Nicola Quinn's Health Blog

Alkaline-Forming Foods List: How to Eat to Help Cure Diseases

2011-12-22T12:57:00.001Z

Updated on 9/20/10

There are two types of foods: acid-forming or alkaline-forming. The differences between the two are like night and day. Or, diseased and not diseased.

Your body is designed for your blood pH balance to be between 7.35-7.45. Too much acid in the blood causes imbalance and eventually, diseases. Whenever you eat something that is incomplete (not wholesome) and acidic, your body has to pull the nutrients out of your body’s minerals to try to neutralize the acidity.

For instance soda, which has one of the lowest pH levels, if consumed, your body will have to use its water to stabilize the acid. Your body is intelligent and will always try to work with whatever you give it. Unfortunately, it can only do this for so long.

How Your Blood’s pH Balance Relates to Diseases

Let’s take a look at arthritis. Or any other so-called disease ending with -itis. All itis means is inflammation. Arth means joint. Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joints. We are trained to give these “diseases” exotic names and deem them to be incurable. But the truth is, WE give these “diseases” strength when we succumb to them and let them claim our lives.

What causes the inflammation that gives you “arthritis”? Too much acid in the blood. No acid, no inflammation. No inflammation, no “arthritis”. Isn’t life simple?

When your body is alkaline-based, you are in optimum health. This is why certain people that “look” healthy die or contract the same “diseases” that unhealthy people have. Because, even though they “look” good, they were probably consuming very acidic foods.

About the List

The foods listed below are all alkaline-forming. There is a difference between acid-forming and alkaline-forming. A citrus fruit like an orange is acidic but when your body assimilates it, it leaves an alkaline ash. Therefore, the orange is an alkaline-forming fruit.

This list is a combination of all the research and experiences I’ve had. There may be other foods that are not listed but that just means it slipped my eye. The important thing is that we make a conscious effort to consume as much alkaline-forming foods as possible.

Please share this list with everyone you know!

Alkaline-Forming Vegetables (All fresh, not processed or canned)

Alfalfa
Artichoke
Asparagus
Barley Grass
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans
Kale
Kelp
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Lima Beans
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Okra
Olives
Onions
Parsnip
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radish
Rhubarb
Rutabagas
Spinach
Spirulina
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Turnip
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Yams
Zucchini

Alkaline-Forming Fruits (all fresh, not processed or canned)

Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana
Blackberries
Boysenberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Coconut
Currants
Grapefruit
Grapes
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi Fruit
Lemon
Limes
Mangos
Muskmelons
Nectarine
Olives (green)
Orange
Papayas
Peaches
Pears
Pineapples
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomato
Watermelon

Alkaline Forming Nuts, Seeds & Grains

Almonds
Buckwheat
Cashews
Chestnuts
Cumin Seeds
Fennel Seeds
Flax Seeds
Lentils
Macadamia
Millet
Pecans
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts

Alkaline Forming Spices & Seasonings

Chili Pepper
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Herbs
Sea Salt
Soy Sauce

Other Alkaline Forming Foods

Stevia
Olive Oil

Worst Acid Forming Foods (These “foods” should be limited or avoided)

There are many acid-forming foods (mainly all the unnatural, man-made “foods”) but these are the worst of the worst.

Alcohol
Artificial Sweeteners
Cakes/Pastries
Dairy Products (cheese, ice cream, milk shakes, yogurt etc)
Flour (white)
Juice (sugar-filled)
Meats (including fish, chicken, turkey etc)
Pasta
Salt (use Sea Salt)
Soda
Sugar

via alimyers.net

Was surprised to see tomatoes on the list. If you suffer from joint problems I recommend cutting them out too for a while, just to see.

12 Top Nutrients For A Healthy Heart

2011-11-23T12:52:00.006Z

12 Top Nutrients For A Healthy Heart
By Tony Isaacs - tbyil.com
The heart is our most important and most active muscle. In addition to the benefits for the heart of having a healthy active lifestyle and eating a healthy diets, there are several key herbs, minerals vitamins and other nutritional items which can provide great boosts for heart health.
Here are 12 of the best:

1. Cayenne. Sometimes referred to as the “King of Herbs”, cayenne is one of the most powerful heart-healthy substances. It strengthens, stimulates, and tones the heart, balances circulation and blood pressure, and calms palpitations. Due to its fiery punch, you may want to start small and work your way up to larger amounts of powder or extract added to juice.

2. Hawthorn. Along with cayenne, hawthorn was one of famed herbalist Dr. Christopher’s favorite herbs for the heart. Hawthorn is rich in flavonoids that protect small capillary vessels from free-radical damage. It normalizes blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and fat deposits in the liver and aorta and helps conditions such as angina, arrhythmia, arteriosclerosis, blood clots, and hypertension. Though it may take months to realize hawthorn’s full benefits, often a dropper of hawthorn berry extract will settle irregular heartbeats in short order.

3. Magnesium. Magnesium helps prevent heart attacks, regulates high blood pressure and helps ease heart arrhythmia, in addition to having a great many other vital health benefits. Thanks to today’s SAD diet and mineral depleted soils, it is estimated that anywhere from 80 to 95 percent of us are deficient in magnesium.

4. Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is an essential primary heart protector. Notably, statin drugs interfere with the liver’s production of CoQ10 from selenium. Also, the most common side effect of statin drugs is muscle pain and damage – and remember, the heart is our most vital muscle.

5. Selenium. The mineral selenium is essential for the body’s natural production of CoQ10.

6. Silica. It was noted over a half century ago that the mineral silicon was abundant in healthy hearts and deficient in diseased hearts and heart vessels. Silicon is responsible for both the strength and elasticity of cardiovascular tissue. It is a semiconductor that is involved in nervous system message transmissions and is likely important for the heart’s electrical functions.

7. Vitamin D3. Abundant evidence now points to the numerous cardioprotective functions of vitamin D. Restoring vitamin D to normal levels has been found to help reduce inflammation, normalize blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity – all factors that reduce heart disease risk.

8. Iodine. In 1933, Dr. Kenneth Turner of Harvard Medical School conducted a series of experiments with rabbits which demonstrated that iodine could prevent atherosclerosis in rabbits even when they were fed horribly unhealthy diets. Iodine is also an essential co-factor for selenium.

9. Garlic. Several studies have shown that a clove a day of garlic inhibits bad cholesterol (LDL) production and raises the good kind (HDL). Smaller trials have also indicated that garlic helps normalize blood pressure, prevent blood platelet aggregation, and improve circulation.

10. Vitamin C. Linus Pauling protege’ Dr. Matthias Rath determined that heart disease is an early form of sailor’s scurvy, which is caused by weakening of the arterial walls due to a deficiency in Vitamin C. Vitamin C induces the natural repair of the blood vessel wall in cardiovascular disease, which can lead to a halt in progression – and even to natural regression – of vascular lesions.

11. Motherwort. Traditionally used to treat a racing heart caused by nervous tension, long-term use of this herbal sedative may reduce the formation of clotting factors, lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, and strengthen the heart muscle. Motherwort is typically consumed as a prepared tea throughout the day.

12. Cacao. A natural source of heart-healthy theobromine, cacao also contains the flavonal epicatechin, which improves blood vessel function.

via wakeup-world.com

Natural Pain Killers

2011-11-22T10:04:00.001Z

Natural pain killers
Many who suffer from problems of restlessness, decreased immunity, depression and anxiety can consume these natural pain killers, which are as effective as medical drugs.

Fish oil: Fish contains two essential omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and decosahexaenoic acid. These can help block the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body, known as cytokines and leukotrienes. Researchers have established that eating about 3 g of fish fats a day can relieve of joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Fish oil can also help reduce the severity of Crohn's disease and these patients can stop consuming anti-inflammatory medications and steroids.

