New Year's Resolutions' time again

As we await the coming of a new year I found this article about resolutions and thought it was worth sharing.

5 tips to being healthy, wealthy and loving in 2012

By Brenda Rawlings, FuseworksDecember 31, 2011, 3:12 pm

 

 

As people commit to New Year's resolutions to eat less, spend less, exercise more, what about a resolution that could change your life, give you better health and happiness? This resolution could be the best gift you ever give your children and is reported to be the best savings or retirements plan ever invented. It might even result in great sex!

No it's not a drug! It's not a diet or exercise plan. It doesn't involve large sums of money but it does require you to put in a little bit of practice every day, as you might at the gym. But the results could well change your life and those around you for the better.

In 2012, make your relationship with your partner your number one priority. Two easy keys are to really listen to them and two, make sure that every day you tell them something you appreciate about them and what it adds to your life. This exercise could take as little as 10 minutes a day but the results could transform the way you talk to each other.

Many people find their relationship with their long term partner a source of stress and anxiety. We get locked into unhealthy negative patterns where we see the person that we live with as the problem. Deep down, we want to be close to them, to have their eyes light up in delight when we enter a room. But instead we find ourselves nagging and criticising, or closing up and withdrawing.

Make a New Year Resolution to improve your relationship with these 5 tips. (and remember you can do it on your own, without your partner, and it will still make a difference!)

 

 

1. Listen to your partner when they talk about what is happening for them. Really listen to them in a way that shows them you care for them and are curious about who they are. Instead of waiting to reply or interrupt, listen, make it about them. When one person gets angry or withdraws often it is how they manage their anxiety when they feel alone or as though they can't do anything right. So talk to your partner about your fears and hurts. When you talk, make it about you, not them. When you listen, make it about them, not you.

2. Use willpower. You might feel you are playing a game with one person always shouting and the other withdrawing or clamming up. It only takes one of you to do something different to change the negative pattern. Catch yourself when you start to want to nag and criticise, take a deep breath and pause. Look for something to appreciate and say it! If you are the one who withdraws, gather up your courage and say something, tell your partner what's going on for you. Practice every day saying something you appreciate about your partner and what they add to your life.

3. Change your thinking. We often think that it is our partner who is the problem in our relationship. If they would change, then everything would be okay. The reality is we usually choose people that we are not entirely compatible with to be in a relationship with. We need to learn how to love and appreciate each other's qualities and differences, not make them like us. This is a critical part of a mature relationship. After you have moved from romantic love it's quite normal to move to conflict and difficulty. Practice these steps and you could move back to a more happy state.

4. Don't give up. All relationships require work, just like a healthy body or mind. You've lasted this long with each other, look at them with those eyes that first attracted you. Remember to be curious again and eliminate the negativity.

5. Make your relationship your number one New Year's resolution. Plan a fun trip together or decide to spend an hour or two one evening a week, just the two of you. Maybe get a kick start with a few hours of counselling with a specialist relationship counsellor or do a couples workshop together.

Begin the New Year with a smile, a hug and an appreciation of your partner. Look at your partner as someone you want to get to know better, with curiosity and interest, and a deep knowing that they are different to you and that is why you chose them.

 

Practice these tips and 2012 could become a standout year, oh and keep you healthy and wealthy!
www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Schooling?

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Before I came across the Steiner School near us I had always considered homeschooling.  Being a qualified teacher I had many occasions to see the down side of schools and as a consequence homeschooling became more and more an option for our kids.

The problem for me is weather I personally would be doing our children a service or dis-service!  Even though we love the school we have chosen as it comes as close a possible to how I would educate them I still think of homeschooling.  Here is an interesting piece from good old Wikipedia (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling for whole article).

Numerous studies have found that home schooled students on average outperform their peers on standardized tests.^[23] Homeschooling Achievement, a study conducted by National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), a homeschooling advocacy group, supported the academic integrity of homeschooling. Among the home schooled students who took the tests, the average home schooled student outperformed his public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that public school performance gaps between minorities and genders were virtually non-existent among the home schooled students who took the tests.^[24]

In the 1970s Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted four federally funded analyses of more than 8,000 early childhood studies, from which they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early, 1975. This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same findings designed specifically for educational professionals.^[25] Their analysis concluded that, "where possible, children should be withheld from formal schooling until at least ages eight to ten."

Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready." They concluded that the outcome of forcing children into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as the child leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at the new pressures and restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because unready learning tools – senses, cognition, brain hemispheres, coordination – cannot handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures they bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustration, 5) failure which quite naturally flows from the four experiences above, and 6) delinquency which is failure's twin and apparently for the same reason."^[26] According to the Moores, "early formal schooling is burning out our children.

Teachers who attempt to cope with these youngsters also are burning out."^[26] Aside from academic performance, they think early formal schooling also destroys "positive sociability", encourages peer dependence, and discourages self worth, optimism, respect for parents, and trust in peers. They believe this situation is particularly acute for boys because of their delay in maturity. The Moores cited a Smithsonian Report on the development of genius, indicating a requirement for "1) much time spent with warm, responsive parents and other adults, 2) very little time spent with peers, and 3) a great deal of free exploration under parental guidance."^[26] Their analysis suggested that children need "more of home and less of formal school" "more free exploration with... parents, and fewer limits of classroom and books," and "more old fashioned chores – children working with parents – and less attention to rivalry sports and amusements."^[26]

John Taylor later found, using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, "while half of the conventionally schooled children scored at or below the 50th percentile (in self-concept), only 10.3% of the home-schooling children did so."^[27] He further stated that "the self-concept of home-schooling children is significantly higher (and very much so statistically) than that of children attending the conventional school. This has implications in the areas of academic achievement and socialization, to mention only two. These areas have been found to parallel self-concept. Regarding socialization, Taylor's results would mean that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. He states that critics who speak out against homeschooling on the basis of social deprivation are actually addressing an area which favors homeschoolers.^[27]

In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey of 7,300 U.S. adults who had been home schooled (5,000 for more than seven years). Their findings included:

• Home school graduates are active and involved in their communities. 71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages from a traditional education background.

