The power of sleep

By Beatrix Schmidt

Today’s world is all about achieving more and more every single day. 

We constantly aim for growth, progression and this drive to better your life in all areas. Our days became so fast paced that sacrificing a little bit of sleep here and there is now pretty normal. There are so many things to do, so many friends to see that we find it challenging to keep up with all the demands of the lifestyle we created. 

When was the last time you had a great night sleep?

We all know that sleep is essential. We get told that we must get a certain amount of sleep to feel refreshed and alert all day. We also hear about the dangers of sleep deprivation and how much it will affect our health and wellbeing in the long run. But most of us ignore these warning signs because the affects are not visible straight away. We have coffee, energy drinks or eat more to make us more alert and keep us going during the day. 

Is this where you are at the moment?

Over the years the so called ‘sleep debt’ mounts up. I know this because I have been through it myself. I got to the point that I was living in this cycle of lack of sleep and days filled with eating and drinking anything that kept me going. I pushed my boundaries so much that my body had no choice but to send me a proper message. I was waking up at night because my nose was bleeding over and over again. I was exhausted and my body was just not functioning properly.

Studies show that over time sleep deprivation can cause serious health issues including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It is also shown that most people who suffer from a health problem will also have the history of a sleeping problem way before the actual physical symptoms shown up. 

Did you know that one in three people in the UK suffer from poor sleep?

Sleeping affects everything you do one way or the other!

    1.Productivity at work

When you are not rested, your productivity goes down. You are not able to focus on a project as long and you are constantly running around wanting to catch up with everything you must do before the day ends.

    2. Communication skills 

Lack of sleep will massively affect the way you communicate with others. You are less patient to hear someone’s suggestion, you get defensive more easily and just not able to be present when talking to others because your attention span decreases too.

   3.Reaction time 

We heard a lot about this from the media. When you are not rested, you are much more likely to get into dangerous situations and accidents. Think of the last time you were tired and dropped a mug or even stepped off the pavement without looking around properly. It is a scientifically proven fact that lack of sleep will decrease the reaction time to any sudden movements. This of course includes the time when you are driving as well.

   4.Body weight

Getting up tired after a restless night means that you are going into an ‘energy roller coaster’ for the rest of the day. You will be eating more because that is the only way your body can create more of what you need to keep you going. If you drink coffee, energy drinks or snacking on biscuits and cakes in the afternoon, you know what is happening to your energy levels. This is a sign that your body needs more nourishing sleep as well as a more balanced way of eating

  5. Immune system

It has been proven that those who don’t sleep well at night will have weaker immune system. You will pick up more cold and coughs, more likely to get sick more often and for longer too. Remember the last time you had a bad cold or even flu, the only thing you wanted to do was sleep. That is your body telling you to give your immune system a boost by allowing your body to rest and recover.

  6. Sex drive 

Of course lack of sleep will affect your sex drive. When you are tired all the time and not able to sleep properly your libido will also decrease. I don’t think I need to explain it to you, if you struggle to sleep you have experienced it already.

These are only a few areas which is affected by lack of sleep. I am sure by now you understand how all of the above will also link to other areas of your life. 

But I promise you, it is not all doom and gloom! There are many different ways you can start improving your sleep. I am here to help and support you to do this one step at a time. There is no better time to start then now... so lets start with a challenge. During this video series (over the next 5 days) I am going to share my top tips on how you can improve your sleeping to get to that great night sleep you deserve!  

Remember, sleeping is recovery time for your body and your mind. ( an interview with Beatrix)  

Join me for 5 days of powerful tips on improving your sleep one step at a time. I am really looking forward to supporting you on this journey. We start on: this Monday, are you in?

Beatrix Schmidt, Health and Wellbeing Consultant, Reflexologist, is in row 33 on our Practitioners' List

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UK's Dirty Dozen

By Yael Stark

3 years ago I heard about the Dirty Dozen list for the first time; I attended a health and vitality event and the lady who sat next to me mentioned it. Seeing my puzzled look, she informed me that the list contains top contaminated fruit and vegetables that one should totally avoid consuming unless buying organic, and the least contaminated fruit and veg that you don't need to worry about if not organic. I thanked her and made a point to look it up . The list shocked me and prompted me to make some changes in my purchasing habits, and I was happy to shared the Dirty Dozen list with Think Healthy Act Healthy Be Healthy members a number of times. So why do I write about it here if the info is already on the group's wall? Well, the last few weeks, something prompted me to investigate the British 'dirty' list, for some reason I thought that the list is universal, but it is not; it applies to the US but in Europe and the UK the list is somewhat different.

