London cardiologist, Dr Aseem Malhotra, is quoted in his book “The Pioppi Diet” as saying in 2017 that it has been estimated that prescription medications are now the third most common cause of death globally, after heart disease and cancer.

It’s estimated that up to a quarter of hospital admissions in the elderly are a result of dangerous drug interactions. The side effects of blood-pressure pills, for example, can result in falls; and a quarter of elderly patients who fall and break a hip will subsequently die in hospital after admission.

It is a fact that our reliance on drugs is extensive, and the power of the pharmaceutical Companies is massive. It is in the interests of many factions to keep us hooked on these drugs and to keep quiet about natural therapies, such as plain old water, which could combat our ailments. The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-million dollar one, employing many, many people, and there are those who would rather not rock the boat.

In this review of Dr. Batmanghelidj’s book, I hope to open up your mind to the wide and all encompassing benefits of a resource that could make all the difference to your health, quality of life and longevity. Whilst not exhaustive, here are 10 reasons to drink water, and lots of it.

1. Overeating – Weight gain and loss

We overeat for various reasons, physical, mental and emotional; but for the purposes of this review, we are focusing on the physical effects of dehydration on the appetite.

The brain uses a large amount of energy, which it constantly needs to function, and this is provided in two different ways. The first and most acknowledged one is the consumption of food and its breakdown into glucose. The second, less known, method is by hydroelectric energy, which it gets from its water consumption.

However, when we are constantly dehydrated, we lose the ability to recognize thirst, and mistake it for hunger. If the brain can’t get what it needs from hydroelectric energy it will switch to option 1, the consumption and breakdown of food.

When we give our brain the water it needs, it will stop asking us for food and start getting its energy from the breakdown of fat.

Of course, it isn’t easy to make this switch. We have programmed our habits and associations with sweet, starchy carbohydrates, which then stimulate the pleasure centers of our brains, and create an addictive, habitual behaviour in our association with food; but if we can stick with it for a week or so, we can retrain our brains and bodies to work more efficiently to stimulate better health, energy and functionability.

Once we start the breakdown of fat, each gram of fat will give us 9 calories of energy, but the breakdown of muscle gives only 4 calories. This is why once the fat starts to be metabolized we are much less hungry.

To do this, we have to start using our muscles more, and once we do, they begin to activate a fat-breaking enzyme, hormone-sensitive lipase. It has been shown in repeated blood tests in Sweden that this enzyme’s activity is seen after one hour’s walk, and it retains its fat-breaking activity for 12 hours. When muscles begin to use fat, more sugar becomes available to be used by the brain.

Once the fat starts to be broken down, we really do need lots of water to flush it through and out of our bodies.

2. Pain

• Nerve cells are said to be 85% water, and there seem to exist small waterways or microstreams along the length of nerves from these cells that “float” the packaged materials along “guidelines” called mocrotubules. These products are taken to the nerve endings of their respective cells for use in the brain’s communication system in the entire body.
• When there is not enough water to transport everything around the body, the brain will prioritize what it sends and where.
• When there is not enough water to flush out toxins, the brain tries to warn the conscious mind of the shortage of water and so creates pain as a thirst signal.
• If this is ignored, the intensity of pain increases until movement and mobility of the area is affected – to prevent the production of additional toxic waste.
• The pains of dehydration include dyspeptic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, anginal (heart pain on walking, or even at rest), lower back pain, intermittent cludication (leg pain on walking), migraine and hangover headaches, colitis pain and false appendicitis pain.

These pains should be treated with a regular adjustment to daily water intake; ideally two and a half liters in 24 hours for a few days, prior to the regular use of analgesics or other pain relieving medications.

You should make sure that the kidneys can make sufficient urine so that they do not retain too much water. Urine output should be equal to water intake. If in doubt, consult your doctor.

3. Low back pain

The spinal vertebrae and discs are dependent on different hydraulic properties of water stored in the disc core and in the end plate cartilage covering the flat surfaces of the spinal vertebrae.

Water is not only a lubricant for the contact surfaces, it is held in the disc core within the intervertebral space, and supports the compression weight of the upper part of the body.

75% of the weight of the upper part of the body is supported by the water volume that is stored in the disc core and 25% by the fibrous materials around the disc. Water helps to support the weight or tension produced by muscle action on the joint.

