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
Monday, 7 June 2010
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
Monday, 12 April 2010
The evil sweet stuff..................
...............Seventy Eight ways sugar can ruin your life.
I make no apologies for to days blog being really hard hitting. Sugar in all its forms is detrimental to our health. We all eat too much of it, whether we are aware of it or not. Its hidden in so many foods, from ketchup to white bread so if you're eating processed foods you're overdoing it on the sugar!
We don't NEED added sugar at all for energy or health, apart form natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables and grains but we are eating so much that each person is reckoned to consume roughly his or her own body weight in sugar each year , and 100 years ago we ate only about 10 pounds each year! (Source Erika Whites Beat Candida Cookbook).
So here goes the 78 ways sugar can ruin your life(by the way this was a recent post on the Metabolic Typing forum - thanks guys) :
1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity,anxiety,and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
5. Sugar can adversely affect children's school results.
6. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infections.
8. Sugar can cause kidney damage.
9. Sugar can reduce helpful HDL cholesterol.
10.Sugar can promote an elevation of LDL cholesterol.
11.Sugar can lead to chromium deficiency.
12.Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
13.Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
14.Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast,ovaries,prostate and rectum.
15.Sugar can cause colon cancer, with an increased risk in women.
16.Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.
17.Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
18.Sugar can weaken eyesight.
19.Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.
20.Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
21.Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
22.Sugar can raise adrenaline levels.
23.Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
24.Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
25.Sugar can lead to alcoholism (alcohol = sugar)
26.Sugar can promote teeth decay.
27.Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
28.High intakes of sugar increases the risk of Chrohns disease and ulcerative colitis.
29.Sugar can cause a raw and inflamed intestinal tract in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
30.Sugar can cause arthritis.
31.Sugar can cause asthma.
32.Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.
33.Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection) - and this can manifest itself in hundreds of different symptoms from sinusitis to brain fog.
34. Sugar can lead to formation of kidney stones.
35. Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.
36.Sugar can cause appendicitis.
37.Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of MS.
38. Sugar can indirectly cause haemorrhoid's.
39.Sugar can cause varicose veins.
40.Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraception users.
41.Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
42.Sugar contributes to osteoporosis.
43.Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
44.Sugar can cause a decreased glucose intolerance.
45.Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
46.Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
47.Sugar increases total cholesterol(think of cholesterol as the body's band aid/plaster, its covering something else up)
48.Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
49.Sugar change the structure of protein causing interfere with protein absorption.
50.Sugar causes food allergies.
51.Sugar contributes to diabetes.
52.Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
53.Sugar can contribute to eczema.
54.Sugar can cause CV disease.
55.Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
56.Sugar can cause cataracts.
57.Sugar can cause emphysema.
58.Sugar can cause arteriosclerosis.
59.Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
60.Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
61.Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function.
62.Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
63.Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
64.Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65.Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
66.Sugar can increase the body's overall fluid retention.
67.Sugar can cause constipation.
68.Sugar can cause nearsightedness.
69.Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70.Sugar can cause hypertension.
71.Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
72.Sugar can cause an increase in delta,alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the minds ability to think clearly - brain fog (see candida)
73.Sugar can cause depression (remember alcohol = sugar)
74.Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high sugar diets compare to low sugar diets.
75.Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
76.Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
77.Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness, which increases risk of blood clots.
78.Sugar increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
There you go, what a horrendously scary list from one food, hey?. The trouble for most of us is that sugar tastes good, better than good, and its hugely addictive which is why its added to so many processed foods. It makes you want,desire,need more.It gives you a quick burst of energy, which in todays busy, busy lifestyles is a must isn't it?
The Metabolic Typing diet has alot of success with helping to wean people off sugar. It helped me, although I still have the occasional relapse (see previous blog on Easter eggs)I eat a fraction of what I used to years ago. I don't eat processed foods, other than dark chocolate, and most of what I eat is raw and contains minimal sugar. I've also cut my alcohol intake down as the body sees any form of alcohol as sugar.
Sugar has caused me to have many of the above list of health problems, and it is only in the last few years that I've traced them (with some help) ALL back to sugar.
I'd like to help you to get your sugar addiction under control rather than it controlling you. Contact me for a free consultation on how I can help you to clean up your diet.
RX
I make no apologies for to days blog being really hard hitting. Sugar in all its forms is detrimental to our health. We all eat too much of it, whether we are aware of it or not. Its hidden in so many foods, from ketchup to white bread so if you're eating processed foods you're overdoing it on the sugar!
We don't NEED added sugar at all for energy or health, apart form natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables and grains but we are eating so much that each person is reckoned to consume roughly his or her own body weight in sugar each year , and 100 years ago we ate only about 10 pounds each year! (Source Erika Whites Beat Candida Cookbook).
So here goes the 78 ways sugar can ruin your life(by the way this was a recent post on the Metabolic Typing forum - thanks guys) :
1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity,anxiety,and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
5. Sugar can adversely affect children's school results.
6. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infections.
8. Sugar can cause kidney damage.
9. Sugar can reduce helpful HDL cholesterol.
10.Sugar can promote an elevation of LDL cholesterol.
