New Years Resolutions...

At this time every 365 days people make promises to themselves and to their loved ones about their goals for the New Year ahead. It is a time for reflection, for resolving, for forgiving and forgetting. It is the start of a new cycle, a chance to turn your back on old fears and an opportunity to create new abundant goals.

Are you bored yet? I certainly am.

I personally believe that although New Year can represent a change, there really is no need to put all this pressure on yourself as 2011 arrives. Every day is an opportunity for change. Actually every minute and every second. No moment is more powerful than the next.

I certainly believe that the world shifts each year as the calender turns, but for personal development we know when the time is right to bring in the new and release the old and tired. If you decide right this second to make a change or any second a week or month from now, it holds the same power. The power to shift comes from within, not from a calender full of dates. You hold the key to personal change.

This can seem a little scary, we sometimes feel like we cannot change however hard we try. We feel like we have failed if we do not succeed straight away and we create a belief that we 'can't'. The reality is you can. I promise that whatever you want to achieve in your life, it can be yours as long as you believe it is possible. We are the only ones that put limits on our own lives.

So, instead of putting all your hope and fear into the 1st of January, choose a moment when you feel reflective and hopeful and write a list of all the things you would like in your life. Do not think about what you can or cannot do, think about what you really want. Allow no boundaries to restrict your list. Do not focus on the reasons why or the steps to how. Simply write your list, accept that you want it and believe it is possible. This is a really powerful tool.

If you find doing this cheesy, impossible and annoying then don't do it, screw the paper up and throw it in the bin and hope it is never found. Instead, simply give yourself the time and space to change and whenever you feel a negative belief rearing it's head, try and quash it with a positive alternative. Talk to your own mind like you would talk to a friend...

'It is going to be ok.'

'You can do it.'

'Of course you can change, just be patient, you are so loved and certainly capable'

'Be patient and do the best you can'

'Rest now, try again tomorrow, everyone needs a break'

'You deserve better!'

'Believe in yourself, everyone else does.'

Most importantly remember that it is never too late to change something in our lives and from one moment to the next we can re-create our whole existence. We are in charge, it may not always feel like it, but we are 100% in charge of how we feel and what we create in our futures. So, try to think nice things about yourself as often as possible and if you cannot think something nice about yourself at least don't think something bad.

I think you are all brilliant!

Josie :)

Sleep. Get enough of it?

I know this sounds obvious and we all know that we need about 8 hours sleep a night and 8 glasses of water a day (and blah blah blah). It reads so easily, but who actually does it?

I have been lacking in sleep the last week, a small amount of unrest in my life has created a lot of procrastinating (just because I write this stuff does not mean I always have the power to be in control of my body and mind at all times). I hope you understand ;)

After a week of mental tick-tocking and getting about 6 or 7 hours instead of my usual 8 I have woken up this morning with a sore throat, regardless of my 80% raw diet. How annoying. You can be eating an 100% raw organic diet and drinking plenty of fluid but the second you let yourself lose sleep or get stressed or BOTH, you are fighting a losing battle.

Sleep is our way of regenerating and renewing. It is a healing process for our bodies, a time to reflect on the day's work of battling through queues, forcing our way through traffic, running up and down stairs and eating three meals. It is a lot of work for our bodies to do and we tend to ignore them while we live in our heads. So, sleep is the one time our bodies get to themselves and are able to prepare for the next onslaught and get some well deserved rest.

If we are depleting ourselves of quality sleep by thinking too much, staying up too late, working too hard or eating before we go to bed, it is only a matter of time before we pay the price. We don't save energy by sleeping, but our energy is used in a different way, it helps our brains to compartmentalise information we have received in the day and allows our soft tissues and bodily systems to rest and recover. There are endless studies and theories on what actually happens to our bodies while we sleep and why we need it. A lot of it relates to brain function and storing of information. However, I strongly believe that as well as this, it is a time for our bodies tissues to well and truly shut off and restore without our constant wiggling and procrastinating.

n.b. I am living proof that too little sleep affects your immune system.

So, how much sleep do we need?

This depends on the individual and most of you probably know how much you need to feel rested. The average time suggested is 8 hours and this suits me well, however, I know my brother functions well on about 6 (although there is nothing regular about him). Working out how much you need is about being body aware. As I am sure you have found out, sleeping too much can have the opposite effect we want and leave us exhausted. As usual, it is all about balance and awareness.

What's this about eating and then sleeping being bad? It feels cosy and good.

