Happy Valentine's Day everyone ..... and what better day than to think about your Heart Cells and give them some loving!! And the answer isn't a box of chocolates (though a bit of dark chocolate wouldn't go amiss!) - it's GREENS !!!!

Green is the colour of the heart chakra, which is very appropriate as greens are rich in Magnesium, a mineral essential for a healthy heart and blood pressure. It also gives us energy and helps to build strong bones, not to mention helping us to relax. For any stressed bunnies out there, you gobble up Magnesium like its going out of fashion, so it’s a good idea to include lots of greens in your daily menu.. Happy Heart Cells love GREENS !!!

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Taking the Moo out of Milk

Taking the Moo out of Milk!! JJ

I’ve never been a great fan of milk. Memories of school milk are up there with the semolina pudding with skin that was also served  …… quite frankly 100% yuk!! Free school milk was introduced shortly after WW2 to give a nutritional boost to children’s diets. Nowadays, I would suggest it gives them more a boost in a host of nasties such as antibiotics, hormones and pus ……….. mmmmm – tempting?  

Mother Nature designed milk as a liquid breakfast, lunch and tea for an infant of the same species, and humans are the only species that choose to drink milk from another animal and do so well past infancy!! Also part of the grand plan is that lactase, our digestive enzyme which helps us digest the milk sugar lactose, starts to decline after age 2. Hence, why a lot of people struggle with dairy after this age. 

When I suggest to people that they come off dairy, one of the immediate questions is “but where do I get my calcium?” Ever since we put a straw in our first bottle of school milk it has been engrained in us that calcium equals strong bones; milk contains lots of calcium; so milk must make strong bones. The stuff of myths!!

One of the problems is that nowadays, most milk is pasteurised, and the very high temperatures used in this process kill the enzyme in milk (phosphatase) which is critical for the absorption of minerals such as calcium. Studies show that areas where dairy-eating is prevalent are also the very areas which suffer a high incidence of osteoporosis (bone thinning condition). There are raw-milk lovers who extol the benefits of their chosen beverage, but for me vegan is the way to go.   

 

As to where to get calcium from, ask yourself what do cows eat, and also what about elephants? They grow pretty huge with strong bones, but have you ever seen one drink a banana milkshake? I‘m guessing not!! The answer is greens. We can get plenty of calcium from plant sources.  

Nowadays, I enjoy nut and seed milks, which I can promise you have been nowhere near a cow. These make great alternatives to dairy and can be easily made at home. If you are just adjusting your diet and finding the whole thing overwhelming, then the good news is that most supermarkets stock alternative milks such as oat or almond. Watch out, however, for additives, but as a starter for ten, these are a great option. Once you’ve bedded in this change into your diet, you may get curious and even adventurous and start making your own. 

If you want to learn more - come along to my next Demo Workshop on Juices, Smoothies and Nut Milks - see my 2014 Calendar for details.  

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10 good reasons to drink water

I was watching a small clip on the internet the other day and was inspired to scribble down a bit of what was said (the below is just paraphrased) as it is so appropriate for the start of a year when we make resolutions.

Align your life with your intentions. Dress as the person you want to be. Eat as the person you want to be. Breathe each breath as the person you want to be. Start practising that NOW.

Reframe your thoughts. This is a new moment, a new opportunity.

It’s very simple. To succeed we need to align all aspects of our life with our intentions. So if you have set a New Year’s Resolution to be healthier, a good place to start is by eating as the person you want to be. Let’s not forget drinking water as the person you wish to be too!!  Even if you are a water-fan, it’s sometimes good to be reminded of the benefits of water drinking!!     

10 good reasons to drink WATER J      Your cells are made up of 70 – 80% water, so it makes them happier. Happy healthy cells = Happy healthy YOU. J      Clearer thinking, better focus, better memory J      Smoother, more comfortable digestion J      More fluid movements (and no we aren’t talking digestion again) – this time it’s healthy joints!! J      Clearer, healthier, more beautiful (or handsome) skin J      Happier waterworks and kidneys  J      Better circulation, so that oxygen and nutrients reach those faraway bits like your fingertips and tootsies, not to mention all the cells in between, making them happy (See above!)! J      Healthier lungs and breathing  J      A more fluid lymph system which means a stronger immune system to help avoid those pesky colds etc J      More energy – YAY!! So go on ………. You know you want to …………… have a glass or two of water

And if you aren’t convinced that getting healthier is a worthwhile goal for this year, remember the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin:  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Another words, don’t wait until you are ill to get off your bottom to do something. Take a proactive role in your health and enjoy a truly vibrant life.  

