Wonderful Water

IF YOU DON’T DRINK AT LEAST 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY, YOUR BRAIN WILL DRY UP!

A dramatic statement but there is some truth in it.

Water is needed to combat the effects of dehydration from perspiration, breathing and excretion.  It flushes out and carries out the waste matter from the body’s cells.  Lack of water causes a build up of waste matter, which can lead to exhaustion.  Water also plays a large part in our temperature control system.

A lack of water can cause constipation, as the gut is starved of water.  This leads to bowel dysfunction.  Our kidneys filter out impurities from the blood and a lack of water means the urine is too highly concentrated and it will become dark yellow.  This may cause kidney stones to develop, urinary tract infections and other bladder problems.

THE COLOUR OF URINE SHOULD BE VERY PALE YELLOW – CHECK THAT YOU ARE DRINKING ENOUGH WATER!

De-hydration can cause symptoms such as back pain migraines/headaches, light-headedness, loss of concentration and fatigue. Water can also act as natural pick-me-up.  If you drink a large glass of water, instead of a caffeinated drink, you will be amazed at how much energy you’ll have!

TOP TIPS

Drink room temperature water as it more easily absorbed and used by your body.

Drink bottled or filtered water as it contains fewer impurities such as chlorine and fluoride.

Drink a minimum of 1.5-2 litres of water per day, more if the weather is hot or you are doing strenuous exercise.  Larger people need more water.

Keep a small bottle of water with you to stay hydrated at all times.  Schools now encourage pupils to bring in their own water bottles.

TOP FACTS

Remember tea, coffee, alcohol and some soft drinks actually cause you to lose water.

Caffeine not only causes chemical dependency but it is also a diuretic. which means it pulls water out of your body.

Water suppresses the appetite and helps the body metabolise stored fat and reduces fat deposits, which is an important factor in helping people to permanently lose weight.

Weight loss can lead to ‘sagging skin’.  Water helps to plump up the skin and leave it clear and healthy.

Aspartame

Many of us buy sugar free and “diet” options of soft drinks, desserts and chewing gums believing them to be less fattening, better for our teeth and healthier for us and our children. But what are the true costs of these artificial sweetener-laden products on our health?

Artificial sweetener, ASPARTAME or E951, is a chemical that has been used in the food industry since 1981, and so one would assume it is a safe sugar substitute with no side effects. However, unlike natural occurring sugars the body treats Aspartame as a toxin and breaks it down differently.

Aspartame has a toxic link to 3 chemicals; aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol (wood alcohol). In combination these chemicals trigger a reaction in brain chemistry that can over stimulate the nerve cells causing all manner of health problems and cell death! What is particularly disturbing is the reaction of the body to Wood Alcohol: It is broken down into a liquid solution to produce Formaldehyde.

Sodium Metabisulfite Is used as a food additive, mainly as a preservative and is sometimes identified as E number E223. It may cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to sulfites. It is also present in dilutable squashes and in candy bars.  It is commonly used in home brewing.

Aspartame is listed as causing, FATIGUE, HEADACHES, BLURRED VISION, BLINDNESS, PALPITATIONS, DIZZINESS, HEARING LOSS, SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS, MOOD CHANGES, SEIZURES, JOINT PAIN, NAUSEA, VERTIGO, TINNITUS, IRRITABILITY, DISORIENTATION, MUSCLE SPASM and is known to have triggered off MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON’S, ALZHEIMER’S  and BRAIN TUMOURS. 

Ultimately: Balanced nutrition and adequate hydration are vital components of good health. Eating a wide variety of fresh foods and avoiding artificial chemicals (of all kinds) in our diet (eat organic if possible) and by drinking 1 ½ to 2 litres of filtered water every day we give our bodies the essential ingredients for health, growth and repair. 

Travelling Light with Kids

With summer holidays just around the bend now is the time to start thinking about getting the suitcases out and putting aside the clothes and other holiday essentials for your trip. Now is usually the time when we start to wonder how everything will fit in the suitcase with the addition of your child’s favourite toy or the new cuddly they can’t sleep without. Below are some hints and tips to help you pack the essentials and not the kitchen sink as well.

Suitcases:

Suitcase selection - Choose carefully, use the lightest case possible that has wheels, hard cases can sometimes weigh a lot even before you start to fill them.

