Health Through Healing Hands

Being fit and healthy is how we all should want to live. Our body and health are our most valuable assets. It is important that we take care of our selves and our loved ones.

When you want to maintain your health, one of the best ways is cardio training.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training elevates the heart rate and uses the large muscle groups of the body.

Some exercises that will get the heart elevated include, walking, jogging, aerobics, football, cycling, rowing, snow skiing, kick boxing and swimming. You may be a member of a gym and they may have a cardio circuit set up.

 What Benefits Do We Get From Training?

1. You will gain increased energy

After a few weeks of cardio training, you will notice that your energy levels are starting to increase along with your endurance. You will be able to train for longer periods. If you started with 30 minutes of exercising you will be able to increase your time even up to 60 minutes.

2. Cardio Training Helps Prevents Diseases

Regular cardio training could help prevent heart disease. We know that it can help prevent a variety of diseases including diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. Cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs and also increases bone density, which in turn, can help prevent Osteoporosis. People who prefer the lower range of exercise like walking or slow jogging can prevent these diseases.

3. A Way to Control Your Weight

Cardio training burns calories faster. If you want to lose weight, it is a great way to move those pounds. Along with a healthy diet, depending on what training you are doing, you will see a loss of weight. If you are overweight, you should contact your health practitioner to ascertain which the best exercise is for you.

4. Lose Body Fats

Even though some people do not consider themselves over weight, they will find that if they are carrying any extra fat, this training will certainly burn it off as long as the also have a healthy diet. Regular training will make the body leaner.

Start Training to Get the Benefits

There is no better way to improve your overall health than by starting a cardio training regime.

What exercise you pick is your personal preference.

Today is the day you start. Take yourself for a walk around your neighbourhood. Start with a 30 minute walk and as your endurance improves you will be able to go for longer walks. As your fitness level increases it is advisable to increase the intensity of your training.

Avoid training just before going to bed. Training will elevate your energy levels and it would be difficult to get to sleep.

Never train on an empty stomach. Have a snack about 30 minutes before you are due to start training. If you have a snack only, you will burn it off while you are training.

One point to remember, you have to train on a consistent basis, about 5 times a week. You will also benefit from enjoying the surroundings and breathing the fresh air. You can elect to train by yourself or with a friend or you may simply want to take your dog for a walk. What ever exercise you do you will get great health benefits from cardio training.

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Some detox diets are controversial so therefore care and advice should be sought before starting one.

Detox diets are undertaken to clean out your system of toxins and poisons. They are not recommended for everyone especially if you have any medical condition such as diabetes or a heart condition, also not recommended for anyone suffering from an eating disorder. Teenagers are another group that should not use a detox diet because it will rob their bodies of important vitamins and minerals that their bodies need during this phase of growth and development.

This type of diet is not specifically designed for you to lose weight but this could be one of the side effects. There are also some other bad side effects that you may suffer like headaches, fatigue, hunger and skin problems such as acne.

During this diet, you will eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. The vegetables are mainly raw so that you are getting the maximum benefit from the natural vitamins and minerals. Over the next few days, because you have eliminated certain foods from you normal diet and you may be taking some type of tablet or powder laxative that you have bought from your pharmacist, your system will start to clean itself. Eating natural foods like fruit and vegetables will improve the function of the liver, kidneys and intestines.

Because you have changed you diet and you may also be taking some form of laxative, be prepared to make frequent visits to the bathroom. During this time, you should drink lots of water and fluids to prevent dehydration.

There is no medical evidence at the moment that these diets are effective.  The body normally does its own cleaning process. When you are healthy, and you have a good diet, it should not be necessary. If you think you should commit yourself to doing this diet, it may be advisable to seek medical advice first. Remember it could be detrimental to some people if they have some known health conditions.

There are other diets that maybe more suitable for you.

We all have different IQs but there are ways to increase the capacity of your brain. If you believe that you can boost you brain power and experience better results – then there is help available for you.

These seven steps as shown here are going to boost your brain and keeping it working perfectly.

1. Have a regular exercise regime

It is not particular important what exercise you get involved with because something as simple as walking is fine. As you get fitter, after a period of time, increase the intensity of your workout.

