Acorn Health Blog

By Helen Duffy – Nutritional Therapist

Hello! My name is Helen and I am a fully qualified Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist. I trained for three years with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and Birmingham and am registered with BANT (British Association of Nutritional Therapists) and the CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council) who assure that all their members are well trained, qualified and insured.

So what is Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy and how could it help me?

Some people simply want to check that they are on the right track with healthy eating, a kind of ‘nutrition MOT’ if you like, but most people I see want help with a particular condition or symptoms.

As a Nutritional Therapist, I recognise that each person is an individual with unique requirements and histories. This means that I take the time to explore your current and past health and lifestyle in order to define a personalised nutrition plan designed exactly for you and what you want to achieve rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Nutrition has to be one of the main elements, along with our genes and environment, that determines how our bodies will cope in the world we live in. You often hear the phrase ‘You are what you eat’ and, absolutely, this is so true in many situations. However, there is maybe, a more accurate phrase ‘You are what you absorb’ as many people can seem to eat nutritious, healthful foods, yet still something isn’t quite right. Maybe they still lack energy, still find it difficult to lose weight, still have that annoying PMS each month, still have blood pressure a little bit too high or achy joints in the morning. This may be that regardless of how much nutritious good food you are eating, if your body isn’t able to do something with all that goodness, it’s just passing straight on through (if you know what I mean!).

In a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy consultation we look beyond a person’s set of symptoms to find the underlying imbalance in the body which is preventing the person from feeling their best. On many occasions, this may lead back to the person’s gut and poor absorption of nutrients due to years of prescription medication, stress or inappropriate food choices, to name a few. Nutritional Therapy works with a person (often alongside their GP and current meds) to rebalance and optimise the body systems in order to achieve health and vitality.

What happens in a consultation?

An initial consultation lasts about an hour and during this time I will need to know as much about your current and past health and lifestyle as possible. We will then identify goals that you would like to work on and agree how much you are prepared to change in your current nutrition habits and lifestyle. I will then develop a personalised plan focussing on these areas which will be sent to you 48 hours after your consultation. There may be some short term nutritional supplements or functional testing recommended so that we can really pinpoint exactly what is going on inside you body and therefore focus your plan more precisely. Most people will work with their plan for 4-6 weeks and then return for a follow-up appointment to see what progress has been made or address any difficulties that have arisen. One important point to make here is that your plan won’t necessarily be about eating less of all the things that you love, it will be about eating better and allowing your body to experience the health and vitality that comes from feeding each and every cell in your body exactly what it needs.

As Hippocrates said, ‘Let food by thy medicine; let medicine be thy food.’ Your body will thank you for it 🙂

For a FREE 15 minute chat to find out how Nutritional Therapy could help you, contact Acorn or email helen.duffy@northstarnutrition.co.uk

www.acornnaturalhealth.co.uk

By Rebecca Sheldon – Specialist pregnancy massage therapist

Let’s face it, during pregnancy the majority of women will suffer with some kind of back or pelvic pain. There are lots of little things you can do to ease this discomfort, I hope the following will help you get more comfortable enabling you to enjoy your pregnancy a bit more.

*Use a pregnancy wedge or pillow to help you sleep. There are a selection of cushions & supports available for use during pregnancy. Personally I found a pregnancy wedge & cushion between my legs helped me get more comfortable in bed but lots of mums swear by the pregnancy pillows. The idea of these is to support bump and keep your pelvis in a more neutral position.

*Think about how you move & the tasks you are doing, simply changing the way you get out the car can make a massive difference to pelvis pain (always keep your knees together).

*Try pregnancy yoga, there are regular weekly classes run locally. These focus on relaxation & gentle stretching but also being among other ‘mums to be’ can bring another wealth of knowledge about coping with back & pelvic pain (among other stuff)!

*Get the exercise ball out, these are super comfy for sitting on whilst pregnant & encourage good posture.

*Book a pregnancy massage, great for soothing those aching muscles & relaxing you. Make sure you choose someone who has done an additional pregnancy massage qualification & is insured for pregnancy massage.

*Seek help – let your midwife or GP know that you are suffering with back / pelvic pain; they can refer you to an obstetric physio if they feel it is necessary. They may also be able to discuss different birthing positions that are more suited to those with pelvic pain.

Most importantly don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends or family with tasks that cause you discomfort, pregnancy is hard work & people will be more than willing to help you out.

acornnaturalhealth.co.uk

What you feed your mind determines your appetite

By Sally Race Clinical Hypnotherapist

Sounds strange? Well, its true!
Much like your body, your mind also responds to what it is fed. Eat a healthy nutritious diet and you’ll be healthy (and happier), feed your mind healthy thoughts and the same will happen.

So what do I mean when I say ‘healthy thoughts’?
I’ll give you an example. In my role as a hypnotherapist, I see people who want to change the way they feel. Many of my clients experience anxiety and when I ask them what they want from the hypnotherapy sessions, their answer is often ‘not to feel anxious’ or ‘to get rid of the anxiety’.

Question; What do you want to change in your life? (remember your answer… we’ll comeback to it).

At that point, I put in a rule; your answer must not include any negative words, such as ‘not, don’t, rid, anxiety, stress or anything else that has negative connotations’. So, what do you want?
This is the point that often has people scratching their heads, often starting a sentence and then realising it has a negative word slipping in and stopping again.

Coming back to your answer, are there any negative words in there? if so, can you change it so it contains none?

