Your Body Is Amazing

Your body is designed to preserve its own health.

It is constantly replenishing its cells. Every second, several million red blood cells are removed and replaced from your circulatory system. Every five days, your stomach lining is renewed. Every thirty days, you have a brand new protective skin. Every ninety days (give or take), your body turns over all of the molecules that make up your bones. Take a moment to consider the fact that the vast majority of the molecules that constitute your body as you sit at your computer today did not exist a year ago.

While this raises some interesting philosophical ideas, the point is that your body is constantly working to repair and renew itself. Amazing.

“But if this is the case, why can’t shake this health problem?!”

This is an interesting question. “If my body is constantly creating new tissues, then why haven’t my dysfunctional ones been replaced with better ones,” you’d rightfully wonder.

In dealing with this health issue, what have you tried? Did you try some pills, or maybe a lotion?

If you cut yourself, you probably used a plaster. And that was probably a wise choice if the cut was at risk of becoming dirty. But the plaster – the equivalent of the pills or the cream – won’t heal the cut. The incredible cascade of events that your body triggered when you cut yourself to reduce the blood loss and re-establish the injured layers of skin is what heals the cut. The body knows how to heal itself. In this case, you’re lucky enough to know exactly what caused the malady and all you have to do is make a note to be more careful around sharp objects.

So if your body doesn’t appear to be doing its job of replacing dysfunctional cells the answer is likely to be that you’ve not identified the root cause of your health challenge. You can’t see the cause-and-effect like you can with the sharp object but your daily choices are obstructing your body’s natural course. If the input remains the same, so will the output.

Input - Output

If only we could observe all health troubles as easily and completely as we can with the example of cuts. When they are generated internally (such as with arthritis, atherosclerosis, and various malignancies) it's impossible to see the effects of your choices in real time.

If you have clogged blood vessels or intermittent headaches, it won’t necessarily be obvious to see how acrylamides in crisps, casein in pasteurised and homogenised dairy, free radicals in cheap vegetable oils, sugar, aspartame, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the multitude of other disease-causing compounds found in our diet are injuring your cells internally. Or to observe the damage that stress-related compounds released as a result of anger or anxiety does to your organs.  

We all know that we should improve our input – good food choices, good lifestyle choices, exercise, sunlight, positivity and stress-coping techniques, surrounding yourself with the right people and so on – but it’s hard to remain focused and motivated when you can’t see the effects of poor choices in real-time. It seems that in many cases the discomfort has to be severe enough to warrant change; and for many more, even that is not enough. Particularly if the plaster successfully covers up the manifestation (of course, the people selling you the plasters don't make money if you stop cutting yourself).

What Does It Take To Stay Motivated?

In short, two things. With just these two things it will become almost natural to make and sustain daily choices that support your body’s innate capacity to be well.

The first is a reason for wanting to be healthy for as long as possible. Not somebody else’s reason, but one that you feel. The second thing is to engage with your health. This means to get away from the idea of quick-fixes that is so firmly entrenched in our culture and to develop your natural instinct for your body’s self-healing design. To become one with your body.

Assisting your body in performing its functions properly and realising its ability to be well is the objective of Naturopathic Personal Training from The Blueberry Clinic. If you'd like this support, click here for more information.

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk
www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
© Joe Summerfield 2011

The Healing Instinct - Massage Therapy

We humans really do have great instincts. Ok, so we might not listen to them the whole time – or perhaps even be able to hear them for that matter. But they’re there.

Think about the last time you banged your head. The chances are, without even thinking about it, you raised your arm, brought your hand to your head, and gave it a good rub. Or recall a time you’ve comforted a friend in need – you probably touched them, right?

In these acute circumstances of physical or emotional pain, it’s as though we’re genetically programmed to touch. It must have proven a valuable trick over a few hundred thousand years. But outside of these instances of acute trauma, when we’re really forced to it, how often have you used touch to comfort and heal?

Now more than ever, if we want to enjoy good health in body and mind, we need to be aware of cumulative or chronic trauma. Physical stress is an obvious example of cumulative trauma but there’s so much more than that slowly taking its toll on our quality of life. We have to deal with ever increasing demands from work; financial concerns; finding time for family and leisure; environmental stress such as pollution and crowding... all of these mild stresses build up and eventually the body or mind will display the symptoms of illness.