Olive oil: This is a natural chemical with anti-inflammatory properties like ibuprofen. Oleocanthal is the natural ingredient in this oil. 50 g of extra virgin olive oil is comparable to about 10% of ibuprofen dose recommended for adult pain relief.

Tart cherries: Researchers of Michigan State University opine that eating about 20 tart cherries may relieve pain better than aspirin. These cherries exhibit antioxidant properties comparable to vitamin E. Anthocyanins which is found in cherries inhibited cyclooxygenase-1 and 2 enzymes, which are the targets of anti inflammatory drugs at doses more than ten times lower than aspirin. Arthritis and gout can be controlled by daily consumption of cherries.

Saliva: This is found to generate a natural pain killer six times stronger than morphine. Human saliva is similar to opiorphin and it acts as a natural pain killer far better than the traditional drug morphine which has addictive and psychosomatic side effects.

White willow bark: This decreases pain by blocking the production of prostaglandins which can get inflamed. White willow bark is effective to reduce fever, and relieves pain similar to aspirin especially chronic headaches. Conventionally, white willow bark is safer than aspirin and other synthetically derived salicylate based anti inflammatory drugs. There are no contraindications and serious side-effects reported in the use of willow bark. An effective relief from headache, toothache, backache and even arthritis can be had by this wonder herb. Yet, it is advised that people with gastritis and ulcers need to avoid use of white willow bark.

Methyl sylphonyl methane: MSM is a naturally occurring sulfur compound. This is a powerful painkiller and anti-inflammatory and anti spasmodic and analgesic. The tradition of pain impulses is inhibited by the use of MSM. In a study conducted at the UCLA School of Medicine in the US, it was found that about 80% pain control was achieved within six weeks in degenerative arthritis patients by using MSM. Glucosamine and chondroitin are the nutritional supplements in MSM and they can significantly help reduce arthritis pain. In Europe, oral glucosamine is a commonly used pain killer and is even approved as a prescription drug.

Boswellia: This is an Indian herb and is very effective for both chronic and minor pains. Boswellia acid is the active ingredient in Boswellia and it is more potent and less toxic than many of the standard anti-inflammatory drugs. Boswellia is available both as a supplement and as a topical cream. It has no adverse effects. Boswellia is also known as frankincense.

Devil's claw: This herb is native to South Africa and it is best known for alleviating back pain and arthritis. The iridoid glycosides in this herb produce analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Devil's claw also helps to decrease pain and is effective for osteoarthritis, but with much lesser side effects. However, people with gastric ulcers should not consume devil's claw as it increases the production of gastric acid.

Curcumin: This spice of life is a compound found in turmeric which is a powerful painkiller known to block inflammatory proteins and enhance the ability of the body to suppress inflammation. Curcumin decreases inflammation by reducing prostaglandin activity. It improves absorption and it can be consumed with equal amounts of bromelain which is an anti inflammatory enzyme found in pineapples.

Arnica: This centuries old remedy comes from the bright yellow arnica flower which is found in the alpine meadows of Europe. It decreases inflammation and is an immune system booster. Tropical arnica soothes pain and restores joint function just as well as ibuprofen. It is also ideal for sprains, bruises, strains and in postoperative healing.

Ginger: This is a flavorful root that contains enzymes that inhabit the production of inflammatory compounds. For acute pain 2 g of grounded dehydrated ginger daily in three divided doses should help. For chronic conditions 1 g daily in three divided doses should do the trick.

Feverfew: For long term relief from headaches, feverfew should be ideal. A member of the sunflower family, this relaxes the blood vessels in the brain and prevents them from constricting which is a primary cause of migraine.

Natural oils: A whole gamut of natural oils like almond, eucalyptus, peppermint, wintergreen, camphor, spearmint and olive help to deliver fast and effective way to relieve pain at the spot of concentration. These topical applications of pure ingredients will penetrate deeply and focus on the cause of pain without having to breakdown the chemicals that prescription pain relievers contain.

via targetwoman.com

A useful list of natural ways to reduce pain.

Spices Stop Blood Clots Better Than Drugs

2011-11-07T11:58:00.001Z

Spices do a whole lot more than liven up food. Research has found that the active ingredients in several common spices can help keep you alive by preventing platelet aggregation and blood clot formation up to 29 times better than aspirin, offering a much safer alternative to anti-clotting drugs such as Plavix. And they do it without side effects.
Scientists in India have done extensive testing to determine the health benefits of spices traditionally used in Indian cuisine. The latest research to come from the Central Food Technological Research Institute evaluated the effect of the active principle spice compounds eugenol, capsaicin, piperine, quercetin, curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, and allyl sulphide on human platelet aggregation. They demonstrated that each compound evaluated was able to significantly inhibit blood clotting. Furthermore, the compounds performed their anti-platelet aggregation activity against several different factors that promote the clotting of blood.
Eugenol and capsaicin were found to be the most potent inhibitors of induced platelet aggregation. This ability was shown by the other tested compounds too in the declining order of curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, piperine, allyl sulphide, and quercetin. Eugenol was found to be 29-fold more potent than aspirin in inhibiting ararachidonic acid induced human platelet aggregation. Both eugenol and capsaicin inhibited production of clotting factors in a dose-dependent manner.
Cardiovascular disease and inflammation often go hand in hand. Earlier research by this team of scientists found that eugenol was highly effective at inhibiting inflammatory conditions in humans.
Spices are powerful medicines
Eugenol is the active compound that gives cloves their aroma. It is also found in cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon balm. Eugenol is also used medicinally as a local antiseptic and analgesic. It has antioxidant and pain relieving properties.
Spicing up food with cloves or other spices containing eugenol is best way to get this active compound into your diet. Eugenol is also available as essential oil for use in lotion and massage oil, or as aromatherapy in diffusers. Extracted eugenol should not be consumed internally.
Capsaicin is the active compound in hot peppers and the one that creates the heat. It is found in hot sauce, chili peppers, or as cayenne pepper. Aside from reducing platelet aggregation, capsaicin has a distinguished history as a cancer fighter through its ability to make cancer cells die. It is particularly effective against prostate and other hormone dependent cancers. Capsaicin sooths the digestive tract and may be a cure for inflammatory bowel disease. Eating chili peppers has been shown to protect against the effects of aspirin on the stomach.
Capsaicin protects the heart through other mechanisms besides inhibition of platelet aggregation. It reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, and has been shown able to dissolve fibrin, another action through which it can protect against blood clots. Cultures around the world that use hot peppers liberally have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than cultures that do not.
Getting red pepper into the diet is easy. It is often kept on kitchen tables in the form of hot sauce, and sprinkled on meat, fish, side dishes, and snacks. Hot sauce is a natural accompaniment to Mexican and many other foods. Chili made with fresh tomatoes and hot peppers offers the two major players against prostate cancer in one meal. Even a simple bowl of beans gets up to dance when hot sauce is added.
For anyone wanting a quantifiable amount of capsaicin, there are capsules available.
Curcumin is one of the best known herbal healers. It is the active ingredient in turmeric, one of the staples of Indian cooking. Turmeric has been used for centuries to help treat health conditions and is also a tradition in Chinese medicine. It has recently been shown to strengthen and order cell membranes, making cells more resistant to infection and malignancy. Turmeric treats digestive issues, arthritis, menstrual problems, and liver and gallbladder issues. It is one of the best natural pain relievers and has shown to be more effective at relieving pain that NSAIDS such as ibuprofen, without side effects. Turmeric also offers strong defense against colitis.
While curcumin is preventing blood clot formation, it is also preventing the oxidation of cholesterol, offering protection against blood vessel damage and plaque build up that can lead to heart attack and cancer. There is even mounting evidence that curcumin can keep away neurodegenerative disease through its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and act as an antioxidant.

via wakeup-world.com

Can Tea Reduce Anxiety Levels?