To prevent back pain, we need to drink sufficient water and do a series of special exercises to create an intermittent vacuum to draw water into the disc space. These exercises will also reduce the spasm in the back muscles that is the main cause of lower back pain in many people.

4. Neck pain

Bad posture, from keeping the head bent for too long when writing, working at a low bench or at a computer in a “freeze position” or from too many pillows whilst sleeping, can be a contributory factor in the production of neck pain.

Neck movement is essential for adequate fluid circulation within the disc spaces in the neck. The weight of the head forces water out of the discs over a period of time. To bring back the same water, the force of vacuum has to be created within the same disc space. This can only be done if the head and neck are moved adequately – backward.

To do this you should slowly and repeatedly bend your head and neck backward, as much as they will bend. Keep the neck extended for 30 seconds at a time to enhance the force of vacuum to bring water back into the disc spaces, which will in turn retract the discs back into their normal spaces between the vertebrae and away from the nerve roots in the neck.

Another good way is to lie on your back on your bed and hang your head over the edge. The muscles will stretch better because they are relaxed in this position. You should then raise your head to look at the facing wall or window. Doing this several times will create the necessary vacuum in the vertebral space, which will then draw water into the disc spaces and into all parts of the neck joints, lubricating their movements.

Once you have done this a few times, you can then turn your head from side to side whilst hanging over the edge of your bed to get a similar result. Do make sure you have consumed plenty of water to make all of this work properly.

5. Anginal pain:

Dehydration can exacerbate heart and lung problems. It is essential that we have enough fluid in our bodies for our organs to work properly. There are case histories in the book of people who have drastically improved their angina pain, just by making sure they have sufficient daily water intake for their bodies’ needs.

If you are experiencing anginal pain, you need to start exercising as well as increasing your water intake. Remember to walk, walk, walk.

6. Headaches

These are often caused by inflammation and congestion within the brain, due to excess alcohol or just not moving very much for a long period of time. The consumption of water and the action of moving around to pump it round your body, especially in the fresh air where you can take deep breaths, will alleviate most headaches, including sometimes migraine.

7. Digestion

Water is used in the breakdown of food in the stomach. Acid is poured onto the food, enzymes are activated and the food is broken down into a homogenized fluid state that can pass into the intestine for the next phase of digestion.

Mucus in the innermost layer of the stomach consists of 98 percent water and 2 percent physical “scaffolding” that traps water. In this water layer a natural buffer state is established. The cells below secrete sodium bicarbonate that is trapped in the water layer. As the acid from the stomach tries to go through this protective layer, the bicarbonate neutralizes it.

A dehydrated body will have an inefficient mucus barrier that then permits acid penetration. Hydration will provide a much better acid barrier to the mucosa than any medication on the market

8. Colitis

This is closely connected to constipation. When there is not enough water in the gut to properly process the food, then the resulting waste matter becomes much harder to pass and this process causes pain. In addition to drinking more water, eating fruit will help to soften the stool and aid its passage.

9. Dyspeptic pain

This pain is the most important signal. It denotes dehydration – a thirst signal of the body. Dyspeptic pains are as follows;-

• Gastritis
• Duodenitis
• Heartburn

These should be treated with an increase in water intake alone. When there is associated ulceration, attention to the daily diet to enhance the rate of repair of the ulcer site becomes necessary. Ulceration is a common factor in long term untreated Dyspepsia.

Dr Batmanghelidj has treated over 3,000 persons with dyspeptic pain. They all responded well to an increase in their water intake, and their clinical problems associated with the pain disappeared.

One case that sticks in his memory is a young man in his 20’s. He had suffered from peptic ulcer disease for a number of years before the crisis time when he presented to the Doctor. The young man was in so much pain that he was almost semiconscious. He was folded in the foetal position on the floor of his room and groaning. When asked if he had taken anything, he replied that he had taken three tablets of Cimetidine and a whole bottle of antacid, with no relief at all in the ten hours that he had been suffering.

The Doctor gave him two full glasses of water. After 15 minutes the pain had lessened and the doctor gave him another full glass of water – half a pint. In a few minutes, his pain disappeared completely and he started taking notice of the people around him. He sat up and started talking with his visitors. Ten hours of suffering and large amounts of medication was ended, and water had produced total relief in about 20 minutes.

