How can we, as a nation, expect to be dis-ease and stress free, when most of us don't seem to be aware that there is a MASSIVE correlation between what we put into our mouths on a daily basis (and so absorb) and the state of our health??
Gillian Mckeith, who I think (despite what people say about her) has done a lot of good for health awareness, promoted the saying You Are What You Eat - and an even better saying is You Are What You Absorb. Every morsel that passes your lips has to go all the way through the digestive system for the body to use for energy, and to keep us ticking over. Is it any wonder that so many of us spend a lot of time in a lacklustre state because our bodies are desperately trying to extract some nutrients from foods that don't contain any, and never have.
Many of the processed foods on the supermarket shelves are "anti-nutrients" and it takes more energy for the body to digest it than it gets out of the food itself in a lot of cases. These foods may include breakfast cereals (some of which contain several spoonfuls of sugar for every bowl eaten- see earlier blog on the subject),processed chocolate and confectionery, refined carbohydrate products such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, pizza, chicken nuggets, cheap processed meats, alcohol, sausage rolls, pork pies, crisps, sweetened and salted nuts, ready meals,chips etc. etc..............
One of the reasons that these foods are so poor in nutrition is that they are refined to the extent that they lack a decent amount of fibre, and we need fibre/roughage to keep a healthy digestive system. Fibre helps the peristalsis action (like waves) of the gut to keep foods moving through our systems and keep us regular! Refined foods contain little roughage and so can get 'stuck' to the colon walls where they accumulate over time. The longer this goes on and the more C.R.A.P foods that are ingested mean trouble as they are effectively toxins sitting inside us. This build up can also prevent any goodness eaten from being properly absorbed and utilised.
Toxins are then absorbed back into the bloodstream where they have the potential to create havoc in the form of minor to major health issues. Refined foods are a large cause of problems such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) which affect millions of people in the UK and is one of the biggest reasons we visit our GPs. In most cases it can be controlled by a change of diet.
So, what we really need is a diet rich in vegetables (particularly green ones) and fruits and good quality meat and fish,nuts and seeds,oils and some complex carbohydrates that still contain roughage - and plenty of water to keep us hydrated and to help move things along! Stagnation of any kind in the gut is a bad thing - and often the cause of sleepiness, headaches, unexplained bouts of illness, lethargy and many,many more health problems.
Over 70% of our immune system is housed in our gut, so if we clog it up with C.R.A.P foods is it any wonder we get sick?!
Do yours a big favour and make 80% of what you consume really great, fresh nutritious foods. You'll reap the rewards for years to come. Who really wants to add to the drain on the NHS? I for one want to have health and vitality to enjoy my life to the full.
In Health and Happiness,
RX
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
What Are We Breathing In?
Who out there is going to own up to having a cleaning cupboard full of a whole host of products, all claiming to do the best job of cleaning a specific area of your house?! Well, you could be damaging your health with these. The Daily Express carried an article today, on a link between household cleaners and breast cancer, including air fresheners and insect repellent.
Not really a big surprise given that the majority (unless stated otherwise) contain man made chemicals which when you're cleaning you're breathing in, and probably getting on your skin, which is porous. It's claimed that the inside of our houses are even more toxic than the air we're breathing outside, which is just a little worrying!
Sherry Rogers an American MD wrote a book which I've blogged about before on several occasions entitled DETOXIFY OR DIE, in which she demonstrates how important it is that we understand the role that toxins, both from the outside world and produced inside our bodies, have on the origin of complex illnesses.
When we ingest toxins in any way shape or form our bodies see them as enemies, and don't know what to do with them. We waste very valuable nutrients attempting to 'disarm' them, and even then they can end up being dumped inside the body usually in our soft tissue - think breasts/testicles amongst others. Long term 'dumping' becomes cumulative and surprise, surprise we get dis-ease within us, and our systems start to break down.