When you work out, there is a release of neurochemicals. Endorphins are released and this makes us feel happier and if you feel happy this will create a more positive effect in the brain.

2. Take Diet Supplements.

We have often heard that natural supplements are good for our health and therefore good for our brain. Omega 3 comes to mind. These supplements are available from you local health store, your supermarket or on line.

3. The Beneficial Effect of Using Your Brain

Just as you exercise your body, you must exercise your brain. This can be done through a variety of different methods. It may be as easy as engaging in conversation with friends and family or you may even play some type of educational game. This could even be a game on line. Crossword puzzles make you think and learn. Any form of activity that stimulates the brain is good.

4. Playing Games

Find games that have a good effect on your brain where you are forced to think. There are several games on line that could be what you want but avoid any that do not require much thought. There are also several gaming consoles that may suit you. Play games that increase your power of thought and in turn increase you brain function.

5. Choose an Educational Hobby.

Choose something that interests you where you can learn something. For example, you may want to join a class and learn how to write a book. You should be able to learn more on the subject than you already know. An educational hobby is designed to use parts of the brain that you do not normally use.

6. Enjoy Your Sleep.

Sleep is a time when the body and mind recharges itself. The amount of time we sleep should be between six to eight hours per night. If you like to take a power nap during the day, ensure that it is for a maximum of 20 minutes. This works well for some people because they feel regenerated and can tackle more in their day. Never deprive yourself of sleep – this is what allows the brain to function better.

7. Relaxation.

Always allow time for relaxation. Because we are often rushing to get things done, not only does our body get tired but also our mind. Many people find that even exercise can be a form of relaxation, in particular, yoga. Meditation is also a great way to relax the mind. Just allow yourself time to wipe all the worries out of your mind. Which form of relaxation you choose, will allow you to feel healthier and happier and increase your brain’s performance.

To YOUR success

Sue McDonald

Some people who suffer from stress find it almost impossible to find an outlet to relieve it. The majority of stressed people do not realize that by doing some fun activities, they may be able to reduce their stress levels. Stress can be as a result of your career or a social or personal pressure.

Therapists all around the world agree that certain activities, when done on a regular basis, will help reduce the stress levels. These activities include games, sports and art. These activities can have a great affect on a stressed persons physical and behavioral problems.

Mind games

Stress as we all know, will affect the mental functions of the person. It is important to get people to focus on positive thoughts and not allow themselves to dwell on the negative ones. Mind games allow the person an alternative to reduce their stress levels. This is done by diverting your thought pattern to something more productive. Therapists encourage suffers of stress to tackle crosswords and sudoko to help cope with their stress.

If you are a member of a stress management clinic, these games will definitely be part of your treatment and you may also be introduced to Scrabble and Bridge. If you are not part of a clinic, and you have no plans of visiting one, you can incorporate these games into your daily activity because they will divert your mind some diversion from your problems.

Sports

Playing sports is a great way to relieve stress. The physical exercise that your body needs to balance biological and muscular functions can rejuvenate those muscles that are tight due to the effects of stress. People who play sports find that they can help alleviate some emotional problems like anxiety, depression, and anger.

Some people become involved in team sports and this also provides the socializing side as well as the exercise. People feel part of this group and this can have a positive effect.

Workout

Some people prefer to do individual exercises like joining a gym and working out. They may hire a personal trainer to help keep them focused and on track. Strenuous activities can develop your muscles and this allows your body’s to better cope with the stress. While you are exercising, the body will release chemicals and hormones that are beneficial to your physiological well-being.

Always be aware that if you are going to work out at the gym, make sure you consider your diet also.

Include fresh fruits and vegetables as these are necessary to improve your digestion and supplies the body with the required nutrients it needs. Red lean meat can give your muscles proteins that will strengthen muscle tissues for added flexibility.

Combining mental activities and physical exercise and having a balanced diet can help a person avoid the signs and symptoms of stress. People who do this will find their stress will vanish.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Seiki Soho therapy was taken from the Japanese Shiatsu. It was devised by a Japanese shiatsu practitioner, Akinobu Kishi.

