Ali asked: I suffer badly with PMS. Are there any alterations I can make to my diet to help reduce the symptoms?

Answer…

PMS can be relieved very effectively by making some small changes to the diet. PMS is usually due to an imbalance in hormone production.

Consumption of refined sugar (in the form of confectionery, biscuits, cordials and sugary drinks, cereals, cereal bars, processed foods and chocolate) can significantly unbalance your hormones so cutting these foods out of your diet as much as possible (with the odd treat at weekends) has shown in clinical practice to greatly improve the symptoms of PMS. Try it for one month.

Also Magnesium and Vitamin B6 tend to work together to help relieve PMS.  Magnesium is natures tranquiliser and can help alleviate the cramping associated with PMS. Supplement with 300mg-500mg Magnesium per day. Dark green leafy vegetables and brazil nuts are rich in magnesium.  

The pains associated with PMS are a result of inflammation so you could also take a fish oil (omega 3) supplement which encourages the production of anti-inflammatory compounds in the body or you could use one tablespoon of cold pressed flaxseed oil every day over salads, in mash/soups etc.  Make sure you drink two litres of water every day to help alleviate any bloating from water retention as a result of PMS.  

Gwen Warren is a Nutritional Consultant and member of the British Association of Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy.  Gwen is also a corporate Health Promotion Consultant for Bupa and experienced lecturer.

Ask Gwen about: Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Sports Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Digestive Problems, Menopausal Symptoms & PMS, Chronic Fatigue.

Got a fitness, nutrition or weight loss question? Ask it here!

Guest Blog Post: Carole Batchelor from Healthy Results in Bedford explains why New Year isn’t the best time to detox…

You’ve wandered on to this page because it’s that time of year again, the time when you decide that you really will get fit/thin/both in time for Spring or maybe in search of the latest thinking about detoxing after the party season. On average people in this country put on 5lb over Christmas and it’s the one time when none of us want to be above average!

But here we are feeling tired despite not doing as much, heavier despite saying no to that last bit of chocolate and more than a bit keen just to get rid of it all again!  The temptation is to reject all that sensible stuff about losing weight gradually and do some dramatic detox programme to just get rid of it NOW! 

Here’s the good news.  Much of that rapid weight gain isn’t fat, it’s likely to be water.  When we pump our bodies full of substances that are toxic it can result in the elimination processes not being able to cope and the backlog is bound with water and stored in our fat cells (cellulite).  This can be a result of eating foods that we are intolerant to on an ongoing basis or over indulging in a short space of time.  The reason that it’s good news is that by simply stopping the toxic intake the body can begin to deal with the back log, the toxins and the water are released and the excess weight goes again relatively quickly.  The most effective action to help this process along is to make sure you’re hydrated and that means drinking plenty of fresh water and naturally caffeine free drinks.

There are many schools of thought on whether or not tea and coffee really do dehydrate but in my clinic I’ve seen people achieve astonishing results merely by swapping their morning coffee for hot water.  So how much should you drink? Well clearly everyone is different and the bigger you are the more water you need but here are my basic guidelines:

1.5 – 2 litres water per day assuming no extra sweating through exertion/exercise.  That’s about 8 big glasses or mugs of water a day.  Clearly if you do exercise then you need to drink to replace the lost fluids.

Remember warm water is a natural relaxant and cold water is a stimulant – think about jumping into a warm or chilled bath of water – what will your muscles do?  This will happen to your stomach and intestines when you drink which is why especially at this time of year I tend to stick to warm or hot water.

1 average cup of instant coffee is equal to -4 cups of water due to the dehydrating effect of the caffeine.  So if you want that cup of coffee have it but remember to pay for it with 4 extra cups of water.  Still want it?

1 average cup of tea is equal to -1 cup of water.  Herbal and fruit teas, Roibosh etc are all naturally caffeine free and count towards improving your hydration.  If it helps remember that water is the fuel of your metabolism and you can’t “burn” food without enough of it.

If you’re a long way from 8 glasses at the moment then don’t attempt to get there all in one day, work upwards.  If you only manage to make one small change make it water instead of tea or coffee as the first thing you drink in the morning – you’ll be astonished just how much better you’ll feel.

So why does the headline urge you to STOP!… 

Physically we are at our weakest in midwinter.  In evolutionary terms we’re designed to be in our caves, keeping warm, and not being very active to conserve our energy and our fat stores in order to keep warm.  In naturopathic terms we’re governed by the cycles of nature and at our weakest in the run up and just after the solstice – this year on the 21st December.  Many people have heard of the impact of the full moon on both animals and people but are unaware that the moon affects us in all it’s cycles.  In Chinese medicine terms we are currently in the season of the Water element and we should nourish ourselves with warming foods (Fire) to counteract the cold and damp outside so therefore a juice or grape fast would be the completely wrong thing to do!

In fact it doesn’t matter which natural tradition you look at January is absolutely the worst time to create any major or dramatic physical changes, but you can start gently to bring the body back to balance. And even if you’re going to ignore all the natural therapy advice conventional weight loss advice will always tell you that slowly and gradually is the healthiest way to lose weight and get in shape!

Don’t get me wrong I’m a big believer in the power of detoxing, in fact I specialised in detox methodologies for my diploma but I don’t advocate it until Spring when the body is much stronger – Spring Cleaning isn’t just for the house!  Even then I make sure that the person’s blood sugar levels are stable and that there are no other contra-indications before proceeding.  So for now, enjoy a nice cup of ginger tea to warm and heal your digestive system, and plan your shopping list of whole foods to make sure that you don’t run out of quick tasty healthy meals in the coming week while you decide which form of exercise will the most fun way to get moving again without overdoing it. 

Good Luck!