10. Rheumatoid Arthritis

The articular cartilage in a well hydrated joint gets its nutrition from the blood supply to its base attachment to the bone. A dehydrated joint will need to get some form of fluid circulation from the capsule of the joint, hence the swelling and tenderness in the joint capsule. The inflammatory process may appear as if there is infection when there is actually only dehydration.

Besides increased water intake, sufferers should repeat gentle bending of the joints to bring more circulation to the area. If there is no improvement after a few days, one should consult a medical practitioner.

Giving our bodies what they need

As I have said, this review of Dr. F. Batmanghelidj’s book is not meant to replace professional medical advice, and I am not suggesting you throw away all your pills and potions in favor of water.

However, I hope you will take on board some of the information contained herein, and bear in mind just how important drinking enough water and keeping hydrated is in keeping our minds and bodies functioning in the best way possible, giving us more energy, wellbeing, brain function and improved quality of life.

This review is a mere drop in the ocean of the Doctor’s book, and there is much, much more valuable information, and a whole lot more in detail advice as to the effects of dehydration on the body’s systems and the benefits of water in combatting it.

Your life could be transformed just by turning on the tap.

Here’s to a healthy, happy life.

Anne

Source: Dr F Batmanghelidj, MD – Book – Your body’s Many Cries for Water 

You’re not sick; you’re thirsty – don’t treat thirst with medication

www.watercure.com

Published in the USA by GHS Inc  – GHS ISBN 0-9702458-8-2

https://www.amazon.co.uk

 

Many of us have at least one health problem that we can directly link with our lifestyle; what we eat, what we do and what we don’t do that we should. We mostly go through life like zombies; on auto. We have our routines, habits and things we have to do on a daily basis just so that our lives can function. We get up, eat breakfast (sometimes), get ready for work, go to work, eat lunch (maybe at your desk) work some more, come home, eat, do those chores that just won’t wait anymore (clear out the garage, mend your child’s bike, put up some shelves, wash, cook, clean etc), then guess what? It’s time for bed. You might sleep, or you might just lie there for an hour or two hoping that sleep will overtake you and you will be granted the rest you need.

If this sounds familiar, maybe what follows might sound good. You can fit most of it into your daily routine, with maybe just a little more at the weekends. Read more to find out how to make a great day.

Love your reflection – you need it.                                                                                    

First thing in the morning, as soon as you get up, go straight to your mirror, look into your own eyes and tell yourself you love you and mean it. “I love you Susan” may sound wierd to you at first and, if you just can’t bring yourself to say “love”, then say you appreciate yourself, you’re doing a great job. Doing this kind of mirror work helps in all kinds of self dialogue, and will give you a good start to the day.  Louise Hay in her book “You can heal your life” says that if you don’t love yourself, then you can’t really give it to others. We all need love and we have to give it to ourselves.  You can get this book from Amazon, and it is a very good read indeed.

Meditation – take control of your own mind                                                   

If you have ever tried meditation and decided you sucked at it, that it just wasn’t for you and that you just couldn’t keep those intrusive thoughts at bay long enough to get anywhere, then here are a couple of solutions for you.

There is a great book by a man called Jose Silva called “You the healer”. In it he shows you how to quickly and easily focus the mind on a particular problem, whether it’s a situation, a pain, excessive anger or frustration. Because the mind has a task in hand, you don’t need to try to empty or calm the mind; that will happen anyway once you start the process. I have used this technique for years to cure physical, mental and emotional problems.

If you feel this isn’t the one for you, then you can try guided meditation on YouTube. There are so many on there that you are bound to find one that suits you. There are guided meditations to get you going and energize you in the morning, inspire you during the day, cheer you up when you’re sad, give you enthusiasm, stop procrastination and some to put you to sleep at night. All you have to do is lie there, close your eyes and listen whilst someone paints a mental picture for you. So good.

Laugh yourself happy                                                                                       

Laughter stimulates our endorphins which promote the feelgood hormones and combat stress and tension in our bodies, so any chance for a good laugh should be sought after and grabbed with both hands.

The Dry Bar videos on YouTube (again) are fabulous entertainment. They are guaranteed to be clean and funny. Each video is from a different comedian and all are followed by the next one, so an absolute festival of comedy to suit everyone’s sense of humor.