• Home school graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the corresponding U.S. populace. The numbers are even greater in older age groups, with voting levels not falling below 95%, compared with a high of 53% for the corresponding U.S. populace.

• 58.9% report that they are "very happy" with life, compared with 27.6% for the general U.S. population. 73.2% find life "exciting", compared with 47.3%.^[28]

23. HSLDA | Academic Statistics on Homeschooling

24. HSLDA | Homeschooling Achievement

25. Better Late Than Early, Raymond S. Moore, Dorothy N. Moore, Seventh Printing, 1993, addendum

26. Raymond S. Moore, Dorothy Moore. When Education Becomes Abuse: A Different Look at the Mental Health of Children

27. Self-Concept in home-schooling children, John Wesley Taylor V, Ph.D., Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI

28. HSLDA | Homeschooling Grows Up

Entwined already

We arrived at our first Steiner playgroup not knowing anything about the philosophy and not knowing that it would be the first step towards an ever increasing relationship. A relationship that has seen us enrolled both our children into kindergarten, me to do relieving teaching, attend staff meetings and now embark on Steiner Teacher training.


As a trained teacher you would think that I would know at least a little about the educationalist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) somehow though it this knowledge had passed me by.


In researching Steiner recently after an enlightening discussion with a friend, I came across a sceptic’s website, which was surprising unbiased (maybe just my bias showing here), that had the following interesting statement “Children should not be burdened with either spirituality or materialism. They should be loved and be taught to love. They should be allowed to grow in an atmosphere of cooperation. They shouldn't be typecast according to an ancient theory of temperaments. We should develop their emotions as well as their intellects. They should be introduced to the best we have to offer in nature, art, and science in such a way that they do not have to connect everything either to their souls or to their future jobs. They may not find this in most public schools but they almost certainly won't find it in a Waldorf school."


It is an interesting statement for me as in many ways it sums up my ideal concept of education and why I have often considered homeschooling.  The reality though is that every system – be it an educational one, a political one or anything in between – will have its faults and its merits.  Obviously some systems are more inherently faulty but for the most part I thing Steiner has got many things ‘right’ or at least the things I consider important ‘right’.  Emotional well being is such an essential ingredient for creating healthy individuals, more important I believe than academic study, who believe in themselves and are able to succeed it life – whatever they define success as – and this is a real strength in Steiner education.  Children are encouraged to be themselves, accepting and respecting themselves along with others who are being themselves.  There are studies that show children’s emotional wellbeing can have physical and mental effects that last long into adulthood and therefore, for me, a system which fosters acceptance and working out differences rather than running away problems has got to worth trying.


It is hard continue to maintain something of merit for a long period of time without having some guidelines to follow however once these guidelines have been set it is sometimes hard not to follow them by the letter and harder still to risk change when problems arise.  The typecasting according to an ancient theory of temperaments, that being choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic is a real possibility as is creating an indoctrinated community rather than an educational environment.  The key is to continue to question. This works in all areas of life in order to have meaning and also a check that we are where we want to be.  Why? Will be one of my foremost thoughts as I continue down this journey, trying to understand why things are taught, encouraged, allowed will hopefully enable me to be conscience of why we are part of the Steiner educational system and community.

Arohanui
Y
www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Matrix Reimprinting

Matrix Reimprinting is a brand new Meridian Tapping Therapy that everybody is talking about. It is effective for the treatment of emotional or physical issues, it can also be used to manifest your goals and dreams. It evolved from the popular self-help technique EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).

Like it’s predecessors, Matrix Reimprinting also uses the Traditional Chinese Medicine meridian system that has been used in acupuncture for thousands of years. EFT has a long and impressive history of resolving physical and emotional health issues. The way it works is that you bring to mind and verbalise, in a specific manner, an issue that you want to work with. See http://www.matrixreimprinting.com/website-feature-about-matrix.aspx for a more.

Now it is on the Kapiti Coast.  A morning workshop (9am -12.30) in being organised by Becoming Healthy Ltd on MR (Matrix Reimprinting) on Saturday 17th September. It will be held in the Paraparaumu library meeting room. The workshop is $15 for early payments or $20 for on the door payments.

Bookings can be made either with Debby Guddee by e-mail. info@matrix-reimprinting.co.nz or by phone 0800 021 293. 

Arohanui
Y
www.becominghealthy.co.nz
 

Natural Burn Remedy

A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel to see how much pesticide remained in it. He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the vapors inflamed and engulfed him. He jumped from his truck, screaming. His neighbor came out of her house with a dozen eggs, yelling: "bring me some eggs!" She broke them, separating the whites from the yolks. The neighbor woman helped her to apply the whites on the young man's face. When the ambulance arrived and when the EMTs saw the young man, they asked who had done this. Everyone pointed to the lady in charge. They congratulated her and said: "You have saved his face." By the end of the summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet of roses to thank her. His face was like a baby's skin.

 

Keep in mind this treatment of burns which is included in teaching beginner firefighters this method. First aid consists to spraying cold water on the affected area until the heat is reduced and stops burning the layers of skin. Then, spread egg whites on the affected are.

One woman burned a large part of her hand with boiling water. In spite of the pain, she ran cold faucet water on her hand, separated 2 egg white from the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her hand in the solution. The whites then dried and formed a protective layer.

She later learned that the egg white is a natural collagen and continued during at least one hour to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white. By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the next day there was hardly a trace of the burn. 10 days later, no trace was left at all and her skin had regained its normal color. The burned area was totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in the egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

To TV or not to TV

I've never been a big fan of TV and when given a choice won't have one in the house.  I have never liked them on in the mornings and can't understand how people have more than one or one that is bigger than 14".  However I am also one of those classic 'tv vegetables' if I'm in the mood and with the world cup looming himself is determined to get one up and running. 