2011-10-12T17:31:00.002+01:00

Theanine (L-theanine) which is found in tea leaves may reduce anxiety and improve attention and the ability to focus in people who have high anxiety levels. Japanese researchers reported these findings in a recent issue of the Journal Of Functional Food.
Theanine is an amino acid that has a chemical structure similar to glutamate, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in memory. Previous studies have shown that theanine can pass through the blood-brane barrier and thus can have a direct impact on the brain.
In a new current study university students were broken up into two groups. One group had high anxiety levels and the other had low. Both groups were given water or water plus 200mg of L-thanine per 100mg water. The test was conducted repeatedly and evaluations were done between 15 and 60 minutes after the students ingested the water or water plus theanine.
Results indicated that students who were highly anxious and who received theanine had a slowed heart rate, improved attention and a better reaction time when compared with high-anxiety students who took the placebo. Students with low anxiety did not experience any significant benefit from taking theanine.
The authors of this research noted that unlike other conventional treatments for anxiety, theanine does not cause drowsiness, impair concentration or slow down reflexes. Rather, 200mg of thanine enhanced performance in visual attention tasks and reaction time responses among the subjects with high anxiety propensity symptoms.

via mentalhealthy.co.uk

Just shows we English have had it right all along. Crisis strikes, have a nice cup of tea :)

Yoga boosts stress-busting hormone, reduces pain, study finds

2011-07-31T11:57:00.001+01:00

The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia. The condition, which predominantly affects women, is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue; common symptoms include muscle stiffness, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, anxiety and depression.

Previous research has found that women with fibromyalgia have lower-than-average cortisol levels, which contribute to pain, fatigue and stress sensitivity. According to the study, participants' saliva revealed elevated levels of total cortisol following a program of 75 minutes of hatha yoga twice weekly over the course of eight weeks.

via sciencedaily.com

"Yoga promotes this concept -- that we are not our bodies, our experiences, or our pain. This is extremely useful in the management of pain," she says. "Moreover, our findings strongly suggest that psychological changes in turn affect our experience of physical pain."

This alone should be a good enough reason to practise yoga twice weekly.

Looking to the Dietary Gods: Eating Well According to the Ancients

2011-07-13T09:47:00.001+01:00

By eating well, we can be proud and transparent, rather than secretly uncomfortable. For starters, by eating more naturally (protein-dense, appropriate portions), we reduce our footprint—the amount we ask of the world to give us. By caring about the quality of what we ingest, we opt out of brutal factory farming and toxic industrial agriculture—keeping excessive blood off our hands. And by eating locally, we support small businesses and entrepreneurs instead of corporate behemoths who have few qualms about poisoning and fattening us (by doing the same to their “product”) if it means greater profits.

via fourhourworkweek.com

Makes perfect sense. The full article is definitely worth a read.

Anneli Rufus - Why Prescription Ecstasy or LSD Could Happen Much Sooner Than You Think

2011-07-07T09:10:00.001+01:00

Research to the rescue. High-tech brain scans reveal that psilocybin inhibits blood flow in parts of the brain that regulate sensory input. Less blood flow means less regulation. Flooded with perceptions, a psilocybinized brain can help PTSD patients reprogram their fears, Doblin says. New tools also provide new insight into LSD's ego-dissolving "catharsis effect." And the ecstasy chemistry: MDMA reduces blood flow in the fear-processing amygdala while increasing blood flow in the prefrontal cortex, which facilitates our ability to put things into context.
"With MDMA, the fear circuitry is reduced," Doblin explains. This helps PTSD patients remember and re-examine long-buried aspects of their traumas. Aided by MDMA, "these memories don't immediately go straight to fear." Say you were traumatized by a bat-wielding, red-hatted assailant. Under MDMA, "the neural pathways connecting bats, red hats and fear are not so strong." Recontextualized in an MDMA-activated prefrontal cortex, triggers lose their power -- sometimes forever, he says.

"Under the influence of MDMA, people can make emotional changes that persist after the MDMA is out of their systems." On MDMA, "you operate on this much smoother level, and then you lose it -- but not all of it. You get so much material from that experience, which you can learn to integrate."

This doesn't mean you can recover by hitting a few raves. A key theme of the medical-psychedelics movement is that it's medical. These drugs are so strong and long-lasting that, for clinical use, Doblin says they must be administered in "a safe, supportive, controlled setting" overseen by professionals.

via integral-options.blogspot.com

This is really good news, I just hope it comes to fruition. Enough mind altering drugs are used anyway so why not use some clinically that may actually have some long lasting positive effects.

Mindfulness meditation training changes brain structure in eight weeks

2011-07-05T15:16:00.001+01:00

Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter.

"Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day," says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study's senior author. "This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing."

via sciencedaily.com

An excellent article with supporting research for those who need even more convincing that meditation is a worthwhile practice.

Bananas and Blood Pressure - Do Bananas Lower Blood Pressure - RealAge

2011-06-30T21:35:00.001+01:00

Cheap and plentiful year-round, bananas are bursting with potassium. And a review of several major studies suggests that people who add the potassium equivalent of an extra 1 1/2 to 2 bananas to their day could drop their blood pressure 2 to 3 points.

More Points for Potassium
Dropping BP by 2 or 3 points is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it's enough to lower stroke risk. In other research, people with the highest potassium intake levels cut their stroke risk by a whopping 38 percent compared with the people who got the least potassium. This magical mineral works by encouraging your kidneys to filter more pressure-boosting sodium out of your bloodstream. It also helps tiny blood vessels relax and makes pressure sensors in artery walls function more efficiently.

via realage.com

Even people who generally don't like fruit make an exception with bananas, so there really is no excuse...

Nutrition: Sweet Potato (A Paleo Exception) - Explore Fitness

2011-06-20T09:38:00.002+01:00

The sweet potato is a moderate GI (glycaemic index) carbohydrate and is very high in Vitamin A (a fat-soluble antioxidant). Vitamin A (beta-carotene) is what gives sweet potatoes the rich orange colour (some sweet potatoes are purple in colour).
To maximise absorption of vitamin A ensure you have adequate fat with your meal to ensure the body is better able to utilise this antioxidant.
Interestingly a study several years ago of 10,000 Finnish smokers found that those with higher levels of Vitamin A (beta-carotene) in the blood had a lower incidence of lung cancer. This was only the case with Vitamin A from natural sources though, not that coming from synthetic vitamin supplementation where lung cancer rates where actually found to be higher! [1] Another reason to stick to natural sources for antioxidants!
In Loren Cordain's book "Paleo Diet For Athletes" the sweet potato is also considered as one of the better options for recovery from extended endurance work. This book goes into great detail of nutrition for pre-, during and post-activity.
The sweet potato also includes Vitamin C, E, B6 - the micronutrients manganese, copper and traces of potassium and iron. Anthocyanin is a colour related pigment which studies have shown to have anti-inflammatory properties another property supporting one's recovery from activity.[2]
Here's a recipe for Sweet Potato Chips (using coconut oil for adequate fat intake).

via thefitnessexplorer.com

Excellent alternative to potatoes, especially if you are avoiding the deadly nightshade family because of joint pain.

Olive oil 'helps prevent stroke' - BBC News

2011-06-18T07:49:00.002+01:00

Olive oil can help prevent strokes in people over 65, a study suggests.
Researchers followed around 7,000 people aged 65 and over living in three French cities, for at least five years.
They found those who used a lot of olive oil in cooking or as a dressing or dip had a lower risk of stroke than those who never used it.
The researchers say older people should be given new dietary advice regarding olive oil, based on the findings, which are published in the journal Neurology

via bbc.co.uk

Good to see at last commonsense healthy eating is being researched and verified.

Lose Weight by Eating 30 Grams of Protein Within 30 Minutes of Waking

2011-06-07T11:54:00.003+01:00

So says Tim Ferris in his book The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman. He says if you do only that you will lose weight easily. So with that in mind I have compiled a list of high protein foods to try it out.