Two cases are better than one – If possible take two light cases rather than one, so

you can distribute the weigh more evenly.

Push, don’t pull – Many wheeled cases encourage you to pull them behind you, but

 this causes the upper body and spine to twist. Instead, push the case in front of you.

Kids Toys:

Bring a friend along – A home favourite either teddy bear, dolly or cuddly toy can provide comfort to your little one especially when sleeping in a strange bed or even flying for the first time.

Family Adventure – Take a couple of crayons and some sheets of paper to record all your travels, this can be a great way to keep your precious ones occupied while you relax a little.

Sea, Sand and Sun Safety:

Sun Protection – You don’t need numerous bottles of sun block/cream. Take one bottle of SPF 30 for adults and SPF 50 for kids and buy a new bottle out there - buying a cream the locals use is often cheaper on holiday than buying before you go, it also reduces weight in your case.

Beach Fun – Sand is a great and natural exfoliant especially for your feet, so walking along the water’s edge is great exercise and a secret beauty cheat.

Unlike most sun beds sand can be shaped to add support where you need it while relaxing.

Building sandcastles – Just like gardening remember your posture to avoid those past issues popping up and dampening your holiday.

Early Start, Leaving Late – Avoid that harassed feeling by starting your final holiday prep the day before you leave, pack the car the night before, set your alarm 20minutes earlier, and leave feeling calm and relaxed.

Flight Pillows – Long haul flights can be a pain in the neck (Literally). Travel pillows can provide support for your head and neck allowing you to relax and start your holiday off on a flying start.

SUNSHINE FOR YOUR SKELETON!

With the summer months, and hopefully, the sunshine upon us we should all take time to relax and “catch a few rays”. Not to top up our tans, but because sunshine is good for the health of our minds and bodies.

During winter as many as 500,000 of us are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in the UK. It is caused by lack of sunlight which affects the brains chemistry, causing symptoms such as fatigue, depression, weight gain, loss of appetite, excessive sleeping, reduction in libido and a craving for starchy foods.

However during the summer our increased exposure to Ultra Violet light or sunlight can banish these symptoms as our brain releases natural “feel good” hormones.

Sunlight is also necessary for the production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is formed in the skin (which we tend to expose more of when it’s sunny) and is vital for the metabolism of calcium. The efficient absorption of the calcium from our diet (think green, leafy salads!) is vital for the prevention of rickets and osteoporosis (bone thinning) and the growth of strong, healthy bones.

SUNSHINE SAFETY.

Most of us are aware that over exposure to the sun, particularly around midday can be hazardous to our health. So don’t spoil your enjoyment of the fresh air, sunshine and BBQ weather by putting your self at risk of sunburn, sunstroke and of course, over time, skin cancer. Follow these simple and sensible steps;

1. Slip on a tee shirt even if it’s hot – shoulders around the collarbone have thin skin that burns.
2. Protect yourself from sunstroke by wearing a hat.
3. Wear sun cream with an SPF of at least 15 and reapply regularly.
4. Avoid the full glare of the midday sun.
5. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. No, that does not include beer and cocktails!

THE BOTTOM LINE: Take advantage of the sunshine to make your body feel and function better. Most of us find it easier to get some fresh air and  exercise in the good weather, even if it’s just going for a walk each day or bit of gardening. Take some time to relax and unwind, everybody needs some “me time”. Also make the most of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables; it is the salad season after all! 

'The Big Feast' continues

“There are so many different ones you can choose

With plenty of fruit you cannot lose,

The natural vitamins that they provide

Will help you feel amazing on the inside.”

Opening the cupboard, and pulling out a parsnip

“With rule number Three let us now equip.”

Sammy Seahorse explained “load up with vegetables,

For you’ll find they provide a multitude of minerals.”

“There are so many fun veggies for you to eat,

Kale, spinach and carrots: oh Oscar, what a treat!

 The iron they provide, to name one of so many,

Helps you to stay strong, not tired and like jelly.”

Oscar smiled away for now he began to see

How important fruit and veg was to stay healthy

What would be next he wondered, wide-eyed?