Digesting food is actually pretty tiring for the body, especially larger meals with meat or heavy carbohydrates like bread or pasta. Food has a thermal effect on the body, it uses time and energy to process it. So, it makes sense that if we are trying to rest and recuperate, giving our body a job is not going to help. Also our body has an easier job of digesting when we are upright, so we are actually giving it a really hard job (how unfair).



At work I meet a lot of people whose schedules make it hard for them to have a normal, healthy eating pattern. I try to help them come up with plans that suit their schedules but often I have to be firm with them and let them know that if they are want to gain energy and feel better, they have to make time.


Too often we use the word can't when really the truth is we won't. If you are stuck in a cycle of getting in at 7pm, eating too much at 9pm (as you have not eaten since lunch) and going to bed at about 10pm, your body is not getting a chance to process the food and therefore you will not be getting a chance to sleep properly. It may feel as though you are sleeping more deeply and heavily, but it will not be energising, regenerating sleep (and this is the type of sleep we want and need). As a guideline a couple of hours of upright activity after eating a lighter meal is best in the evening.

Ok, so...

It really is down to the individual to work out what they can feasibly do with their day to make it less stressful, more balanced and therefore resulting in a more beneficial nights sleep. If you are turning to sleeping pills it really is time to take a look at what is going on in your life that is stopping your natural rhythms. If you force your body into a fitful slumber through drugs which give the body very little quality rest, you need to look a little deeper and find the cause. Insomnia deserves a blog of its own and I will go into that at a later date.

In the meantime, remind yourself how important getting a proper nights sleep is and next time you feel tired and are called up to go out? Try to say no, have a chamomile tea and pull on your slipper socks. After all, who can afford to be ill?


(If it is going to be a really, really good night then I will let you off, just don't make a habit of it.)


Goodnight. Sweet Dreams.

Josie

p.s Those who have small children, all I can think to say right now? They will grow up, slowly but surely, they will grow up. That is all I can guarantee right now. I will do a special blog for you guys too, you deserve it.

What is a food intolerance?

First I should clarify that an allergy is an extreme reaction which happens usually within minutes of consuming the food in question and intolerance is the inability to digest that food type effectively.

There are different types of allergies and intolerances and I am more focused here on the subtle ones caused by intolerances that make you feel less than your best, rather than extreme allergic reactions that cause anaphylactic shock or oral allergies like swelling of the lips. If you have an allergy like this it is likely you already know about it and avoid the food that causes it.

However, if you or someone you know has a persistent problem with their body which they are finding hard to diagnose, it is worth getting intolerance advice from a good naturopathic nutritionist or naturopath as it can often be easily remedied. There are new chemicals being put into our foods everyday that some people have strong reactions to. It could be these additives coupled with intolerances to our modern junk diet that are creating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and obesity.

So, how do you know if you have a problem with a certain food?

1. You can go for allergy/intolerance tests. This is advisable if you have very severe reactions but cannot work out what does it. If you experience severe bloating, rashes, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or frequent nausea it is best to get it checked out with a naturopath who can do the relevant tests to find out what is going on and cut out your problem as fast as possible. You could simply be lactose or wheat intolerant and with a dietary change your problem could be remedied fast.

2. Alternatively if you are suffering from more subtle symptoms that you may not have attributed to your diet yet such as fatigue, bloating after meals, constipation or energy slumps, you can often help yourself.

The best way to do this is to go on a cleansing diet. If you read back to my earlier blogs I was on a raw food diet for a few months. It was only when I did this that I found my in intolerances by accident, I suddenly realised I was free of symptoms that I had not even acknowledged before. Suddenly I could breathe more deeply, had more energy and didn't get bloated. This type of diet strips your body of its cravings and reactions and leaves you with a detoxed body and a click on the reset button. Once you have done that you should be feeling that most of the symptoms have subsided and you can start to add foods back in and test your tolerance of them. It could be wheat or dairy, it could be certain combinations of food, it may even be a specific food additive that is aggravating your condition.

The key here is to be really strict with your diet and add things back one by one while being sensitive to changes in the way you feel after certain foods (reactions can take minutes or a few hours). This process is called an elimination diet and although can feel extreme, is very effective. You should always do relevant research before trying any restrictive diet and make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need during your chosen time period.

Be reassured that if you are feeling low on energy and depressed, a change in your diet could easily pick you up again, and keep you up. Never underestimate the power of food on how you feel emotionally and physically hour to hour and day to day.
The most important thing is to not accept feeling less than your best, it is possible to have abundant energy and feel light, you just need to work out what foods are right for you.