Currently (until rugby starts) we don't have a TV which is great and fits in nicely with the schooling we have chosen for the children.  Not having a TV for so long the kids are great at entertaining themselves with stories, playing together, singing and generally being kids.  Making a conscience decision not to let our kids watch TV or DVD's I'm really noticing how much TV bombards me when it is around and how much the kids are 'sucked in and zommified' when we do encounter it.  I was horrified (maybe a bit over the top but my initial reaction never the less) to find a TV in the play area in the bank and even more shocked today when I was 'attacked' with Bob the builder in the family toilets!! Really does anybody need TV in the toilet???!!! It took me several minutes to unlatch my youngest from a chair to actually get him into the cubicle as he cried out for Bob.

A recent study showed that New Zealander's are volunteering less and watching TV more.  We are currently spending 2 hours and 8 minutes a day in front of the box which is only 14 minutes less than we spend on housework each day. I hate to think what implications this has for our culture as a whole when other studies have shown links between TV watching and behavioural problems such as ADHD.  There are certainly some great programmes on for adults that help broaden the mind however when it means that we only spend 1 hour of our day actually talking to people and 30 minutes looking after the kids it really makes you wonder if there are better ways of being informed and learning about the world.

Arohanui
Y
www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Cinnamon and Honey

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Some great tips for Health with a few simple ingredients from the cupboard;
Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. What it will do is what some call 'turning to sugar'. In reality, honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will "crystallize". When this happens loosen the lid, boil some water and sit the honey container in the hot water, but turn off the heat and let it liquefy naturally. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. This will kill the enzymes in the honey.

It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects for any kind of diseases.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon, as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES:

Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply it on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, when they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

ARTHRITIS:

Arthritis patients may take daily (morning and night) one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:

Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder..

CHOLESTEROL:

Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:

Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:

Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS:

According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:

Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:

Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:

A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:

Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old..

RASPY OR SORE THROAT:

When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES:

Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:

Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:

Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER:

Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.

FATIGUE:

Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH:

People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS:

Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!


You might want to share this information with a friend, kinfolks and loved ones. Everyone needs healthy help information ~ what they do with it is up to them ~ share with your email buddies... They deserve to be healthy too!!!

Benefits of Bach Flower Remedies

While Bach Flower Remedies are able to work will all other treatments, supporting them where necessary, there are many advantages to using Bach Flower Remedies over other types of treatments. They are a safe positive method of bring balance back into the body without any concerns of overdose or side effects that can be used by everyone. With diagnosis made by emotions and negative soul qualities Bach Flower Remedies work directly with the body’s energy system often times avoiding unnecessary physical illness.


Bach Flower Remedies are able to be used by trained practitioners and lay people alike which means that their benefits are not exclusively limited to those that can afford to see a ‘specialist’ in Flower Remedies. Diagnosis is made with reference to negative soul states observable in moods, personality and emotions rather than physical symptoms, which are usually the last warning signal that something needs to change in our lives. The advantage of this being that Bach Flower Remedies are able to aid in healing before physical illness occurs and things spiral out of control which may lead to a longer and more painful recovery. It is possible to use our life experience, common sense and intuition to recognise many of the emotional states present in those seeking help and which remedy is needed. Body language, mannerisms and intonation can all indicate which remedies maybe helpful, even the atmosphere that pervades can be used towards diagnosis. This is a great benefit as it means that diagnosis is not solely reliant on the person having to explain how they are feeling ensuring that selecting the correct remedy is achievable even on those with or without speech i.e. babies, animals, those uncomfortable disclosing information and the incapacitated.

The remedies work in a positive way, flooding the body with the energy required to re-establish balance within the person, unlike homeopathic remedies which aim to cancel negative patterns by giving like for like. They replace those faults which are causing problems and bring a sense of calm and relief often long since missing. Working in this way the remedies have the advantage of only providing good. The Flower Remedies act directly on the person’s energy system in a constructive way rather than through the physical body, as many other traditional and subtle methods of healing do. This direct approach to healing ensures that positive changes in thought patterns, attitudes to life and general outlook to life all help to improve the person’s health and well being mentally, spiritually and physically.

Treatment of the Flower Remedies is easy as once a diagnosis is made the remedy may be taken in more than one way. The usual method of taking remedies is orally, either with a drink or from the stock bottle however it is possible to also have the remedies in a bath, make them into a compress or in the case of Rescue Remedy in the form of a cream. This versatility of administration is particularly advantageous as it means that the Remedies are able to be used in all situations and by everyone regardless of their age or capability i.e. when dealing with babies, those who are temporarily unable to take treatments orally and those that are in the care of others.

One of the greatest advantages to Bach Flower Remedies over other types of treatments however is the fact that there are no known side effects or negative reactions and as such Flower Remedies can be used by everyone safely. At worst the symptoms experienced may, at the commencement of treatment, initially become intensified briefly in a clearing process before they lessen. Babies, children, animals, plants and adults including pregnant women have the advantage of knowing that they are able to find relief without the worry of what may occur if too much is taken or the treatment is not correct for them. Being completely harmless, where a remedy is not suited the body simply absorbs it with no effect as only those remedies with the soul potentials needed are effective. This enables the Flower Remedies to be used successfully in combination with other forms of treatment, weather it is complementary practices, talking therapies, physical work or prescribed medications, without any concern of interference. In many cases Bach Flower Remedies have be known to support other treatments on the road to recovery.

The advantages of Bach Flower Remedies are numerous and the fact that they are a positive, harmless aid to healing and self healing ensures that they are accessible to a wider range of people than other alternative healing methods. As a truly safe form of treatment for all Flower Remedies help to restore balance in our lives and with our higher self guaranteeing that we are happier and healthier.

Arohanui
Y
www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Disease and Herbs

For many of us much of our time on Earth is focused on maintaining good health or more specifically, avoiding illness and disease. On every supermarket and shop shelf are numerous products either helping us avoid disease or helping us deal with it when we are ‘struck down’. Traditionally healing herbs were used to keep the body strong or to aid the body after illness and while many of these herbs still linger within our current ‘medicines’ they are also overwhelmed with synthetic additives which are more of a hindrance to health then they are a help. Coming back to using the original healing herbs is one of the ways to ensure we maintain good health and rid the body of any disease.