High Protein Foods

1. Dry Roasted Soybeans - have a massive 39.6 grams of protein in 100 grams.

2. Lean Beef - 36 grams per 100 gram serving. A small fillet steak should do it.

3. Cheese - Although they vary, hard cheeses like parmesan have the highest protein and the softer the lowest, if you opt for a medium cheese you will get roughly 30 grams in a 100 gram portion.

4. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds - 33 grams per 100 grams.

5. Chicken - 32.8 grams in 100 grams, that's about 27 grams in half an average breast.

6. Tuna - 30 grams for every 100 grams.

7. Salmon - 27 grams for the same amount.

8. Fish Roe - 28 grams per 100 grams. And though caviar, for some reason, only rates at 24, would be a nice excuse to indulge :)

9. Marmite - weighs in at 27 grams per 100 grams though you'd need to eat about 50 teaspoons of the stuff. Moving on...

10. Lobster - 26.4 per 100 grams.

11. Peanuts - 23.7 per 100 grams. And oddly lentils are 25.8 raw though only 9 when cooked. Hmm.

12. Almonds, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds - All 21 grams per 100g.

13. Flax and Sesame Seeds - 18 grams per 100g.

14. Tofu - 17 grams per 100g.

15. Eggs - 13 grams per 100g. You'd need two eggs for that.

My goat milk yoghurt says an average serving of 150 grams gives 8.3 grams of protein so may try combining with some ground nuts and seeds to make that up.

Also going to investigate protein shakes and bars. Will report back on those later.

And if it all gets too much may try just cutting out the 5 foods you should never eat to lose weight as explained in this brilliant video.

Let me know your thoughts, or results, in the comments.

Happy Birthday Soph

2010-07-30T18:00:00.004+01:00

Am so proud of you. Proud to be your mother. Proud to see how well you're doing.

It's been a long road. We're both still here and relatively sane.

Say no more.

:) x

Sunrise - Music To Lift Depression

2010-03-30T05:33:00.004+01:00

Ok, so it's my birthday (yay!) and today is also the release date of my new album.

This album means a lot to me, and in time I'm sure I'll write an article explaining why. Meanwhile here is the title track of Sunrise - Music To Lift Depression featuring my favourite sunrise photos taken from my very own balcony here on the beach.

Enjoy :)

Buy the Album, Sunrise - Music To Lift Depression HERE!

09/09/09

2009-09-09T21:13:00.002+01:00

God is in the spaces in between.

Birthday Reflections

2009-03-30T23:58:00.001+01:00

Sitting here wondering if too much fuss made on your birthday when you're young makes you feel miserable as you get older when less attention is paid to you. Or is it just that each year highlights how old you are getting which adds to the misery?

Either way I used to look forward to them and now I don't. I hate myself on that day, for feeling so sad. I really don't think any amount of attention would change that, in fact the more fuss made the worse I might feel. Though don't quote me on that and ignore it at your peril. I'm not grown up enough yet not to hold grudges...

As it turns out just looking at these thoughts today has turned it all around and for the first time I feel fairly philosophical about the whole thing.

I don't feel any pressure to feel happy today and yet I do.

That's quite neat :)

Happy Birthday me and well done for no tears today. A step closer to being a real grown up?

Happy Mothers Day!

2009-03-22T11:12:00.000Z

A day not just to celebrate and appreciate our own mother (wonderful woman that she is :) but a day for us mothers to reflect on what it means for us too.

Handmade chocolates next to my computer this morning made me smile, she's a wonderful daughter and I'm truly lucky to have her. Funny, creative, intelligent and gorgeous :)

It made me take a look back and feelings of not only love for her arose but guilt also appeared. Guilt for so many things, how I could have done it better, given her more attention when she needed it, made better choices for her and it all got rather jumbled up.

The guilt of her being an only child is enormous though she has always assured me she is grateful for that but if she knows no different how can she tell? I feel a closeness to my two sisters she will never know, ah well, c'est la vie.

And of course I blame myself for her diabetes, there must have been something I could have done, not done, spotted sooner, acted quicker, bleurgh, more useless guilt.

Ok, enough of this, soften and flow, away with the bad feelings, I forgive myself for everything, time to clear the decks for a lovely day together.

Hope you have a good Mothers Day too :)

Protect Your Heart and Sleep Better By Following Your Body Clock

2009-03-16T09:38:00.003Z

I was astonished the other day to hear that you are six times more likely to have a heart attack between 8 and 10am than at any other time.

The reason is that at that time your blood pressure is at its highest, your veins and arteries are at their least flexible and your blood is at its thickest.

Because of these three factors it is a bad time to exercise or exert yourself as your blood pressure may rise even more whereas later in the day, between 4 and 6pm exercise can reduce it by as much as 10%.

Blimey, so I was right, meditation really is the best way to start the day :)

Each part of the body has a clock (which can be seen rhythmically pulsing!) and, as one would expect, light plays a big part in some functions.

Sleeping Better

As we age sleep patterns become more erratic and this has now been put down to lower levels of light being received due to thickening of the lens with age.

Extra and brighter lights inside, or more time spent outside, can immediately remedy this and who knows, maybe that's the reason that a good daily walk encourages sound sleep.

There's also an interesting way to regulate being a lark or an owl. If you want to be able to stay awake later you need to get all your light in the afternoon and wear sunglasses in the morning. Conversely if you want to start being able to get up earlier get as much light as possible in the morning and wear sunglasses in the afternoon. Not quite sure how practical that would be but is worth playing around with.

More Body Clock Highlights

Between 10am and midday you really are thinking at your best as nice amounts of cortisol are being released so it's a good idea to reserve this time for your best work.

At 2pm you are three times more likely to nod off than at 6pm so this is not a good time to be driving and if you are on a long journey be aware of this and take time out, have a coffee, or a quick nap around that time.

Two other points that were interesting were about the absorption of alcohol and food.

The same amount of alcohol consumed lunchtime will have almost double the effect as that drunk later in the day, so bear that in mind.

Also, our insulin decreases as the day wears on so a large meal eaten late in the day really isn't a good idea as the body struggles to metabolise it leaving the blood sugars higher than is optimum. Consistently high blood sugars are not good for the kidneys, eyes and nerves as diabetics know all to well. So a largish breakfast and lunch and a light dinner is healthiest.

A fascinating subject and interesting to see how a few small changes to your routine can protect your health and increase feelings of well being.

Pertineri Premium Members Club

2009-03-11T14:58:00.002Z

I'm supposed to be writing a sales pitch type article to promote the new Pertineri Premium Members Club with its unreleased content, video shows and a chance to get up close and personal to Silvia and me, mastermind with us and help us with our research.

Instead I'm sitting here pondering what it all means and how momentous this occasion is.

It was almost thirteen years ago that Silvia and I first met. Not long after that we started creating excuses to phone each other and chat which quickly turned into daily two hour conversations.

The trainings we organised were simply a cover for our ongoing discussions about the human neurology, the conscious and unconscious mind, how energy and emotions work and on to real magic, how to create reality at will.

We spent years ripping apart the fabric of time and space and putting it back together again, any way we pleased. It was (is) immensely enjoyable above all else :)

Fuelled by our pressing problems, financial and emotional, and our personal iniquities, ideas and patterns came flying fast and were hurriedly written on Silvia's wall as we talked, a monument to our progress, our work together. It was exhilarating. Every day a new discovery. Questions started to be answered but only after the right questions were first found!

The day I realised that our lives were our work was a revelation, I remember exactly when that hit me and my life and how I lived it changed that day.

Silvia and I are such different people with wildly different temperaments, problems and drivers which has made our research all the more interesting and valuable.

Silvia's highly creative mind and relentless search for truth combined with my rabid need to know how, why and what's in it for me has led us into the most extreme areas of esotericism but always with a practical end result. We have always wanted to know how to improve our lives and how we are feeling while investigating the underlying structures of reality.

To have found out just what emotions really are and map the human energy system has been extraordinary and has had repercussions for us personally that have far surpassed our dreams.

