Holistic Health Secrets

Archive for December, 2009

1. Write

If you can’t sleep because you have thoughts and worries continually circling around your mind, then get up and write out everything that’s in your mind.

You can either free associate and write about random thoughts or write about the specific situations that are causing you anxiety.

Writing, or expressing these anxieties privately, can be one way to stop them from circling endlessly in your mind.

Better still, if you know you are prone to worrying at night, write down all your worries before you go to bed.  And then make an agreement with yourself to sleep on it.

2. Reiki

Invest in a course of three to four relaxing Reiki treatments. Reiki treatments have an accumulative effect.  They deeply relax the mind and body therefore helping with insomnia.  If you fall asleep during the treatment, this is also okay.

You may wish to consider learning Reiki for yourself.  That way, you can give yourself a self-treatment while you are lying in bed waiting to go to sleep.  It is a really good way of helping you to drift off to sleep.

3. Music

But not just any kind of music.  Even if you don’t like listening to classical music, it will still have a relaxing and beneficial effect on your health.

You may have heard of the Mozart Effect. Listening to Bach and other Baroque musicians who composed structured pieces with 60 beats a minute (like a heartbeat) is generally very good for your health.

And if this kind of music bores you, so much the better.  Boredom can help you to sleep.

Use a pillow speaker when listening to music at night.

4. Avoid the News at Night

If you like to keep abreast of current affairs, watch the early evening news, if you can.  But avoid watching the news late at night or just before you go to bed.

The news is often filled with negative stories which instils a negative energy last thing at night which you can carry into your dreams (if you do get to sleep) and over into the next day.

5.  Bore Yourself

Do something you consider to be boring, mundane and repetitive and that doesn’t require a lot of brain power just before you go to bed.  The mind will be so eager to escape this that it may switch off naturally.

6. Dull Radio Station

Listen to a radio station that you find uninteresting (but not irritating).  I find it helpful to have the radio on at a low volume helps me to sleep.

7. Passion Flower tea

For insomnia caused by stress or nervousness, drink passion flower tea one hour before bedtime.  Passion Flower tea can calm the nerves and helps induce restful sleep.

Put the dried herbs in a mug of boiling water and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

Passion Flower tea is not advisable for pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers.

Passiflora Incarnata is the recommended variety of passion flower for insomnia.

Do you experience insomnia?  Learn natural methods to beat insomnia in new online course

Slight setback: a loud noise from outside at 2 o’clock in the morning made me jump out of my skin and got my heart racing too fast.  I could feel my heartbeat reverberating insistently in my ear for the next twenty minutes or so.

Aside from that, on the fourth day of the Nutri-Calm experiment, I am still sleeping without interruption and am much less breathless after exertion (such as walking or climbing staircases).

For more information about this experiment, read the Nutri-Calm Log or 30 Days of Nutri-Calm.

Enjoy Health, Avoid Disease and Stay Young

Eating foods that contain antioxidants such as fruit, vegetables and certain types of chocolate can help to prevent the onset of chronic or degenerative diseases which are caused by cellular damage.

What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that help to prevent oxygen damage to our body’s cells.

Oxygen damage (oxidation) occurs when our body’s cells use oxygen and produce toxic molecules called free radicals which damage the cells.

Our body’s natural defence systems usually repair the damage caused by oxidation.

However if oxygen damage overpowers our body’s natural defences, the reactions can accumulate resulting in the degeneration of the bones, the weakening of the immune system and the effects of ageing.

This may lead to the onset of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

Antioxidants prevent and repair the damage caused by free radicals.

Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Here is a very brief list of foods which contain antioxidants.

Foods Rich in Vitamin A
Carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, apricots

Foods Rich in Vitamin C
Oranges, limes, green peppers, strawberries

Foods Rich in Vitamin E
Nuts, vegetable oil

Other Foods
Chicken, eggs, garlic, shellfish, red wine, watermelon

Suggestions for preparing food while retaining their antioxidant properties

• * Fresh fruits blended into a smoothie
• * Steaming vegetables

Zambroza

For a simple option, you can also drink Zambroza, a delicious fruit juice made up of a selection of powerful antioxidant ingredients like mangosteens, blueberries and raspberries.

Read more about Zambroza.

This is the second day of my Nutri-Calm experiment.

To recap, I took Nutri-Calm as a last resort on Sunday night after still being awake at 1.41 am and then the following day decided to start this experiment.

I suppose yesterday was officially Day 1 of the experiment then.  I actually fell asleep as soon as I went to bed and slept right through.

My heartbeat still feels rapid and I still weirdly feel it pulsating in my right ear and it was pretty loud first thing this morning.  But good news about the sleep.

For more information about this experiment, read 30 Days of Nutri-Calm.

Nutri-Calm tablets supports the nervous system.  When we experience stress symptoms, the nervous system uses up the body’s resources of Vitamin C .