I looked into Pesticide Action Network UK report from 2011  that illustrated the impact that pesticides have on our health and the environment. I summarised it and colour coded it; from the most contaminated- 1; to the least- 4:

Red- 1; Yellow-2; Green- 3; Blue- 4

List of pesticides:

1.Chlorpyrifos- one of the most toxic in the UK.

It was found in: apples, beans with pods, dried grapes, grapes, oranges, pears, pineapple, plantain, soft citrus and spinach

2. Carbendazim -It is claimed to distrupt the reproductive system, leading to the development of cancer, developmental problems and birth defect. 
 It was found in: apples, beans with pods, cucumber, grapes, oranges, pineapple, pre-packed salads, raspberries, rice, soft citrus and spinach.

3. Cypermethrin-  considered highly hazardous. Ingestion of Cypermethrin can cause abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea.

It was found in beans with pods, bread, courgettes, grapes, okra, soft citrus and spinach.

4. DDT- although banned in the 70s, a residue was found in burgers, oily fish, liver and smoked fish.

5. Dieldrin-a likely carcinogen

It was found in burgers, liver, oily fish, smoked fish, courgettes and cucumbers.

6. Glyphosate - the most commonly used weed killer in the world. It was found in
Bread, lentils, pulses, rice and flour.

7. Lambda Cyhalothrin- have corrosive effects on both eyes and the skin. It was found in:

beans with pods, celery, dried grapes, grapes, okra, oranges, pre-packed salads, soft citrus and spinach.

8. Methamidophos - highly toxic through all forms of exposure:dermal, oral and inhalation. It was only found in: beans with pods

9.Methomyl-a thyroid-disrupting chemical.

It was found in: beans with pods and celery.

10. Omethoate is highly hazardous.

It was found in beans with pods

The UK's list, in part, resembles the US Dirty Dozen list; It shows % of Samples That Contain Residues, % of Residues that Exceed MRLs and % of Samples that contain Multiple Residues..Please click on the hyperlink to see the details..

UK's most contaminated fruit

Soft Citrus
Pineapple
Pears
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Peaches &
Nectarines
Apricots


The least contaminated fruit

Star Fruit
Plum
Exotic Fruits
Kiwi Fruit
Banana
Raspberries
Other Berries
Melons

The most contaminated vegetables

Tomatoes
Parsnips
Cucumber
Carrots
Lettuce
Beans in a pod
Peas in a pod
Sweet Potatoes
Courgettes and Marrows
Yams

The least contaminated vegetables

Corn (cob)
Leeks
Aubergines
Onions
Ginger
Chilli
Potatoes
Peppers
Celery
Spinach

Other contaminated food:

Oily fish
Cereal grains
Flour
Cereal bars
Dried fruit
Bread
Herbs
Chips
Crisps
Rice

I was a bit disappointed not to find information about kale or avocado, one day I just might call to find out.. For now I am sticking with organic kale..

Yael :)
 

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From “Overall Good Pattern” to “Perfect”

By Hans Parge

Before I describe the experiment and examine the data let me introduce myself, the “guinea pig” in this personal clinical study.   

 

My name is Hans Parge.  I am a retired PhD X-ray crystallographer-biomedical researcher with 16 years of pharmaceutical drug discovery experience and an additional 10 years of biomedical research in the field of X-ray protein structure determination at the Free University Berlin and The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

 

In 2009 I moved from “treatment/cures” to “wellness/prevention” and in 2011 I first put my hand in front of the blue light of a Biophotonic Scanner; a device that was developed to determine a person’s anti-oxidant defence by measuring the Skin Carotenoid Score (SCS) in seconds without a biopsy and or taking blood. 

 

In 2011 Doctor Oz in a program on cancer prevention with anti-oxidants named it “the ultimate nutritional lie detector”.  