Another source of laughter are the funny animals on YouTube. There are cats, dogs, goats, squirrels, racoons, meerkats, parrots, lizards, cows, chickens, chimps – you name it, it’s there. Some are cute, some are stupid, some are clever; (cows opening gates, cats turning off light switches, dogs opening closed doors – you get the picture). The advantage too is that you can watch it with the kids and give them a laugh as well.

Exercise – the good kind                                                                                          

Even though we are all mega busy, there are usually a couple of short windows in our day when we can do just a little bit of exercise. Again, as with laughter, this stimulates the endorphins to lighten your mood and make you feel happier.

If you have a yard or garden, you could do something fun like learning to hula hoop; the weighted ones are really easy to keep up and you’ll give yourself a mini cardio workout.

If you live in an apartment, then YouTube again can be your best friend. There are lots of short videos on there, some as short as 7 minutes.

The one I have in mind is made by a lady called Lucy; I did her “7 minute workout – 7 days to lose your belly fat” today. I am super unfit at the moment, especially with this coronavirus lockdown, and am only just now starting to do something about it, so I’m starting slow and hoping to build up to a useful level of fitness. Her website is www.lwrfitness.com, and I know you will find something on there to suit you. If not, YouTube has a massive range to get you started if, like me, you are totally unfit, or others to improve on your physique if you’re not as lazy as me.

Grounding – connect with Mother Nature                                                 

This one might sound a bit hippyish and out there, but there is plenty of science to back it up. Because we wear shoes and don’t get as much contact with bare earth, grass and sand as we would if we were still living in the caves, we can get what is known as Electron Deficiency Syndrome. This causes inflammation, which in turn can cause diseases, including heart disease, together with high blood pressure, weight gain and thickening of the blood.

When we do connect with the earth by either walking barefoot, lying on the ground or just hugging a tree (which itself is grounded), we absorb electrons, which increase cellular energy, ATP in our cells and our energy levels.

It is said to help people with migraines by reducing inflammation and avoiding mitochondrial dysfunction in our cells. If you add the supplement CoQ10, that will add to the benefit of grounding also.

Healthier Blood. Grounding helps to thin your blood, improving your Zeta potential. It takes 80 minutes a week – 12 minutes a day- for free electrons to reach the blood stream and transform your blood. For this reason, you should be careful about doing grounding if you are on blood thinning medication until that medication is reduced.

Connecting with nature is one of the most enjoyable ways of staying healthy and happy; such a great feeling.

Enjoy the sunshine – Get your vitamins                                                               

We get vitamins from the sunshine and so, whilst you are walking in the grass, lying on the beach or just hugging a tree, you can get the 20 minutes it will take to absorb your daily intake of the life giving nutrients that our lovely warm sun has to offer.

For those 20 minutes you should not apply sun protection; this will just block out the sun’s rays and you won’t get any real benefit, except maybe a tan.

The obvious exception to this, of course, is if you already have skin cancer, in which case you should always apply a total sun block.

Eat healthily – try it for a day                                                                                 

Eating healthy doesn’t need to be boring or tasteless; in fact quite the opposite. Once you start exploring all the wide range of foods that are available to us in our amazing civilized world, you might be surprised to find that you actually like healthy food.

Sweet, starchy carbs are addicting, so that when we haven’t had them for a couple of days we actually crave them. They taste great, I know, but flour based foods such as cakes, bread, biscuits etc, together with rice, pasta, red meat and some oils, cause inflammation and bloating; and that inflammation, in turn, causes aches, pains and some diseases. If we can hold off eating these foods for, say, a week, we can break the hold of these addictions and gift ourselves a healthier body.

Healthy foods not only nourish our bodies better, giving us more energy, better brain function, better libido and strength; some foods, such as lettuce, actually improve our mood too. This is in the short-term; in the long-term they can help us to avoid some cancers, stomach problems, type 2 diabetes and many other avoidable lifestyle induced diseases.

So maybe, just for one day, try a meat free, starchy carb free day. Fruit should always be eaten on an empty stomach, as it putrefies whatever food is already in the stomach and is digested easier on its own; so try a breakfast of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, oranges, bananas, mangoes or whatever fruit tickles your fancy. You can eat fruit all morning till 12 o’clock if you are worried that it won’t fill you up. Don’t be tempted to add yogurt, as this will interfere with the absorption of the nutrients.