Detoxify Or Die is a scary read and so not for the faint hearted, alot of people prefer to remain ignorant and deal with the consequences as and when they arise!
I for one would rather not be accumulating toxins within me if at all avoidable which is one of the reasons why I use natural cleaning products. How easy is it to make this change? and if it's not for you how do you feel about your children breathing in obnoxious chemicals designed to make your home look and smell nice?
There are many,many ways to avoid chemical cleaners not least of which by using totally natural cleaning ingredients such as lemon juice and baking powder, both of which can give the same effect as Mr Sheen/Mr Muscle etc. etc. without the nasties!
My cleaning cupboard consists of one main cleaning product - Forever Living Products MPD (Multi Purpose Detergent). I use it to wash my dishes, I use it to wash my clothes, I use it to shine my taps, I use it to wash my wooden floors, I use it to wipe down the table and work tops, I use it to get stains out of the carpet, I use it in my bathroom to clean the shower, I use it in my bathroom to clean my tiles, I use it to clean inside my car ..............am I boring you yet???!!!
Basically it does everything;I don't need a window cleaner, a tile shiner, washing powder, washing up liquid, shower-spray, a wooden floor foamwash etc.etc.
So not only does it save me money (one bottle lasts approx a month), it saves me cupboard space - but the biggest deal here is that's it's TOTALLY NATURAL, NO CHEMICALS, NO TOXINS TO BREATHE IN FOR ME, OR MY KIDS, OR MY PETS.
I also use tea tree oil as a cleaner because it smells amazingly fresh! Again no chemicals.
Do yourself, your kids, and your pets a MASSIVE FAVOUR - ditch ALL your chemical cleaners and make the change to use natural products only.
I can order MPD for you from Forever Living Products, and let you sample other products in their range (natural -household, beauty and nutritional). Make the change for the better today; what do you have to lose?
MPD can also be used on your pets; its ideal for cleaning horses stables and washing the animals down themselves for example.
Hope you enjoyed the read, and it's opened your eyes a little. Have a think about who is gaining from the hundreds of cleaning products lining the supermarket shelves?!
RX
Not really a big surprise given that the majority (unless stated otherwise) contain man made chemicals which when you're cleaning you're breathing in, and probably getting on your skin, which is porous. It's claimed that the inside of our houses are even more toxic than the air we're breathing outside, which is just a little worrying!
Sherry Rogers an American MD wrote a book which I've blogged about before on several occasions entitled DETOXIFY OR DIE, in which she demonstrates how important it is that we understand the role that toxins, both from the outside world and produced inside our bodies, have on the origin of complex illnesses.
When we ingest toxins in any way shape or form our bodies see them as enemies, and don't know what to do with them. We waste very valuable nutrients attempting to 'disarm' them, and even then they can end up being dumped inside the body usually in our soft tissue - think breasts/testicles amongst others. Long term 'dumping' becomes cumulative and surprise, surprise we get dis-ease within us, and our systems start to break down.
Detoxify Or Die is a scary read and so not for the faint hearted, alot of people prefer to remain ignorant and deal with the consequences as and when they arise!
I for one would rather not be accumulating toxins within me if at all avoidable which is one of the reasons why I use natural cleaning products. How easy is it to make this change? and if it's not for you how do you feel about your children breathing in obnoxious chemicals designed to make your home look and smell nice?
There are many,many ways to avoid chemical cleaners not least of which by using totally natural cleaning ingredients such as lemon juice and baking powder, both of which can give the same effect as Mr Sheen/Mr Muscle etc. etc. without the nasties!
My cleaning cupboard consists of one main cleaning product - Forever Living Products MPD (Multi Purpose Detergent). I use it to wash my dishes, I use it to wash my clothes, I use it to shine my taps, I use it to wash my wooden floors, I use it to wipe down the table and work tops, I use it to get stains out of the carpet, I use it in my bathroom to clean the shower, I use it in my bathroom to clean my tiles, I use it to clean inside my car ..............am I boring you yet???!!!