In dealing with general diseases a good diet, including healing herbs, is essential along with the use of restorative tonic herbs to help build the body back up if we do become unwell. This is because many of the cases of general disease occur due to poor nutrition and not providing the body with the optimal conditions it requires to maintain itself healthily. In our modern culture we have tendency to overload our systems with foods which lack essential nutrients or to overwhelm our bodies with foods it is unable to deal with. Disease then occurs as the body clogs up or as the body tries to rid itself of the onslaught of ‘toxins’. The body is effectively in dis-ease and out of balance in some way.

While it was once thought that tonics had nothing more than a placebo effect on people they do work when made and taken correctly. Tonics assist us to return to good health and work primarily within the digestive system to stimulation nutrition; they also positively impact on all other organs. Tonic herbs invigorate, refresh and permanently strengthen every body organ to give increased vigour, energy and restored function while stimulating assimilation of nutrients. They will increase appetite, promote better elimination of waste, aid in digestion, soothe the stomach and build up strength, energy and health. While many of the tonic herbs are bitter tasting their bitterness should not be completely disguised with sweetness. This is because it is the bitter taste which stimulates particular taste buds and causes the body to release hormonal agents which affect the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Within the tonic herbs there are those that are good for general health such as Oats which are a valuable tonic agent for people recovering from stress and anxiety, and those that will also benefit specific areas of the body such as hormonal tonics. Bladderwrack, liquorice and flax are all good hormonal tonics which strengthen the thyroid, adrenal and ovary respectively. There are also those which act as a harmoniser to the body, helping it to come back into a state of balance these include Ginseng, Helonias Root and Agnus castus. Amongst the numerous tonic herbs that are available many can be found in back gardens , either growing naturally (yarrow, stinging nettle and cleavers), sown as part of a flower garden (hydrangea, marigold and Solomon’s seal) or as part of a vegetable selection (parsley, carrot, rhubarb or garlic).

Stinging Nettle is a good example of a tonic herb found in the garden; which for the most part is considered a weed. However it is a fantastic nutrient dense plant which is rich in vitamins K, A and C along with being a good source of iron, potassium, manganese and calcium. Being iron rich, necessary for immunity, and containing Vitamin C, which greatly increases the absorption of iron, means that this ‘undesirable weed’ is actually a powerful healing herb for conditions such as anaemia, asthma and flu. Other conditions including abscesses, diarrhoea, fever, headaches, hives, jaundice, rheumatism, kidney problems and arthritis can all benefit from the use of stinging nettle as a tonic herb. It can improve circulation, lower blood pressure, and act as a diuretic as well as a pectoral (herbs that assist in complaints of the broncho-pulmonary area).

Another backyard plant which contains abundant amounts of vitamins and minerals especially Vitamins A, C and K along with calcium, potassium, iron and manganese is Dandelion. This common plant, found in many countries around the world, is good in salads (leaves and roots), cooked like spinach (young leaves) made into a slightly resinous wine (flowers) and also as a coffee substitute (roots). Aside from being an excellent tonic herb for the body with anti inflammatory properties it can also assist the liver through its actions as a diuretic, alterative, Cholagogues (promotes flow and discharge of bile), Hemetic (blood builder), nutritive (nourishes and builds body tissues) and stimulant (increases functional activity and energy in the body).

This is significant as the Liver is an important organ and a healthy one is necessary for survival due to the fact that there is no way to compensate for its absence. The liver produces bile needed for healthy digestion, has a detoxification function, produces hormones, synthesises plasma proteins for healthy blood and has a major role in metabolism. When the Liver is not working well the body can easily fall into a state of dis-ease due to it not creating a ‘barrier’ to deal with toxins. It is one of the key organs for carrying off impurities and waste matter. Conditions such as jaundice, due to improper diet resulting in derangement of the liver as the bile does not excrete properly, is probably the most well known but along with this are problems like colic, hives, scrofula and constipation which can occur. Other good tonic herbs which assist the liver are Balmony (Chelone glabra) which was a favourite remedy of the American Indians and one of the finest tonics for liver malfunction, Barberry (Berberis vulgais) and Gentian ( Gentiana lutea) which while extremely bitter is easily received by the stomach wherein it tones the liver without influencing the secretion of bile.

While constipation is not readily thought of as a disease, it is an indicator that the body is not functioning properly and therefore in a state of dis-ease. As mentioned above constipation can occur through the liver not functioning properly and causing a toxic condition called cholemia, however essentially constipation is due to poor diet, rapid living and lack of exercise. The peristaltic action the bowel then malfunctions whereby fecal matter becomes condensed and compressed with evacuations being infrequent and difficult. Left to stagnate in the bowl this ‘toxic waste’ pollutes and irritates surrounding organs with poisonous gases. All too often people reach for a quick fix solution to this problem without realizing that the body is in crisis and needs to be built up and cleansed. It is important that while temporary relief can be sought from prune juice and fruits, which help start the peristaltic action again, a longer term solution such as using a tonic herb is needed. Tonic herbs such as cayenne, dandelion root; elecampane, liquorice, mandrake root, rhubarb, senna leaves and turkey rhubarb are all useful to provide nourishment and healing for the body.

Elecampane, cayenne and liquorice are also good tonic herbs for people suffering from Catarrh. This is when chronic inflammation of the mucus membranes of the air passages occurs with an excessive discharge of mucus for the nose, throat, larynx, bronchi, stomach etc. Once again this comes back to poor nutrition and can affect the entire body. Poor elimination means that the system becomes congested and mucus is forced into various glands or membranes. Having catarrh can then lead to diseases such as arthritis, asthma, biliousness, bronchitis, cystitis, diphtheria, jaundice, laryngitis, pleurisy and rheumatism. Copious amounts of vinegar and honey will help along with improving diet, increasing outdoor exercise and good elimination.