Kishi felt that when performing shiatsu, the shiatsu was a form of controlling the body whether his client wanted it or not. Through observation, he was able to know exactly where on his client’s body he had to treat. To most people this is a little mysterious, because the practitioner has to be able to see the points of the body he has to touch. In shiatsu, the practitioner traces the meridians and feels the parts of the body where there is an excess or deficiency of ki. This is what he then treats.

Seiki Soho is like a massage but it is supposedly good at helping the client get in touch with their own body and mind and helps relieves stress. The belief here is that it can clear up problems that trouble us. If we do not rid ourselves of negative feelings that trouble us, they can often turn into a physical illness.

As a relative new therapy, there is not a lot written about it at this stage. It is the same as shiatsu where the client lives on the floor, fully clothed, on a mat or futon. The touch is firm as in shiatsu and many of the moves are similar but unlike shiatsu there is no rigid system to work to. It relies on what the practitioner can see. After treatment clients say they are relaxed and distressed and feel that their body and mind has been cleansed.

Clients state that after a session they are calm yet energized. They also state that it improves their sleeping patterns and allows them to better cope with the stresses in their every day life.

I think in our western society, it may be very hard to find a practitioner.

Do you know much about your body’s energy? Energy medicine could be the medicine of the future. As we have seen previously that the ancient forms of medicine that the body was more than just fresh and bones but there was also energy there as well.

We feed our bodies to increase our energy and this energy gives us power. This is the same when we fill our cars with fuel; we want the car to be able to move. Accordingly to quantum physics, the molecules that make up the human are a form of vibrating energy.

Every thing around us is composed of fields of vibrating energy. Different things vibrate at different frequencies. We have all heard of xrays, microwave, radio waves and television waves – all of these vibrate at different frequencies. We have all read about kirlian photography and have seen examples. This proves that objects emit light rays. Different colors are indicative of different things.

Now that we are aware of the body being energy, we also must accept that there are different forms of energy some being emotional energy, natural energy and spiritual energy. You will find that your energy levels are the highest when you feel the happy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine all have one thing in common. They all refer to “life force.” In India it is Prana, In China it is Qi or Chi and in Japan it is Ki. The best way to describe it is a force that keeps us alive. We are all born with Chi and then some we get out of the foods we eat and the air we breathe.

Eastern religions teach that we have many spinning spheres in our body know as chakras. These Chakras spin at different frequencies and when each charka is spinning at the right frequency, we are balanced and in perfect health. With all the stresses of today’s society, if the charkas become unbalanced, illness will follow.

To fix this it may be necessary to go to a Reiki therapist or you can also fix it by visualizing and meditation on the charkas.

These are the main Charkas where they are and what color they are and what they govern.

Base                      Base of Spine              Red                 Your physical body and your survival

Naval                     At the naval            Orange             Emotional identity and sexuality

Solar Plexus        Solar Plexus           Yellow               Ego and self esteem

Heart                    Heart/Chest            Green               Love, balance, relationship

Throat                   Throat                        Blue                  Communication and Creativity

Third Eye             Brow                         Indigo               Imagination and institution

Crown                   Top of the Head    Violet                Wisdom/knowledge and understanding

So you can see that now in the Western world we are adopting some of these energy methods to help heal ourselves.

This week I am going to explore some more therapies.

Having a session with a Rolfer will change the way you stand and your posture. Rolfing is a series of 10 treatments to obtain maximum results. After the course of treatment, people are much more relaxed and will stand more upright.

The secret to rolfing is treating the fascia and connective tissue which encases our muscles and then forms tendons and ligaments. It appears to be a deep tissue massage.

This system was devised by Dr Ida Rolf. What Dr Rolf discovered is that the fascia would adapt to support posture and patterns of movement. So this means if you stand with all of your weight on one foot then the fascia will bunch and become shorter to accommodate for this. If you hunch your shoulders the fascia will knot up to enable the body to hold that position. So if we put our bodies into the wrong positions, the fascia will change so that we maintain that position.

If we change the fascia this way, we can basically change it back to the way it should be. This is done by stretching and manipulating the fascia back to its original position. Dr. Rolf discovered that by realigning the fascia she was reprogramming the neurological pathways and returning the person to better health and better posture.

