Category Archives: Health

The Importance of Happiness by Andrew Stead

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Angelina Jolie has breasts removed. Our well-being is the most important thing in life but most of us neglect it – we can all do more to live well and make our lives happier. But the overload of knowledge and choice means that keeping up with ourselves, never mind the Joneses, has got a lot harder than it used to be. One step forward, two steps back. And we end up reacting to the world around us rather than designing a life that really matters. But the great news is that the latest scientific evidence is here to help.

 

And Your Daily Bread is a new organisation established to translate this new knowledge into tools and practical experience to help people maximise their life experience and happiness. They design healthy, positive and fulfilling lives, through practical, regular, bite-size chunks, or ‘Slices’.

 

These days most of us are well versed in the tools of our trade, but not in the tools of life. We are well educated at school and university and start our professional lives learning the skills and practices we need for our job. But we educate and develop ourselves in the techniques of our trade, at the expense of the techniques of life.

 

And the consequences of this disparity, this dislocation, this dis-ease, between our technical skills and our life skills are real and serious and heavily supported by scientific evidence.

 

We might start to feel isolated, lose our focus and concentration.  We suffer the irony of information overload while lacking certain knowledge that is truly valuable.  Physically we might feel tired, low-energy or just out of shape. Emotionally we get anxious, upset or even angry. Our relationships start to suffer – we have no time for our family or friends, no time for ourselves. And professionally, we’re working way too hard getting worn out, stressed out or even burned out. And we end up feeling disconnected, disheartened or desperate. Lacking any purpose or meaning, left wandering: “What’s it all about?” Our great hopes for the future, our legacy, our vision beyond our grave are broken dreams.

 

So Your Daily Bread provides people with new knowledge and techniques to get them re-energised, re-ignited, re-balanced. They’re on a mission to improve people’s daily life.

 

They run workshops, events and courses that demonstrate the science, tools and practical help they need to transform their life from imbalance to balance.

 

And people find the workshops and programmes are pretty impactful, talking of being more positive and productive, more energised and healthy, achieving greater balance and serenity, becoming a better communicator and being able to maximise those key life relationships; and of course, improving career prospects and earnings.

 

 

For more information of the June 16th ‘What Price Your Happiness’ event, showcasing 5 Global Experts sharing their best knowledge and techniques, visit www.your-daily-bread.co.uk/S4L

 

Why Yoga Makes Mummies Happy: The role of Yoga in creating the love hormone ‘Oxytocin’

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Why Yoga Makes Mummies Happy
The role of Yoga in creating the love hormone ‘Oxytocin’

By Cheryl MacDonald BA Hons CYT E-RPYT

The fact is that yoga actually makes you happier. The ‘love hormone’
Oxytocin helps you to relax and reduces blood pressure and cortisol levels.
Yoga is now well recognised as one of the ways to encourage the body to
release this amazing hormone and built in anti-stress mechanism.
When the various limbs of yoga are practised, oxytocin is released. Deep
breathing warms the body, and warmth is one of the key elements that allow
us to release Oxytocin. By taking the body through the practice of yoga
asana (postures) we warm the muscles and joints, make the physical body
more comfortable and relaxed. By then continuing the practice with
savasana (deep relaxation) and meditation, we encourage the production
of oxytocin even further.
Lululemon_Yellow_Yoga
What is Oxytocin?

Oxytocin is that magical hormone that rushes through the body when we first
fall in love. Oxytocin can take us to the dizzy heights of a love sickness that
makes food and sleep seem so much less important than looking into the
eyes of our new found love.

Some of oxytocin’s main functions are preparing the female body for
childbirth, stimulating milk production and ‘let down’ so that baby can nurse,
and encouraging the bond between mum and her newborn baby.

The hormone is also plays an important part in sexual arousal and is released
when you have an orgasm. Its important in nonsexual relationships too and
presence of the hormone has shown to increase trust, generosity, and
cooperation. It can also create a nurturing aspect within males and females
who are not parents.

Why does Yoga make you happy?