 

So what are carotenoids?  Carotenoids are extrinsic anti-oxidant molecules that help the intrinsic antioxidant network defend against free radical attack on the molecules of life.

 

Carotenoids are plant pigments that humans routinely ingest on a daily basis. Particularly high concentrations are found in fruit and vegetables. The National Academy of Sciences concluded, “Blood concentrations of carotenoids are the best biological markers for consumption of fruits and vegetables”

 

So what lessons are to be learned from my experiment?

 

1) My starting SCS of 19,000 (red) is where about 40% of Dr Oz’s audience score. These are people who do not eat many fruit and vegetables and/or their nutritional supplements, if they contain carotenoids, are not getting absorbed. 

 

2) Taking a nutritional challenge increased my score to 44,000 (green).  A healthy diet starts here, but may not be enough for long-term disease prevention.

 

3) The score after 18 months on the nutritional program was 63,000 (Blue).  Everyone is advised to strive for this level or higher.  A program of healthy eating and nutritional supplementation can allow one to reach this optimum protection.

 

4) While the scanner only measures a SCS it is clear that the nutritional program has significantly improved my lipids, triglycerides and blood pressure.  

 

Dr. Lisa Hall MD says from her experience that anyone who score less than the blue zone is twice as likely to suffer from 1) cardiac disease 2) hypertension 3) diabetes 4) stroke and 5) cancer and are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. 

 

The strong recommendation then is to get your score and those of your l nearest and dearest.  Then change your diet, supplementation and life style choices to keep you not only scoring in the blue zone but nutritionally complete.

 

Hans, a Medical Liaison/Independent Distributor with Nu Skin/Pharmanex, is in row 61 in our Practitioners' List

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Think Healthy Act Healthy Be Healthy Networking Evening (EVENT)

By Yael Stark

 

Think Healthy Act Healthy Be Healthy 's Health Practitioners Networking Evening

 

 I never used to like networking events; I used to find them useless for two main reasons;

1- I loved getting into a deep conversation with one person at a time so I ended up speaking with a small number of people and it left me with the feeling of 'I missed out'..

2- More often than not people were 'puking' their sales pitch on me, I must have done it myself too,  and I ended up going home with a 'never again' feeling.

Both reasons were a huge barrier to effective networking.

I was very fortunate to come across a dear friend who taught me about networking and how to overcome those two challenges, now I thoroughly enjoy networking.

The major lesson that helped me enormously was the golden rule- 'temporarily suspend all thoughts of personal gain.'  Bottom line of this rule- your wishes are not to be considered while you are listening to what other people are saying.. Ask yourself what can I give that person? rather than what can I gain from that person?

When you apply it, and don't get me wrong, it is hard, especially when you are so passionate about what you do and know it can change so many lives, magic happens; people stay longer to say goodbye to you and are eager to hear more from you.. I was dumbstruck the first time it happened to me.

So why write about networking when we are a health group? Well, THAHBH group consists of two main subgroups- Health Seekers and Health Practitioners.

Remember the group's mission? " Our mission is twofold: to help Health Seekers- members who want to better their mental, emotional and physical health, make well informed choices and to connect between Health Practitioners, who are aligned with our core values and are following our guidelines, and Health Seeking members. "

The first step to was to create our Practitioners' List where Health Seekers can read about the practitioners; not only about their coaching background, but also about their vision and how they view the world. The health practitioners that are on the list, were already informed about the event, now it is your turn.

The second step was to create this blog...

The third step was to network...

We have been networking in the past at events and over dinners but this time is different; this is our first (hurray) networking event only for our THAHBH's Health Practitioners. The evening is designed so we can meet one other, know what each practitioner does and how we can support one other- it is all about collaboration really.

I will also be explaining about 2014 projects to help the practitioners get the word out and connect with our Health Seekers.

We are meeting on Friday 4/4 at the Royal Festival Hall at 18:30

No Eventbrite link.. Email thinkhealthyacthealthybhealthy@gmail.com if you wish to attend.

Free to attend.