What can be achieved using Rolfing?

These are some of the problems that can be fixed through your rolfing sessions.

Postural problems can be rectified. The body can be aligned correctly.

Long term chronic aches and pains can be alleviated and even disappear.

People with very bad headaches find that they can also disappear.

Neck and back pains respond well to rolfing and when pain is released from the body you will find that you have more energy.

These are a few simple exercises that may help you align your body. We often develop tension, mainly in the shoulders and upper back, by staying in the same position for long periods of time. Try to change your pattern. If, for example, you are sitting at your computer hour after hour, give yourself a 5 minute break every hour and stretch your arms. Stretch them out to at shoulder level – to the side and then in front of you. Anyone who carries a bag over the shoulder, try carrying it on the opposite shoulder. Whatever hand you use to do everything, try using the other hand – so if you always use you right hand, use you left hand sometimes.

Squatting is another great exercise. Hold on to something solid – like a bench and just squat down. This is great for the lower back. If you are having difficulties standing again, make sure you push into the ground with your weight distributed evenly over both feet. This will avoid straining your back.

Yoga is a great way to stretch and if you can get to a yoga class, I would suggest you do. You can strengthen so much of your body while gaining flexibility.

Allergies are often an acute reaction to allergens to which we can be exposed. These reactions do not pose a major threat to our bodies. However, there are some rare allergies that can be life threatening if not treated immediately.

The most severe reaction to allergens is anaphylactic shock. When the body reacts to a potentially harmful allergen, it releases an antibody know as immunoglobulin E. The initial exposure is know as sensitization and is asymptomatic. As exposure to the allergen increases the person will develop serious immune response affecting their entire body. Their entire body becomes allergic to this allergen. Some people have a severe reaction to any type of nuts.

The number of people world wide who suffer from anaphylaxis is probably in the range of 1% of the population.

Some people are born with it while others develop it. Male adults are less likely to develop anaphylaxis than female adults but in children it is the reserves – young males are more susceptible.

Symptoms vary from case to case. However, the onset normally begins with a skin rash, a feeling of being unwell and a runny nose. The onset of anaphylaxis can be very rapid and there a host of complex symptoms.

Some of the serious symptoms include difficulty in breathing, tightness in the chest, abdominal pains, tightness in the throat, nasal congestion, dizziness, low blood pressure as well as a rapid heart beat. The sufferer can even have a cardiac arrest.

Anaphylaxis is a serious condition that must be treated immediately or it could lead to unconsciousness and in some cases death.

It is difficult to know what causes anaphylaxis but it is know that there are a host of substances that trigger an attack. Some of the contributors are some foods, medicines, insect stings and x-ray dyes. Common allergens can be the cause of anaphylactic shock.

The treatment is an injection of epinephrine and this will counter the anaphylactic symptoms. This is a form of adrenaline, which when administered, will reverse the symptoms and stabilize the patient. Once the person is stabilized, they are given further intravenous fluids and medicines.

People, who know that they suffer from allergies that can lead to anaphylaxis, are advised by their doctor to always carry a handy epinephrine injection kit. It is also a good practice to carry a card stating what allergies they suffer from so that the treatment can be administered immediately in case of an emergency.

To  YOUR success

Sue McDonald

When it comes to exercising, it is really a “do it yourself” proposition. Yes, you can have a gym membership and even a personal trainer, but if you are not motivated you will make every excuse. One motivating factor could be you want to lose weight for a special occasion or because your doctor has said you have to lose weight to prevent any health problems.

Once a person can start an exercise campaign and see what benefits they are gaining – it is easier for them to stay motivated. It is not only the exercising that will help you trim down but you should also consider a really healthy eating plan. You don’t have to change your entire life, but it can be as easy as cutting out saturated fats, sugars and salt.

You have to become a label reader and know exactly what foods are good for you and what ones to avoid.

Over the last 60 years, people are not doing the physical tasks they were doing, both at home and at work. People tend to drive or catch public transport rather than walking as they did previously. We have so many labor saving devices in our home that we do not have the same amount of activity we once had.