Yogic breathing (of course!) When the vagus nerve is inflamed your breathing
becomes more shallow. Your body has gone into fight or flight mode and you
have started to panic. Stop right here and allow yourself to breathe deeply.
Pranayama (or yogic breathing) encourages to take time to just stop, and
focus on the breath.

Pregnancy and motherhood can bring a lot of huge physical, emotional and
environmental changes that can be difficult to adapt to. Taking some time
each week to just BREATHE during yoga class, bringing your attention to the
breath, focusing on the breath alone, not worrying about anything else, can
allow oxytocin to be released and deepen that relaxation. Slow steady
breathing is all that you need. Sometimes we get so caught up in ‘getting the
posture’ that we forget to breathe. Check yourself and make sure you ARE
actually breathing (you’d be surprised.)

Warming the body through the practice of Asana

It is important to warm the body before undertaking the physical practice of
yoga (asana) so as not to damage any joints and to ease the body gently
into the postures. This is especially important for pregnant and post natal
women, whose bodies are and have undergone physical stress and growth
over a period of time. During the practice of asana and pranayama, the
body generates heat and warms the body inside and out. Extra bonus?
When we are warm and relaxed, the body releases more oxytocin…

Chilling in Savasana

At the end of class, don’t just jump up and run out of class. Savasana, deep
relaxation at the end of class is your reward for all of your hard effort earlier
on. Learn to enjoy the relaxation, be aware of any random thoughts that go
through your mind – and just let them go. This is known as ‘monkey mind’
(What will I have for dinner? What did she mean by that?) – acknowledge
these meaningless thoughts and really take time for yourself – just focus on
the life force – the breath. That’s all you need to do. And enjoy the scrummy
feeling of the copious oxytocin rushing through your body. Sigh.

Why is Oxytocin so important for mummies

In a study of 65 women with depression and anxiety, the 34 women who took
a yoga class twice a week for two months showed a significant decrease in
depression and anxiety symptoms, compared to the 31 women who were
not in the class.

During Birth

Oxytocin helps birthing women through labour encouraging surges or
contractions as well as providing pain relieving endorphins and an altered
state of consciousness or bliss (known as labour land) that makes most of
childbirth seems ‘dream like’ or surreal. As soon as baby is born, it makes
mum fall in love in the greatest way possible, with their newborn baby.
In the first few moments after giving birth, a mother receives the largest rush
of oxytocin that she will ever experience in her lifetime. Oxytocin flows
between mother and child every time baby is breastfed which encourages
bonding and attachment.

During birth we can encourage the release of oxytocin by making sure that
mum has privacy, feels safe and comfortable, has a dimmed room and is left
in peace. Yogic breathing and practice of adapted savasana during
childbirth can aid the release of this special hormone.
Antenatal and Postnatal Depression

Yoga helps to balance hormones and stabilizes the endocrine system. By
practising yogic relaxation techniques, we can balance cortical activities
and the nervous and endocrine systems, reducing the body`s reaction to
stress. As a result, the body produces less adrenaline, noradrenaline and
cortisol, (all stress hormones) and mum feels much more balanced and stress
free.

Also, prenatal depression studies indicate clinical depression alleviates by half
if only we can talk to a friend who listens to us and oxytocin is shown to
increase when we receive empathy. The social aspects of getting out to
perinatal yoga classes either before or with baby help mum and baby
socialize with other mums around them.
Baby Bonding

Remember oxytocin is about being personal in ways that give our time
together significance and shape moments of laughter and pleasure. Follow
the instinct to reach out and strengthen ties with invitations to share together
and enjoy your pregnancy and life.

There is ample evidence, that oxytocin and another hormone known as
vasopressin are critical for the bonding process, especially as it relates to
social and reproductive behaviour. Both chemicals help encourage bonding
and maternal behaviour.

Cheryl MacDonald is the founder of YogaBellies® which specializes in
perinatal yoga and natural birth preparation. She is the creator of the Birth
ROCKS® childbirth preparation method and has trained YogaBellies®
teachers across the world. Cheryl has been working with pregnant and
birthing women for almost ten years. She is mother of one lovely three year
old buy and lives with her husband in the west end of Glasgow.

