The Bad Habits Challenge

The Bad Habits Challenge

How many of the following do you consume on average in a week? Write down your scores and add them up.  Cups of coffee       Baked goods    Cups of regular tea       Sugar in your tea or coffee       Fried food       Tinned food with added salt    Ready meals / fast foods       Red meat       Chocolate       Non-organic poultry       Sweets       Glasses of cow's milk    Pasta       Slices of white bread       Units of alcohol (1 glass wine / 1 beer etc = I unit)             Scores: Below 15 – you are eating a reasonably healthy diet 15 – 25 – you are on your way, can make a few changes 26 – 50 – you need to be more careful 51 – 100 – this is serious 101 – 150 – this is critical     Do you need help improving your eating habits? Why not call us & we can guide you on your way to optimum wellness! Adapted from 'You are What you Eat' by Dr. Gillian McKeith © Stuart Wilson & Associates 2009 –'Where Health Matters'. This page may not be copied without consent from the writer as it only constitutes a small part of a comprehensive nutritional support programme

Exciting News!

We are pleased to announce that renowned clinical psychologist –


Robin Van Der Plank

will be consulting from COMPLETE BALANCE HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTRE as of the 1st October 2009.



The centre is centrally situated at 11 Delamore road, Hillcrest - and is easily accessed from both Old Main Road as well as Hospital Road.

Robin has an outstanding capacity as a caring and successful counsellor and facilitator in the following area's:



- Family and individual therapy.

- Interactive group therapy.

- Support therapy for both children and adults with ADD, ADHD and other learning challenges.

- Trauma (post traumatic stress) counselling...as well as...

- Facilitation of emotional intelligence and talks on this fascinating subject.



Robin encourages a holistic approach to all those he works with...with diet and nutrition being central to the awareness of self and to the path of recovery.



His ethos fits in well with what we try to achieve with all our clients....complete balance in a nutritional, emotional, mental and physical sense.



We are very excited with this development in our practice...and welcome Robin to our centre of wellness.



Kind regards

Saskia & Susie

031-765-7916

083-271-8395

083-703-5579

WHY GLASS???


a. It is RE-CYCLABLE…so it saves the environment.

b. It is SAFE…no chemicals or hormones can leach out of glass bottles into your water.

c. It can be RE-USED…again & again & again!

d. It can easily be STERILIZED in a dishwasher, the microwave or the oven.

e. It’s neat and tidy…and quite pretty…really!

Spring Special!

ARE YOU SICK AND TIRED OF FEELING SICK AND TIRED?
WE CAN HELP!!
For the month of September only…..
Get 10 Treatments for R1,200.-
(that’s a saving of R1,050.00!!!)
What’s the catch, you may well ask???
..…commit yourself to 1 hour each week for 10 weeks…..
How will it work?
You will get 1 Nutritional Support Consultation + 9 treatments of your choice

Call us on 031 765 7916
Or
e-mail: info@completebalance.co.za

With everyone coming down with this disgusting flu, this is a stunning soup... it's full of immune-boosing anti-oxidants, can be fozen & the kids love it! Enjoy!

Immune boosting chicken broth
Immunity for Healthy Kids, Lucy Burney pg 126

*1 chicken
*2 medium onions, cut into ¼
*4 garlic cloves
*1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
*1 red chilli, deseeded
*4 large carrots, chopped
*4 sticks celery, chopped
*2L vegetable stock
*1 cup fresh peas
*1 cup fresh broccoli florets
*Large handful of coriander & parsley, chopped
*Juice of 2 limes

Place chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, carrots & celery into a large pan.
Cover with the stock, bring to boil & simmer with the lid on for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through & beginning to fall off the bone.
Remove the chicken from the pan & separate the meat from the skin & bones, which can be discarded
Strain remaining broth through a colander & skim off excess fat.
Return chicken & broth back to the pan & add broccoli & peas.
Simmer for 10mins until veg are cooked through.
Add coriander, lime juice & parsley & serve immediately.

Life Skills Exercise for Living in the Present

The following exercise is a very useful tool to help you "get out of your head" and become more aware of what you're feeling. This exercise is a great way to get grounded and feel like you are in your skin, and experiencing or living life to the full, rather than racing through each day on automatic pilot! Many of my life-coaching clients have reported feeling a sense of calm, connectedness, peace, and the ability to relate more easily to significant people in their lives, when they practice this. It is such a simple thing to do - give it a try today.