Bach Essences to support New Year resolutions and other goals

Bach Essences to support New Year resolutions and other goals 

Our resolve is firm, we proudly write down our long list of resolutions for the coming year. Day 1 goes well; on day 2 we go back to work and get sucked into the Hamster wheel that is life, and before we know it, our well-intentioned list is just that: a list in a notebook without action, without shape, and never realised.

Writing things down, building a vision board, writing our goals in a prominent and visible-every-day place all helps, but sometimes the sway of other people or even the voice in our head (telling us that we can’t do such-and-such) is so strong that it’s all too easy to give up and stay within the familiar.

Bach Flower Essences are wonderful for helping us to fulfil our dreams. Here is just a small selection of essences which may help you as you try to make changes in the months ahead.

** Wild Oat - this is actually for when we don’t know what we want to do. We might know that we want a change but have no idea what. This essence is known as the “Compass” and helps to give us direction in our life, often towards a more fulfilling career or relationship, but definitely along the path on which we are meant to be travelling.         

** Walnut – this is known as the “Link-Breaker”. It is for when we know what we want to do (unlike Wild Oat). This is particularly useful for when we want to break old habits as it helps us to stay true to ourselves and protect us from outside influences during times of change.  Maybe we have decided to eat more healthily or to give up smoking? Sadly when we make a change ourselves for the better, it isn’t always well received by family and friends. Often it highlights things which they know they should do themselves but would rather not look at, and where you would hope for encouragement, instead you can get quite the opposite, and it’s all too easy then to fall back into old habits. Walnut can help you stick to your guns.

** Centaury is a good one to take if we find it difficult to say “No” to others, maybe because we want to be liked or don’t want to offend, or maybe out of duty. It helps us to stand up for ourselves and our needs. Suppose we are trying to lose weight and some kindly friend tries to persuade us to have their homemade chocolate cake. We’ve done so well so far and don’t want to ruin all the hard work, but we are being pulled into what our friend wants. Centaury helps us get in touch with what we want, helps us express it and gives us the strength to be our own person, and if not eating the cake serves our purpose, then we can refuse nicely but firmly!!   

** Larch. Often when we suffer with poor self-confidence or self-esteem, we don’t attempt anything new as we expect failure. Larch gives us the confidence in our ability and also to try new things, but if we don’t do so well or perhaps don’t pick things up as quickly as we’d hope, rather than get despondent, we take it in our stride and see it as a valuable experience. After all there is no such thing as failure when we have tried our best.  

** Gentian is a good one if we are easily discouraged. Perhaps we are trying to lose weight, but over the weekend we had a wedding to attend and our good intentions went out of the window. Perhaps in our new exercise regime we strained a muscle which means we have to rest for a week. Rather than give up, we can be encouraged to try again.  

** Clematis is for grounding our dreams. If we are prone to daydreaming about what we will do in the coming year, but nothing comes to fruition, it may be because we are not getting down to the nitty-gritty of actually doing anything!! Dreaming of being a size 10 sadly doesn’t make it so. We need to make changes to our diet and lifestyle!! Enter Clematis, which puts our feet firmly on planet Earth, and helps us to do something to achieve our dreams. 

** Vervain is for when (very un-Clematis-like) we go at something like a bull in a china shop. We breathe, eat, and sleep whatever our new-found passion is, to the exclusion of other things. Vervain helps us to relax and take things at a sensible pace.

** Rock Water is a useful one when we are being too hard on ourselves.  Similar to Vervain, but in this case we have taken things to extremes, and with it removed the fun out of life. We find ourselves meditating for 3 hours at a time and pass by opportunities to go out with friends because of it; or perhaps getting up an hour or two earlier each morning to fit in a “cannot be missed” run, in all weathers, and end up sleep-deprived. Rock Water helps to soften us and our approach to life. We can embrace change without making life a misery!!       

Would you like to learn more? Tune into my "Introduction to Bach Flower Essences" Webinar on  19th February. To register - go to my 2014 Calendar page.      