Birth Made Easy Book Review

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birth made easyI have previously interviewed Paola Bagnall. She had a lot of great things to say about giving birth. Now, let’s get down to the book.

The book has a great overview of pregnancy, both Pre and Post. It also comes with a free self hypnosis CD. For those interested in hypnobirthing (and there are rumours that Kate Middleton has joined them) this book is great. Paola believes that pregnancy is not a medical thing but a natural thing that the body is supposed to do. Although I don’t agree that pregnancy is not a medical thing, her ideas are interesting and certainly have merit. She is a qualified hypnotherapist and healed her own shoulder using the power of her mind.

This book has a lot of great information in it for any mother-to-be. Chapter one is about hypnosis and other chapters are about breathing, the biology of the female body, and the biology of birth. They are all very informative and fascinating.

There is also a chapter on how to use the CD. In the getting ready for birth chapter there are a lot of great tips, followed by an entire chapter or problem solving in, ‘What To Do if You Have….’ Nausa and vomiting are covered. As are C-sections and having a large baby.

The books tells you how to use the three stages of hynothearapy for the birth in an easy to understand way and has an entire chapter on how to disassociate yourself from the feelings of the contractions.

The last two chapters are what to do after the birth, a great chapter with some exercises on how to get back into shape, health tips, and enjoying your time as a mother.

This is a very good book for women who want a natural birth, and even has great tips for those who don’t. I can’t say it has convinced me to have a natural birth when I decide to have children, but the information is there for those who do.

Birth Made Easy – The positive and enjoyable way to have a baby easily and naturally using self-hypnosis

Make It Happen! Get Healthy and Join Us On Pinterest

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January is full of promises of better health habits, but as the year goes on, resolve weakens and more help is usually needed. So I have made a Pinterest board full of inspiration. Join me on Pinterest and make your own #bootsmakeithappen board. Boots will be choosing the best one and will put it on their Facebook page.

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According to new research, more than three quarters (84%) of us are feeling positive about achieving our health and beauty goals throughout 2013. That’s why Boots has launched Let’s Make It Happen – to encourage people to take action on their health and beauty goals. The initiative basically looks at what can we change in our lives this year – whether that’s stopping smoking, going to the gym more regularly, having more body confidence etc.  Boots’ Let’s Make it Happen tells you what you need to achieve these health and beauty goals, including products and service support. All the information is available in The Feel Good Forum on Mumsnet.

I have been walking, eating less meat and drinking lots of water. I have also been taking a multivitamin. What have you been doing?

Get pinning and have fun.

 

Sponsored Post

 

Interview with Birth Made Easy Author Paola Bagnall

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birth made easyFor our readers who are mothers-to-be we interviewed Paola Bagnall, author of Birth Made Easy. The book review is here. In the meantime enjoy the interview and please comment your thoughts below. Thank you.

I really liked how the book had advice on every aspect of pregnancy and birth. What is the biggest gem you can give to mothers-to-be?

 

To look forward to the birth with excitement and to work with your intuition and trust that your body is designed to give birth, which it is.

 

The book is big on relaxation, is this the most important thing when giving birth? How does one achieve this?

 

Yes relaxation is very important. The late Dr Grantley Dick-Read (1890 – 1959) visited a woman giving birth at her home in Whitechapel in London.  She declined his offer of chloroform, and gave birth without undue problem.  After the delivery, he asked her why she did not want chloroform and she replied, “It didn’t hurt.  It wasn’t meant to, was it?”.  Dr Dick-Reid actually said then that relaxation is the key to a good birth and in his book, Childbirth without Fear, he returned to women their rightful gift of a truly natural birth.

 

Today we are told that giving birth is painful and so many people believe this.  TV programmes like One Born Every Minute also reinforce this.  When you are relaxed you cannot feel fear and this is what hypnobirthing is all about.

 

Relaxation is achieved by visualisation of a favourite place, the use of colours, focusing on the breath and self-hypnosis – all of which are described in the book.  When you are relaxed your body opens up easily and so the baby flows out.

 

What was your own experience of pregnancy and giving birth like?