EmoTrance was just one tiny pattern on the wall we chose to turn into a step by step useable form and present to the public. Just one of thousands of patterns shared freely with our followers on the lists which is now taught and practised worldwide and has brought blessed emotional relief to thousands.

We have done so much, we could just stop here, satisfied that we have achieved more already than most people think, let alone dream of, in a lifetime, but what would be the fun in that?

We are working differently now, we have dropped the lists and want to concentrate working with an elite group of people to share our work and experiences and test new patterns with us. A unique mastermind group to continue the ongoing research.

These are exciting times and even though we have achieved so much already I feel we are just on the edge of finding more extraordinary secrets and patterns and create momentous time space events.

The new technology available will make masterminding with individuals across the planet easier, and fun too. Who would have thought you could sit in the comfort of your front room and beam a live video show around the world a relatively few short years after faxes seemed like magic?

We're keeping the group small so it's more personal and while this piece hasn't turned out exactly as I expected I invite you to become a member of our club if you know our work.

Our problems will never be solved from the places they originated so join us on this adventure to find new places, new solutions and a whole new way of being.

Pertineri Premium Members Club

Top Twitter Tip Survey

2009-03-07T07:12:00.002Z

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Please feel free to leave any tips in the comments if you would prefer!

And thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. The test was a success and I can highly recommend using the form in Google docs to create a survey. Excellent :)

Requiem For My Father

2009-02-16T17:24:00.003Z

It's 6 years today my father died. Lying in a hospital bed, the life draining away from him and the doctors saying it was only the drugs keeping him alive now. So we let him go.

He was a wonderful man. Not particularly brave or courageous or even a 'manly' man but he was my father, made me feel safe and I respected him, for all his foibles and weaknesses.

In a way I understand him better now, how his life shaped him and how his shaped mine.

We worked together very closely in the family book business for years and our day couldn't start before we'd had our early morning coffee and finished the Daily Telegraph crossword puzzle.

He was both lenient and hard on me and I carried my fair share of heavy boxes down to the basement from huge trucks laden with palettes of overstocks. Pricing by hand, the smell of new books, papercuts from the pristine covers, often working in companionable silence, two people just doing what we loved.

I thought it would never end, the shop would always be there, but the recession took it away in the early 90s, after 100 years. It was a sad day and a huge hole was left but nothing compared to the huge hole my father's passing has left.

And so I sit here listening to the last album he loved, Eva Cassidy's Songbird, crying, lost in the painting I did for him soon after his death and reflecting on our life together.

Rest well. I love you Dad.

Peter Oppenheim

22.04.25 - 16.02.03

Self Healing With a Little Self Love

2009-01-22T11:41:00.001Z

While away on holiday recently I had an interesting healing experience.

I was bitten the first night by a mosquito. I react badly to bites and the next morning my right hand was starting to swell up as was my face, chin and forehead. The last time this had happened on both ankles it was 10 days before I could walk again. By the second morning the pain of the swelling over my knuckles was excruciating and hadn’t responded to anti-histamines at all and I went down to breakfast looking like Quasimodo and was feeling quite miserable and angry with myself.

My partner was holed up in our room with food poisoning which didn’t help the mood of things either. I stood in front of the large shiny coffee pot unable to grasp it with my right hand and proceeded to throw scalding coffee down my front trying to pour with my left. More misery. So I grabbed some ice from the champagne bucket, wrapped it in a serviette and sat down with the makeshift icepack and alternated holding it on my hand, face and my newly burnt stomach.

I was angry, firstly at not having thought of mosquitoes in Southern Spain in January then just general anger at being so pathetic, which turned into loathing for my hand that had reacted so extremely and prevented me from getting my caffeine fix (and why hadn’t a staff member noticed and offered to help, useless hotel…)

Oh dear oh dear I thought, stop this right now, it is up to you how you are feeling, you have the power to change this immediately.

So I laughed a bit at the preposterous state I had got myself into, rose to the challenge and started to do something about it.

So I started doing a little Beauty T on it, a technique a colleague had created to overcome poor body image. I looked at my hand and forgave it for being like that and said sorry for feeling so hostile towards it. I stroked it gently and said, I love you and I’m so sorry I let this happen. I then forgave myself for not anticipating mozzies and bringing along repellant. I forgave myself for being angry with my body for always reacting like this to bites.

I thanked my hand for all the good things it does for me and apologized for how much I took it for granted. It really did look ugly, the skin stretched tight, all the knuckles with extra swollen rolls over them and the skin close to my wrist all wrinkled with the distortion yet I managed to focus on its beauty and the extraordinary underlying engineering that lets it do what it normally does.

The upshot is within 2 hours all the swelling on my hand was gone. My face still looked gross but I hadn’t focused on it because there was a lot less pain involved. I’d done nothing differently for any of the bite sites except give my hand some focused love. They had all had equal ice time and I had barely been able to touch my hand because of the pain so the couple of gentle strokes couldn’t possibly have made a difference in dispersing the fluid. And yes, the other bite sites took a full 10 days to return to their normal state.

So next time something hurts, for whatever reason, whether through an accident or general illness, give that part some love, really let it know you don’t blame your knee, leg, shoulder or whatever it is, and forgive yourself for the suffering you’ve caused it.

It can’t make things any worse, and you never know you may just have as interesting an experience as I did.

Let me know.

More information about Beauty T and how it has become an awesome alternative to plastic surgery :)

Getting Things Done

2009-01-13T09:34:00.003Z

Ok so it’s now 2009 and thoughts turn to getting organized, once again.

I’ve just been reading a thread on Friendfeed about this and all the different ways other people organize their to do lists.

Text file
Whiteboard
http://rememberthemilk.com
Emailing self
Notepad (real paper not the app!)

And I’m nodding my head down the whole list because I USE THEM ALL, in addition to iGTD, and that surely is where I am going wrong!!! No wonder my mind is so fragmented most of the time, wondering not only what I need to do but where it might be written. Duh.

David Allen in Getting Things Done says it’s important to write everything down, get it off your mind so you then have space there to actually DO stuff. I got that bit right at least though now I understand why I still wasn’t actually getting much done. It was all out there just not in an organized form so I could act on it.

Years back when I was running a huge family business, pre-computer/internet days, with nearly 30 employees and hundreds of accounts and suppliers to keep an eye on I used just one A4 sheet of paper every day with all my to dos on, split into four.

Top left - business ‘to dos’
Top right - business ‘to buys’
Bottom left - home ‘to dos’
Bottom right - home ‘to buys’

And that was it.

I would do or delegate each task and next morning simply transfer undone jobs/buys to today’s list.

Hmm, and now I’m wondering with the huge variety of projects and tasks I currently have on if this will work as well but there’s only one way to find out, so here goes and will report back after a week, or maybe two.

How do you organize your life, what works best for you?

Marketing Prank Proves the Power of Social Media

2008-12-15T09:44:00.000Z

Guru marketer Frank Kern recently shocked himself by creating a scam to spook his friend John Reese and discovered the awesome power of social media.

He created a bogus marketing course that closely emulated that of his friend John Reese. He then started a Facebook group to co-opt his followers to post to the new fake site, comment on specially created youtube videos, tweet to their friends about the course and post in forums.

It was started as a joke but soon spread far out past the social media network and people started taking it seriously, even talking about legal proceedings against 'Don Fleece'.

Of course Frank stepped in and owned up way before it got out of hand but I got a mail this morning from him saying he had been frankly shocked at the results and how quickly the message had spread via the social media network and beyond. And for an internet marketer of near 'guru' status that is saying something.

Social media has broken down the formal barriers and encourages people to communicate on their own level and where their passion lies and that is always going to have powerful consequences.

How To Be Like A Secret Millionaire

2008-12-04T10:05:00.002Z

The Secret Millionaire is a TV programme where millionaires go undercover into deprived areas, become involved in the community then give cheques to individuals who they feel would benefit, or who have an idea that needs some cash to realise, or just because they are great people they want to help.