See you all there :)
Yael


Yael Stark, entrepreneur, passionate about Health, Ethical Business and Education, created Think Healthy Act Healthy Be Healthy ( THAHBH ) community back in October 2011 with the aim to help people understand the connection between mental, emotional and physical health, which she was privileged to experience from the age of 7 throughout her journey.

EQ-101:Taking Control of Your Feelings and Emotions. (EVENT)

By Matt Perelstein

                          

 

                        Have you ever heard the term "Emotional Intelligence"?
 

When I first heard those words back in the late 90's, I jumped for joy! FINALLY, a clear, understandable, self-explanatory way to describe what we'd been teaching for many years... and which has been the bane of my existence! I was so emotionally clueless as a kid (painfully shy, anti-social, accident prone), that when I found out that I wasn't actually 'crazy', that I didn't have 'psychological disorders' (well, maybe a few), but really what I 'had' was a severe lack of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)!
 

(SIDE NOTE: It's called EQ, even tho' it should be EI. Why? 'cause EQ makes sense to people when distinguishing it from IQ. They often immediately understand the concept (esp. if you can point to the left-side of your head vs. the right side of your head... and that's what we need... to make it super-clear, super-simple, and super-practical.)
 

When I first took an EQ-based weekend workshop 27 years ago called Understanding Yourself and Others, I found that what was REALLY a mess inside of me was my Feelings. That was super GOOD NEWS to me because I found that I/we can LEARN how to deal with our feelings, how to identify, accept and manage our feelings (EQ), balance them with our thoughts (IQ) and then make more informed decisions on what to do, say and be. Now, I am no longer a 'victim' to my feelings.... they no longer own me, control me and manage me... I can understand, accept and manage them! That was wonderful news, to a lost, powerless guy!
 

1. Defining EQ (1990's)
First, we had to define the concepts... "what is eq" is googled over 2M times each month... so we'd know what we're talking about. It's about being Heart Smart, as well as Head Smart. It's about using our right-brain, as well as our left-brain. It's about giving a damn about ourselves, others and our environment. It's about knowing ourselves, and creating the best for ourselves, in a way that brings people closer and everyone wins!
 

Components of EQ, include:

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills
• Responsible Decision-Making

2. EQ Research and Results (2000's)
Since then, EQ has started to gain momentum. EQ results must be scientifically proven, evidence-based interventions with measurable, verifiable and reproducible results. Thus statistically accurate EQ assessment tools were created to 'prove' that EQ really works.

 

It all started for me, when I found that I/we can heal and replace so much of our fear, anger and sadness... so we can live freer, happier, more successful lives.
 

Then, we found that, although our schools have been IQ-focused, and EQ-resistant, by adding EQ skills training helps increase pro-social behaviours: attitude, cooperation, focus, kindness and empathy, while decreasing anti-social behaviours: fights, truancy, bullying, vandalism, weapons and drugs... and, shockingly, a huge 5-year meta-study of over 200 school districts that had adopted EQ found that the all-important test-scores even went up by over 11% (EQ can actually improve IQ!).
 

Next, we found that EQ is awesome for businesses and organizations -- customer service, teamwork, leadership, HR departments, employee engagement, even sales and marketing -- can all be improved with simple, inexpensive, intuitive EQ training and practice.
 

Now, EQ has been shown to help in a VAST array of human existence -- improving mental health, physical health, families, parenting, teaching, relationships, communications, etc. and reducing crime, addictions, violence, suicide, abuse and others... helping the good get better and diminishing the bad.
 

3. Putting EQ to Use / Competencies (2010's)
Now, we're working on making the EQ tools as practical and useful as possible. There are a powerful set of 8 measureable competencies that can be learned, and mastered, to dramatically improve our life experience.
 

Do you want to know more about you, to reach your greatest potential?
Got issues from your past that are effecting you today?

Want to be able to understand, manage and ENJOY you, and your life?

Learn EQ. It's free, it's natural, it's universal, it's unlimited, and it works! (and did I mention that it's free?! yeah, I know, I have money/deserving issues, but still... it's FREE... as much as we want, any time we want).

I contend that teaching our kids EQ/SEL is schools is the #1 best possible thing we can do for their future, and ours.
 

I contend that EQ can, and will, change, and maybe save, our world from hatred, violence, war and hunger.
 