So many of the problems we face today are caused by poor nutrition along with lack of attention to the way we live and how it affects our physical bodies. Our lives are faster paced, our food is more processed and it requires more effort to source good food, including healing herbs. Traditionally people had knowledge of healing herbs which meant they could assist people quickly, nowadays that knowledge is not so easily at hand and not often used as the only time we think about how plants can assist us is when we have disease and want quick fixes. The healing properties of plants remain, even if our knowledge of them has dwindled, and it is up to us to learn and remember them in order to achieve and maintain good health; that is a life free of dis-ease.

Salt

After a discussion with my mother I received this e-mail to back up a few points she had made.  Thought it may be of interest to some of you too.

You might think of “salt” as a dirty word – the stuff that spikes your blood pressure and increases your risk of heart disease.


But your heart, adrenals, liver and kidneys need salt to function, and you can’t digest food without it. What’s more, salt:

• Carries nutrients across cell membranes into your cell;

• Keeps calcium and other minerals soluble in your blood;

• Maintains your body’s balance of fluids;

• Regulates blood pressure.

In my 20 years as an alternative-health physician, I’ve found that most of my patients don’t need less salt. What they need is the right kind of salt, and more potassium. That’s because potassium helps to keep sodium levels in check and optimize blood pressure.

A study published in Kidney International found that potassium deficiencies increase blood pressure and induce salt sensitivity.1

Another study published in the Journal of Hypertension examined 150 Chinese men and women who ate diets high in salt and low in potassium. Half took a placebo, and the other half took a potassium supplement. After 12 weeks, the systolic blood pressure of the potassium group significantly decreased.2

But most Americans eat too much processed salt and don’t get nearly enough potassium. In fact, the FDA estimates that about 75 percent of our salt intake comes from processed foods and from table salt added to food.3

How does that affect you?

Table salt is processed at temperatures over 1,000 degrees. This processing changes its chemical structure and strips it of its natural nutrients. In addition, salt producers add anti-caking ingredients and bleach it.

By the time it gets to your dinner table, it’s mostly sodium and additives – no nutrients whatsoever.

A healthier kind of salt is sea salt. It’s formed by the evaporation of sea water in sunlight. As a result, it retains up to 82 vital trace minerals, including potassium, magnesium and calcium.

You can lower your blood pressure and improve your health by consuming the right kind of salt and boosting your potassium. Here’s a three-step plan you can use to help you get healthy salts and more potassium:

1. Know how much salt is in your food. Each teaspoon of salt is equal to 2,325 mg of sodium. Does that sound like a lot? Well the truth is, most processed foods have many times that amount. One packet of dry onion soup mix contains over 3,000 mg of sodium.

Even sweet foods which may seem like they would have no salt are packed with it. A homemade pie crust can have over 1,300 milligrams. Two small restaurant pancakes have more than 1,100 milligrams.

When you’re at the store buying food, you can go beyond reading the sodium content on the label. Processors have dozens of names they use instead of salt. Luckily, most of them do have sodium in the name so you’ll know what to avoid. But also look for ingredients like metabisulfite, erythorbate, propionate and guanylate.

2. Replace table salt with sea salt. A lot of the sea salt you find at grocery stores is really just processed table salt. Generally, if salt is white and pours easily, it’s probably processed. Natural sea salt is darker in color – because it’s dried in white and brown layers (and the brown layer has most of the nutrients).

Your safest bet is to buy sea salt from a health-food store. There are many kinds such as Mediterranean, Himalayan and Pacific and they all have slightly different tastes.

3. Boost your levels of potassium. The best food sources are orange-colored fruits and vegetables like apricots, cantaloupe, oranges, nectarines, peaches, sweet potatoes, and butternut and acorn squash. Other good sources are black and kidney beans, spinach, Swiss chard, artichokes, bananas, kiwi, fish, meat, poultry and milk.

These are just some of the excellent and unconventional high-blood-pressure remedies mentioned in a new report by Craig Anderson, The High Blood Pressure Remedy Report. It reveals the truth behind high blood pressure. It also shows you how to stop high blood pressure and cut your risk of heart attack and stroke – without worry, drugs, pain or wasted money.

Lower your blood pressure naturally today.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Missing something?

It's a bit hard not to be lured in by the talk of Royal Weddings, even as I write this I'm waiting for some live coverage to come on.  I haven't actually paid any attention to the whole thing until now.  Just as everyone starts 'facebooking' about watching it and all the headlines are centred on the big day there is definitely a feeling of not wanting to miss out.

This is a bit of a theme in my life, and probably many of you too,  always curious about everything that is going on least I miss out on some action, a vital piece of information or a good time.  I'm a shocker for talking to one person while surreptitiously listening into others conversations with the result of not actually getting the full picture of anything and everything thinking I'm not interested in them or just bloody rude! 

Lately I have aimed to focus more.  Listen to one person (easier said that done with two little ones I'll tell you), attend to just one task at a time (hmmm that one isn't going too well as paragraph one will attest) and taking note of how my actions are impacting on my life (work in progress).  My aim?  To be aware. 

Aware of what I eat, aware of how I talk to myself, aware of how I talk to others, aware of how active I am, aware of my future, aware of my choices, aware of now and aware of all the wonderful things that happen everyday in my life which can be missed in the rush to 'not miss out'.

Our thoughts Affect our Body

When I was pregnant with my first child, in Ireland, I began my hypnobirthing classes.  Through this I had a chance to use EFT and other techniques with my tutor.  The following exert is from Aisling's newsletters and well worth a read.  For more information contact them on info@accomplishchange.ie

STRESS
Our Stress levels come from within and without and when it gets to much we snap! It's fuelled by unresolved experiences, feelings and emotions from the past, present and future

Internal Stress - which has been built up over the years based on our history and emotions of the past. It lives in our nervous system, 24/7 whether we are aware of it or not!

External Stress - comes from our external environment based on the demands we experience on a daily basis, be it work related, Family dynamics, relationships, study, commitments and more...

When we are stressed we get to experience combined levels of internal and external stress at the same time. Under mild to moderate stress the body and mind gets pulled in all directions and looks for an exit , be it in the form of a headache, stomach cramps, skin problems, back ache, dizziness, panic attacks etc...