Josie.

p.s The web page/site below is helpful when clarifying the most common food intolerances and their symptoms. As always, read everything on the Internet with a quizzical eye, get lots of opinions and seek advice from an alternative practitioner in your area (best to go on recommendation).



http://www.foodintol.com/index.asp

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Change and Fear: The Big Stuff

Change is terrifying, I just want to point that out. Don't ever think you are not meant to be scared of it, some sort of fear is standard when change is involved. Dan Millman (who knows a lot about a lot of things) once said, 'A hero and coward feel the same fear, the hero just acts differently'. I think he is mainly right, although I really don't think He-Man was ever scared. The plan is to use the fear as fuel to move forward, take it as a challenge, our emotions do not have to rule our behaviour.

Ok, so...

Moving jobs, leaving relationships, changing cities, starting a course, speaking your mind or having a baby are just a few example of scary change. Blimey, even changing the colour of your hair can seem like a leap of faith (and can end in crisis, thank you Rosey Duffy). It can be so easy to stay stuck in a rut, almost paralyzed in a state of fear. The fear can have so many different causes; fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being accepted, fear of fear itself. It is nasty stuff and usually based on false expectations of a negative outcome which is totally irrational and therefore unproductive. It can paralyse even the strongest of people into 'staying put', even when 'staying put' is making them unhappy.

Someone once told me this acronym for fear:


False

Expectations

Appearing

Real


It hits the nail on the head really. Fear is something we create from our own, sometimes outdated beliefs. We often create a belief from something small and insignificant that injured our pride or made us feel bad. To protect ourselves we created a belief that would stop it happening again. But sometimes the block we created as protection is no longer useful or valid and is blocking us from enjoying things that would be really positive in our lives.

When we have a pattern in our life that does not make us feel good or stops us moving forward, it makes total sense that we should want to be rid of it. It seems bizarre that we should continue to think in a way that makes us feel weak or fearful, but funnily enough these patterns of thought can become strangely familiar.

Freshly formed thoughts (often based on one-off experiences) can sink into our psyche and form beliefs that in no time at all feel like they have been with us a lifetime, sort of like old friends. Often it is easier to hide within these false beliefs than to move forward, and to make it even more complicated sometimes we cannot even admit to ourselves that these patterns are are not based on rational thought.

For example:

A young boy, let's say 7 years old, finds a penny on the floor. He likes this penny, it is shiny and copper and totally free. He picks it up and as he brings it closer to his magnifying glass for a more detailed appraisal, he notices just how lovely it is. Suddenly a girl in a red dress with bright blonde hair comes and whips it out of his hand and sticks her tongue out at him. He never trusts a blonde again. Which is ridiculous. Blondes have much more fun, this guy is missing out (Maybe this is turning out to be a bad example). He often says that blondes are cruel, but is not sure why he thinks that, it just sounds right and he believes it. He also thinks that he is unlucky, he often repeats this when people talk about luck. Repeating it makes it more and more real and harder to dismiss.

Ok, so this is a silly example, I see that now, but I sort of like it due to its silliness so we shall keep it in.

You get the idea.

A friend of mine used to always refer to himself as lucky. I used to think, wow, how great you think that, I'm not! So, I started to say it too, 'I'm lucky', and then I started to believe it, and now I know it's true. Was it ever not true? Is it true now? I don't know. All I know is that feeling lucky is brilliant. I makes me feel invincible, and all I did was start saying it one day.

Being self deprecating is all well and good, but sometimes you reach the point when you need a bit of a lift and there is no one better at doing that than yourself.

'I'm clever'

'I'm lucky'

'I'm fun'

'I'm GREAT at chess'

Whatever it is, try and say it to others and yourself more often!

Challenging your innate beliefs takes a lot of courage. The way I do it is to look for times where I get particularly animated or annoyed about a matter which does not warrant such a strong reaction and then try to work out why I took the matter so personally. Was I protecting a part of me that was deeply hurt by something a long time ago? Was my argument rational or very biased? Often you can trawl back through your memories and find some reason for your outdated reaction to the matter. Jealousy, fear, anger, pain, longing, rejection and embarrassment are all emotions which can trigger patterns in us.

Of course, the older you are or the longer the particular pattern has been with you, the harder it will be to budge. However, be reassured that with time, if you are really honest with yourself, you can rid yourself of these useless fears and blocks.