(please remember this advice is generic for specific advice please consult a qualified professional)

Carole Batchelor has diplomas in Holistic Nutritional Therapy and Allergy Intolerance Therapy and  is qualified to Diagnostix level in Callahan Techniques Thought Field Therapy.  She is also a Grief Recovery Specialist.

Ask Carole about: Food Intolerance, Thought Field Therapy, Bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fatigue, Gall Bladder Problems, Grief, Anxiety, Stress.

Guest Blog Post: Pat Phillips-Jones from SureSlim Wellness Clinic explains why we should look after our liver…

The Liver is our second largest organ. It is situated at the top right hand corner of the abdomen with the stomach to the left, the right kidney below and the large intestine across the front. The liver is an important part of your body for many reasons. It produces bile necessary for fat breakdown and detoxifies pollutants that enter our bloodstream. The liver is the cleanser and filter of the blood stream and its role is to remove toxic matter such as dead cells, micro-organisms, chemicals (including supplements), drugs and particulate debris from the blood stream.

As we are exposed to more and more pollutants via the air, the food we eat (pesticides, damaged fats, artificial sweeteners, chemically altered supplements), ‘medicines’ we take (pain relievers, birth control pills, etc), the liver must work harder and harder. This is why you need to look after your liver so that it remains in good working order and can break down these chemicals. If the liver is not working properly and filtration doesn’t occur the toxins will remain in the blood and cause many problems ranging from acne, headaches, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue to cancer.

Did you know?

The liver is the main fat burning organ in the body and regulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A healthy liver will remove fat in the form of cholesterol and pump it into the intestines where it will be carried away by the bowel, provided the diet is high in fibre. Thus a healthy liver is essential for those who want to lose weight.

Pat – SureSlim Wellness Clinic near Hitchin

Guest Blog Post:  Carole Batchelor from Healthy Results in Bedford offers up some great advice for those running a health and wellbeing business…

With the amount of people suffering from stress, and the myriad of related health issues it’s not surprising that the business of health is big business indeed. As a nation we have a split personality – record levels of obesity and diabetes but also massive spend on health.

It could be you’re reading this site because you work in the health field as a personal trainer, a nutritional therapist or you offer one of the many hundreds of complementary therapies out there, if so then you’ll know it’s true that even more people need your help than ever before.

But you’re not doing as well as you’d like financially.

Am I right?

I’m not psychic I’m a Nutritional Therapist so why am I talking to you?

Until 3 years ago I worked very successfully in marketing, for 20 years I made sure that the right people heard the right message at the right time. Then everything changed. My wonderful husband Kevin died of skin cancer. As I began the process of picking up the pieces I realised that I was no longer interested in marketing, I decided to retrain.

After a while I had to acknowledge I wasn’t making enough to sustain myself. Then I realised I’d fallen into the trap of thinking like a therapist not a marketer. I took a hard look at what I was doing then put it right.  The fact is I hadn’t left business I’d simply changed business. Now my practice is thriving.

The good news is you don’t need years of experience to market yourself.  A few fundamental changes will make all the difference.  I was so disturbed when I heard about the number of healers having to give in and get jobs I needed to do something.  I’ve put together a 1 day seminar that will run in Milton Keynes, January 23rd 2010 aimed specifically at personal trainers, healers and therapists who want to increase their business.  I’ve kept the ticket price as low as possible, to make the event accessible.  But I thought I’d give you three ideas now. If as a result you get a client or more then you’ve already got your seminar ticket money!  To make it even more accessible I’ve agreed to give EverythingZing readers £30 off the ticket price – simply quote ZING at checkout.

1) Accept the money – literally and spiritually.

Many of us have limiting beliefs around accepting payment for the work that we do. To be successful we need to address those feelings and realise that if we are telling the universe we don’t want the money, it will oblige by keeping it away. When we offer anyone anything no matter how small, it is ingrained in us to want to repay that gift. So much so that it becomes very uncomfortable if we’re denied that opportunity. When we work with someone and they get better they have a deep need to repay us with something of equal value. Denying them the opportunity by saying “oh pay me later” or not being comfortable with accepting their gift (money) in return is disrespectful to them and works against what you’ve just achieved with your healing. Asking for payment at the start of the session rather than the end, switches the reciprocity so you’re thanking them by providing healing in return for their gift and results in the final memory of the session being your positive work.

2) Get listed!

There are lots of free listing web sites out there.  You already know about www.EverythingZing.com another is www.freeindex.com which brings me a customer every month – completely free!  Think laterally – get your listing in as many categories as possible.  For example top of the list of Spiritual healers in Bedford is a Reiki practitioner. If I was looking for Reiki I wouldn’t have looked there but if I was looking for healing I might now consider her.

3) Get noticed!

Have a sign on your door or gate announcing how you can help. Professional signage lets customers know they’ve found the right place and reassures them you’re professional.  It lets people walking past know you’re there. I work from home, in a cul-de-sac yet my sign brings me 12 -15 people a year. It’s not just my neighbours, it’s their cleaners, their friends, dog walkers and so on. 70% houses are sold from the estate agents board alone. I’m not saying you need a huge brightly coloured board, you might choose a discrete brass plaque but if you don’t have anything you will miss out. For most residential situations as long as you don’t exceed 1 metre square you shouldn’t need planning permission. If you’re unsure a make quick call to your local planning office.  All sign companies are happy to give you ideas on how to use even a tiny budget but I’ve persuaded Jonathan Ward of Metrosigns in Bedford (01234 351207) to give you a great deal when you mention this article.

If you’d like more information about the seminar and details on how to implement these and dozens more ideas then follow this link to request a FREE report with 25 ideas to grow your business. Don’t forget to quote ZING at checkout to get £30 off the ticket price.

Carole Batchelor – Healthy Results