Chronic stress is the one to monitor, as it can lead to serious health problems- strokes, heart attack, blood pressure, hypertension.

It is important that we handle our stressors and remove stress from our systems in an effective way, as coping or ignoring will not make the stress go away! Hypnosis, meridian tapping, meditation, mindfulness to name a few, are some great modalities in relieving and removing stress.

Your Body and mind is more powerful then you can imagine ....filled with life, energy, and a compelling ability for self healing.

You can't feel relaxed and anxious at the same time (reciprocal inhibition)

The following 3 self help exercises are great in helping you to reduce your stress and anxiety and you can use just once a day for a minute! Then you can start to gradually increase the time up to a level that's comfortable for you.

1.Heart- focused breathing to reduce stress and anxiety.
As you are breathing, imagine your breath passing in and out through your heart, along with your favourite colour of relaxation, as you breathe in the attitude of courage and strength to do what you have to do.

2. Mindfulness exercise.
Mindfulness exercise, is about learning how to come down, steadying the mind, grounding yourself into the reality of the experience of this moment, and then choosing to redirect your attention onto what is most important.

Stop
Take a breath ( steady the mind )
Observe (the thoughts, your physical body, and name your emotion, so you can tame it)
Proceed with what's most important for you right now.

3.Tip of Your nose - Stress Reduction
•Bringing all your attention to the sensations of the breath at the tip of your nose.
• Pay attention to just the slight warmth or coolness at the tip of your nose with each breath.

You're following something very subtle, very refined, and as such, the mind becomes good at watching very subtle changes in the heart, in the body and in the mind and the beneficial emotional changes happening resulting in stress reduction.

EFT update

Well as promised I thought I'd provide an update as to how EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) was working for me.  After my session with a local therapists, signing up to newsletters, downloading free manuals and educating myself a bit more on the technique I am really starting to use it on a regular basis and feel the difference.

Some of you may ask how tapping on body parts could possibly help with personal problems or any of the endless issues that life throws at us and to be honest we I first tried it I was asking the very same questions.  EFT taps on pressure points which are related to stress to change energy within the body, a bit like acupuncture using pressure or needles to free energy within the body. The main focus is on the belief that emotional trauma contributes greatly to disease.  This Emotional Trauma creates energy blocks and therefore impacts on our well being, EFT releases these through tapping on points within the body.

Since my last post I have used it to detox (almost immediate action!), deal with long standing niggles (you know the 'my sister did ..... to me when I was little' kind of thing), to avoid getting ill (when kids had vomiting bug and decided to share with me) and to 'open my door of abundance'.  This last one has proved to be a bit of an eye opener too as I have realised just how much I am blocking things from coming to me.  The more I tap on this the more opportunities occur for me and all so easily that I wonder why I waited so long to work on it!

Energy

I have a friend who quite often comments 'if only I had one tenth of your energy'.  The strange thing is that I never used to have this much energy and I don't actually conscientiously remember gaining huge amounts of energy at any one point in time.  One thing I do know though is, that I have done a lot of self development work which has obviously freed up energy within me.

Quite some years ago himself and I went to a weekend of self development lectures.  This was a very pivotal moment in both of our lives and I truly believe that without that weekend we would no longer be together.  I remember the lecturer talking about how we all suppress events/traumas and stress within our lives, using the analogy of physically holding balls down (one ball repressing each event).  As you can imagine with the number of things we go through in one life time there are a number of 'balls' that we are wasting energy on holding down.

With all the self development work I have gone through - EFT, re birthing, EMDR and more - I have effectively allowed some of those 'balls' to finally rise to the surface and bounce away, freeing up my energy as they do.  This is the only thing I can think of that has caused such a shift in the amount I am able to do in my life now compared with 10 years ago. 

Just the other day I pondered on what I actually did with my life back then and how I managed to feel so tired.  Obviously holding and juggling balls is bloody exhausting and I'm glad that some of mine have been laid to rest.

Together we fold.

I am luck enough to be part of a fantastic group here in Kapiti Coast called Kapiti International Women's Group.  Through this group I have grown, learnt, laughed and sometimes been close to tears!

Until a few years ago I had never been part of an all women's group, then while living in the UK away from family and with 2 small children I was invited along to Lichfield International Women's Group.  It was great and something that I looked forward to every week.  Getting together with women from all over the world, learning about their cultures and making great friends in the process.  When we returned to New Zealand I felt strangely detached  - I felt like I was home and at the same time, never having lived here with young children, felt that I was a new comer to this land.

Having searched for a group of International Women to join and finding nothing I begun our own group to provide friendship and support for women from any nationality living on the Kapiti Coast.  It has definitely been an up and down journey however today would have to be one of the highlights of the ride.  Motivated by the disaster in Japan one of our members decided to create a fund raiser by making and selling origami.  We will be making washi eggs, boxes and stars to sell at a local market with money going to 'Save the Child' fund.

Today we came together from all walks of life and with children of varying ages to learn origami.  It was fantastic to see us all there together working for a single cause, chatting happily and folding while the children played.  Once strangers in New Zealand and to each other we are now becoming friends who can rely on each other and band together to help other women across the Pacific.

Five Happiness Tips

This is taken straight from Chet Day and I thought is was so good that I needed to put it on here for you all to read too.

The following tips on how to be happy are so simple-minded, you may be tempted to not try them.  That would be a major mistake because these techniques were scientifically documented and verified by a British "happiness team" whose expertise spans philosophy, public policy and economics.

Here are five steps to happiness that the team identified:

•Plant something and nurture it.
•Count your blessings -- at least five -- at the end of each day.
•Take time to talk and have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.
•Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up.
•Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.

I don't care how busy you are, you can find a couple minutes in your day to try these five happiness tips. 

So do it, by golly!

The Chickens are here!

Finally after a lot planning, reading, designing, building and rebuilding (well a girl can change her mind can't she?) we have a wonderful chicken house, run and 4 hens.