You can also understand others and be more compassionate if you look for their blocks too. You do not need to point them out and make a big pseudo-psychological analysis on them, that will be really annoying, but it can stop you getting offended by their behaviour. By realising it is their block or pattern making them behave that way as an attempt to protect themselves, rather than them just being a brat, you can accept them as they are (or at least not take it personally).

So, change is good, fear is natural and there is no better time to start planning than today. As Susan Jeffers so rightly said, 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway'. It really is the only way to be in charge of your life.

Josie

Oh sugar...Why do we love you?

A bad relationship with sugar is one of the hardest. It calls you to the cupboard in the middle of the night and draws you in when times are hard. Sugar is a faithful companion when all else fails.  The problem is, sugar is now being linked to more and more long term health issues and it is hidden in so many of our foods.

Habit

Sugar overload is often habitual and giving ourselves a treat can be very reassuring. Sweet treats are a reward for good behaviour when we are children and I think this is what sets us up for treating ourselves. So with this in mind, changing your relationship with sugar and your eating habits in general is often very useful.

Replacing your refined sugary snack with natural sugar can help at first, fruit instead of chocolate or making your own healthy sweet treats. Eventually you can get rid of the cravings all together.

People will often come to me saying they prefer salty snacks like crisps, but if you look at the list of ingredients on a packet of crisps, sugar is up there at the top. It gets hidden in everything and often what we consider a savoury snack is actually laden with sugar. Always look at the labels on your food, it is important to look at every product you buy with suspicion, even if it is from a health food shop!

It is also worth noting that carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body, and the white refined sources of carbs like white bread or rice have the same effect. So, go for wholegrain options to give you a slower release of energy and combine them with protein and fat.

Sugar has been linked to:

-Overgrowth of Candida yeast organism

-Chronic fatigue

-Binge eating

-Worsens PMS symptoms

-Increase in hyperactivity in children

-Increase in tooth decay

-Increase in anxiety and irritability

-Increases chances of hypertension

-Main cause of diabetes

-An increase or intensify of anxiety and panic

-Extreme highs and lows; a physical yo-yo

-Difficulty losing weight because of constantly high insulin levels, causing the body to store excess carbs as fat.

So with this is mind, what sugar should we be consuming and when?

Shameless Sugar?

When seeking sweet treats head for the natural options, choose products which are as close to their original source as possible and as sparingly as possible.  These are still sources of glucose and need balancing with protein and fat.

Some natural sweetness for snacks or cooking:

-Honey (raw if possible)

-Bee Pollen

-Stevia leaves

-Raw cacao beans

If you can add these products to your teas, cakes, cereals and desserts rather than refined sugar you will be doing your body a favour and eventually you will find you enjoy things which are less sweet. Each of these choices has a benefit to the body and still retains its natural healing properties and vitamins.

But, let's not get carried away with natural options here. Too much of any sugar will give our body extreme highs and lows and leave us depleted of energy.

My Sweet Treat Recipe - Just-like-Chocolate-Bar

-Raw Honey - 2 tsps
-Soaked Almonds - 1/4 cup
-Raw Cacao Beans - 1 cup
-Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Blend all these ingredients together until you have a gloopy paste, pop it in the fridge or freezer and cut into blocks. This is a healthy way to make your own yummy chocolate.

None of us are perfect, occasionally we should be allowed to eat something we consider naughty, just try not to make it a habit which creates a craving.

I hope this helps.

Josie

How Much Water Should I drink?

We are made up of about 60-70% water and our brains, amazingly, are about 80% water. It makes sense to keep our bodies topped up so that they function effectively. 

Water is necessary to transport nutrients around the body; if you are dehydrated your body cannot function effectively and extract what it needs from your food. Water also lubricates your joints and reduces toxic build up and tension in your muscles, think of it like oil in a car. It allows your digestive system to pass things through neatly and efficiently.  It is also responsible for protecting our bodies against illness by keeping all our bodily functions on form.

So, it makes sense that a lack of water can do the opposite. For a start, your immune system may be lacking. You may be prone to depression because lets face it, when you are tired and droopy things don't seem very manageable. The soft tissues in your body may be functioning poorly and may be prone to injury and its likely you will not be absorbing the nutrients from your food effectively.

Ideally quality filtered water is what you want to be drinking, but something is better than nothing and you do have options.

1. Herbal tea (I can hear you groan) is hydrating for the body. Some of them, honestly, taste really good.

2. You can add water to fruit juice to make it more hydrating, 5:1 is the ideal ratio (1 is the juice not the water!) Be aware that 100% fruit juice is not a very hydrating drink as you need a lot of the water content to process the sugar and carbohydrate. 