Being present

This exercise is to practice staying present in any given situation. Throughout the day, start to spend time being present by focusing your senses. Stop doing whatever you’re doing, and think about what you’re hearing, what you’re seeing, what you’re smelling, what you’re feeling, what you’re tasting, what you’re touching etc. eg. I might be walking along the road and instead of being caught up in my thoughts, I will start focusing on my senses. So I start to really take in every detail of the trees around me, their different shades of green, their fresh minty smell, the touch of the ground underneath my feet, the tingling excitement in my stomach etc. I always come out of this feeling refreshed and clear. This exercise can be done anywhere and at any time.

Quotation No4

We need to make two journeys: one in the external world where we share our
experiences, our stories. Then we need to take the journey to the heart, the inner
journey, where we connect to our own truth. Knowing what is true for us and
choosing to live from this inner knowing can create a sense of inner peace and
balance. This is the experience of resonance – what is true for you?

• CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS GAINING ABUNDANT HEALTH AND ENERGY
  
  To start your day:
  - drink a glass of luke-warm lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  - Do 15 minutes of GENTLE exercises & deep breathing
  - Spend time in prayer / meditation / journaling
  
  
• Drink 8 glasses of water per day (approx 2l – listen to your body)
• Be relaxed when eating, and chew your food well (eat ‘mindfully’)
• Your food should be as natural (“God-made”) as possible
• No heated or processed fats (margarines, fried foods etc…)
• Avoid / limit nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and wheat
• Include Avocado, seeds, nuts, vegetables, brown or basmati rice
• Have five to eleven portions of fruit and vegetables every day
• Eat raw food first (eg have a salad before a cooked meal)
• Ensure that you are getting some healthy fats in your diet:
  Omega 3 foods include – fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmon, herring and flaxseed oil
  Omega 6 foods include – seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and safflower, avocado, olive oil
• When you change your diet, your “T” cells can increase within 5 to 15 days (ie, your body’s immune response improves)
  

REMEMBER THAT POSITIVE THOUGHTS ARE IMPORTANT TO IMPROVE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

FIVE STEPS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR EATING HABITS
(from Mary-Anne Shearer)

1. Start all cooked meals with some raw vegetables (includes salad), and fresh fruit before breakfast
2. Eat natural fresh fruit before a sweet / chocolate cake/ biscuit etc
3. Eat avo / nuts/ seeds before chips / cheese / biltong
4. Eat one bowl of fresh fruit every day (one “fruit-meal” per day), can be with ¼ to ½ cup of nuts / seeds
5. Slow down and eat mindfully and simply
   
   Note that the following (in excess) has a negative effect on the endocrine system (ie your hormones)
   
   Alcohol and sugars
   Gluten (wheat – bread, biscuits etc)
   Mercury – eg fillings (take chlorophyll to help)
   Aspartame (sweeteners, diet drinks etc)

Quotation No 3

" … serenity is more than a beautiful feeling. It’s an essential strength…. "

Quote for the week no 2

It isn't the snake bite that does the serious damage; it's chasing the snake that drives the poison to the heart

Offering Grace

I had a client last week who shared the most delightful story of "Grace". She had been feeling particularly stressed and (as is typical of most of us who are mothers), ended up "losing it" with her 10 year old and yelling at him. Her husband returned home and heard his wife shouting. He came in and sat with the now distraught child, while my client said that she went to her room to calm down. When her husband came into the room, she fully expected him to berate her for losing her temper. Instead he walked up to her, put his arms around her, and simply asked "Are you OK?". She said that it completely took her by surprise, and the "defense" that she had been preparing was lost. She was able to look at herself and apologise for her inappropriate rage rather than being defensive. Her husband gave her the Grace and Space to do that.

In their book "Slowing Down to the Speed of Life", Richard Carlson & Joseph Bailey say that "if you forgive others [show Grace] and then share with them your feelings, they will be more likely to listen to you non-defensively. If you confront others with judgement, they will most likely get defensive, not be able to hear you, and even find something to blame you for. This keeps the cycle going: blame-resentment-defensiveness-transgression".

Make it your aim to show Grace this week:-)

(Liz Witherspoon - Life & Wellness Coach)

The Benefits Of Massage As taken from www.massagetherapy.com.learnmore/benefits.php
What exactly are the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:
Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
Ease medication dependence.
Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
Increase joint flexibility.
Lessen depression and anxiety.
Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
Reduce spasms and cramping.
Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
Relieve migraine pain.
A Powerful Ally
There’s no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This translates into:
Decreased anxiety.
Enhanced sleep quality.
Greater energy.
Improved concentration.
Increased circulation.
Reduced fatigue.
Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

Profound Effects
In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:
Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.
Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.
High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.
Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.
Preterm infants have improved weight gain.
Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat postsurgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits
Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

Review the clinical research studies examining the benefits of massage.

Review massage information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health

Quote for the week #1

Never give up hope. Never, never, never! Neither in the big things, nor the small ones. And if you give in, let it be only on the basis of principles or common sense. WINSTON CHURCHILL