It always amazes me just how fortunate my life is with many things just 'working out' and getting chickens was one of these times.  A friend gave us all the materials for constructing the coop, some straw as well as grit and the first phone call I made about buying chickens resulted in us getting 4 free hens.  Yes, you read correctly that was FREE!!! Now some of you reading this may think 'hmmm, free must equal knackered' and to be honest there was some doubt in our minds.  However going with my friend's words of wisdom that 'a free chicken is a good chicken' we collected our little brood.

The kids had already picked names (Bony and Kapohutukawa), as had we under duress (Twistie and Daphne), and were desperate to get their chickens home and checked in.  We had read as much as possible on the net and from the one book available at the library (seems everyone is getting hens at the same time) about care and food only to be left more confused that before.  Back to plan A which is a diet of weeds, leftovers, grit and wheat (sprouted for maximum nutrition).  This is still under scrutiny however and will undoubtedly be revised and revisited at regular intervals. After a flurry of feathers we popped them in the coop, filled the water and retreated to watch from the step.

They slowly emerged from the coop, drank and all seemed to settle in well.  So far so good.  Having been told that they would be off the lay while adjusting to the move we didn't expect any eggs and were quite happy to watch them scratching around.  Our newly acquired friends had other ideas however and gifted us 3 eggs on their first day here!  Another 3 the next 4 days and then 4 eggs on their 6th day here.  Officially they have well and truly paid for their keep and are now under no pressure to produce.  That is, until we run out of eggs.

What's in a name

Being a vegetarian who eats fish I often get questions (actually more like drilled) about why I don't eat normally - that is meat and three veg type meals.  I'm not really one for labels and mostly either don't mention it or just say I don't eat meat.  People are always quick to find out whether I'm vegan, vegetarian or have some allergies and now I have found the answers! 

Couldn't resist putting this on here.  They made me laugh at how far people will go just to have a label to be able to pigeon hole you with.

Vegan: A person who doesn't eat meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, or dairy. They usually avoid honey and foods processed with animal products like gelatin, lanolin. Often, vegans avoid wearing animal products like leather, silk, down feathers, and wool. Vegans are sometimes called "strict vegetarians."

Vegetarian: A person who doesn't eat meat, poultry, or fish, but does eat dairy products and/or eggs.

Pescatarian: A person who doesn't eat meat or poultry, but does eat fish; they may or may not eat dairy products and/or eggs.

Pollotarian: A person who doesn't eat red meat or fish, but does eat chicken; they may or may not eat dairy products and/or eggs.

Lacto-ovo Vegetarian: Someone who eats eggs and milk products, but is otherwise a vegan.

Lacto Vegetarian: Someone who eats milk products, but not eggs, and is otherwise a vegan.

Beegan: A vegan who eats honey. Sometimes this is because they don't truly believe it to be an animal product.

Dietary vegan: Someone whose diet is vegan, but who doesn't avoid all non-food animal products, like for clothing and toiletries.

Flexitarian: Someone who primarily eats vegetarian food, but allows for exceptions occasionally.

Lessetarian: A person who tries to reduce their consumption of animal products, but doesn't necessarily eliminate them.

Hopefully that gave you a smile for the day too!

Worn out

Well the sugar free challenge had been going great guns - until yesterday that is when I ate some chocolate!  Today I feel hungover, tired and generally worn out.  Can it just be a coincidence?  I think not.

Part of the reason for going sugar free was to improve my general well being  - removing stimulants so that my body would regulate itself and hopefully become slimmer in the process.  It has been a good exercise and while the cravings for sugar saw me eating more bread which then caused pain (a normal occurrence for me when I eat too much wheat) I did feel and look fresher and healthier.  The running was easier and the moods were calmer.  Going sugar free was duly inflicted on my family (why suffer alone I say) with the same positive results in my daughter as her itching and scratching reduced and her skin has healed up.

The trouble with being this 'healthy' is that I have had to cook everything we eat, often modifying recipes, and generally avoiding any processed food.  This flows into avoiding eating other people's food as it is hardly the most polite thing to ask to read their labels or interrogate them on what is in their food!  Today we went to a regular group and the treats were galore - too much for a 4 year old to resist.  I relaxed and let it go.  Then watched in sorrow as a few hours later she began itching madly! 

I find it so hard to combine the two well (healthy eating and going out with others) without sounding like the food police.  I guess for now I've be doing a little bit of grin and bear it while out and a lot of policing why at home.

New Year's Resolutions?

Stolen straight out of the paper!  Thought this was an article too good to summarize or forget.

Life's too short to chase perfection

By Mary Ann Sieghart
Most men are astounded by the amount of time some women put into their appearance and many prefer a more natural look anyway. NewYear, new you? Don't you just hate those articles that breed and fester in the newspapers at the beginning of January? They're usually illustrated with a tape measure held loosely round an impossibly small waist and diagrams of sit-ups and squats. All they succeed in doing is making you feel bad about your flaws.

Insidiously, over the past decade or so, a new cult of physical perfectibility has crossed the Atlantic, and it has been greedily sucking us in. We're now told we have to have perfect nails and perfect hair, at all times, and perfect teeth. Our bodies have to be the perfect shape. And we are supposed to invest time, money and physical discomfort into trying, Canute-like, to resist the natural effects that age and gravity have on the human body.

The more we sign up to this cult, the more depressed and discontented we feel. We are indoctrinated to believe we'll be happier if our faces are smoother, our teeth whiter or our handbags blingier, when in fact we'll end up more miserable and impoverished. Who wins? Only the companies selling us the products.

So let's all make a New Year's resolution that will leave us richer, happier and more comfortable in our skins. Let's resist the pressure to follow expensive beauty-maintenance regimes, to inject our skin with poisons or to buy anything with the toxic prefix "must-have". Repeat after me: "No one's going to tell me what I must have, least of all the fashion department of a newspaper or magazine."