Sports drinks and 'sugar free' drinks often contain aspartame and other additives so I recommend making your own sports drinks by adding one part natural fruit juice, a small pinch of organic sea salt and four parts filtered water. Salt helps you suck up water into the body's cells and therefore increases fluid absorption. If you want more carbohydrate as you are doing a lot of exercise, just add more juice! It doesn't have to be complicated.


Josie.








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How can I feel more positive?

There is nothing more irritating than someone who tells you to be positive all the time.  

Life is a rollercoaster that is meant to come with highs and lows.  If you don't have the lows, you cannot recognise the highs and appreciate them in all their greatness.  So, you cannot stop the low points, but you can take control of how you view them, you can embrace the lows and appreciate them in all their greatness too!  After all, it is in times of sorrow and despair that we learn about ourselves and practice picking ourselves back up.  It is also in these darker times that we take time to reflect and move forward and get rid of things that are not serving us anymore.

There are a million theories about how to feel good and how to learn acceptance.  Some of them work for one person and some work for another.  Some can work for a month and some stick with you for a lifetime.  There is never any harm in reading around the subject of self advancement; it gives you a nice little wardrobe of reassurance in times of change.  I will not recommend one mode of thinking over another, it will depend greatly on your spiritual beliefs and your personality as to which approach will suit you.  

We are in charge of the way we feel about any event in our lives.  This does not mean we have to remain positive all the time, but it should mean that we take responsibility for our own moments of depression.  We cannot choose other's actions, but we can choose how we feel about them, and we can gain tools and methods to control how we react to them and other external events that occur in our lives.  We can make the choice about how we react to things that happen in our days. 

 The best trick is to focus on what is good in your life, not the things that make you feel dreadful.  Focus on the good that can happen, and not the bad that has.We only get one and it would be a great shame to waste it feeling angry or sad about something we cannot change.  Our feelings can change and we should focus instead, on that.

What does this have to do with nutrition?  Everything.  If you want to eat well and look after yourself, you first have to look at your body and your health with a smile.  Do not focus on your lumpy middle, but on your lovely legs.  Forget the chocolate cake you ate for dinner (why did I eat that, I am such a failure?!) think about the green smoothie you will have for breakfast.  Tomorrow is always another day and your body will be patient as your mind trains itself into good habits.

The wrong foods can also affect our moods massively, making shifting our thoughts to more positive ones harder.  Having low energy levels due to blood sugar slumps can also lead to irritability and mood swings.

The body has a tremendous capacity to heal and change, so be kind to yourself mentally and your body will smile in reply.

Josie

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Fat...it's not all bad.

We have grown so afraid of consuming fat in today's dieting world that we don't know how much or how often we should really consume it. Some people have become so fearful of it that they cut it out completely. We need fat, we just need to get it from the best sources for our body.

Why do we need fat?

Fat gives us energy, is helps us absorb nutrients, it lubricates our joints and protects our muscles. It regulates all the natural cycles of the body and best of all it releases endorphins. When you look at fat like this, you cannot afford to avoid it any longer. Fat free diets may result in loss of a menstrual cycle, early osteoperosis, reduced hair growth, low absorption of vitamins and fatigue. 

So, which fat do we want and where do we get it?

Look for the natural choices and you are usually off to a good start: nuts, seeds, avocado, eggs and oily fish. These good fats are a source of essential fatty acids, including omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. The omega-3 fats have gained the most attention by researchers due to their anti-inflammatory action and positive effect on blood cholesterol levels. 

Oils: When cooking choose coconut oil or a little real butter as these are stable when heated. If using oil on salads choose cold pressed flax or olive oil. Go to your health food shop and browse your options. 

Which fats should we avoid?

We want to avoid crisps, cakes, pastries, too much cheese, pizza, ice cream, chocolate... 

These foods often contain trans fats and hydrogenated fats which have been treated to make them create certain textures or lengthen shelf life.  The body does not recognise these and uses them as if them as if they were a healthy fat - this may lead to a hardening of the cellular wall and affect healthy cellular activity.

Below I have a recipe for almond milk and date, flax and almond energy balls with the pulp that remains!  Start your journey back into fats with these healthy recipes.

Almond Milk

Use 1 part almonds to three parts water. Or less or more depending on how creamy you want it.