The Secret Millionaires are philanthropists and use money to change the world but you have a mountainous resource somewhere too, something you can take out there and share with the world to make a real change.

Think now what your passion or resource might be. It could be a skill that you take for granted but nonetheless would impact greatly on someone's life should you choose to take the time to share it freely.

Giving is a great way to take the focus of attention away from your own troubles. It is extremely therapeutic which makes the concept a win win situation.

A local man with a passion for sport set up a club so that disabled children could play football too and he has now won the support of Sir Paul McCartney. What started as a small idea has now grown and is putting smiles on many youngsters faces.

If you are in business it doesn't take much to offer a part of your services for free to the community. Again, you can make a huge difference and also raise your profile locally. The internet marketing model of giving away free content really works and can easily be mapped over to the 'real world'.

If you're a therapist there are local clubs or meeting places that would gladly let you give a talk and some free treatments.

If you do printing and copying how about approaching a local charity and offering to print a run of fliers for free?

If you're upgrading your computer think about donating your old one to a worthy cause. My husband helps out in a day care centre and was giving a resident a reflexology treatment. The man had had a stroke a while back and was unable to speak or barely move and was looking very sad so my husband wheeled him over to the computer and gently laid one of his hands on the keyboard and the man slowly typed “Thank you Tim, this is the first time I have felt human in ages”.

Take some time today to think what you could give that would make a change to you and your community too.

And by all means leave a comment if you have some suggestions or if this is something you are already doing.

Social Media - Good for your Health?

2008-11-27T07:57:00.002Z

Doctors first gauge mental health by the ability to look after yourself.

So when I popped over to mine this morning for a routine test, while sitting in the waiting room, I thought I must remember to mention my shower's broken and the plumber failed to show yesterday which is why my hair looks less than fragrant and also that the holes in these jeans are deliberate.

Anyway, he didn't notice, or was too polite to say, while scraping my cervix. Phew, got away with it...

Then when I got home, and even though I hadn't been out that long I got the classic 'return from holiday' view of my place, and it's a monumental tip.

Now mess doesn't normally bother me. I like piles of books and papers, manuscripts strewn all over the place, things I'm working on left out half done waiting for inspiration or a couple of quiet hours to finish but this was heaps of washing up and clothes on the floor, everywhere.

How did that happen? What have I been doing differently these past few weeks?

It has to be Twitter, Facebook and now FriendFeed. It's not just the time spent reading and responding, keeping up with the flow, but reading the great articles posted and trying out the cool resources too.

Still, don't get freaked out, if it's important it's obviously getting done. I must be eating, look at the piles of dirty plates in the kitchen and the cheques are still arriving on time.

But is this healthy? A near addiction to staying in touch online?

We all want to belong, isolation can be soul destroying though I personally love being alone, in my opinion a mother can never be alone enough, but does being drawn into this community give you a false sense of intimacy? A safer, cleaner less messy experience? A place where if someone upsets you you just hit unfollow with no confrontations or repercussions?

On the other hand I've met a load of great people, picked up some interesting ideas and it's refreshing to be in such stimulating company. That has to be good for me surely?

Hmm, I'm still not sure and will have to monitor the effects on my hard relationships and bank balance closely.

Meanwhile I really must update a sales page and phone the plumber but only after I've checked out 10 Challenging but Awesome CSS Techniques...

Panic Attacks - 5 Common Mistakes Panic Attack Sufferers Make and How To Fix Them

2008-11-15T14:13:00.005Z

I know what it's like, that feeling of panic as it sweeps over you in a flash from nowhere. The feeling that you have to run and hide though can't move because of the weakness. That you have to instantly go to the toilet yet can't bear the thought of using a tiny public lavatory (suppose I get locked in?) And the sheer terror of not knowing when any of this might happen again. It's exhausting, day after day after day.

It took me 15 years to find a cure but you can stop panic attacks now if you can correct these 5 mistakes that you are currently making.

1. Thinking You Have No Control Of Your Feelings

It's an easy enough assumption to make as the panic attacks seem to come from out of nowhere but the real problem is not that first flash of panic but the fact that you are terrified of the feelings. If you can take that fear out and not be scared of HOWEVER you are feeling they simply do not happen, ever again.

To solve this problem you need to learn EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). This simple technique will take your fear on any topic down to zero, very fast. It is a method which utilises tapping on the meridian points while saying out loud a statement of how you are feeling. You take a reading before and after so you can quickly verify your results which gives you confidence to continue.

You can find the free EFT protocol here:

http://life-without-panic-attacks.com/eft-protocol.php

2. Confusing The Feelings Of Physical Exertion With Panic

This is a big one and what stops most panic attack sufferers from getting excited or involved with anything. The symptoms of panic attacks are caused by an increase of adrenaline so any feelings that are similar instantly make you think you are about to have an attack. At one point I couldn't bear to watch game shows as the anticipation was just too much for me. Once you add even more adrenaline to the mix and increase your heartbeat by even a millisecond you start to freak out again.

The solution to this one is quite simple. Recognise this is what is happening and say to yourself, it's ok, I'm just feeling the symptoms of physical exertion/excitement, I am not panicking. And it's a good opening statement to get down to zero using EFT. You can use something like -

Even though the feelings of physical exertion make me feel like I'm going to panic...

3. Ignoring Advice To Take A Deep Breath

Your chest is clenched tight, you can't breath, and some well meaning person is saying, take a deep breath now. And all you can think is, are you mad, why would I want my head spinning even more?

The thing is that hyperventilation causes the exact same symptoms as panic. When you can't breath you are breathing from your chest, in essence overbreathing, and a few deep breaths from your abdomen will stop this almost instantly. The trick is to practise when you are feeling relatively ok and feel safe, so when you start to feel uncomfortable you can take a single deep breath, really feeling your abdomen pushing out, which will quickly rebalance your blood oxygen levels and et you breath easily again.

You can find out more about how to do that here -

http://life-without-panic-attacks.com/anxiety-breathing.php

4. Making It All About Your Panic Attacks

It's easy, I know, if you are suffering from panic and anxiety to let it completely overtake your life. After all, every little thing you do must be planned and your feelings taken into account which turns every activity into a major event.

Make today the last day this happens. Take time to project your interest and attention onto something else, maybe a hobby you used to like doing, reading a book you have been meaning to get round to, constructing the Taj Mahal out of matchsticks, whatever you once spent hours being immersed in without a second thought. Make a special effort to acquire the materials needed to direct your attention away from yourself. Phone some friends and resist the temptation to talk about yourself. Genuinely engaging with others has a profoundly healing effect on you and those around you who may be feeling neglected while you have been busy coping with your own feelings.

Do one thing today that has nothing to do with your panic.

5. Being Too Hard On Yourself

People who suffer from panic attacks constantly berate themselves for being weak and wimpy and this is just not the case. You are managing to manifest some major psychosomatic symptoms and that's powerful reality creation. Just think what you could do if your conscious and unconscious minds were working together, wow!

Be kind to yourself, even forgive yourself for what is happening right now and know that you have the strength to do something about this. And remember, while you are recovering do not push yourself or feel you have to do everything you are asked to prove yourself. Your biggest strength lies in being able to say NO loudly and without guilt.

You CAN do this, if I can, anyone can!

And if you need my help just mail me or sign up for my free anxiety course which contains all the information you need to know to stop having panic attacks now!

Happy Birthday Sophie!!!

2008-07-30T12:04:00.004+01:00

It’s my daugher’s birthday today and sitting here at 11.30am I remember at that time, 24 years ago, paying bills and making sandwiches for my husband to take to the hospital, in between contractions.

My labour started at 9am. Though at 5am I had woken and gone downstairs and remember my husband was sitting watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics so I have my suspicions it actually started then.