Basically it does everything;I don't need a window cleaner, a tile shiner, washing powder, washing up liquid, shower-spray, a wooden floor foamwash etc.etc.
So not only does it save me money (one bottle lasts approx a month), it saves me cupboard space - but the biggest deal here is that's it's TOTALLY NATURAL, NO CHEMICALS, NO TOXINS TO BREATHE IN FOR ME, OR MY KIDS, OR MY PETS.
I also use tea tree oil as a cleaner because it smells amazingly fresh! Again no chemicals.
Do yourself, your kids, and your pets a MASSIVE FAVOUR - ditch ALL your chemical cleaners and make the change to use natural products only.
I can order MPD for you from Forever Living Products, and let you sample other products in their range (natural -household, beauty and nutritional). Make the change for the better today; what do you have to lose?
MPD can also be used on your pets; its ideal for cleaning horses stables and washing the animals down themselves for example.
Hope you enjoyed the read, and it's opened your eyes a little. Have a think about who is gaining from the hundreds of cleaning products lining the supermarket shelves?!
RX
Monday, 7 June 2010
Mood and Muscle Reviving Massage
I've upped my cycling big time over the last few weeks to prepare my body for the harsh hills involved in the Coast2coast charity ride I'm taking part in at the end of July.On Sunday after several hours in the saddle and a frantic half hour swim my muscles felt well fatigued and in desperate need of a massage.
So today's blog is about the benefits of massage therapy and why we should all pamper ourselves in this way as often as necessary!
Why is massage beneficial?
Apart from the 'feel good' factor massage therapy produces, which for me is everything - there are many, many reasons why massage is beneficial for health.
Benefits of massage :
It relaxes!
It enhances immunity by stimulating lymph flow (the body's natural defense system).
It helps stretch weak,tight or atrophied muscles.
It helps prepare for and recover from strenuous workouts.
It releases feel good endorphins - amino acids that work as the body's natural painkillers.
It improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin, especially if coconut oil is used.
It lessens depression/stress/anxiety.
It pumps oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs improving circulation.
It can help reduce blood pressure.
It reduces spasms and cramping in muscles.
It relaxes and softens tired, injured and overused muscles.
It relieves migraine pain.
It alleviates low back pain and improves range of motion.
And more....................
So all in all massage therapy can be a very powerful ally in your health care regime.
The power of touch should never be underestimated.
Balanced, IE ME!, offers Swedish, and sports massage in the comfort of your own home.
I also have two friends, Dan and Ian, who have healing hands, and their massage is the most divine experience. They're worth their weight in gold!Dan is the gym manager and masseur at the Titanic Spa in Huddersfield, and Ian Mulrooney offers remedial massage through Smartwaytofitness.
Go for it! If you've never experienced massage I can't recommend it highly enough.
RX
So today's blog is about the benefits of massage therapy and why we should all pamper ourselves in this way as often as necessary!
Why is massage beneficial?
Apart from the 'feel good' factor massage therapy produces, which for me is everything - there are many, many reasons why massage is beneficial for health.
Benefits of massage :
It relaxes!
It enhances immunity by stimulating lymph flow (the body's natural defense system).
It helps stretch weak,tight or atrophied muscles.
It helps prepare for and recover from strenuous workouts.
It releases feel good endorphins - amino acids that work as the body's natural painkillers.
It improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin, especially if coconut oil is used.
It lessens depression/stress/anxiety.
It pumps oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs improving circulation.
It can help reduce blood pressure.
It reduces spasms and cramping in muscles.
It relaxes and softens tired, injured and overused muscles.
It relieves migraine pain.
It alleviates low back pain and improves range of motion.
And more....................
So all in all massage therapy can be a very powerful ally in your health care regime.
The power of touch should never be underestimated.
Balanced, IE ME!, offers Swedish, and sports massage in the comfort of your own home.