1 cup almonds
3 cups water
1 piece muslin/cheese cloth

Soak the almonds in water for about 8 hours. Place the almonds and room temperature water in a food processor. Blend until water becomes milky and all almonds are pulverised. Take a container and drain the almond milk through the muslin and squeeze until all the creamy-ness is in the milk. It is that easy. You can store this in the fridge for up to three days in a sealed container and use it in cereal, tea, shakes and smoothies. Banana, honey and almond milk is a lovely one, good energy, healthy fat and scrumptious.

Flax, Date and Almond Energy Balls

Almond Meal - 2 cup
Dates - 1 cup
Coconut Oil - a few tablespoons
Flax Seed - a few tablespoons

Ok, this is easy and you can play around with amounts depending on your preference. You can use the almond meal left over from the almond milk process or blend up some almonds seperately for a higher fat/energy boost (always soak them first).

Start by blending the dates up to make a paste, I use the smaller fitting that slots on the tabletop blender, you may have to experiment with your own tools. Remove the date pulp and put in a mixing bowl. Add the almond meal and mulch it all together with your hands. This is messy and I usually add the coconut oil while my hands are still covered in this gunk and get it all over the bottle. I add coconut oil so the balls solidify nicely in the fridge. I then add the flax seed and roll the dough-like mixture into balls.

Whack them in the fridge for a few hours and you can start to eat them in moderation. you need to leave them long enough that the flax has absorbed the coconut oil and is soft and digestible. Full of wonderful good fat and energy, perfect before the gym or before you leave the house in the morning. 

Josie

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How to fight the flu season...

The seasons are changing in most places around the globe in November, some transitions being more extreme than others.  Here in Samui the monsoons have hit hard this last month.  Although we are still in shorts and t-shirts here in Thailand, it is the equivalent of winter and everyone is falling ill with colds and flu. 

Whatever your climate, a change in the season hits us all with pressure changes in the air, the temperature shifting and perhaps a rain shower here and there.  This is a time where we have to pay attention to our diet more than ever, our bodies are so susceptible to illness and we are more likely to be huddled in dark places together, with the windows pulled tightly shut (a breeding ground for colds and flu).

So, how do we boost our immune systems in times of change?

We all think of orange juice immediately and load up on Vitamin C tablets, which is a great start.  However, there are loads of other brilliant ways of getting our immune systems impenetrable.  The best one is prevention of your immune system getting low in the first place. The best thing to do is start to get your body strong as you go along. If you were working too hard or partying too long as the winter approaches you are not in a good position to fight back.

Keep Strong As You Go Along - The Tips To Keep You Topped Up.

1. Here comes the green smoothie again, try and get one in every day of the year and your body will always be in a position of strength nutritionally.

2. Super foods.  Spirulina, goji berries...the list goes on. An immune BOOST INJECTION as you approach the cold.

3. Sleep.  We need healing sleep, under no circumstances miss out.  

4. Nourishing grains. Quinoa, brown rice, lentils.  Mix in with soups, dahl, stews and broths. Power food.

5. FRESH FRUIT and VEGGIES in all shapes and forms, some raw, some steamed. 

6. Supplements.  If you work too hard and your diet is lacking, then there is a place for supplementation.  

7. Laughter.  Keep it light, don't let winter blues get you down.  Feeling low is also the immune system's enemy.

8. Stay wrapped up.  I know this sounds obvious, but your Mum was right, keep that neck covered up.  This is maintenance for all seasons, hot then cold is never good, whatever the weather.  Air-con, central heating, it's all playing havoc with our bodies as we go in and out.

9. Balance.  We need an equal balance of work, play, rest, relaxation and spirituality in our lives.  If this is out of whack...good health is hard to achieve

10. Set boundaries at work.  Try to keep your work life balanced - over working is a recipe for a weakened immune system.

Josie

How to de-stress, lose weight AND work?

At an international detox centre I work with people who have hectic lifestyles and endless stresses - so I spend time thinking of ways to make a nourishing diet and lifestyle possible wherever you live. I advise people from all countries and climates with a wide variety of jobs and varying domestic arrangements and I can normally find something achievable for each of them as long as they are willing to put in a little effort.


It is unreasonable to try and change overnight. I think it is best to decide which area needs the most work and make one or two goals which are easy to implement; take baby steps. For example, if exercise is your weakness, decide to walk for half an hour a few evenings a week or go to the gym twice a week. Then, when you have achieved that goal, you can try to 'up that' to three sessions or add another form of exercise like yoga. If you do not manage your goal at first, ask yourself why?