Nutri-Calm tablets contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B-Complex and chamomile flowers extract which soothes the nerves.

The past five months have been very stressful which has had a big impact on my health.

I have decided to take the Nutri-Calm supplement “religiously” for the next 30 days and see what positive impact it has on my health.

I intend to log the results, observations and changes on this blog.  Also it will give me more motivation to take it, if I turn it into a semi writing project.

My relevant current symptoms are shortness of breath particularly when I first lie down or climb a staircase, palpitations which I hear in my right ear, particularly at night and difficulty falling asleep at night.

I will be taking Nutri-Calm in conjunction with Chinese herbal and mainstream medicine and will log any changes I observe on this blog.

Zambroza is a delicious healthy fruit juice for all ages.

It is an antioxidant drink which contains no artificial colours, sweeteners or flavourings.

Zambroza contains powerful antioxidants. Research has shown that antioxidants help to:

* increase your energy
* boost your immune system
* reduce inflammation

The Fruits of Zambroza

Zambroza’s ingredients combine to create a distinctive drink. Here is a summary of the fruits that make up the unique Zambroza formula:

Mangosteen:

Mangosteen, a fruit from the orient, contains antioxidants which support the immune system, digestive system, the brain and the skin.

Wolfberries:

Wolfberries contain substances (carotenoids) which help to protect the liver and the body from cell damage.

Raspberries:

Raspberries contain natural chemicals and vitamins which help to boost energy.

Blueberries:

Blueberries help to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol. They also help to prevent premature ageing.

Green Tea:

Green tea helps to prevent uncontrollable cell growth, lowers cholesterol and helps to support the digestive system.

Apple Juice and Apple Skins:

Apple juice and skins contain antioxidants (phenols) which balance cell growth, supports the circulatory system, helps to prevent premature aging and inflammation.

Grape Juice, Grape Seed and Grape Skins:

Concord grapes and red grapes contain essential minerals and antioxidants which prevent inflammation and disease, improve the flexibility of the joints and aid blood circulation.

30 ml of Zambroza taken twice a day or diluted with water has been shown to have beneficial effects, supporting the body’s systems and boosting energy.

Special Offer – 10% Discount

You can purchase Zambroza at the Nature’s Sunshine Store via the link on this website.

Buy Zambroza.

Guidelines for Developing Good Digestion, Losing Weight and Stimulating Appetite

These guidelines to aid healthy eating habits are based on holistic health and Eastern perspectives.

They will hopefully help us to enjoy our food without guilt as well as improve our overall health and well-being.

Good Digestion

Eating warm cooked foods eases the process of digestion. Whereas eating cold food or food straight out of the fridge tends to put a strain on the digestive system.

Chewing is an important part of digestion. The mouth contains enzymes that start the chemical breakdown of food. The more you chew your food, the easier it is on your stomach and intestines.

The stomach needs space to digest the food. Digestion becomes sluggish if you eat until your stomach is completely full. So stop before you are bursting.

Avoid drinking too much fluid while you eat. Liquids dilute the digestive enzymes. If possible, drink to satisfy your thirst after you finish eating.

Take a mental or physical break immediately after eating. Allow your body time to digest and absorb energy from the food you have just eaten.

Losing Weight

When planning to lose weight, don’t think ‘diet’ and ‘restriction’. Think Nutrition.

Avoid eating a meal late at night or just before you go to sleep.

Always eat breakfast. This gives you the energy to kickstart your morning and the stamina to avoid the temptation to snack during the day.

Poor Appetite

The digestive process begins before you even take a bite. Our appetite is stimulated by the smell of food.

Stimulate your lack of appetite by making your food look attractive or creating a special atmosphere for mealtimes.

Eat with your eyes. The more appetising the food you prepare or eat looks and smells, the more enthusiastic you will feel about eating.

Make time to eat. And relax while you are eating. Don’t work or read at the same time – even if you are only eating a sandwich.

Holistic Nutrition

A hearty breakfast – the breaking of the fast – helps to give you positive energy to meet the challenges of the day.

Food loses energy when it goes through each cooking process. So avoid eating processed foods or ready made meals.

Eat fresh, local, seasonal, free-range produce, when possible. Avoid meat that may contain extra hormones or antibiotics as a result of certain farming practices.

Researchers believe that eating food rich in antioxidants helps to prevent the onset of chronic illnesses.

Fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants help to strengthen the bones, the joints and the immune system.

Food nourishes your mind as well as your body. So eat moderate but regular meals throughout the day to maintain your energy, mental health and emotional well-being.

There is great deal of contradictory information available about foods considered to be healthy or bad for us.

This can create a lot of anxiety about eating and dieting.

But we are all individuals and one man’s meat, as they say, is another man’s poison.

So trust your body’s natural intelligence. Avoid eating foods that cause you physical discomfort afterwards.  Notice which foods increase your energy and improve your mood.

And when in doubt, eat what you enjoy and enjoy what you eat.