It's not just money we're expected to spend these days. It's also time, effort and pain. I can't think who, apart from a banker's wife, has the time or energy for a weekly manicure and a daily blow-dry. If we women were to follow the dictates of the beauty editors, we could fill most hours of the day buffing, cleansing, toning, conditioning, exfoliating and, for all I know, defibrillating, to get our bodies, faces and hair to the perfect pitch of shininess and polished beauty. But would anyone but ourselves notice?

That's the thing. Men don't notice, for sure. As long as we don't smell, have a beard or ooze grossly out of our clothes, men are much more tolerant of what we look like than we are. They have no idea whether our clothes and bags are designer or M&S. They might prefer us in high heels, but to them, Jimmy Choos are no more seductive than Office.

Of course, it's important to do basic grooming. No one likes dirty fingernails, BO, bad breath or sprouting nose hair. You should always buy clothes that fit well and flatter you, but they don't have to be expensive. And it's good to be able to brush up now and then to look stunning for a party. But it's the regular day-in-day-out pressure to be immaculate that's worth resisting. Life's too short.

A beauty journalist wrote over the weekend about the agony of going for a week without wearing make-up. Yet both her friends and her boyfriend said afterwards they preferred her au naturel. Still, she fell upon her make-up bag at the end of the week like a box of chocolates at the end of Lent.

Women are famously insecure about their bodies. Even those of a perfect size tend to think of themselves as "fat". Now, with the advent of Botox and fillers, we're also supposed to hate the natural process of ageing. Wrinkles are to be dreaded and driven away, not celebrated as characterful. Some middle-aged men have succumbed to this insecurity, too: you can recognise them by their polyester-white teeth and frozen foreheads.

But it doesn't work. It just doesn't. The more you fixate on your appearance, the more you notice your flaws. If you Botox your forehead, you'll start to care about your crow's feet or your smile lines. Once your face is as smooth as an Ikea table-top, you'll start to notice that your neck is going crepey. And so on.

It's the same with clothes and shoes and bags. You can be spending thousands of dollars a year and still you'll be craving the next fashion fix and lamenting that your bag is so "last season". Meanwhile, you'll be run ragged by the "need" to squeeze a manicure or a blow-dry into your frantic timetable. You won't be any happier. And you certainly won't be content.

Contentment is what we should be striving for - and then we can stop striving. To be content with our looks, to accept our flaws, to realise that we can be attractive enough without having to resemble an airbrushed Angelina Jolie or George Clooney. To understand that a ravishing smile or the set of our shoulders can improve our looks far more effectively than a $200 face cream.

With contentment comes confidence. And with confidence comes beauty. If you feel good about yourself, you start to look good - even if you are 80 years old, wrinkly and wise. Get a decent haircut by all means: unlike clothes, you wear the same hair every day. But otherwise, let's celebrate the New Year by sticking two fingers up at the beauty police.

You'll feel better inside. You'll look better outside. You'll save loads of money and you'll be happier than your friends who are still on the treadmill. So rise up and drink a toast with me to 2011 and the end of tyranny! New Year, new you.

- INDEPENDENT

Into the third

Well almost at the end of day three without sugar. Less honey consumed today and no dates scoffed.  I did  however have a bit of fruit juice (no sugar or additives), due to a BBQ, which I won't normally do and 3 bread rolls (healthy homemade ones that is). Yes the bread craving has increased a bit. :(

One great thing that I have noticed is my complexion appears a bit 'fresher', if that is even a way of describing it!  Really it is just that my face, on passing the mirror, just seems a bit less drawn and aged than before I cut out the sugar. Ultimately though when you decide to eliminate sugar from your diet you are opting for much healthier food options while water (aside from today) is the mainstay liquid.  That has to impact on the body in a good way.  I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow to see if it has any impact.

My initial challenge was to go for 3 days without sugar and since I have managed to do this I am going to keep going a bit longer.  I'm the kind of person that the starting is the hardest bit and if I stop now it will be a feeding frenzy! Better to wait till the sugar craving stop completely I think before I indulge again.

Sugar free - take two

Well the day started out with my mind racing about sugar!!! Hmmmm one thinks that this is not the most productive start to a morning.  I have got to say that while I haven't actually had any sugar I have had quite a few dates (oh sweet delight that they are) and a wee bit of honey again.

I seem to be in the routine of having something sweet after a meal and then once I start I don't stop until I feel ever so slightly on the queasy side of life.  This desire for a sweet after taste has had an effect on my tum that is for sure as it is sticking out more than usual!!  Maybe it's just the lesser of two evils that I have to contend with - have a wee bit of sugar and not over indulge or overeat to compensate not getting what I actually want.  It will be interesting to see how the challenge shapes up and if eventually those cravings for sweet things will settle down.  For now it is all very academic as I have to read, compare, think and consider every item of food or drink that I encounter in the day.

Sugar free challenge

Well it has been a long time since I have been on here and I figured with the new year starting so should I! Yesterday I challenged myself, and a few health conscience friends, to give up sugar for the next 3 days - hey small steps are good!  I have written about sugar before and how bad it is yet I never seemed to quite get around to avoiding the stuff all together.  Lately though 'wee messages' have been bombarding me and reminding me that I shouldn't be so relaxed about the amount of sugar I consume. 

There are numerous products with sugar hidden within their ingredients (some very unnecessarily), either listed as sugar or in other guises such as sucrose, glucose, maltose and the list goes on further than my spelling can extend.  I have been reading labels for a while now to see if it contained real sugar rather than artificial sweetener.  Now the emphasis has changed as I have a child who's skin flares up with sugar, artificial colours, dairy or any additive really.  I am adapting recipes for her and at the same time still eating the banned substance myself.  My conscience yells 'HYPOCRITE' while my 'naughty wee voice' (the one that I tend to favour in times of eating decisions) 'Ah but you're an adult it's different'. 

So now the challenge has begun.  I have successfully said no to a final sugar binge last night and have made it half way through the first day without any sugar - even in my coffee believe it or not!  I have a feeling though that I'm still in the sugar honeymoon period.  We'll see how the afternoon goes and I'll fill you in tomorrow.