I also have two friends, Dan and Ian, who have healing hands, and their massage is the most divine experience. They're worth their weight in gold!Dan is the gym manager and masseur at the Titanic Spa in Huddersfield, and Ian Mulrooney offers remedial massage through Smartwaytofitness.
Go for it! If you've never experienced massage I can't recommend it highly enough.
RX
Monday, 17 May 2010
RISKS - Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway
To Laugh is to risk appearing foolish.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
To live is to risk dying,
But risks must be taken,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing,
does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he simply cannot learn, feel,change,grow,love and live.
Chained by his opinions,he is a slave,he has forfeited freedom.
Only a person who risks is FREE.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
To live is to risk dying,
But risks must be taken,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing,
does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he simply cannot learn, feel,change,grow,love and live.
Chained by his opinions,he is a slave,he has forfeited freedom.
Only a person who risks is FREE.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
MANUKA HONEY
I've had a sore throat for the last week or so on and off (very unusual for me but have been pushing it out on my bike and think my immune system needs a boost) and one of the most soothing things I've found is Manuka Honey, straight from the spoon, or dissolved in a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon.
Manuka honey is an amazing substance and worthy of its own blog post!
It comes from New Zealand, from the Manuka bush which is covered in flowers for four weeks of every year. During these four weeks bees are extremely busy gathering the honey from the Manuka Flower - this bush produces a strongly flavoured honey (very different from traditional honey we eat in this country), rich in texture and very very tasty!
It has amazing properties, the main one being antibacterial, hence it helping my sore throat. And the measure of how high the antibacterial qualities are lies in the UMF level. My recommendation is to go no less that UMF20 which indicates a high antibacterial compound.
Manuka honey is not just good for sore throats and a tasty food for spreading on toast etc. Its antibacterail qualities are said to support the bodys defense system in the gut (70% of the immune system is held here) , and also encourages the growth of good pro-biotic gut bacteria. Great for keeping away winter chills and ills, and has even been provedn to be good for healing wounds, and promoting healthy skin.
It also is said to have antifungal properties, so all in all is a worthy addition to any medicine cabinet; and its 100% totally natural unlike most of the packets and bottles found in medciine cabinets!!
A quick blog today but hopefully of interest!
RX
Manuka honey is an amazing substance and worthy of its own blog post!
It comes from New Zealand, from the Manuka bush which is covered in flowers for four weeks of every year. During these four weeks bees are extremely busy gathering the honey from the Manuka Flower - this bush produces a strongly flavoured honey (very different from traditional honey we eat in this country), rich in texture and very very tasty!
It has amazing properties, the main one being antibacterial, hence it helping my sore throat. And the measure of how high the antibacterial qualities are lies in the UMF level. My recommendation is to go no less that UMF20 which indicates a high antibacterial compound.
Manuka honey is not just good for sore throats and a tasty food for spreading on toast etc. Its antibacterail qualities are said to support the bodys defense system in the gut (70% of the immune system is held here) , and also encourages the growth of good pro-biotic gut bacteria. Great for keeping away winter chills and ills, and has even been provedn to be good for healing wounds, and promoting healthy skin.
It also is said to have antifungal properties, so all in all is a worthy addition to any medicine cabinet; and its 100% totally natural unlike most of the packets and bottles found in medciine cabinets!!
A quick blog today but hopefully of interest!
RX
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Pesticides
OK so here's a contentious issue - should we be worried about the pesticides on/in our foods? Do they harm us or they perfectly harmless and a valuable addition to modern farming?
Well, I've had a look into the subject and am sincerely of the opinion that we should avoid them where at all possible.If you have the time or the inclination a great book to read (especially for you Lucy) is Detoxify Or Die, By Sherry Rogers who is an American MD.
Not to go into too much detail here and now, but, some scientists are of the view that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health. Sherry Rogers goes on to say in her book that because the body doesn't know what to do with these 'foreign substances' they are held in the soft tissue, and that's where they start to accumulate and do damage(particularly in the breat and prostate area).