Some people who do lose weight can very easily regain it. If they stop exercising and go back to their old life style, they soon regain the weight and in most cases – more. People who stop exercising tend to return to their sedentary ways even though they were enjoying exercising.

Despite this we can prevent it from happening. We all know that we enjoyed the loss of the weight and how good we felt, but what we want to achieve is to keep motivated and exercise and then we can stay healthy and avoid many health problems associated with being overweight.

 Ways to lose weight

Have a clear goal if you want to lose weight. Be very specific. Know exactly the amount of weight you desire to lose. You may want to lose 30 pounds over the next six months. Now if you break that down to a monthly figure – it means losing 5 pound per month.

Now we know that is not impossible to achieve if we modify our eating habits and adopt an exercise plan.

 Develop your own strategy

To lose the weight you must have both a healthy diet and an exercise regime. In the beginning, your exercise program may appear slow but as time goes on you can increase the intensity of your training.

As you start to lose weight, you may want to send your bigger sized clothes to the op shop. Once you do this, you will see that there a lot of clothes you used to wear that are smaller in size and they make you feel good about yourself. Seeing all these sexy clothes in your wardrobe, will certainly help motivate you and keep you on track.

A super motivator

Depending on what you can afford, why not pay yourself for every pound you lose. It could be from $10 to $50 and put it aside till you reach your goal weight. At the end you can take yourself on a shopping spree and get a new wardrobe.

Have an accountability partner

Now my suggestion here is you get an accountability partner. It can be a friend or a family member. Get this person to take a photo of you before you start on any exercise program. Having an accountability partner is fun because they can watch you achieve along the way and be very encouraging for you.

That person is there to help you through the difficult times as well the great times. They are there to help motivate you and keep you on track.

 Are you staying on track?

I am sure if you have taken an accountability partner, you will definitely be staying on track. From our example we started with of losing 30 pounds, you may find after the first month, you have actually lost more than the estimated 5 pounds. If you have – well done.

After a few months, you will become very used to doing your exercises. Your may have even taken a training partner and this will also help you. Once you start losing weight believe that you never want to go back to your old ways. Your life has now changed for the better.

To YOUR success

Sue McDonald

Are you suffering from lack of energy? Is there any apparent reason that you can find for this? When you are not nurturing your body properly, your body can shut down. It is not that your whole body shuts down but the individual systems start slowing down to conserve energy. You will find that your metabolism is starting to slow down and the glandular functions are impaired and you will start to lose your energy and strength. Firstly, you will notice that you are fatigued all the time and it is difficult for you to be able to function as before. You don’t need those energy boosting drinks but your body is telling you that you could consider a detoxifying cleanse.

Think of your body as a machine – like your car for example. Now you know, that to maintain your car for optimum performance, you must have it serviced and this involves changing the oil and tuning up the entire engine. Now our bodies work in much the same way as your vehicle. If our bodies are full of toxins, waste, chemicals and any other harmful substance our bodies will slow down and become sluggish. What we have to do is flush out these nasty harmful substances from our body.

Most of us know that the body can naturally get rid of a lot of toxins and waste matter naturally. While we know this to be true, in our modern society we are exposed to more and more foods containing preservatives, sugars and other chemicals. If these are in our body it is not able to operate at optimal levels. Until we can rid our body of these substances we may become ill or get fatigued. If you are a fan of massage, you will know that a good massage will help eliminate toxins.

How are we going to get back our energy?

I would suggest that you get medical advice before you decide to cleanse your body.

What we want is that the body can regain its energy naturally and at the same time repair itself. To do this we need to remove all of the accumulated waste in our body. This is easily done by flushing everything out of our system. To begin start drinking water, eating washed vegetables and fruit and only health fresh foods. At this stage do not eat any pre-packaged foods. You can also get a detoxifying product to assist you cleanse your body but it is not necessary. If you elect to buy one of these products, check the label and only buy one that is all natural. If you are unsure of the ingredients, do not purchase it.

As soon as you start this process, and detoxify your body by eating the healthy foods you will notice a change. Your body will feel a lot healthier and your energy levels will begin to rise. This process can take 7-10 days but once again I would advise you to check with your health practitioner.

To YOUR success

Sue