Why do I do this? Why do I make people sometimes struggle to change that sentence? Because what you think feeds your mind. If your thoughts are full of what you don’t want, then your mind will be too focused on that to focus on what you do.

Experiment: DO NOT THINK OF A BLACK CAT! Whatever you do, don’t let a black cat thought enter your head, no, don’t do it, don’t think of a black cat at all.
So, how was that? did you manage it, or is that furry little feline still in there?
My guess is probably. So if your goal, your desire is to be rid of anxiety and you keep thinking about it in that way, your mind will be focused on anxiety, want it or not.

Time for new healthier thoughts
Our subconscious minds love repetition. Whenever we repeat something (and it doesn’t matter if its a thought, words we speak or hear or something we do), our subconscious mind takes it on board and puts it on autopilot. Eventually we just do/feel/say things without thinking about them. This is brilliant as it means that we can multi task better and be faster, however, if we feed our mind with the wrong things to put onto auto pilot, we automatically end up with that we don’t want.

So its time for change (if you are ready). Every time you catch yourself thinking something in a negative way, STOP. rephrase that thought into a statement of what you want and repeat that instead.

‘I don’t want to be anxious’ could change to; ‘I feel free and happy’
‘Get rid of anxiety’ could change to; ‘I feel more confident and comfortable everyday’.

In essence, feed your mind with what you want and your mind will take you there, maybe not today or tomorrow, but be consistent and it will and you will notice.

acornnaturalhealth.co.uk

Indian Head Massage – a
wonderful treatment in its own right

This is a wonderfully relaxing massage treatment in a class all of it’s
own!

The client is comfortably seated in a low-backed chair for this massage,
which makes it perfect for the less able-bodied amongst us.

And it can be with or without
massage oils making it ideal for home visits or the workplace, as well as the
treatment room.

It provides a wealth of physical and psychological benefits .. and you
needn’t go all the way to India for one either!

So what is it?

Indian Head Massage (or “Champissage”) combines stimulation of acupressure
points with a wonderful range of
relaxing massage moves to release stress that has accumulated in the tissues,
muscles and joints of the neck, shoulders, upper back, arms, neck, face, and scalp.

What are its origins?

Indian Head Massage has
derived from the ancient Ayurvedic healing system and dates back more than
4,000 years. The art is still passed
down the generations by Indian women today,
being taught to children so that they can return the favour to their
parents and other relatives!

In the West, Indian Head
Massage has been adapted to help eliminate stress and tension in our hectic
lives, and will usually combine both traditional Indian and western massage
techniques.

It is a true “holistic” treatment as it can be
applied purely for deep relaxation, or from a healing approach involving work
on the energy centres referred to as chakras.

An Indian Head Massage is carried
out as a separate treatment in its own right, yet can also be combined with
other treatments and is often used alongside conventional care in hospices,
hospitals and other healthcare settings.

What are the benefits?

* Gently relieves muscular stiffness and
tension

* Helps you let stress
and anxiety melt softly away

* Can help relieve
depression, and improve concentration

* Lifts the emotions and
helps you feel deeply calm and peaceful

* Can help release
endorphins to help with positive thinking

* Promotes deeper,
calmer breathing

* Aids relief from
tension headaches, eyestrain and migraines.

* Softens and nourishes
the skin and assists healthier hair

* Stimulates circulation
and lymph drainage aiding elimination of toxins and odema
* Can helps relieve sinus congestion and headaches

* Assists deep, peaceful
sleep

Can everyone enjoy and Indian Head Massage?

There are certain
conditions where you should avoid massage e.g. epilepsy, certain heart
conditions, contagious skin diseases or
if you have had recent surgery. A full consultation will take place prior to
your treatment, which will provide me with the opportunity to ensure massage is
right for you. However, if in any doubt, please talk to your doctor
before arranging a treatment.

What happens in a treatment?

The client is seated on a low-backed chair
for Indian Head Massage, making it ideal for the less able bodied client. As a treatment couch is not essential, it is
also suitable for treatments at home or in the workplace. (Contact Eileen for more information on
arranging office/home treatments)

An Indian Head Massage can be carried out either with or without massage oils. Without oils, the client can remain fully
clothed, wearing a loose-fitting, comfortable tee-shirt or something similar.

When oils are used, the client removes upper outer-clothing
and a large towel wrapped around to
ensure modesty. Oils help ensure a
smoother massage and a range of beautifully aromatic, blended oils are
available to help enhance your massage experience.

A full Indian Head Massage lasts around 40
minutes, but do allow a full hour for your appointment so you can take time
after your massage session to drink a glass of water whilst you sit quietly,
gently bring your awareness fully back to the present.

Shorter taster sessions are also available if
you’d like to come along and give it a try for the first time. Contact Acorn for details on latest Taster
Session offers!

Aftercare

Some clients can
feel extremely tired or slightly dizzy after treatment, so it is essential to arrange
your Indian Head Massage for a time when you can return to a relaxing
environment afterwards and keep warm, as massage reduces your blood pressure. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding
caffeine/alcohol will help your body de-tox so you get maximum benefits from
your treatment. You will receive full
free aftercare advice following your treatment.

How many treatments do I need?

A single treatment
will be deeply relaxing and beneficial for you and it can be tailored to
provide an emphasis on specific areas of concern e.g. congested sinuses, stiff
neck etc.

You can also
include a regular monthly Indian Head Massage treatment as part of your own health
and wellbeing regime.