For Rule number four Olga Urchin stood by his side:

“Don’t eat lots of junk”, as told sternly by Olga:

“Avoid all those chips and that fast food burger

There are so many nasties they pack in and hide

They may look good but what’s really inside?”

The next instalment of The Big Feast!

I hope you have all had a great Easter, as promised, here is the next instalment of Oscar!

“Let me introduce you Oscar to good basic Nutrition,”

Follow me closely, look hard and listen.

Your body needs food to heal, grow, and survive

The choice is yours if you want to thrive”

“Do you want to do lots of exciting things. like running and jumping,  

Laughing, playing with friends, reading and swimming?

So come with me now and we can investigate food,

Some helpers we need; now where is the brood?”

Sidney Starfish appeared on Oscars Shoulder,

“Rule number one is drinking plenty of water.”

Known as H-2-O is great for hydration,

And very important for our brains to function.”

“Lack of water can cause your head to ache,

Your breath to smell and your knees to quake.”

So drink plenty of water Oscar, don’t stop

And very soon in the class you’ll be top.”

Drinking his water Oscar admitted it felt good,

He knew he must drink more, yes he should.

“Rule number two,” Emily Eel did say

Peeling a banana as she slid his way

“Eat plenty of fruit Oscar, different ones too,

Apples, pears and oranges are all great for you.

Oscar Ocean and The Big Feast- Special Treat

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

As a special treat and a thank you to you all I will be releasing a preview of 'Oscar Ocean and The Big Feast' over the next few days in short snippets. So for those of you who can't wait here is the first section...

At breakfast Oscar simply shook his head

For mum had made muesli and Smoothie instead

"Eat up now Oscar and start this way,

 For you see breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

"I don’t like that" Oscar did say, pushing his plate firmly away

‘‘Can’t I have chocolate cereals, toast and then play?’’

But mum was not listening; she was out in the hall

Busying and bustling, getting ready for pre-school

Wise young Sammy, in his big Chef hat:

“Come on Now Oscar, none of that,

If you want to grow big and wise and strong,

Nutrition is important all day long.”

To Oscar it all sounded dull and boring

But a glass of Smoothie Sammy was pouring.

“Packed full of vitamins, protein and water

Energy this will give you, so you can be smarter.”

Stay tuned for the next instalment.

How Healthy are Our Children?

I happened to come across a report on yesterdays  children's programme 'Newsround' which to be perfectly honest completely astounded me. After a recent survey, the program reported that over half of kids don't even eat one portion of vegetables each day!

I'm sure that we are all aware of the growing numbers of obese and overweight children, with 1 in 3 children now being classed as such. Listening to this report and reading the results, I find it astounding that so many kids out there don't seem to understand what constitutes good food choices or even why they should choose one food over another. Whilst I don't for one minute believe its too late to start educating (as seen in the fact that 8/10 of the children surveyed have made changes to their diet) surely we need to teach our children about good food choices as part of their healthy lifestyle from the off. How many of us discuss the food we eat with our children and its nutritional value? If we all take more time to do this we will all start to develop a healthier relationship with our food.

I have quite often heard it said that some parents are giving chocolate bars each day as a treat. Let's also consider that say 1 chocolate bar costs around 60p: some children (as in the report) have up to 5 a day. This would work out as £3 per day , £21 per week equating to £1092 per year just on chocolate for one child! If something is given as often as once a day it is no longer a treat it's a routine. Routines can be adapted, let's look for healthy alternatives instead and spend that £1092 on something else like swimming lessons, a bike and running shoes!

Check out the report here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/32009740

Positive Mental Attitude

A belief is simply a feeling of certainty about something. However, once accepted, our beliefs become unquestioned commands to our nervous systems, and they have the power to expand or impair the possibilities for our present and future health and healing.

What bearing does this have on health?

Well, we all hold thousands of beliefs about whom and what we are, and about the situation we find ourselves in.  Many of these however are false or limiting beliefs and have the effect of cutting off options and possibilities from our life.  You now understand that whatever we hold to be true is true to us.  Unfortunately, many people focus on a particular situation or illness and believe that things will never change (chronic condition).  So long as this (often subconscious) belief is held, there is a much reduced chance of that person getting any better. Our chronic health problems often become embedded in our personality, becoming part of who we are, subconsciously making them hard to let go of.