By midday I was getting very uncomfortable and decided it was time to go to hospital.

I was very relaxed and glad I had spent my pregnancy eating well, taking supplements, doing stretching exercises and had requested a natural birth.

When I got there they said I was 7 centimetres dilated and that it would probably only be another 3 hours before delivery, roughly one hour for every centimeter, which confirmed that I was right labour had started when I woke in the night.

Then it all went horribly wrong.

Because I had been admitted with pre-eclampsia a couple of weeks previously they immediately hooked me up to a drip and stuck a monitor on my baby’s head. In effect I was strapped down to the bed and unable to move as I had planned, to ease delivery and be able to choose the most comfortable position to be in.

I freaked and must have stopped the whole process as a result because I got stuck in the transition phase for four hours (that’s the time you’re fully dilated and ready to deliver and is also the phase when you start traditionally screaming obscenities at everyone!)

I remember how hot it was that day, steamy, humid, and I was completely naked and paced the tiny room while trying to drag the drip trolley thing around with me while staff kept trying to pin me back down in bed saying I would exhaust myself if I didn’t lie down.

It was more than I could bear, I had completely lost control, was in agony, and just kept screaming for pain relief.

Sophie was delivered at 10.13pm during a raging thunderstorm, a beautiful healthy, hungry baby. But that wasn’t the end of the torture.

During the actual birth there was a shift change, literally one midwife delivered the head and another took over to deliver the whole body. Then the wrong drug was administered and the new midwife yanked the umbilical cord too hard and it came away without the afterbirth so I had to have that scraped out of me with a huge metal spoon, without any anaesthetic and by a slightly tipsy doctor who had been paged during her leaving party! She also thoughtfully stitched me up without any anaesthetic either, saying it would just be one more painful procedure to have an injection there. That wound took 18 months to heal though obviously the wound of that whole day still remains very sore.

If I had had The Gentle Touch, Noesitherapy, EFT and EmoTrance then it all would have been very different. I would have had more control over my body and my emotions and would NOT have frozen and delayed labour making the whole experience more of a nightmare than one to cherish.

Which is why I am so glad I have put those four amazing self help techniques in one book and if it helps just one person to have a happy stress free labour it will all have been worth it :)

Alternative Pain Relief by Nicola Quinn

P.S. In my opinion ALL midwifes should be mothers themselves. They cannot know what it is like however many confinements they have attended unless they have been through it themselves. The lack of compassion and understanding from my midwives and constant admonishments to, be quiet, I was disturbing others, added to the horror of that day. That the joy of that day was cruelly snatched from me, I will never forgive them for. Not very holistic I know, but what can I say, I know many others out there feel the same…

Hot flushes/flashes, coffee and chocolate

2008-07-11T11:13:00.002+01:00

There is a definite correlation between hot flushes, coffee and chocolate.

I hate being cold and it was over 6 months before I connected the wonderful warm surges I was getting periodically with the fact that this must be the onset of the menopause. Duh...

I don't get them routinely any more but when I'm feeling a bit chilly and want to warm up quickly I grab a fresh coffee and a piece of chocolate and hey presto, nice warm feeling.

The kick back is I get a bit of a restless sleep that night which again confirms the connection between the surges of energy and being wakened every 2 hours for years.

I used to spend time telling my body to stop it, there are no more eggs, stop trying to ovulate, which I'm not sure did much good but might have speeded everything up and certainly helped pass the time in the dark hours of night instead of thrashing around.

Anyway, the weird wonderful world of the change and a move into a whole new way of seeing and doing things, quite an adventure really.

And if you suffer from hot flushes and hate them try cutting out coffee and chocolate, I think you will be pleased at the relief you get.

Update: Just received a link to a nice little article by Christina Laun about increasing energy levels without caffeine. Check it out.

50 Ways to Boost Your Energy Without Caffeine

Panic Attacks and Blood Pressure

2008-07-05T13:53:00.006+01:00

I was thinking the other day about how people who suffer from panic attacks are constantly being told their symptoms, however unpleasant, can't hurt them.

And in general this is true but only because the impending feeling of death and unreal feelings of terror are nowhere close to the actual experience one is having at the time.

However, blood pressure is certainly affected, not just from the stress of the situation but with elevated adrenaline levels, and over time this must surely have an adverse effect so the first thing to do when having a panic attack is to try to reduce your blood pressure as quickly as possible and this can be done by simply drinking a glass of cold water. It hydrates the body and has a calming effect on the whole system.

If dizziness is experienced there is a good chance this means your blood pressure has dropped and to normalise this a glass of fresh juice would do the job nicely.

I've also read somewhere that having a full bladder while your blood pressure is taken can give an elevated reading so it makes sense that going to the toilet would assist in reducing levels too.

It's surprising just how ghastly one can feel with a slight deviation either way so if you do suffer from panic attacks try this and see what a difference it makes.

Better still is to stop having panic attacks altogether which my book Life Without Panic Attacks shows you how to do very nicely!

Common Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

2008-07-05T13:32:00.002+01:00

Women are more likely to suffer the lesser known symptoms of a heart attack than men which is why they are often not diagnosed correctly and not given the right treatment quick enough which is essential for a better chance of survival and a life as close to normal afterwards.

For men, chest pain, with pain spreading to the left shoulder and arm together with shortness of breath are the most common symptoms of a heart attack.

Women too suffer this but are just as likely to have the lesser range of symptoms instead, including:

* Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
* Shortness of breath
* Nausea or vomiting
* Abdominal pain or "heartburn"
* Sweating
* Lightheadedness or dizziness
* Unusual or unexplained fatigue

When I look at that list I think, well yes, a lot of women may feel they have one or more of those symptoms most of the time! BUT in general women know their bodies pretty well and know when something is not quite right.

You can have these warning symptoms for quite a while before having an actual heart attack. If you start suffering any of these symptoms without apparent obvious cause this is not the time to take a tranquilizer and/or pain killer and just get on with things. This is time for action.

If it is a heart attack and you seek help in plenty of time there are many simple treatments that will save your life. And it if isn't then they will be able to tell you exactly what is going on that caused them.

Do not hesitate. Go to an emergency room. They will not laugh at you, or tell you off for wasting their time. Just do it.

Pipex Rant

2008-05-26T11:59:00.002+01:00

Please forgive the brief diversion though this can be considered a health issue as these people have put me under a severe amount of stress over the last few months. I had never before quite understood those people who complained about being treated badly by customer services, up until now I had considered that to be a character flaw!

But now I completely understand the helplessness and out of control feeling of being ripped off and not being able to do a damn thing about it and thinking that screaming down a phone will actually solve the problem....

Pipex used to be a brilliant ISP until they were taken over by Tiscali and then it all went horribly wrong. Billing discrepancies, charges for cancelling the contract when the service was obviously still in effect, promises of having sorted it out leading to more calls, emails, then back to square one.

I am not alone in this, I found several forums with similar Pipex grievances and finally complained to the ISPA which has prompted, what seems to be, positive action from them to sort out my account and refund my money though I'm not holding my breath

Not brilliant, and I will be switching at the end of my contract, or sooner if I can escape without being charged another cancellation fee!

On top of this my credit card company said they could not do a thing about it as I had given Pipex my card number and authorised them to take money out of my account. They would only act if someone had got hold of my number fraudulently. This is not right surely! Anyone taking out an unagreed amount without my consent is committing fraud in my book.

From now on I will only be using Direct Debits which I can cancel myself and will not be giving anyone my credit card number to do what they like with!

And while in ranting mode I'd like to mention premium rate telephone numbers, even my doctor has one now! I can perfectly understand them for things like technical support and advice lines but to call a company to buy something from them and pay a premium rate telephone charge on top for the privilege, that's just taking the piss.