Damage can occur especially during foetal development and early childhood, so these are specific times to really watch what you're eating and what you are feeding your little cherubs (if you have any choice over what they'll put in their mouths!).
Scientists have enough knowledge on the subject now to know about the long term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.
But how do we do that?
The government advises we eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and really this is the minimum amount; far better to double it!
However, if we're not careful the very foods we eat thinking they're good for us are the ones that contain the greatest amounts of pesticides! Dilemma! So below is a table taken from www.foodnews.org that lists the Dirty Dozen - IE those containing the highest levels of nasties, so aim to buy organic, and the Clean 15, those that are lowest in pesticides and can be bought and eaten non organic.
DIRTY DOZEN :
Celery
peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Kale
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes
CLEAN 15 :
Onions
Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mango
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant/aubergine
Cantaloupe melon
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potato
Honeydew melon
Research by the Environmental Working Group has found that people who eat five fruit and veg a day from the Dirty Dozen list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat from the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily.
By the way, rinsing food does help to reduce pesticides but doesn't eliminate them totally; peeling can help too but then valuable nutrients can be lost with the skin.
The best approach : eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic where possible particularly from the Dirty Dozen list.
Hope that was useful. Bit tricky to get organic blueberries and strawberries in Wetherby!?
RX
Well, I've had a look into the subject and am sincerely of the opinion that we should avoid them where at all possible.If you have the time or the inclination a great book to read (especially for you Lucy) is Detoxify Or Die, By Sherry Rogers who is an American MD.
Not to go into too much detail here and now, but, some scientists are of the view that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health. Sherry Rogers goes on to say in her book that because the body doesn't know what to do with these 'foreign substances' they are held in the soft tissue, and that's where they start to accumulate and do damage(particularly in the breat and prostate area).
Damage can occur especially during foetal development and early childhood, so these are specific times to really watch what you're eating and what you are feeding your little cherubs (if you have any choice over what they'll put in their mouths!).
Scientists have enough knowledge on the subject now to know about the long term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.
But how do we do that?
The government advises we eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and really this is the minimum amount; far better to double it!
However, if we're not careful the very foods we eat thinking they're good for us are the ones that contain the greatest amounts of pesticides! Dilemma! So below is a table taken from www.foodnews.org that lists the Dirty Dozen - IE those containing the highest levels of nasties, so aim to buy organic, and the Clean 15, those that are lowest in pesticides and can be bought and eaten non organic.
DIRTY DOZEN :
Celery
peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Kale
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes
CLEAN 15 :
Onions
Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mango
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant/aubergine
Cantaloupe melon
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potato
Honeydew melon
Research by the Environmental Working Group has found that people who eat five fruit and veg a day from the Dirty Dozen list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat from the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily.
By the way, rinsing food does help to reduce pesticides but doesn't eliminate them totally; peeling can help too but then valuable nutrients can be lost with the skin.
The best approach : eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic where possible particularly from the Dirty Dozen list.
Hope that was useful. Bit tricky to get organic blueberries and strawberries in Wetherby!?
RX
Saturday, 1 May 2010
MOTIVATION
I've been really struggling to find motivation for exercise (and most other things come to think of it) over the last couple of weeks; yes it happens to Personal Trainers too!! So todays blog is about how I got back my va va voom, big time.
I find that if I have something to aim FOR then I'm much more inclined to stick to a regular pattern of working out - it's specific rather than random. This can be applied to most anything in life too I think.
So, my aim is to achieve three challenges : I've signed up to do the Coast to Coast bike ride in July, from the glamourous Workington to Sunderland! (not quite Brighton to Paris).It's approximinately 160 miles over two days, with a nights camping in between. Its sponsored and I'm doing it for the RNLI.