Doesn’t it seem intuitive to soothe this trauma in the same way you would acute pain – using touch? Do you really have to let it reach boiling point – injury or illness – before you take some remedial action?

The kind of massage we practice at The Blueberry Clinic, Petersfield, has been designed to soothe cumulative or acute trauma and stress. While many look at massage as a luxuary treatment or simple relaxation, there is a great deal more to Holistic Massage Therapy – in fact, we consider the massage we do at The Blueberry Clinic to be essential preventative health treatment.

There is not a single system within the body that hasn’t been shown to benefit from good massage – the nervous system, the immune system, the cardio-vascular system, the endocrine system, the lymphatic system, the digestive and urinary systems, obviously the muscular and skeletal systems, the respiratory system – massage has the potential to heal all of these. And if all of those are functioning well, the chances are you are going to be enjoying really excellent health in body and mind.

But the massage offered at The Blueberry Clinic - Holistic Massage Therapy - goes further than that. We all know about the benefits of meditation. Well, we don’t all know because science is slowly catching up with intuition but the point is, it’s extremely good for you. Good Holistic Massage Therapy can be considered a spiritual therapy as well as physical insofar as it will induce a deep meditative state. An hour spent being healed by a trained professional – with an instinct for healing – will take you into a state of relaxation so hard to come by in a world of distraction. Pure focus – you, your body, and the power of touch. It will clear your mind allowing you to be truly peaceful. You won’t even be thinking about it at the time but when your massage is over and it comes time to rejoin the world, you will know where you’ve been. If this isn’t an essential preventative measure for health, then nothing is.

The potential that Holistic Massage Therapy from The Blueberry Clinic in Petersfield, Hampshire, holds for you and your health and quality of life is profound. For more information or to make a booking and take a step toward the health that you deserve, visit www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk
www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
© Joe Summerfield 2011

Detoxify Your Home

Your home is your sanctuary. Your own small piece of the world in which you spend most of your time, recuperating from and preparing for the outside world.

There have been so many developments in recent years, designed to help us run our lives a little more conveniently; and we have invited them into our homes with open arms. The trouble is, many of these items – plastics, disinfectants, mobile telephones, wireless everything – are brand new developments; and so we are unsure of the long-term effects that they may have on our health.

In this article, I present some of the facts that are not generally publicised, so that you can be aware of the potential risks that certain every-day items and technologies may pose to you and your family, and go some way toward striking a good balance between convenience and limiting exposure to toxic elements.

Five Tips: Avoid Most Toxins In Your Home

1. As much as possible, eat organic or wild produce. This will help you reduce your exposure to pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and steroids. Click here to read more about organic food, including a list of priority produce. Eat wild-caught fish as farmed is often contaminated with mercury and PCBs. Eating these foods will also keep you on nutritious, whole foods and clear from processed, prepackaged foods which contain any number of additives. A balanced diet of whole foods should help protect your health in general too. 

2. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. These products contain Phthalates, which are known to be powerful and cumulative endocrine (hormone) disrupters. These chemicals are also passed in high levels from parents to children.  

• Fragrance-free, vegetable-oil-based soaps are a healthy choice
• Organic almond oil or shea butter makes an excellent moisturiser
• Select from a truly natural range such as this  
• Search the internet or local bookshop for more interesting recipes to make your own natural cosmetic products. Some of them really are good enough to eat! 

Be aware that many of the products presented as natural and healthy are not so - check the ingredients thoroughly. The Environmental Working Group has a great safety guide (www.ewg.org/skindeep) to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.

3. Replace plastic and Teflon in your kitchen with ceramic or glass. Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners). Certainly do not heat foods up anywhere near plastic.

4. Replace as many cleaning products as possible with natural alternatives. Bleach, window cleaner, furniture polish, air fresheners, synthetic fragrances (e.g. fabric softeners) and carpet cleaners are all linked to skin problems, asthma, wheezing, lower than normal lung function. Most detergents are formulated from petrochemicals and contain other toxins. Avoid products that come in a spray, as more of the product becomes airborne and is breathed in.  