1. Do not fall at the first hurdle, keep asking yourself questions about why, when, what and how it will work? Was it too much too soon? Was it too hard to get to the gym in time? Did you find it too hard to motivate yourself to do an exercise video - would a class with an instructor be better? Can you afford a personal trainer to get yourself going? Can you find a child minder to make time for yourself? Be your own lifecoach. Don't give up, ask yourself why and how? Try not to make excuses, instead attempt to find solutions.

2. If your diet is lacking, start by adding a green smoothie to your day, begin by adding good stuff rather than taking bad stuff out. Then once this is in place, add a salad once a day and take away something you know is bad for your health (e.g daily diet coke).


From my experience the best results come when you make a slow and steady change. It is so easy to lose motivation and slip back into old habits when you try to cut out EVERYTHING and try to do EVERYTHING. It is simply not achieveable and starts a cycle of 'I will start again tomorrows' and encourages feelings of failure and guilt. Horrible things, we want to avoid!


Tips for Fast Ways to Get a Nutrient Rich Diet


Superfoods - a little goes a long way.

Green Smoothies - prepare in the blender the night before and then whiz before work.

Supplements - a multivitamin to fill in the gaps.

Green Juices - before breakfast or dinner get your vitamin fix.

Raw Foods - keep snacks cut up in the fridge ready to grab.

Preperation - raw food snacks/brown rice salads in tuppaware for lunch night before.



Best of Luck.

Josie

How to start juicing?

Fresh, homemade juices are something I thought sounded like hard work.  When I lived in the UK I started to think about making them. The first thing that came to mind was that I would have to choose and pay for a juicer.  The thoughts usually stopped there; I did not get very far. 

However, when I came to Thailand to work in a detox centre where there was a juicer at my disposal, that first pathetic excuse was abashed with no defence. 

The best thing about juicing is the nutrient density. Imagine trying to eat two carrots, two handfuls of spinach and a stick of celery before you leave the house in the morning?!  With juicing you can fit the abundant goodness of all of these things into one juice as well as having room for an energy boosting breakfast.  A brilliant start to the day!

I have to admit (and no-one can deny) that a juicer is not the easiest piece of equipment to clean first thing in the morning. However, if you rinse it immediately, it really only takes a couple of minutes and is well worth the time.  

All fresh juices are packed with goodness, green veggies are packed with chlorophyll which helps to build our bodies in so many ways - it is the life inside all greens.  Think about energy being taken from the sunlight and creating luscious green life, this energy will give us an extra surge of life too.  Green juice is a delicious way to get a chrolophyll injection.  

Green veggies also supply our bodies with almost all the trace minerals we need as well as live enzymes needed to cleanse and detoxify. 

At a cellular level, your body will thank you!

So, how do you get started? 

Buying a Juicer

When it comes to juicers, you get what you pay for.  I recommend identifying your budget then going online and doing some research.  We are lucky enough now that there are endless reviews and choices at our fingertips.  A slow speed juicer is recommended as it is more gentle and does not heat the produce with a high speed blade.  I think it is best to pick something within your budget and if in the future you want to invest in something better, then you can.  I should add: the more you pay = the less parts there are = the easier the washing up! 

What to Juice?

As with the smoothies, I really think it is good advice to experiment with fruit and veg that you like.  It is good to start with a base of something sweet such as apples, carrots or beetroot and add dark green leafy veg such as kale, spinach or watercress.  Choose a balance you like.  

It is worth paying extra for organic when juicing as you are taking in such a large volume that you don't want an instant hit of concentrated pesticides along with all the goodness.  Again, it comes down to affordability, but do the best you can.  Always scrub veg well and peel any non-organic veg.  

Finally remember to chop all veg according to your juicers preference.  There should be directions which tell you how much your juicer can handle. A juice explosion could be a messy moment.

Below are some ideas to get started with.  You could start really simply with blends like carrot and ginger/apple and celery/cucumber and lime and try some more adventurous blends as you get used to it.

Beetroot Ginger Zinger

2 Beetroots

1/2 cup of Kale

Piece of root ginger to taste

If you decide to do a beetroot juice then do not wear a new white shirt.  I learnt this the hard way!

Pineapple n' Basil

2 Cucumbers

2 sprigs of Thai Basil

1 cups Pineapple

If you cannot access these ingredients experiment with local produce; swap pineapple for apple and thai basil for normal basil. 

All the best for now...Happy juicing.

Josie

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Which diet actually works?

We are constantly bombarded with diet plans.  We could easily spend a lifetime of limiting this and cutting out that and as a result have a horrible relationship with food and probably feel miserable.

So what are we meant to do?  Who should we listen to?