Here’s to a HAPPY, HEALTHY, FULFILLING and VIBRANT New Year 

Happy New Year

Wishing you and your cells a Happy, Healthy and Magical Year in 2014

Bach Flower Essences for Christmas

Bach Flower Essences for Christmas JJ

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but for those of you who had a rush of blood to the head earlier in the year when you offered to host Christmas for the whole family, it can sometimes feel more like the season to be irritable, overwhelmed and worried. Even if you aren’t playing host, the sheer craziness of shopping in crowds, travelling at peak times and being with your nearest and dearest for a concentrated few days can find you swearing to book a long-distance flight this time next year. And then, there are some of you who maybe find the festive time difficult. Perhaps a loved one is no longer with you, perhaps you feel depressed or are even fearful of being on your own.

Bach Flower Essences can help us all with our wobbly emotions in the run up to and over the Christmas period.  Simple to take, they give us a helping hand, whilst gently rebalancing us emotionally.  There are 38 remedies (plus the famous rescue remedy) in total. I have jotted down just a few prime candidates to help you through December.

If, on reading this, you fancy a “cocktail” made up for you, send me an email / ring me with your list (I recommend having at most 5 essences at a time). I charge £5 for a bottle of your combination essences plus £3 postage.

 

Beech – overly critical and feeling irritated and annoyed by the way other people do things. Perhaps Great Aunt Mabel has a particularly grating voice that gets to you, or your ever-so-helpful cousin is just not washing up the “right” way.  Relax with a spot of Beech.   

Centaury – the inability to say “no” to others. Helps us to stand firm in who we are and what we want. So when you are exhausted and really need some time to yourself you can say “NO” nicely and assertively to the neighbour who invites you round for the cuppa and mince pie that you don’t really want!!  

Cherry Plum – you feel like you are losing your mind and may do or say something you’ll regret. A good one when you feel close to blowing your top!! The Bach Flower that counts to 10 and takes a deep breath for you …….. 

Elm – you have bitten off more than you can chew, and no, this is not for when you cram that extra roast potato into your mouth!! We are talking overwhelm from too many responsibilities.  Your usual capable self suddenly loses confidence and feels inadequate and unable to cope. Elm helps to put things back into perspective, and maybe, just maybe, you don’t actually have to do everything on your list after all!! (Do, Ditch or Delegate!)

Holly is for envy, hatred, spite and jealousy. Old family feuds and perceived hurts can sometimes come to the surface when we are all under the same roof. Holly helps to open up our natural loving nature.    

Honeysuckle – for those of you who have lost a loved one and wish him/her back with you, or for those suffering with home sickness. It helps us live in the present and make the most of opportunities presented to us.  Perhaps an invite from a friendly neighbour could open new doors (literally and figuratively)?      

Impatiens – as the name suggests, this is for impatience. When people and things are not moving fast enough for you!! The children are getting under your feet in the kitchen, the queues in the supermarket are a mile long, the traffic hasn’t moved for the last half hour ……… it helps us appreciate that things happen when they happen, and no amount of frustration on your part can hurry them along!!

Larch – for those of you who are lacking in self-confidence. Maybe you’ve been landed with tackling the Christmas Dinner for the very first time, and don’t feel up to the task. Larch helps give your confidence a boost so that you feel that you can try new things, without expecting failure, and even if you do burn the carrots, you can put it down to experience without feeling despondent.   

Mimulus – for everyday fears of things we can name and also for those of us who are naturally shy and feel uncomfortable in social situations, perhaps getting tongue-tied or going bright pink when someone speaks to us. It gives us a quiet courage to face our fears.  

Olive – for exhaustion. You’ve overdone everything and now feel drained beyond tired. I like to take this throughout a stressful period to prevent getting into this state. 

Pine - you feel guilty and responsible for everything and everybody and find “sorry” on your lips far too often. You feel guilty that your aunt doesn’t like her present, or that lunch is going to be 10 minutes late and even apologise for the weather!! Pine stops us from taking on everyone else’s stuff and feeling that we are to blame for all that goes wrong. (And even when we do something wrong, it’s done and dusted, and there really is no point in feeling guilty for it for evermore!)   

Scleranthus – decisions, decisions, decisions! Which colour socks to get Uncle Sam, which party invite to accept for New Year’s Eve? If you find yourself toing and froing between this and that, Scleranthus helps you make a firm decision that you are happy with.   

Vervain – you have planned the perfect Christmas, you feel driven and bubbling with enthusiasm, always on the go, with not a moment to sit down, but now cannot relax and unwind. Vervain helps you to switch off and relax mentally and physically.       