• A simple solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar will clean most things in the home (the smell disappears when the vinegar dries), and you can add your favourite essential oils - we recommend tea tree or lavender.
• Wash your clothes with a natural alternative such as soapnut shells. Half a cup of vinegar can be added to the rinse cycle as a fabric softener (it also helps break down laundry detergent).
• Neat vinegar can be used to clean the toilet bowl. 
• Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits, as well as to shine brass and copper.
• Mix 1 cup olive oil with a half cup of lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture.
• Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers and it's also a great as a deodorizer.  
• Lemon juice can be mixed with vinegar and/or baking soda to make cleaning pastes.
• Air your house well at every opportunity (in a five-year study, the EPA found significantly higher concentrations of 20 toxic compounds inside homes than outdoors).     

There are plenty more wonderful ideas and recipes, have a search online to replace any specific products.

5. Look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint, furniture, vinyl floor coverings, synthetic carpeting, and shower curtains.  

• Paints, varnishes and glues can release VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) for months or years. Look for low (or zero) VOC paints.  
• Goods made from plywood, pressed wood, particle board and medium density fiberboard, which are used in most furniture today, are generally treated with formaldehyde, a carcinogen that can emit fumes for as long as five years. Look for whole wood, glass, metal or chrome.  
• Cushions and mattresses are often made from polyurethane foam or plastic as well as any fabric with acrylic, polyester or polyvinyl chloride, all of which can be toxic to the respiratory system. Most of these goods, along with clothing and linens, have probably been treated with flame-retardant chemicals, which can be toxic. In general, try to purchase clothing, sheets and mattresses made of natural materials, such as unbleached cotton, wool, horse hair, and hemp as opposed to synthetics which are made with chemicals. Of course, organic natural fibres are best

All of this information comes with the additional note that with any new product or process, nobody can possibly say that there is no threat to health. Anybody who does probably stands to benefit from it. It's amazing that so many chazardous chemicals are allowed to be used in every-day items. We would always advise you to trust your instincts and use time-tested products and materials.

Chemicals in the Home

There are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by UK industries and of the 3,000 high-volume chemicals used, about half have no basic toxicity information available. So no one knows whether commonly used chemicals all around you – in your food, water, and air – are really safe. Ten of the most common environmental toxins in our homes are…

1. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls): This industrial chemical has been banned in the UK for decades, yet is a persistent organic pollutant that’s still present in your environment. It has been linked to cancers, and impaired fetal brain development. Farm-raised salmon and other farm-raised fish are a source of PCBs. They are fed meals of ground-up fish that have absorbed PCBs from the environment. For this reason they should be avoided - try to buy fish caught in the wild. PCBs were also used in adhesives, paints and plastics until the Seventies.

2. Pesticides: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic. Pesticide residues have been detected in 50 percent to 95 percent of foods. Exposure to agricultural pesticides increases the risk of lymphoma, a blood cancer associated with the immune system, by as much as 65 per cent. Cancers, Parkinson’s disease, miscarriage, neural and nerve damage, autism, birth defects, and blocked the absorption of food nutrients have been linked with pesticides. Food (fruits, vegetables and commercially raised meats and dairy products) is the major source of pesticides, as well as exposure to bug sprays. Try to buy organic produce, local if possible. You can find more information on organic food - including a list of the most important foods to buy if you are on a restrictive budget - in this article.

3. Mold and other Fungal Toxins: One in three people have had an allergic reaction to mold. Mycotoxins (fungal toxins) can cause a range of health problems with exposure to only a small amount. Exposure has been linked to cancer, heart disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes. Risk of exposure generally comes from contaminated buildings, food like peanuts, wheat, corn and alcoholic beverages.

4. Phthalates: These chemicals are used to lengthen the life of fragrances and soften plastics. Although the plastics industry insists that they are safe, in 2005 European Union regulators banned their use in children’s toys. Professor Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council believes chemicals called phthalates are feminising boys and increasing male infertility, birth defects and testicular cancer. Phthalates mimic the female hormone oestrogen. However, phthalates are still widely used. Endocrine system damage (phthalates chemically mimic hormones and are particularly dangerous to children) is another major danger of Phthalate exposure. Pthalates are contained in most cosmetic products and moisturizers; as well as plastic wrap, plastic bottles, plastic food storage containers. All of these can leach phthalates into our food. They are also found in shoes, shower curtains, plastic furniture, vinyl floor coverings and many other household goods.

5. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): VOCs are a major contributing factor to ozone, an air pollutant. According to the EPA, VOCs tend to be even higher (two to five times) in indoor air than outdoor air, likely because they are present in so many household products. Dangers of exposure include cancer, eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, thickening or arteries, and memory impairment. VOCs are generally found in drinking water, carpet, paints, deodorants, cleaning fluids, varnishes, cosmetics, dry cleaned clothing, moth repellents, and air fresheners.

6. Dioxins: Chemical compounds formed as a result of combustion processes such as commercial or municipal waste incineration and from burning fuels (like wood, coal or oil). Dangers of Dioxins include cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, chloracne (a severe skin disease with acne-like lesions), skin rashes, skin discoloration, excessive body hair, and mild liver damage. Exposure generally comes from animal fats: over 95 percent of exposure comes from eating commercial animal fats, so seek out grass-fed, naturally raised, organic animal foods instead.

7. Asbestos: This insulating material was widely used from the 1950s to 1970s. Problems arise when the material becomes old and crumbly, releasing fibers into the air. Dangers of exposure include cancer, scarring of the lung tissue, and mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer). Exposure comes from insulation on floors, ceilings, water pipes and healing ducts from the 1950s to 1970s.

8. Toxic Metals: Metals like arsenic, mercury, lead, aluminum and cadmium, which are prevalent in many areas of our environment, can accumulate in soft tissues of the body. Dangers of exposure include cancer, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, foggy head, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, and damage to blood vessels. The major sources are drinking water, fish, vaccines, pesticides, preserved wood, antiperspirant, building materials (lead paint and lead piping), dental amalgams, and chlorine plants.

9. Chloroform: This colorless liquid has a pleasant, nonirritating odor and a slightly sweet taste, and is used to make other chemicals. It’s also formed when chlorine is added to water. Dangers of exposure include cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, and liver and kidney damage. Air, drinking water and food can contain chloroform.

10. Chlorine: This highly toxic, yellow-green gas is one of the most heavily used chemical agents. Dangers of exposure include sore throat, coughing, eye and skin irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, pain in the lung region, severe eye and skin burns, lung collapse, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) (a type of asthma). Major sources include household cleaners, drinking water (in small amounts), air when living near an industry that uses chlorine in industrial processes (such as a paper plant), and tap water in your shower/bath. The chlorine in swimming pools can also trigger asthma and lung damage.

Clearly it would be very difficult to cut out any potential exposure to these 10 toxins. Which is fine because a healthy body is somewhat equipped to deal with toxins. But if you glance through the major sources, you should be able to identify a few simple ways to check and limit your exposure without major inconvenience.

Special care should be taken to avoid early life exposure to these toxins. Children are at particular risk because they have an immature and porous blood-brain barrier, which allows greater chemical exposures to reach their developing brain. Children also have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, according to Environmental Working Group, which allows more of a chemical to reach their organs, while systems that detoxify and excrete chemicals in adults are not fully developed. Experts believe rising rates of birth defects, asthma, neuro-developmental disorders and other serious diseases in children are a result of these early chemical exposures. The EWG found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals. Of the 287 chemicals that were detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. The dangers of pre- or post-natal exposure to this complex mixture of carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins have never been studied.

Food Storage

Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is a building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. It has been suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s. In 2008, after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, some retailers have removed products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the FDA raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants, and young children. A study last year found that BPA can lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems in adults, and previous research has linked BPA to:

• Structural damage to the brain
• Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
• Increased fat formation and risk of obesity
• Altered immune function
• Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
• Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior
• Stimulation of prostate cancer cells
• Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Liver damage

Of 115 published animal studies, 81 percent found significant effects from even low-level exposure to BPA. As it stands, BPA is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals and has already been detected in the urine of 95 percent of people tested. Every-day products that contain BPA include:

• Plastic water or milk bottles
• Plastic microwavable plates, ovenware, and utensils
• Tooth sealants
• Canned foods and drink cans (most have plastic lining in the cans)
• Baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, and cups

It would be advisable to avoid these items wherever possible – particularly when children are exposed to them. Additionally, if you microwave the containers or bottles, or place hot liquids or food into them, BPA is released 55 times more rapidly. Acidic liquids such as juices also increase the rate of leeching. So it is definitely worth avoiding using plastic containers for these things – I certainly advise against heating anything up in plastic (of cling-film); particularly in the microwave!