 

I have two sons and I gave birth to both naturally and relatively easily. The first one took six hours and the second eleven hours.  I am a biologist as well as a hypnotherapist and so I knew that my body could do this and also I was very excited about the process and looking forward to the experience.

 

When I gave birth 39 years ago we were given Pethidine automatically to help with the contractions.  I hated this as it caused me to hallucinate!  I wish I knew then what I know now about self-hypnosis as I would have been much more in control than I was.  Even so both my births were empowering experiences!

 

The book is about giving birth naturally. Do you think a natural birth is better?

 

If you can give birth naturally, I personally feel this is best because it should be a magical, empowering experience, where you are in control.  A natural birth also prevents the side effects of intervention and chemical drugs.

 

When someone has a headache or a medical procedure they generally use painkiller, why not do so when giving birth? It is the only medical thing that some people do without the help of painkillers. How is it different?

 

I’d just like to say that birth is not a medical thing!  It is a natural process and as such is not meant to hurt.  It is the medics in fact who have made it painful.

 

All pain is subjective and different for different people. If you think ‘pain’ then you get ‘pain’.  I feel contractions are different from ‘pain’.  They are intense pressure, good pressure, as they result in the birth of your baby.  I have suffered pain far worse than my contractions.  So think ‘good contractions’ and this alters your mind-set.

 

Of course using painkillers (epidural) may be what some people want and that is OK.

My book does not suggest that you have to have a natural birth.  This is a choice that the mum-to-be must make.  I simply suggest ways to achieve that goal.

 

Do you think the power of the mind can control the body?

 

Most definitely! We have the expression “mind over matter”.  We have the most amazing resource in our unconscious minds that most of us do not tap into.  By using positive affirmations and self-hypnosis we can use this innate ability we all have to make changes in ourselves for the better.

 

I got into hypnotherapy as I had a very painful shoulder injury that the medical profession could not help me with.  I learned to tap into this inner power and heal my shoulder using self-hypnosis. This is what showed me how useful self-hypnosis could be in giving birth. And why I created my own Inner Power Hypnobirthing.

 

Will everyone be able to achieve a natural birth?

 

A natural birth may not happen for everyone, as things just do happen which make it not possible.  If the baby is breach, or with complete placenta previa, where the placenta covers the exit for the baby, or if the baby is distressed in any way, then a C-Section has to be done in the best interests of the mother and baby.  However, hypnobirthing helps you to remain calm and in control in such situations.

 

Do you think you can get back into shape easily after giving birth as long as you work hard?

 

Yes, I do, though this is easier for some people than others.  Part of my hypnobirthing package is to help mums get back to their pre-pregnancy weight, shape and dimensions.  Simple exercises as shown in my book and a sensible diet help to achieve this.

 

Tell us about the self-hypnosis CD.

 

The self-hypnosis CD is to be listened to on a daily basis prior to the birth.  It uses visualisation, colour and positive affirmations to programme the unconscious mind to have a natural childbirth.  It is a bit like putting a program into a computer.  When you hit ‘play’ the program starts.  So the trigger for my CD is the first contraction, or the waters breaking, and then the entire program goes into effect almost automatically.  The CD takes you through pregnancy, the three stages of birth, healing up after the birth, bonding with the baby, breast-feeding easily (if you choose to do this) and getting your figure back.

 

What is the best advice you have for women giving birth?

 

Getting yourself into a positive frame of mind using hypnobirthing and start this as early as you can in your pregnancy so you have a beneficial expectation and you look forward to the birth with joyful anticipation.

Thank you Paola.

Birth Made Easy – The positive and enjoyable way to have a baby easily and naturally using self-hypnosis

 

7 in 10 women would do same as Angelina Jolie

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Angelina Jolie has breasts removed. Almost seven out of every ten women say they would undergo a preventive double mastectomy if tests indicated they were at a high risk of breast cancer 

A new YouGov poll finds that nearly seven in 10 women in Britain would have a double mastectomy if genetic tests suggested they had a very high chance of developing breast cancer.

On Tuesday, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie announced in a widely reported editorial for the New York Times titled “My Medical Choice” that she had undergone a double mastectomy as a preventive measure against breast cancer. Jolie said that doctors estimated that she “had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer” due to a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which increases cancer risk.