I used to think ‘listening to your body’ was a good idea (and it is when you get to the point that you have cleansed your body and it is being honest with you - telling you what will make it feel good). However, most of the time people listen to their body when it has already picked up bad habits and is telling them they want sugar, fat and food additives, as that is what it has learnt to crave.  

So, rather than listening to your body at first, I think it is better advice to accept that what is right for one person is not always right for another and that you have to work out and create your own 'personal world of food' that suits you.  This is called bio-individuality - we all need different foods to suit us.  This should be a plan of food for YOU that makes you feel vital, energised, happy and shows in your skin.  This can take a while to get right, but I think it is better than jumping from one book of rules to another. 

1. Add foods and take foods away, don't throw one diet book away and buy another.  

2. Read books on nutritional advice and alternative health methods and take from each of them things that fit with you.  

3.  Knowledge is power, gather lots of it and draw your own conclusions. 

There are books on blood type diets, high protein diets, combining diets, low carbs, juices and smoothies, wheat and gluten free diets, calorie counting...I could go on.  There is some truth in most of them, but definitely none in a few of them. I think the best thing to do is start with a good detox or cleanse which strips away your cravings and leaves you with a clean start, a click of the reset button.  This way, you can start to add things slowly and can then make an accurate test on foods you suspect don't suit your body.

If you can get to a good detox centre or embark on a home detox after careful research then you are on to a winning start.  But this is not always available immediately so you have to start with the basics. I think it is always best to start adding good stuff as a priority, if you cannot take away the bad stuff at first, start adding good.  The most important thing is to get your nutrients from somewhere, so adding that all important green smoothie and boosting your current diet with salads and vegetables is the best step forward.

I don’t like to use the word ‘diet’ too much when working with detox guests (although I have used it endlessly in this post so far) as it has too many negative connotations with limitation and makes you feel like you are giving things up.  We are only human and I like to think that perfection is found in our imperfection and a point of balance is where we succeed.  

So, fad diets are everywhere.  I suggest you start by filling your belly with lots of colours and shapes in the form of snacks, soups, salads and shakes and simply not get too bogged down with all the fads.

See you soon.

Josie

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Surrender to the Smoothies

For the last year, since moving to Thailand, I have been a smoothie fanatic and my love for them has only blossomed as I try new recipes.  The best thing about living in this part of Asia is the abundance of fruit and veg to experiment with. 

I feel so spoilt here and am making the most of every tropical fruit available while I still can.  Mangoes are by far my favourite, I don’t think I could ever get bored of them.  The best thing is they never go out of season here on Koh Samui, which is just unbelievably fantastic (for me).  However, I don’t want to put you off by talking about a load of fruit you may not have access to.  Whichever country you are in, it will have its own special seasonal fruits that you can experiment with.

Smoothies are such a nutrient rich energy boost and can even replace a meal if you balance them correctly.  The green smoothie is a particularly jam-packed vitamin injection to try.  All you need to do is add 40% green veg to the blender and 60% of your chosen fruit, then whizz away. To start your day with a green smoothie is such a wise move.  If you include the dark leafy vegetables such as Kale or spinach it is a rich source of calcium and protein.  The fruit will support your body with live enzymes and vitamins in abundance.  If you add two teaspoons of flax seed (linseed) to the smoothie, this will provide you with extra protein, fibre and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.  This is a great nutrient rich start to the day.  The key is to balance with protein and fat.

How to Get Started

The smoothie process is all about finding out what you like.  I have a couple of recipes below to give you an idea of amounts and possible blends, but it really is about experimenting.  All you need is a tabletop food processor/blender, a good knife and a chopping board. 

Start with fruit if making a green smoothie as this is full of water and blends better, the greens will then whoosh in with the fruit pulp easily.  Add the flax/oil and water at the end and be sure to blend until all flax seeds are broken.  If they are still intact your body will not be able to draw the nutrients from them as effectively.  When it comes to water, just add as much as you like to get the consistency you prefer. 

If you are already a keen greener, then add some herbs too, basil, mint or coriander go surprisingly well with fruit.   I like mine quite bitter now and add up to 60% greens sometimes.  It’s all about experimenting.  I would love to hear any ideas you have or recipes you have tried and loved.

Tropical Teaser

½ Small Papaya

½ Mango

2 cups of spinach

2 teaspoons of flax seed

1 tbsp coconut oil

Summer Berry Green Boost

1 cup raspberries

1 cup strawberries

2 teaspoons flax

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 cups kale

Happy blending, be back soon with some more ideas...

Best Wishes

Josie