Bear in mind that even if BPA does get removed from food and beverage containers, this does not mean plastic is safe again. There are other chemicals lurking in plastic that you’re better off avoiding. Here is just a short list of them from The Ecology Center in Berkeley, California:

• Salad dressing and cooking oil bottles: This plastic container is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which leaches plasticizers (lead, cadmium, mercury, phthalates and the carcinogen, diethyl hexyphosphate) into your food.
• Drink bottles, water bottles, peanut butter jars and cooking oil bottles: Made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), they leach acetaldehyde — a probable human carcinogen, according to the EPA — into your food and drinks.
• Meat trays, foam take-out food containers and cups, foam packing materials: Made from polystyrene (PS), these materials leach styrene, which can damage your nervous system, into your food.

Phthalates, or “plasticisers,” are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. They’re also one of the most pervasive of the endocrine disrupters. These chemicals have increasingly become associated with changes in development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults. Phthalates are found in, among other things:

• Processed food packaging
• Hoses
• Raincoats
• Shower curtains
• Vinyl flooring and wall coverings
• Lubricant and adhesives
• Detergents
• Beauty products like nail polish, hair spray, shampoo, deodorants, and fragrances
• Toys

Conclusion

With an ever increasing number of "low cost" and convenience products making their way into our homes, it is getting more difficult to avoid exposure to toxins, the cumulative effect of which could go some way toward explaining the rising numbers of certain maladies.

Again, the purpose of this article is not to scare, but to inform. With this information in hand, you can take reasonable steps toward reducing exposure to toxins in your home - if you choose. You probably won't be able to eliminate all of these things from your home, and you probably don't need to. Simply being aware of some of the small steps you can take will make life that little bit easier on your body and you will feel better as a result. If you are eating well, exercising, resting enough and dealing with other stresses then your body is perfectly capable of doing the rest.

Further Reading

• Click here to read a report from The Scientific American about BPA (in plastic containers and bottles - including baby bottles)
• Click here for a Time list of common household toxins
• Click here for an article by The Ecologist on improving your indoor air quality
• Click here for a Californian report on toxic baby furniture    
• Click here for an article on the subject from Cancer Active, a cancer charity

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk

www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
Copyright Joe Summerfield 2011

Meditation – An Essential Preventative Measure?

Swami Vivekananda, the influential modern proponent of Hinduism who first introduced Eastern philosophy to the West in the late 19th century, describes meditation:

“Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself. To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher: the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches … it has to take its colour. That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage.”

In Buddhism, the historical Buddha himself, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. All twenty eight Buddhas used meditation to make spiritual progress.

Meditation has been practiced in one form or another by Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, and Christians throughout the ages. One could infer from this that there would be good reason; yet meditation is not widely accepted or recommended as an important element of preventative medicine. In this Age of Information, where there is a cynical devotion to evidence-based science, people seem more likely to turn to pharmaceuticals than to explore the world of the not-understood. When considering one’s health, it’s important to keep in mind that the absence of evidence doesn’t necessarily indicate a fallacy.

In another example of science slowly catching up with time-tested health wisdom, a new study a new study was recently published in Psychosomatic Medicine, reporting that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity both in and out of a meditative state, when compared to non-meditators.

“While previous studies have shown that teaching chronic pain patients to meditate is beneficial, very few studies have looked at pain processing in healthy, highly trained meditators. This study was a first step in determining how or why meditation might influence pain perception.” says Joshua Grant, co-author of the paper from the Université de Montréal.

In this study, a computer controlled heating plate was pressed against the calves of subjects. Researchers noticed a significant difference in how their two test groups reacted to the pain testing: Zen meditators had much lower pain sensitivity (even without meditating) compared to non-meditators. It appeared that the meditators experienced an even greater ability to withstand pain when meditating.

The ultimate result was that meditators experienced an 18 percent reduction in pain intensity. “While previous studies have found that the emotional aspects of pain are influenced by meditation, we found that the sensation itself, as well as the emotional response, is different in meditators,” says Grant.

This one single benefit to be gained from meditation, if taken on board by practitioners of modern medicine, could help reduce the use of side-effect-baring pain medication.