Leave it for an hour to empty your stomach and then for lunch, maybe, try a salad; in addition to the normal basic salad, you can add cashew nuts, chopped up medjool dates, seeds, capers and anything similar to tickle your taste buds.

Later on, for your evening meal, a stir-fry can be a tasty treat; there are all sorts of stir-fry sauces you can choose from and one of them will certainly make your meal the delicious feast you desire.

If you get peckish in-between meals, my favorite is to get a tub of humus, chop up raw cauliflower, carrots, celery, broccoli and any other crunchy veggies that you like, and just sit and dip. I can never leave any humus in the pot, so I am pretty full once I’ve cleared my plate. Eating raw fruit and veg gives you the maximum nutrition that sometimes gets left behind when cooked. If you’re trying this veggie day during cold weather and don’t feel like eating cold food, then maybe try a home made soup, curry, vegetable lasagne or any one of the massive range of on-line recipes there are available, just for the picking.  My favorite is Carib Stew, made with jerk seasoning if you like a bit of spice.

I’m hoping you will feel so good and enjoy the food so much that you won’t want to go back to your old eating habits but, even if you do go back, I also hope that you will take with you a little of what you have experienced on your healthy day and give yourself some of the nutrition that your body deserves.

I hope you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read

As you can see from the above, I’m a massive fan of YouTube and of living a healthy lifestyle; but I’m no different from anyone else. I have my days when I lie around watching rubbish on TV, sometimes into the wee small hours of the morning. I too have my binge days when I just eat and stuff my face with sweet treats that I don’t actually enjoy anymore; it’s like someone else’s hand is feeding me. The thing that saves me is that I have a mental baseline of what is good for me and how much I can stray from that line.

I’m not as slim as I would like and not as fit as I should be, but I’m also not as fat or unfit as I could be. I’m healthy enough to know that I probably won’t develop any life threatening diseases, because I eat well most of the time. God might decide differently, but hopefully not.

Here’s to a fit, strong, healthy, long life and an enjoyable old age.

Stay strong.

Anne

Therapeutic Living Inspiration

 

It’s an old adage, but use it or lose it still holds good today. The less you do, the less you want to do. Most of us retire with good intentions for improving our lives; going golfing, seeing our friends more and doing all the things we thought about when we were working.

The truth is that without someone to push us into action, we very often do less and less as we get older and tell ourselves “That’s just how it is in old age”. Well I’m here to tell you that this just isn’t true, and exercise is the key to better longevity, keeping strong and enjoying the whole of our lives. There is absolutely no reason, apart from disease and trauma, for us not to live a long and happy life. So here are some things that might give you a better quality of life. We really have to think carefully about fitness and exercise for us Seniors.

What happens when we stop moving?

When we sit more, watching TV or just slow down so much that we are moving at a snail’s pace, our bodies systems slow down too.

• Blood circulation slows, so our cells don’t get the nutrition they need.
• Muscles start to atrophy, get shorter, weaker, more painful and less able to support us.
• Our bone density lessens, so we are more likely to break them in a fall
• Our mental faculties are understimulated, so our memory, concentration and cognition suffers

So exercise is a must if we want to stay healthy and live life to the full.

What are the benefits of exercise

Anticipation of something is always worse than the actual thing, and once you get started you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it before. So here are some reasons to entice you.

• Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, the pain control and feelgood hormones
• It also stimulates the production of serotonin and nonepinephrine, which helps to focus attention
• Good if you have type 2 diabetes
• ” ” ” ” High blood pressure
• ” ” ” ” Cholesterol
• ” ” ” ” Heart disease
• Helps if you suffer from migraines – stimulates the vegas nerve to reduce intensity and frequency
• Good for Strength, stamina and energy
• ” ” Balance
• ” ” Flexibility
• ” ” Easing stress – decreases Cortisol and increases endorphins

Sharper Memory and thinking – The same endorphins that make you feel better also help you to concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand.

Better Sleep – Even short bursts of exercise in the morning or afternoon can help regulate your sleep patterns.

So you see, the list is pretty long and the alternative not so good.

Mental health – how to protect it through exercise.

Depression. Studies have shown that exercise can help mild depression every bit as well as drugs can. TheHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. It also prevents you from relapsing.

Exercise does this by making changes in your brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, increased production of endorphins (which are the feelgood hormones).

It also creates new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being.

Finally, exercise is a distraction from every day thinking, and helps you find some quiet time to escape the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.