White Chestnut – for gramophone-record style worry; going over and over the same things. The long to-do list, what presents to buy, “should I have”, “what if” etc.  Your head feels crammed with stale old thoughts, so it’s not only difficult to concentrate during the day, but also nigh on impossible to drift off into sleep for a bit of mental peace and quiet! It helps to de-clutter our brains so that thoughts can start to flow in and out rather than take up permanent residence!! 

Rescue Remedy – a general remedy for anxiety, the effects of an argument, maybe an accident in the kitchen, or when you are generally just not feeling “at one”.  Impatiens and Cherry Plum are both included in this combination so it’s good when you feel you might just lose it with those around you!!! 

   

Happy Cell Daruma Dolls and Vibrant Health

 

 

Happy Cell Daruma Dolls and Vibrant Health JJ

Do you remember a time in your life when you were in love? You floated around, and felt anything was possible.  Life flowed, the world seemed so much more colourful, nothing was a trouble, you felt more connected, and the latest lurgy passed you by because your immune system was also riding high!! This is what vibrant health feels like. When our cells are healthy and happy, we feel so much more connected to life, we feel more grounded and comfortable in our own skin. “Stuff” can still happen to us, but we don’t get toppled by it. Our immune system is so much more robust. Our thoughts, movements and emotions are a lot more fluid, which means then that we don’t become stuck, whether with a physical symptom (eg. frequent headaches), a particular way of thinking which may prevent us from moving on in life or trying new things, or even an emotion which weighs heavy on us. In essence, enjoying vibrant health helps us to stay strong and rooted but at the same time we can be flexible in our thoughts and emotions. We are open to new possibilities and can therefore fulfil our potential.  

For me, changing my diet helped me edge closer to this state. Talking to friends, some found that meditation, others exercise, was their first stepping stone. None of these things are THE answer on their own, but once you embrace one thing and notice a difference, it can encourage you to look at other life-enhancing habits too, which all contribute to a more vibrant state of living.

It’s a sort of chicken and egg scenario. Where do you start? What do you feel drawn to? Perhaps trying Tai Chi or Yoga; perhaps drinking more water and cutting out your daily must-have coffees; perhaps joining a meditation group? It can be something really simple which starts you on a completely new path but, without making that first step, I can guarantee you will remain stuck. If you do the same things, day-in, day-out, you cannot expect different results.    

December is a good time to reflect on the year that’s just gone (and boy where did it go?) and is also an opportunity to start planning for the year ahead. How do you want to feel in 2014? What would you do with more energy and vitality?  What would you do with fewer aches and pains; less stress; less fatigue; fewer health niggles? What are you willing to do to enjoy better health?  

Choose just 3 things you can commit to during January which will start you on the path to Vibrant Health. Make them achievable!! If you’ve shipped your three from LaLa land, they are unlikely to get off the launch pad. So …………..

·         Running a marathon in January when you have yet to buy a pair of trainers is a no-no. Going for a brisk 10 minute walk round the block every day though is a brilliant one to start the ball rolling.

·         The idea of converting to a raw vegan diet, whilst cramming the last of the turkey into your mouth, is a little extreme, but making 2 days a week non-meat days is a good start. 

·         Committing to an hour-long meditation every morning at 6am when you normally sleep until 8 and have butterfly brain at the best of times is very commendable but is likely to crumble the first time the alarm wakes you abruptly at your new enlightened hour. Best to start with a do-able 5 – 10 minute meditation each day which can be fitted into your normal hours.

How I approach goals myself, and I have started doing this with clients too, is to write them down and, by the side of each, draw a Daruma Doll. These were traditional Japanese dolls, seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck and used as a gift of encouragement.

They have also been adopted commercially for goal setting!  When drawn, each doll is a simple shape (I draw mine as a Happy Cell) with two big eyes, which at the beginning are empty. When you start your goal, you fill one eye in; when you complete your task successfully, you fill in the other (and I add a big smile). So at the end of the month you hopefully have 3 fully sighted and smiling Darumas!!! I know I am sad, but this approach appeals to me (I used to like collecting coloured sticky stars at school).  It’s a visual to remind me throughout the month to stay on track and then finally to prove to myself that I have made improvements. Put it somewhere you look at each day. In addition, what I suggest is that you write down how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally on Day 1. Be honest. Then at the end of the month, do the same. If you have put some life-enhancing changes into place, it’s likely that you will see some improvement, maybe small, but it’s still an improvement which will encourage you to keep going.

 

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