This is not the first time health benefits of meditation have been “discovered”. Other recent scientific findings have concluded that meditation:

Increases Thickness of Brain Regions
Researchers at Harvard Medical School examined Westerners who meditated for about 20 minutes every day (but didn’t necessarily believe in the tenets of Buddhism). MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) was used to look at brain parts involved in memory and attention. The thickness of those regions had increased.
While those areas generally shrink as people get older, older meditators in the study were able to avoid some of that shrinkage. This suggests that a regular meditation practice could help people maintain their ability to remember and focus on details. The study also showed that meditation helps slow down age-related brain deterioration.

Boosts Performance on Attention Tests
One study indicated that meditation may boost performance on tests that measure attention. A University of Kentucky study showed that 10 people taught to meditate for 40 minutes did better on a test of attention than they did after reading for 40 minutes. The study also showed that meditation can improve attention worsened by lack of sleep.

Produces a Jump in Brain Waves
In this study, mostly of Buddhist monks, Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed a significant rise in gamma wave activity in the 80 to 120 Hz range during meditation as well as an increase in gamma activity while not meditating. These brain waves are associated with vigilance. The study also showed that meditation activated brain regions involved in attention.

Enhances Perception
A study conducted in 1984 explained that “[the higher rate of detection of single light flashes] involves quieting some of the higher mental processes which normally obstruct the perception of subtle events.” (Brown). In other words, meditation may temporarily or permanently alter some of the top-down processing involved in filtering subtle events usually deemed noise by the perceptual filters.

This was supported in 2000, when a separate study found that “a person who meditates consequently perceives objects more as directly experienced stimuli and less as concepts… With the removal or minimization of cognitive stimuli and generally increasing awareness, meditation can therefore influence both the quality (accuracy) and quantity (detection) of perception.” (Tloczynski).

Other Benefits

A host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry have been identified. Meditation has been studied specifically for its effects on stress and it has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. This has implications for all sorts of health challenges people face, including anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, poor immune function, respiratory problems, IBS and PMT.

Further, in the July/August 2003 edition of Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers found that people who did eight weeks of meditation training produced more antibodies to a flu vaccine. Recently, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is about 80 percent meditation, was approved in Britain for use with people who have experienced three or more episodes of depression.

In June, 2007 the United States National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine published an independent, peer-reviewed, meta-analysis of the state of meditation research, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center. The report reviewed 813 studies and concluded that “firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. However, the results analyzed from methodologically stronger research include findings sufficiently favorable to emphasize the value of further research in this field.”

In other words, they are not satisfied that there is enough evidence at the moment, but think it’s probable that many more benefits will be “discovered” in years to come. The medical science community doesn’t know. The good news is that you don’t need to wait for them! Give meditation a go, and see how it makes you feel.

Getting Started

There are different types of meditation that you might like to look into at some point further down the line, but getting started and enjoying the health benefits is easy.

Set aside some time, 15 to 20 minutes as a minimum, and somewhere comfortable, with a straight spine. It can be on the ground or on a seat, indoors or outdoors. Breathe slowly and rhythmically, and try to “switch off” your mind from conscious thoughts or pressures.

You can focus your attention on something such as your breathing, an object, an image, a candle or even just being in the moment. Some people like to face a wall, and some prefer to close their eyes to block out all visual stimulation. You may find that visualisations help you focus. You can learn plenty more about visualisations and how beneficial they can be, but a simple one to start with and to aid your meditation could be for you to close your eyes and picture clear, cleansing, soothing blue coming in with in-breaths; while your troubles and pollutions are expelled with every out-breath. Wherever your focus, if you find that your mind starts to wander, direct it back to the focus point and continue from there.

When starting out, you will have two main obstacles, both of which are easily overcome. The first obstacle will be finding the time. Meditation is a matter of discipline and habit – you just have to schedule the meditation in and stick to the plan, avoiding procrastination. It is much easier to do this once it is a matter of habit and you find yourself looking forward to your meditation sessions. The second obstacle will be that your mind will wonder and you will feel unsure. Just rest assured that this is normal. You are still gaining the benefits, and meditation will become much easier and more effective with practice.

Try to do this as often as possible – a few times a week as a minimum to start off if you can’t fit it in every day. You will soon see and feel the positive effects it has on your mind and body.

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk

www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
Copyright Joe Summerfield 2011

Staying Healthy Through the Spring, According to Chinese Medicine

The Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), one of the principal medical books of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was written thousands of years ago. In it, the Yellow Emperor of China asks the Daoist master Qi Bo questions about health and disease.