The second one is a Swimathon over a twelve week period in September when I will swim the equivalent of the Channel; 22 miles. I'm doing it in the comfort of my local pool though!
The third one doesn't need massive amounts of training for but should be loads of fun. A friend and I ahve signed up to do the PINK Aerobics day in Hyde Park on October 3rd. Lots of aerobic classes back to back with some great instructors and funky music!This one is for breast cancer reserach.
I've prepared two written training schedules to keep me on track, and am only on week one, but so far so good! I always find writing things down make them more likely to happen.
As well as a training plan, a training log is a great tool to get used to filling in. You can record your food intake, how many miles you covered, how you felt that day during exercise and how it affected you afterwards, both moods and physically, any ahces and pains you felt and if you really want to add your weight (if this is relevant). It'll help keep you on track and excited about your goal, and can even head off injury.
Food intake is so useful as eating the right foods can affect most of the above; afterall we eat for energy, and physical and metnal repair, all of which are needed to reach ANY goal.
You can also record any ideas you come up with during exercise. I don't know about you but I have some real 'light bulb' moments when I'm whizzing through the countryside on my bike, and also when 'zoning out' whilst pounding up and down the pool. This all kind of reinforces how exercise can and does enrich peoples lives.
So todays top tip if you're lacking motivation it to focus on a goal. It doesnt have to be a major challenge, it can be as small or as big as YOU want it to be, but DO write it down and keep it in an obvious place. Tell people you're doing it too, then you can lean on them for encouragement when you feel like giving up!
Even better sign up to do challenges with friends, then you are way more likley to stick to your plan, and have the added advantage (if you want it) of some company, which can make exercise so much more fun!
Would love to hear about your goal setting, please add comments if you've recently planned something to boost your motivation.
RX
I find that if I have something to aim FOR then I'm much more inclined to stick to a regular pattern of working out - it's specific rather than random. This can be applied to most anything in life too I think.
So, my aim is to achieve three challenges : I've signed up to do the Coast to Coast bike ride in July, from the glamourous Workington to Sunderland! (not quite Brighton to Paris).It's approximinately 160 miles over two days, with a nights camping in between. Its sponsored and I'm doing it for the RNLI.
The second one is a Swimathon over a twelve week period in September when I will swim the equivalent of the Channel; 22 miles. I'm doing it in the comfort of my local pool though!
The third one doesn't need massive amounts of training for but should be loads of fun. A friend and I ahve signed up to do the PINK Aerobics day in Hyde Park on October 3rd. Lots of aerobic classes back to back with some great instructors and funky music!This one is for breast cancer reserach.
I've prepared two written training schedules to keep me on track, and am only on week one, but so far so good! I always find writing things down make them more likely to happen.
As well as a training plan, a training log is a great tool to get used to filling in. You can record your food intake, how many miles you covered, how you felt that day during exercise and how it affected you afterwards, both moods and physically, any ahces and pains you felt and if you really want to add your weight (if this is relevant). It'll help keep you on track and excited about your goal, and can even head off injury.
Food intake is so useful as eating the right foods can affect most of the above; afterall we eat for energy, and physical and metnal repair, all of which are needed to reach ANY goal.
You can also record any ideas you come up with during exercise. I don't know about you but I have some real 'light bulb' moments when I'm whizzing through the countryside on my bike, and also when 'zoning out' whilst pounding up and down the pool. This all kind of reinforces how exercise can and does enrich peoples lives.
So todays top tip if you're lacking motivation it to focus on a goal. It doesnt have to be a major challenge, it can be as small or as big as YOU want it to be, but DO write it down and keep it in an obvious place. Tell people you're doing it too, then you can lean on them for encouragement when you feel like giving up!
Even better sign up to do challenges with friends, then you are way more likley to stick to your plan, and have the added advantage (if you want it) of some company, which can make exercise so much more fun!
Would love to hear about your goal setting, please add comments if you've recently planned something to boost your motivation.
RX
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