Anxiety. Exercise is a natural anxiety buster.

• Relieves tension and stress
• Boosts physical and mental energy
• Enhances wellbeing through the release of endorphins.

By concentrating on the movement of the exercise, rather than letting your mind wander, you will interrupt the flow of constant worries that are wearing a groove in your brain, and feel the joy of release.

Building a balanced exercise plan.

It is always a good idea to plan your exercise regime to include

• Balance
• Cardio
• Strength and power training
• Flexibility

Types of exercise that may help would be walking, swimming, yoga. Something that raises your breathing to a level where you can speak and sing would be light; where you can speak but not sing would be medium level and where you can’t speak or sing would be a high level, which would not be recommended for seniors. You don’t need to go overboard; as long as you are moving and doing at least some exercise you are making a beneficial difference to your health and fitness.

Yoga – the all round exercise that anyone can do.

Yoga is the kind of exercise that you can do till the day you die and you can do it to your own ability. If you did join a class and the person next to you can get their leg round their neck, that’s great for them, but it doesn’t mean you have to do it. It is your exercise, for your benefit and no-one else’s. It feels great whilst you’re doing it and you feel great afterwards.

It has all the benefits of more vigorous exercise,

• Strength in muscles, to aid walking and moving
• Flexibility of joints and the body generally
• Stress relief to help with pain and mental relaxation by decreasing Cortisol.
• Yoga breathing exercises improve lung function, which has a knock on benefit for the heart
• May reduce blood pressure
• May reduce Chronic pain
• Improves sleep quality by increasing Melatonin.
• Mind-body awareness.

If you don’t fancy going to a class, then Amazon do a great range of DVDs that you can then do at your leisure, at a time convenient to you. You can choose from seated chair yoga if your mobility is compromised, beginners or, if you have done it before you could go for the intermediate one.

If you think you wouldn’t be able to get up off the floor if you got down there, you could always do some of them on your bed. Yoga is versatile and you can cherry pick the exercises that are suitable for you. If you can’t do an exercise, move onto the next. You will build up strength, stamina and flexibility as you practice, and will dramatically improve your physicality as you go.

Isometrics – to fit in with your every day life.

This exercise can be done whilst doing other things, such as showering, so you don’t have to set aside specific time.

It was put together in the 1960s by an American from Los Angeles, Bruce Tegner, who said he considered Isometrics to be superior to weight lifting, machine exercise and tedious drills.

It has been developed further so that those who want to combine it with weightlifting to build their muscles up further can do so, but the book on the right is, I think, nearer to the original book.  Suitable for people who don’t want to designate specific time to exercise.

Getting started safely.

If you haven’t exercised in years then it is only common sense to, firstly, get checked over by the doctor to make sure there is no reason why you shouldn’t do any specific exercise. When you get the all clear, do start slowly; just because you used to be able to do 20 push-ups doesn’t mean you should try to do the same now; choose your exercises carefully.

If your balance isn’t what it used to be, maybe do some of the exercises close to where you could have a soft landing – your settee or easy chair maybe.

Take your time and be patient with your body. It’s a bit of a shock to the system for some, and you have to stick with it to get results.

Reap the benefits – enjoy your new body.

Rather than being a chore, exercise can give you a new lease on life. A study done at a care home some years ago took one group of residents and had them exercise every day. Another group just sat in front of the TV all day. Some in the group who exercised were able to throw away their walking frames and others were able to drastically reduce the medication they were on.

So it goes to show it is never too late to start improving your health and fitness through exercise. You never know, you might start to enjoy it. You will certainly enjoy the results.

Happy exercising.

Anne

Therapeutic Living Inspiration

The Silva Method is the ultimate in self-improvement technique, achieved through meditation and visualization. You may think these things are not for you; that maybe they are for incense burning hippies, but you’d be wrong.

The Silva Method can change your life overnight, by changing your sub-conscious thoughts and negative habits.

How I found the Silva Method – a turning point

I first found out about the Silva Method through a book I took out of my local library. It was called “You the Healer”. I’m a mobile Massage Therapist, so I was always interested in new ideas for healing. It seemed to promise the ability to create a better life, so I gave it a go.

This book blew me away. I had tried meditation before, but could never silence the chattering monkey in my head long enough to make any difference. Intrusive thoughts would always come barging in and push any thoughts of improvement right out of my conscious mind.