68% of women say they would have all natural breast tissue removed and replaced with implants if genetic tests suggested a very high probability of developing breast cancer.

The YouGov survey also found that in identical proportions British women and men would undergo preventive surgery if tests suggested they were at a very high risk of a particular cancer. 70% of Britons say they would in principle undergo surgery to prevent the development of a cancer if tests suggested there was a very high chance of it developing, including 70% of men and 70% of women.

Asked if they would have genetic tests to screen for susceptibility towards particular types of cancer, and 64% of British adults say they would, including 62% of women and 66% of men.

One in five (21%) worry that there is a type of cancer they are particularly susceptible to because of family medical history.

Your Ultimate Festival Survival Guide

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festivalstyleFrom a field in the West Country to the Nevada desert, festivals are sexy! Mud, hot pants, sun, hot pants, alcohol, hot pants.  The pressure to appeal to the opposite sex is on.  Here’s our hedonistic health kit with everything you need to make you cleaner, safer, pain-free and altogether hotter this festival season!

Talking dirty

When you are jumping up and down to your favourite band in the middle of a muddy field, oral hygiene will be the last thing on your mind. If you know that the excitement of live music will be enough for you to forget the toothbrush then why not try Oraldiet. Oraldiet is an innovative oral probiotic lozenge that contains the probiotic lactobacillus reuteri. The formulation binds to your saliva and therefore stays in the mouth – allowing you to feel fresh for longer. The presence of aloe vera gel ensures that your mouth flora kept healthy at all times, leaving you to concentrate on more important things – like which stage to visit. Oraldiet is available from www.revital.co.uk. £6.35 for 30 lozenges.

Best foot forward

Plastic wellies may be great for trudging through muddy fields, but they can cause your tootsies to sweat and smell.  If your wellies are causing a stink, try using a good foot deodorant such as Carnation Footcare’s Cool Foot spray to keep feet dry, clean and sweat-free; the perfect remedy after a day’s hard welly-wearing. Carnation Footcare’s Cool Foot spray is available from www.firstaidfast.co.uk £3.83.

 

Keep it clean

A combination of dancing, lack of showers and mud means one thing: sweat! Make sure you are the last one dancing with Thursday Plantation’s Tea Tree Deodorant. The 100% Tea Tree formulation will keep you feeling fresh and clean throughout the whole day whilst the aloe vera extract will sooth your skin during the sweatiest of musical moments. It’s also organic and aluminum free, meaning you’ll be feeling at one with nature whilst shaking your body to the beat. Thursday Plantation’s Tea Tree Deodorant is available from www.revital.co.uk £4.95 for 60ml.

Get water savvy

Shona Wilkinson, Head Nutritionist at The Nutri Centre, www.nutrticentre.com, recommends drinking plenty of water throughout the day ‘to help maintain energy levels, a clear head, and because dehydration will only worsen the effects of any alcohol you drink later on.  If the weather’s hot and sunny and you’re sweating a lot, you’ll also be losing vital salts and minerals.  Try adding an electrolyte solution to your water to maintain the correct levels. Elete Electrolyte water, £5.52 from www.nutricentresports.com makes 10 litres of hydration liquid, is 100% natural and is taste and calorie-free.’’

 

Angelina Jolie: “I have had a double mastectomy”.

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Angelina Jolie bravely had both of her healthy breasts removed in February, and had reconstructive surgery in April, after finding out she had an 87% risk of contracting breast cancer. Jolie found out she carried the BRCA1 cancer gene. Jolie lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand to ovarian cancer when Marcheline was only 56. She also revealed she has a 50% chance of contracting ovarian cancer. She said:

‘Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65% risk of getting it, on average. Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could, I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.’

Angelina Jolie has breasts removed. ‘I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.’

‘I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer,’ she continued. ‘It is my hope that they, too, will be will able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

‘Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.’

Jolie worked during her treatment, speaking out about violence against women and children at the G8 summit in London last month.

In the article entitled My Medical Choice for the New York Times she praised the support of her fiance, Brad Pitt, and their children Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, saying: ‘We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.’