Scientists now concur that there is a very strong mind-body link, and that we would be in total control of our own health if we were able to use that link fully.  If the mind-body link did not have such a powerful influence, then medical trials would not need to use placebos when researching the effect of drugs or procedures.  By needing to use placebos, scientists repeatedly acknowledge the powerful effects the state of someone’s mind has upon their health. In fact, it is well know within medical circles that on average 35% of any treatments success is due to the placebo effect, so strong is our inborn ability to heal ourselves that to truly believe we are going to get well can often mean that we will!

THE VALUE OF VISUALISATION

Visualisation has also been found to be extremely powerful: One story that this brings to mind is the story of “Frank” who was diagnosed as having a fatal type of throat cancer.  He was extremely weak.  Indeed his doctors had deliberated long and hard, as to whether to expose him to any radiation therapy at all, as there was a distinct possibility that it would overwhelm his body even quicker.  They decided to proceed anyway.  Then to Franks great good fortune, Dr Carl Simonton, a radiation oncologist and medical director of the Cancer Counselling & Research Centre was asked to participate in his treatment.  Simonton suggested that Frank could influence the course of his own disease and began to teach Frank some mental-imagery techniques.  He visualised his cancer cells as weaker and more confused than his normal cells, and thus unable to repair the damage they suffered from the radiation.  Then he visualised his body’s white blood cells, the soldiers of the immune system, swarming over the dead and dying cancer cells, and carrying them to his liver and kidneys to be flushed out of the body. The results were dramatic, far exceeding the usual outcome for radiotherapy.  Frank experienced none of the usual side effects such as hair loss and damage to skin.  He regained his strength and in a mere 2 months all signs of his cancer had vanished.  In a follow-up study, Simonton taught his mental imagery techniques to 159 cancer patients who were deemed incurable.  The expected life expectancy of these people was less than 12 months.  Four years later 40% were still alive, 9% showed no evidence of disease, the cancer was regressing or stable in 18%.

He’s too young for back pain surely….?

Family
May 16, 2014

This is just one of the many comments we hear every day when we tell non-members of the centre that our team have their whole family including children adjusted regularly.

Why do we do this? Let’s start at the beginning; Firstly as we all know Chiropractic isnot about backs or pain/symptoms, it is about achieving optimum and vitalistic health. A child has many physical stresses to deal with after the birth process, as their body continues to grow and develop from a new born baby to learning to crawl and walk. When a child reaches school age, they are bursting with energy, so it’s not uncommon for trips and falls to occur through playtime or sporting activities.                                                  

This is Oakley  he was just a few hours old when he had his first Chiropractic adjustment and continues to go from strength to strength with regular Chiropractic care as a normal part of his wellness lifestyle. 

Isaac who is now 2 ½ and has also been adjusted from birth, knows that when he has a cold he needs plenty of water, fresh air, sleep, good food and actively asks for an adjustment.  

Some parents find their children asking for medicine ‘Chiro kids’ ask to have their power turned on and be reconnected with their innate energy through their adjustments. Which would you rather your child ask for?

MUMMY, I’M HUNGRY!

I recently had a conversation with a mum who was feeling a little stressed with her little one. She had noted that her son had started to wake and be so ravenously hungry, he did not want to wait for her to prepare breakfast, but instead wanted to have a bowl of cereal and then the family breakfast afterwards.

Why is that a Problem?

Well after having two breakfasts, mum had noticed her son was barely hungry when it came to lunch time. This is not a good thing if you have prepared a nutrient rich lunch. To cut a long story short, her son was then starving in between meals and had begun to enter an unhealthy cycle which was also interfering with sleep patterns. Both parents and their son were understandably grumpy!

Breaking the Pattern

I advised mum that instead of giving her son that first bowl of cereal, offer him fruit instead. If fruit is declined then he can’t be that hungry. The sugar in fruit is natural so more balanced. With cereals however, they are full of refined carbs that will fill him up in this case so much so that it knocks his whole routine out.

The first few days of this new ritual were a challenge as always when making a change. Both parents stuck with it however, which resulted in one more happy family.

It’s all about encouraging our children to make healthy lifestyle choices so that they can be the best version of themselves: Sometimes this can be really hard, but perseverance really pays off.

Please contact us for further information about healthy lifestyle choices.