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DAILY SUDOKU
WIN STUFFWellness
Feeling out of sorts? Regular columnist, Andrea Pickford, provides a series of articles and tips to help you to happier lifestyle.
Diabetes
Being diabetic denies you none of the pleasures or benefits of reflexology. In fact, reflexology can help to maintain the circulation in your feet, and the practitioner can check the condition of your soles for you. A recent diabetic client drew my attention to the work of an American doctor, Christiane Northrup.
Dr. Christiane Northrup (pictured), author and leading authority on women's health and wellness, has written a recent blog article about preventing Type 2 diabetes by maintaining a healthy blood sugar level.
She has a very readable style. For example, she says, “I know this topic isn’t particularly sexy. And I know these changes require commitment and discipline, which isn’t too appealing. But following this prescription is true preventive medicine. And incorporating even half of these tips will help you set the stage for better health on many levels.”
Copyright prevents reproduction of the whole article, but here’s the link http://www.drnorthrup.com/blog/2012/04/puzzle-solved-easy-tips-for-healthy-blood-sugar
For more inspiring articles, visit her website, www.drnorthrup.com
Andrea Pickford runs her own business "FeetUp". You can find her at www.feetup.co.nz
Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the writer, and none of the information contained herein is intended to replace medical advice from your GP or medical specialist.
Sleepless Nights - Part 2
If it’s the middle of the night, and you’re wide awake again, consider this:
A major obstacle in getting to sleep (or back to sleep) is what mystics and meditation devotees call the ‘monkey mind’. That’s when your mind jumps from thought to thought to thought, darting hither and yon and back again.
If you can separate yourself from your mind, you can start to slow it down. Here’s an interesting and easy visualisation exercise to try that brings you calmness and quiet for as long as you can sustain the visualisation.
Imagine yourself sitting on the beach, the bush, wherever, on a pleasant summer’s day. Take in the surroundings, feel the warmth, and relax. Now visualise your mind, hovering a couple of metres away. You might see something like a hovering ball of seething energy, for example. Enjoy the calmness of having your mind quite separate from your physical body. When you’re ready, reunite with your mind, leave your spot in nature and ‘return’ to your bed.
You can always take the visualisation one step further, firmly and kindly instructing the mind to calm itself for sleep. You can use this as often as you like (but not while driving); you can even try it before going to bed.
In previous centuries, it used to be quite normal for the night’s sleep to be divided into two parts - First Sleep and Morning Sleep – each about four hours long. In between the two ‘sleeps’ was an awake period of one to two hours.
Perhaps waking in the middle of the night is a very normal human behaviour! Perhaps our desire for eight hours unbroken sleep is simply a cultural phenomenon.
Next time you’re awake in the wee small hours, tell yourself that it’s normal. See if it helps you think any differently about being awake, and if you get back to sleep any faster.
Andrea Pickford runs her own business "FeetUp". You can find her at www.feetup.co.nz
Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the writer, and none of the information contained herein is intended to replace medical advice from your GP or medical specialist.
Sleepless Nights - Part 1
Lots of clients have commented lately on their difficulties getting a good night’s sleep. Once the weather’s influence has been eliminated, there seem to be two kinds of sleepless nights – one caused by worry, and one that finds you wide awake at 2 a.m. with your mind in top gear.
There are ways of dealing with the former. If you suspect before going to bed that sleep might elude you, be prepared. Fill the jug. Put the teabag in the cup. Find the crossword or your book, and put it on the couch with a blanket. Then if you do decide to get up, you’ll be cosy. Have a pen and paper beside the bed, and write down that important job that you’ve just realised needs to be done. Yes, you can write in the dark, and have it legible in the morning. I used to phone work and leave myself a message on my answer phone. It worked! Text, email, write, whatever – you get the idea. Accept that all your worry won’t change things. But sharing the worry can make you feel better. If tossing and turning has woken your partner, get their perspective. It’s amazing the difference that can make.
You can list the ways in which you can address the problem tomorrow. It’s always pleasantly surprising how much better things seem once daylight arrives. Some people set aside a particular time of day as ‘worry time’. When they catch themselves worrying, and it’s not the appointed time, they tell themselves so. They add that at whatever time they chose, they will do nothing but worry for 20 minutes. It’s hard work worrying continually for that long, and your brain will retaliate by thinking of something else. At that point, you’ve won!
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed way too early in the morning? Read Part 2, coming soon.
Andrea Pickford runs her own business "FeetUp". You can find her at www.feetup.co.nz
Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the writer, and none of the information contained herein is intended to replace medical advice from your GP or medical specialist.
Treat Yourself!
What a treat it is to enjoy a footbath! Even preparing one for someone else is fun. It’s good for your health, and if that’s not enough, a footbath is cheap, easy and quick.
My favourite formula, and one I share with clients, uses Epsom Salt. Epsom Salt has been a popular home remedy for a long time to relieve tired or aching feet. Just a couple of handfuls in the water are enough to do the trick. And perhaps a small splash of something fragrant, to add to the feel-good factor. Stir, add feet and relax! Try massaging a handful of Epsom Salt over your wet feet to cleanse, exfoliate, and soften the rough spots. (This might be too abrasive if you are diabetic, or if your skin is broken or inflamed.) Dry, and moisturise. Make sure any moisturiser is well absorbed before you walk again.
When foot spas first hit the market, how I wanted one! Then I discovered that using a plastic basin was actually easier. It didn’t bubble, but it was lighter, and easier to clean and store.
Best of all, Epsom Salt represents real value for money. I purchased a 500g bag last week from a local supermarket, for less than $2.50. That’s a lot of footbaths! Find it in the Personal Care aisle. Bin Inn here in Feilding, sells it in bulk.
Note: use Epsom Salt with caution if you have high blood pressure or a heart or kidney condition.
Andrea Pickford runs her own business "FeetUp". You can find her at www.feetup.co.nz
Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the writer, and none of the information contained herein is intended to replace medical advice from your GP or medical specialist.
Feet, Hands or Ears?
If you can't bear the thought of having your feet touched, you mightn’t want to know about Reflexology.
Reflexology theory says that reflexes for every organ and part of the body, can be found on the feet, and that pressure on these reflex points encourages the corresponding part of the body to work more efficiently.
A session lasts about an hour. Wow, a whole hour dedicated to your feet! Lots of people fall asleep during a reflexology treatment, which involves rhythmic finger pressure on specific points on the feet, ankles and lower legs. It can help with pain relief, sleeping difficulties and relaxation, and with maintaining a feeling of health and vitality.
Reflexology shouldn’t hurt. There might be the odd ‘Ouch!’ moment, although these get fewer the more sessions you have. The idea is to reduce pain and stress, after all. It is considered suitable for all ages, even babies, although treatment times are shorter for young children and the elderly.
There are remarkably few reactions to reflexology, and not all are negative. A need to drink lots of water, feeling tearful or irritable, or feeling great and sleeping well – these are all common.
An initial series of 4 - 6 sessions, one week apart, is the ideal. Subsequent sessions are spaced at increasingly longer intervals until a ‘maintenance’ schedule of once a month is achieved. But don’t let this put you off trying it out; gains can be made from just one session.
And yes, it is possible to do reflexology on the hands, and even the ears – the same principles apply.
Andrea Pickford runs her own business "FeetUp". You can find her at www.feetup.co.nz