I believe that EQ is a semi-magical aspect of life that we are just discovering, and enjoying.
 

I think we can reach our goal for the largest project ever attempted by man... to teach 1 Billion people EQ by the year 2039.
 

EQ for inner peace.
EQ for world peace.

EQRocks!

 

Matt, 27 years an EQ instructor, is in row 14 on the Practitioenrs' List

 

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Valentine's Day - Everyday?

By Robert Stephenson

When I was a little boy I used to wish it would be Christmas Day everyday! Having all the family around, hanging out with older cousin, eating lots of lovely food, and of course the presents. Everyday would be magical, or so I thought back then, and as I grew older I realised that doing the same thing everyday, no matter how fantastic, would eventually loose its magic…

 

And this Valentines day got me thinking about this, this idea of having a great day everyday, sharing gifts and cards and chocolates with your loved one, and once again I had that thought about doing it everyday, and once again I thought that the magic would also disappear with the routine.

Or would it!

What would happen if you kept the magic alive? What would happen if you found a way to make each day a great day, each day a day full of love and giving and sharing? 

 

As a coach I am always working with clients to create new possibilities, new ideas, to go beyond their comfort zone and think outside the box, in order to create the life they want, in order to make those dreams and goals a reality.

 

So what would happen if we thought outside of the box with Valentines Day, what would happen if we challenged ourselves to create Valentines Day everyday?

 

How about hiding cards for our partner in their bag before they go to work, or sending flowers randomly to their office or home. Lighting candles at dinner and dimming the lights, lovely music in the background. Or what if you came home early and cooked a wonderful dinner, so it’s all ready and waiting for when your partner arrived, with a bath already run full of oils and bubbles?

 

Now perhaps you already do this, or have had ideas like this in the past, and if you already do it, awesome, and if you’ve thought of it, that's great too. And I guess if you are not doing it, perhaps you might give it a go and see what happens, I wonder what might be holding you back?  See how creating a special moment in the day for your partner impacts your relationship.

 

I wonder how we would feel, being treated in this way, with all that love going on, wouldn't it be wonderfully awesome :-)

 

And now I begin to think yeah, I could do that, and perhaps you think the same, and I then wonder, well what are all those wonderful things that my partner likes? Perhaps like me you know some of them, but not all! So what to do, well why not have a conversation, have a sit down with a notebook and ask your partner .

 

I think we often don't ask because we feel that we 'should' know all the answers and if we don't then that means we are not a good enough partner...I disagree, I think that a great partner finds out what you want and then finds ways to surprise you with it.

 

So in my quest for Valentines Day everyday, I say get a notebook, have a conversation, then find ways to share the love everyday doing something, however small or large, that will bring a loving smile to your partners face. 

 

Give it a go, see how you get on, enjoy the sharing and I'll get back to you about my thoughts on having Christmas everyday :-)

 

And if you need any help in putting this together, organising your thinking, or finding your way forward, book an appointment with me at the clinic and let’s 

make it happen together.

Robert is a Creative NLP Coach & Hypnotherapist and is in row 6 on our Practitioners' List

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Food For Love

By Yael Stark                      

Here are some ingredients for the perfect Valentine's Day meal..
All fruit, vegetables and herbs listed have libido boost properties: 
Avocado; Asparagus; Celery; Beetroot;Fennel; Ginger; Cayenne Pepper; Basil; Pumpkin seeds; Dark chocolate; Watermelon; Strawberries; Pomegranate  
 
And here are three quick and simple dishes to prepare. I have created them out of the ingredients listed above; super healthy, delicious that will energise and increase your stamina: 

Starter:

Toasted seeded bread

Tomato

Basil,

Red onion

Chili

Drizzled with:

Olive oil

Lemon

Ginger

Cayenne pepper

Main course ( you could always add meat on the side):

Rocket

Beetroot

Alfalfa

Avocado

Asparagus

Pumpkin seeds

Drizzled with:

Olive oil

Garlic

Lemon

Dessert:

On a bed of basil leaves:

Watermelon

Strawberries

Pomegranate 

Dipped and drizzled with Chocolate sauce 

Chocolate:

Mix:

Cocoa powder

Virgin Coconut oil

  Honey 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

With Love

Yael