11.Sugar can lead to chromium deficiency.
12.Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
13.Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
14.Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast,ovaries,prostate and rectum.
15.Sugar can cause colon cancer, with an increased risk in women.
16.Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.
17.Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
18.Sugar can weaken eyesight.
19.Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.
20.Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
21.Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
22.Sugar can raise adrenaline levels.
23.Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
24.Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
25.Sugar can lead to alcoholism (alcohol = sugar)
26.Sugar can promote teeth decay.
27.Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
28.High intakes of sugar increases the risk of Chrohns disease and ulcerative colitis.
29.Sugar can cause a raw and inflamed intestinal tract in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
30.Sugar can cause arthritis.
31.Sugar can cause asthma.
32.Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.
33.Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection) - and this can manifest itself in hundreds of different symptoms from sinusitis to brain fog.
34. Sugar can lead to formation of kidney stones.
35. Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.
36.Sugar can cause appendicitis.
37.Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of MS.
38. Sugar can indirectly cause haemorrhoid's.
39.Sugar can cause varicose veins.
40.Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraception users.
41.Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
42.Sugar contributes to osteoporosis.
43.Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
44.Sugar can cause a decreased glucose intolerance.
45.Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
46.Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
47.Sugar increases total cholesterol(think of cholesterol as the body's band aid/plaster, its covering something else up)
48.Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
49.Sugar change the structure of protein causing interfere with protein absorption.
50.Sugar causes food allergies.
51.Sugar contributes to diabetes.
52.Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
53.Sugar can contribute to eczema.
54.Sugar can cause CV disease.
55.Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
56.Sugar can cause cataracts.
57.Sugar can cause emphysema.
58.Sugar can cause arteriosclerosis.
59.Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
60.Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
61.Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function.
62.Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
63.Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
64.Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65.Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
66.Sugar can increase the body's overall fluid retention.
67.Sugar can cause constipation.
68.Sugar can cause nearsightedness.
69.Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70.Sugar can cause hypertension.
71.Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
72.Sugar can cause an increase in delta,alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the minds ability to think clearly - brain fog (see candida)
73.Sugar can cause depression (remember alcohol = sugar)
74.Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high sugar diets compare to low sugar diets.
75.Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
76.Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
77.Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness, which increases risk of blood clots.
78.Sugar increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
There you go, what a horrendously scary list from one food, hey?. The trouble for most of us is that sugar tastes good, better than good, and its hugely addictive which is why its added to so many processed foods. It makes you want,desire,need more.It gives you a quick burst of energy, which in todays busy, busy lifestyles is a must isn't it?
The Metabolic Typing diet has alot of success with helping to wean people off sugar. It helped me, although I still have the occasional relapse (see previous blog on Easter eggs)I eat a fraction of what I used to years ago. I don't eat processed foods, other than dark chocolate, and most of what I eat is raw and contains minimal sugar. I've also cut my alcohol intake down as the body sees any form of alcohol as sugar.
Sugar has caused me to have many of the above list of health problems, and it is only in the last few years that I've traced them (with some help) ALL back to sugar.
I'd like to help you to get your sugar addiction under control rather than it controlling you. Contact me for a free consultation on how I can help you to clean up your diet.
RX
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Chocolate Eggs
My children were given alot, and I mean ALOT, of chocolate last week by well meaning friends and relatives to celebrate Easter. And of course being children they just want to eat it all at once and the 'pester power' starts to annoy pretty quickly I'm sure you'll agree!
Well, as we were on holiday, on a boat, and at times there was little to do we all (apart from Chris who was navigating the Norfolk broads) ate too much of this chocolate. It started off as my 80/20 rule but turned more into a 60/40 rule, and it wasn't even Green and Blacks!
I enjoyed it immensely for the first day, but on day two my tummy started 'talking' to me. It was communicating very strongly that it didn't like this alien invasion, and was reacting defensively against it. Won't go into too much detail as some of you may be squeamish but it wasn't pleasant. It serves me right, I know. It was totally self inflicted and I'm not complaining. It actually served as a rather useful experiment.
I love it when my body communicates with me because it means I'm in tune with it, and I can react before things get out of hand. It's taken me years to get to this position; I like it but it's still a steep learning curve.
Indigestion is just one of the ways your body communicates to let you know that all is not right inside. And if you take Rennie's, or some other over the counter indigestion tablet, all you're doing is masking the symptoms. They're still there and they are there for a reason. It's the cause you need to work on finding.
The digestive system is very important in detoxification of the body, if its not working you'll get symptoms such as acne, constant fatigue, indigestion, depression, body odour, bad breath, headaches, allergies, skin breakouts, hyperactivity.... the list is endless. It means the toxins inside you are being 'backed up' and have no where to go until your digestion can work efficiently again.
If we constantly eat junk, processed, food with no nutrients contained in it. Drink sugary fizzy drinks that cause tooth decay and blood sugar highs, or even worse diet drinks full of artificial sweeteners.If we don't exercise enough, don't get enough quality sleep and don't learn to let the stresses of life 'go' somehow, we are asking for very unhealthy insides.
