I have been delivering a number of School Staff Well Being session's over the past few weeks and was pulling together a summary of the information that I shared with them. I then had the thought that everyone could benefited so I have created it as a Blog.
🍁Our bodies need different things at different times as we move into the autumn/winter seasons we need to support out bodies in different ways.
😴In the Northern Hemisphere we are moving into the season of slowing down. Giving ourselves permission to work with these natural cycles and work with the seasons rather than against them can have huge benefits for our overall health. For women this is particular relevant due to their cyclical nature.
💓This book is a must read for all women regardless of whether they have a menstrual bleed or not.
https://www.moontimes.co.uk/product/the-optimized-woman/
💓We know what makes is sick lets focus on what makes us healthy.
For me that comes down to how can I be the healthiest I can be, how can I manage and reduce my stress levels, how can I support my Immune System? For 2020 that is more important than ever.
💓The importance is to focus on controlling what we can control.
❤️Pause. Breathe. Believe.
💜The good news they are free and we have access to them at all times.
Pause
Take a moment to pause to notice your breath, to connect with your senses and what is there is the moment. Give yourself a moment to reset.
🌬Breathe
Educating yourself on the benefits and importance of Nasal Breathing I highly recommend the work of Eoin Burns & Patrick Mc Keown who work with Byteko Breathing Methods. We have been designed to Nasal Breath how we breath can impact everything from asthma/allergies, sleep, snoring, anxiety, focus, concentration etc. Improving the quality and effectiveness of our breath is fundamental pillar of health. An Interview with Patrick Mc Keown focusing on Children
https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0tucBOETuSmrnjbU6gCxORnaiWVZRlj29Z-stPJlDzYsXzUZMOyuTctnQ&fea
This is an interview I did with Eoin Burns a few months ago.
💥Believe
The power of your thoughts and words have a huge impact on how you feel. The stories and beliefs we hold are simply thoughts that we keep thinking and telling ourselves. Many of the beliefs that we have aren’t even our own, we have picked them up from our parents, our society, the books we have read, the programs we have watched etc etc Noticing the words we use to ourselves and other people and changing them to more supportive and positive words greatly effect on our resilience and our ability to be more compassionate, relaxed, calm & confident. I highly recommend watching The Heal Documentary.(available on Netflix) to understand the power of the mind body connection.
If you would like to make Meditation part of your day join our Morning Meditation Group https://www.trythealternative.net/members
💓Food & Nutrition
If you have been eating lots of homegrown fruit and veg over the past few weeks your body will be reaping the benefit and it will help carry you through the winter months.
Eating seasonally and organic along with counting chemicals instead of calories will mean that our body has less work to do and focus on helping us to be the healthiest we can be.
Slowing Down when we eat, connecting with our food and perhaps taking a moment before we eat to be grateful for the food we are consuming and to connect with if from Farm to Fork often results in moving us to rest and digest mode rather than fight or flight and can also mean that we make different and more nourishing food choices. I call this the lost blessing of Grace Before Meals.
💓For more on Mindful Eating, the benefits of slowing down, an Immune System Support Pack along with 24 Delicious Recipes and Health & Well Being Affirmations visit. https://www.trythealternative.net/product-page/be-balanced-big-bundle use the Discount Code: HEALTHMATTERS to receive £10 Off.
💓Pro Biotics/Pre Biotics & Gut Microbiome.
I love this Description from Dr Zach Bush
“The human body doesn’t have an organ called the Immune System it is an immune system.
A system composed of viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites & a few human elements too. The last decade has uncovered discoveries of the vast universe we call the microbiome. Two paradigm shifting conclusions have been ascertained from thousands of research studies: Neither human immunity or the human brain work without the interaction of millions of species of tiny organisms that inhabit every niche of the human body.
The gut is the Manhattan of the microbiome. Every internal organ; liver, kidneys, vascular system, and brain, have unique ecosystems of viruses, bacteria & fungi that maintain balance & function.
The foundation of the gut & microbiome in human health cannot be over emphasized. Our lab has been working for 7 years to understand the relationship between the microbiome & integrity of the intestinal lining. Your gut lining, covering two tennis courts in surface area, is only half the thickness of a human hair. This super thin cellophane-like barrier is not a wall, but rather an intelligent gate keeper, allowing the good stuff in, & keeping out unwanted biome, toxins, organic, inorganic toxins, etc.
In a profoundly eloquent method of checks & balances, mother nature has designed our gut barrier, the primary structure that defines your self-identity at the biologic level, to be completely dependent on its continuous contact with the microbial population of the earth. Through your breath, food & all you touch, your microbiome is an extension of you. If you isolate yourself from nature & her biodiversity, you will falter in your self-identity, immune function, & in your mind.
That is why understanding & supporting our Immune System is so important.
Research suggests.
1 course of antibiotics: shown to increase your risk of major depression by 24%, anxiety disorders by 17%
2 courses of antibiotics in a year: 52% increase in depression & 44% increase in anxiety disorders.
Neither the microbiome or the virome are against us. We are all in relationship to each other and we need to support our immune system to be as efficient as possible.
💓In an ideal world we would get all the nutrients, pro-biotics and pre-biotics that we need from our food however due to years of Industrial Farming and over processed food that is no longer possible for most of us and so supplements are helpful. I would also consider looking at increasing fermented food such as Kefir, Kombucha and Sauerkraut. I am also a fan of Raw Organic Milk (which is also often able to be consumed by those with Dairy Intolerance).
💓Here are the range of probiotic that I stock they are a world leading product and have been in developed since 2017 https://www.trythealternative.net/shop-1
💓I love to use Aromatherapy & Essential Oils, when used correctly and within the guidelines Essential Oils are very beneficial to physical and emotional health. The Brand I use and sell is Neals Yard Remedies and you can view the range here. https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/joannecallan
💓I also recommend doing a regular (at peak Cold/Flu season I do one daily) Sinus Rinse the product most commonly used is called SinuRinse and is available in most Pharmacies and I also do a Nasal Steam using Eucalyptus.
Remember the human body needs movement, it needs fun, it needs opportunities to connect with others and to be more playful.
Create your Winter Well Being Plan and Love Yourself To Good Health.