For several years I have used http://saynoto0870.com where you can find alternatives and they have a growing database of telephone numbers you can add to and I urge you to do this! There are still a lot of old fashioned numbers out there you can use and the site is doing a terrific job, good on you folks :)

Man Has Operation On Hand Without Anaesthetic

2008-04-28T18:33:00.002+01:00

I read a local news story recently about a man, Alex Lenkei of Worthing, undergoing an operation on his hand without an anaesthetic. The 80 minute procedure involved removing some bone and fusing some joints together and all carried out under self-induced hypnosis which the patient took about 30 seconds to induce. Granted the man is an experienced hypnotist but I have seen the exact same thing, orthopaedic operations carried out on conscious patients, conducted by Dr. Escudero of Valencia, Spain.

It is his extraordinary technique, called Noesitherapy, which makes this possible and it has fascinated me for years. I used it successfully to have a minor operation carried out on a very delicate part of my anatomy, assisted by Martin Dawes, who taught me the technique originally.

So amazed am I at its efficacy, and its many applications in daily life, that I have included the technique in a book I have just written on Alternative Pain Relief.

You can find out more here: http://alternative-pain-relief.com

How To Identify A Stroke And Why You Must Act Quickly

2008-03-27T10:00:00.002Z

This is such important information that I have copied it here word for word including the initial story which emphasizes how critical it is to identify a stroke straight away and take action immediately.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the afternoon. Ingrid's husband called later saying that his wife had been taken to the hospital and passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some stroke victims don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke . . . totally. He said the trick was having a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE:
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps.

Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE. (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue . if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke

If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call an emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

You also need to know that there is a three hour window to receive throbolitics after a stroke. If a person gets this medication in that time frame there is a bigger chance of them not having paralysis or brain damage.

Energy Saving Lightbulbs Contain Mercury!

2008-03-21T08:56:00.001Z

So while they may be saving the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and do help to slow down global warming they can potentially poison our water supply and environment.

I have never seen a warning on the box of one of these bulbs though I cannot guarantee it isn't there (when was the last time you read the outside of a light bulb carton?)

And yes it does make sense to use them, 9 million bulbs can save 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide being dumped into the atmosphere BUT there are no guidelines for disposal or any protocols in place to deal them once they have reached the end of their 10,000 hour lives.

Five milligrams of mercury, a neurotoxin than can cause kidney and brain damage, which is barely enough to cover a pen tip, can contaminate 6000 gallons of water and even the bulbs that are claiming low mercury, have enough in them to poison 1000 gallons, and that's just one bulb!

What is going to happen, say, in 10 years time when billions of these things have been dumped in landfill sites?

We can't know but can expect, as usual, the authorities to drag their feet and only act when a catastrophe has occurred.

I've heard of a woman in America who smashed one of these bulbs and when she called a local government agency for advice was referred to a private clean up company that wanted to charge her $2000 to contain the mercury and dispose of it!

So for anyone who should have such an experience here are the current guidelines for cleaning up a broken energy saving light bulb.

Before cleanup: Vent the room
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Cleanup steps for hard surfaces
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug
3. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
6. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Disposal of cleanup materials
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.

Future cleaning of carpeting or rug
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

Aspartame - The World's Best Ant Poison

2008-03-20T11:28:00.004Z

I read an appalling thing on a forum the other day. Someone was asking how to get rid of ants and the topic of aspartame and how poisonous it is raised its ugly head once again.

Here is the full article from the Idaho Observer, 2006, lifted directly from the post.

"We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We
have spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons
trying to keep them under control but nothing has helped.

So when I read somewhere that Aspartame (Nutrasweet) was
actually developed as an ant poison and only changed to being
considered non-poisonous after it was realized that
a lot more money could be made on it as a sweetener than as an
ant poison, I decided to give it a try. I opened two packets of
aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each of our
bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any
carpenter ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again. Since posting this information I have had many
people tell me of their success solving ant problems with this substance, when nothing else worked.

We found later that small black ants would not eat the
aspartame. It was determined that if you mixed it with apple
juice, they would quickly take it back to the nest, and all
would be dead within 24 hours, usually. I have found that
sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it does not. Not sure
why, may be slightly different species of ants or something.

Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago.
Poison did not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it
until we got a light rain. It was just a sprinkle, enough to
moisten the Nutrasweet and ground, but not enough to wash it
away. They went crazy, hundreds of them grabbing it and taking
it back into the mound. When I checked the mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the mound up some, and still saw none of them.

How it works:
Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the ants by
interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like
stopping their heart, or something more subtle, like killing
their sense of taste so they can't figure out what is edible, or
smell, so they can't follow their trails, or mis-identify their
colonies members, so they start fighting each other.

Not sure what causes them to end up dying; just know that for
many species of ants, it will kill them quickly and effectively.
As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any
skin areas that come in contact with this poison, and avoid
getting it in your mouth, despite anything the labeling may
indicate. I suspect it will work for other insects such as
yellow jackets as well, but have not tested that yet.

More information on this fantastic poison can be found
at: http://www.dorway.com "

I remember years ago seeing a program about how the initial results on rats had been tampered with and literally hundreds of bags of dead rats were disposed of secretly.

And now please watch a short vid about the manufacturers and the power they have over the media and market place and you will see why the rise and use of this powerful poison (which I am convinced attacks and adversely affects the nervous system of humans from my observations over the years), aspartame, has gone unchallenged.

Outrageous!

A Public Apology

2008-02-07T11:49:00.001Z

To all Americans I may have been rude to, or about, or thought badly of, at some, or any point, in my life.

After watching Michael Moore's Sicko I can now understand how stressed out you all must be, all the time. Constantly on the edge of wondering if you, or any loved ones, become sick, how you will manage.

It is a disgrace, and not just through neglect, but with blatant volition. Careers and fortunes built on actively denying basic healthcare.

Shame on your legislators.

Detoxing

2008-02-07T10:48:00.001Z

I read an article the other day that said detoxing was a load of nonsense and just a fad and that if you drink enough water and exercise it's totally unnecessary as our liver is quite capable of handling everything.

Duh! Isn't that the point! The fact that few of us DO drink enough water or exercise and that our poor liver does need some help from time to time when we've overdone things?! Or is that just me?

And it doesn't have to be strenuous. A few drops of Tachyon Water a couple of times a day and some added to a bottle of mineral water is all that is needed.

Simple.

Nicola Quinn's Health Blog

Alkaline-Forming Foods List: How to Eat to Help Cure Diseases

How Your Blood’s pH Balance Relates to Diseases

About the List

Alkaline-Forming Vegetables (All fresh, not processed or canned)

Alkaline-Forming Fruits (all fresh, not processed or canned)

Alkaline Forming Nuts, Seeds & Grains

Alkaline Forming Spices & Seasonings

Other Alkaline Forming Foods

Worst Acid Forming Foods (These “foods” should be limited or avoided)

12 Top Nutrients For A Healthy Heart

12 Top Nutrients For A Healthy Heart

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Spices Stop Blood Clots Better Than Drugs

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Looking to the Dietary Gods: Eating Well According to the Ancients

Anneli Rufus - Why Prescription Ecstasy or LSD Could Happen Much Sooner Than You Think

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Birthday Reflections

Happy Mothers Day!

Protect Your Heart and Sleep Better By Following Your Body Clock

Sleeping Better

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Pertineri Premium Members Club

Top Twitter Tip Survey

Requiem For My Father

Self Healing With a Little Self Love

Getting Things Done

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How To Be Like A Secret Millionaire

Social Media - Good for your Health?

Panic Attacks - 5 Common Mistakes Panic Attack Sufferers Make and How To Fix Them

Happy Birthday Sophie!!!

Hot flushes/flashes, coffee and chocolate

Panic Attacks and Blood Pressure

Common Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Pipex Rant

Man Has Operation On Hand Without Anaesthetic

How To Identify A Stroke And Why You Must Act Quickly

Energy Saving Lightbulbs Contain Mercury!

Aspartame - The World's Best Ant Poison

A Public Apology

Detoxing