To help keep your digestive system healthy you have to eat right - for your body. We are all different, and some of us suit foods that would not suit others. Metabolic Typing allows you to discover what type of body you have to work with, and how best you can do just that. No calorie controls or measuring, just working with a list of foods especially for you, and listening to your bodys reactions and making amends accordingly.
Obviously this list of foods is what I call 'clean' food. Food that has recently lived, whether it be fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, eggs, or whole grains, and good, clean, pure water too. Simple foods made up of one ingredient, not twenty and ten of which are unpronounceable (is that a word John?!). Foods that can pass through your body in the way they should, IE the body takes the nutrients out to utilise, and any waste is eliminated, swiftly.
If you're not eliminating swiftly, IE several times daily you are constipated; some of the foods you are eating are not working for you. Not rocket science, but you would not believe the millions of pounds spent on laxatives in this country. Again this is merely pushing the 'problem' under the carpet, allowing toxins to build up and show up in other ways; health problems. Whilst they may seem minor IE, body odour or recurring tiredness or headaches they should be addressed, and soon before they multiply.
The Metabolic Typing test takes an hour of your life to do. Its pain free, relatively inexpensive but I can guarantee it will change the way you view food, for the better, for life.
If you're happy to continue living with one, some, or many 'symptoms' of an unhealthy digestive system you probably haven't even go this far into this blog post!! If you are still reading its probably because you want to do something to enhance your well being in some way.
I hope so. You really ,really are what you eat, or even better you are what you digest.
Contact me through Balanced on Face book for more information on METABOLIC TYPING, or leave me a comment at the bottom of this blog, and I'll get back to you. Comments welcomed, whatever your view!
RX
Well, as we were on holiday, on a boat, and at times there was little to do we all (apart from Chris who was navigating the Norfolk broads) ate too much of this chocolate. It started off as my 80/20 rule but turned more into a 60/40 rule, and it wasn't even Green and Blacks!
I enjoyed it immensely for the first day, but on day two my tummy started 'talking' to me. It was communicating very strongly that it didn't like this alien invasion, and was reacting defensively against it. Won't go into too much detail as some of you may be squeamish but it wasn't pleasant. It serves me right, I know. It was totally self inflicted and I'm not complaining. It actually served as a rather useful experiment.
I love it when my body communicates with me because it means I'm in tune with it, and I can react before things get out of hand. It's taken me years to get to this position; I like it but it's still a steep learning curve.
Indigestion is just one of the ways your body communicates to let you know that all is not right inside. And if you take Rennie's, or some other over the counter indigestion tablet, all you're doing is masking the symptoms. They're still there and they are there for a reason. It's the cause you need to work on finding.
The digestive system is very important in detoxification of the body, if its not working you'll get symptoms such as acne, constant fatigue, indigestion, depression, body odour, bad breath, headaches, allergies, skin breakouts, hyperactivity.... the list is endless. It means the toxins inside you are being 'backed up' and have no where to go until your digestion can work efficiently again.
If we constantly eat junk, processed, food with no nutrients contained in it. Drink sugary fizzy drinks that cause tooth decay and blood sugar highs, or even worse diet drinks full of artificial sweeteners.If we don't exercise enough, don't get enough quality sleep and don't learn to let the stresses of life 'go' somehow, we are asking for very unhealthy insides.
To help keep your digestive system healthy you have to eat right - for your body. We are all different, and some of us suit foods that would not suit others. Metabolic Typing allows you to discover what type of body you have to work with, and how best you can do just that. No calorie controls or measuring, just working with a list of foods especially for you, and listening to your bodys reactions and making amends accordingly.
Obviously this list of foods is what I call 'clean' food. Food that has recently lived, whether it be fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, eggs, or whole grains, and good, clean, pure water too. Simple foods made up of one ingredient, not twenty and ten of which are unpronounceable (is that a word John?!). Foods that can pass through your body in the way they should, IE the body takes the nutrients out to utilise, and any waste is eliminated, swiftly.
If you're not eliminating swiftly, IE several times daily you are constipated; some of the foods you are eating are not working for you. Not rocket science, but you would not believe the millions of pounds spent on laxatives in this country. Again this is merely pushing the 'problem' under the carpet, allowing toxins to build up and show up in other ways; health problems. Whilst they may seem minor IE, body odour or recurring tiredness or headaches they should be addressed, and soon before they multiply.
The Metabolic Typing test takes an hour of your life to do. Its pain free, relatively inexpensive but I can guarantee it will change the way you view food, for the better, for life.
If you're happy to continue living with one, some, or many 'symptoms' of an unhealthy digestive system you probably haven't even go this far into this blog post!! If you are still reading its probably because you want to do something to enhance your well being in some way.
I hope so. You really ,really are what you eat, or even better you are what you digest.
Contact me through Balanced on Face book for more information on METABOLIC TYPING, or leave me a comment at the bottom of this blog, and I'll get back to you. Comments welcomed, whatever your view!
RX
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