I had this book out for so long, and paid so many fines for late return, that I decided to buy my own copy. Not only that, but I bought a couple of extra copies for my clients. I wanted them to experience the amazing effect that this method had on me.

What it did for me – despite my doubts

We are brought up to believe that the mind is the mind and the body is the body, and never the two shall meet. Well, I’m here to tell you that just isn’t true.

The technique was so easy, simple and effective that I was able to pick it up in no time. Within a week or so I could relax my mind and master a visualization technique that helped me to eradicate health problems that had dogged me for years.

I used to have crippling migraines. These are not just headaches, but visual disturbances too, which meant that I would have to take a tablet and lie down in a darkened room for hours at a time. It was debilitating and at times very inconvenient. I was able to rid myself of this painful curse in just one session. Yes, honestly, just one session. I occasionally had threatened attacks over the years, but a few minutes of using the Silva method would send it packing in minutes.

Another problem was my annual hay-fever, which was again dispatched in short measure. A lump on my thyroid, a cyst on my eyelid, a ganglion on my thumb all were dealt with within weeks. I just couldn’t believe it, but there was the evidence in front of me. It’s hard to believe it when someone tells you that this is possible, but I am living proof that it really does do what it says on the tin.

Who they are.

The organization was started by Jose Silva in the early sixties. He developed the techniques and practiced them on his own children, perfecting the method until he was able to offer it to a wider community. It has been family owned since 1966 and they have collaborated for almost 50 years with scientists and researchers, who have not only confirmed the effectiveness, but been able to explain what the physiological effects are on the mind and body. His children are now the experts in this method and it is their mission to pass on Jose’s vision to us. His vision was for these techniques to be taught in schools and homes around the world to teach children how to use the power of their minds to control all of life’s challenges.

What it says on the tin.

There are various levels of what Silva can offer you; I just did the basic course. So there is a lot more you could get out of this Silva Method if you really wanted. The Silva Method helps us to use and access both hemispheres of the brain. The left, more used side, is for logic and learning, whilst the right side is for creativity and visualization. When we can use both sides of our brain, the power is amplified and our abilities enhanced.

It will teach you how to relax to relieve tension and stress; learn how to relax anywhere and in the midst of noise and chaos.

Stress management will strengthen your immune system to give you perfect health physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.

Cancel out negative thinking, beliefs and behaviors that hold you back and are incongruent with your purpose and goals.

Learn how to:-

• Fall asleep without drugs
• Reduce fatigue and stay awake and be alert longer to get things done
• Headache control
• Improve memory, visualization and imagination.
• Set and achieve your goals effectively
• Remember dreams
• Wake up without an alarm clock
• Control pain
• Get rid of bad habits, such as over-eating and make good habits.

It is a conscious way of living to fulfil your potential, to overcome financial, career and health challenges, to live a harmonious and productive life.

The Mind Body connection

Silva is a global organization dedicated to changing lives by empowering minds and it has been proved over and over in recent years that our mind has a direct effect on our bodies.

We think in pictures, and the pictures work on your physiology. If you are in a room where a vicious dog or a hungry bear is on the other side of the door roaring and pawing at the door to get at you, your mind will conjure up a picture of that animal in your mind; and with that picture in your mind, your heart will pound to push the blood round your body to feed your muscles to either fight the predator or run away; it will produce cortisol and adrenalin to give you extra strength to do what you need to do.

Most of the time there isn’t a dog or a bear wanting to rip us apart, but the general stress and tension of every day life still creates the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenalin. It creates it in a chronic way, in that they don’t go away when the danger has passed because there is no specific stressor; just an underlying, ongoing feeling of danger in our sub-conscious minds. These stressors have been proven to be the cause of many life threatening diseases. Silva can help us to avoid these by giving us the tools to create a calm and positive outlook and the ability to deal with any trauma that life wishes to throw at us.

If you would like to try out the Silva Method and create your perfect life, here are their contact details.

Toll-free in US: 1-800-545-6463

Phone number: 956-722-6391/956-704-5003

Fax Number: 1-888-519-7390

Email: silvamethod@silvamethod.com / support@silvamethod.com

Website: https://silvamethod.com

Where to find – Amazon

Good luck and thanks for reading.

Anne

Therapeutic Living Inspiration