The first question that the Yellow Emperor asks is “I am told the people in ancient times could all survive to more than 100 years old, and they appeared to be quite healthy and strong in actions, but the people at present time are different, they are not so nimble in action when they are only 50, and what is the reason?”

Qi Bo responds to the Yellow Emperor, “those who knew the way of keeping good health in ancient times always kept their behaviour in daily life in accordance with nature. Their behaviours in daily life were all kept in regular patterns such as their food and drink were of fixed quantity; their daily activities were all in regular times. They never overworked. In this way, they could maintain both in the body and in the spirit substantiality, and were able to live to the old age of more than 100 years.”

The key element in Qi Bo’s answer seems to be concerned with living in harmony with nature. Of course, this has strong implications for our habits as the seasons change.

Of Spring, Qi Bo says: “In the three months of spring, all things on the earth begin to grow. The natural world is resuscitating and all things are flourishing. People may sleep late in the night and get up early in the morning, taking a walk in the courtyard with hair running free to relax the body and enliven the mind. Such a natural resuscitating process should be activated instead of being depressed, promoted instead of being deprived and encouraged instead of being destroyed. This is what adaptation to chun qi (spring-qi) means and this is the principle for cultivation of health. Any violation of this rule may impair the liver and result in cold diseases in summer due to insufficient supply for growth in summer”.

Spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Spring is represented by the element of wood. The element of the East, wood relates to the morning and the sunrise. Characterised by renewal and upward and outward energy and growth, it gives us a connection to the future and the flexibility to plan and design in all areas of our lives.
The element of wood also relates to the liver, the gallbladder, tendons and joints. The liver helps us neutralise poisons – both physical and emotional. As Spring is the time of renewal, the Liver can become overburdened (also called “over-heated”). As heat moves upward, it can cause problems in the head section: dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, migraines, headaches, high blood pressure, and indigestion.

You might like to try making your own cleansing tonic at home, to be drunk before a main meal. Simply add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoonful of raw honey in a glass of water and mix well.

Emotional problems that arise when the liver is over-heated are depressive or anger related states, including irritation, resentment, belligerence, impatience and mood swings. People with a consistently over-heated liver may develop heart problems. So it’s important to de-stress and detoxify in Spring. Exercise should be gentle and smooth styles, i.e. breathing, stretching, Qigong, yoga, light weights, walking, meditation, light cardio – all of which simulate the animal coming out of hibernation. Outside air helps liver Qi flow, so it’s important to get outside for air and sunshine whenever possible.

The appetite should be slightly smaller, and the foods easier for your body to cope with. This means lighter foods, and including more lightly cooked (preferably steamed) or raw foods where possible; as well as avoiding all processed and denatured foods (i.e refined grains and sugars) and high fat foods. Avoiding foods that contain chemicals always applied.

As green is the color of Spring – and of the liver – try to consume plenty of young plants and fresh greens. Legumes and seeds are also good to eat, especially if they are sprouted. Basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill and bayleaf are all good spices to use in Spring.

Seasonal Spring Foods
 
One of the easiest ways to stay healthy in any season is to eat fresh seasonal foods. A good guideline about what to eat during any season is to build your meals from what is available at your local farmer’s market. There are also the added bonuses that shopping in this way is better for farming and better for the environment. For your convenience, here is a list of Spring foods:

Vegetables:
Asparagus, Beets, Corn, Green Beans, Peas, Peppers, Artichokes, Fava Beans, Fiddlehead, Ferns, Spinach, Kale, Kohlrabi, Rhubarb, Bok Choy, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Calabrese Broccoli, Wild Garlic, Green Onions, Lettuce, Morels, Wild Mushrooms, Nettles, Spring Onions, Cabbage, Carrots.

Fruits:
Bananas, Berries, Figs, Kiwi, Mangos, Pineapple, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Cherries, Melons

Fish and Seafood:
Pacific Coast Clams, Oysters, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Wild Salmon, Sardines, John Dory, Sea Trout, Brown Crab, Haddock, Lemon Sole, Langoustines, Bass

Meat:
Lamb, Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Rabbit, Hare, Guinea Fowl, Grouse and Duck.

With all of this in mind, you can be in harmony with all the renewal and upward and outward movement of Spring.

info@theblueberryclinic.co.uk

www.theblueberryclinic.co.uk
Copyright Joe Summerfield 2011