Bates Method – Part 1
For most people their sight is their most important sense. This is probably due to the fact that about 80% of the information we take in via our sense is through our eyes.
If you have impaired vision as I do, we all know the standard options:
- Glasses
- Contact lens
- Laser Eye Surgery
There is one more option, the Bates Method that most people aren’t aware of. Developed by a New York ophthalmologist he published his method in 1919 (yes 1919!). People with
- Myopia or short-sightedness
- Hypermertropia or long-sightedness
- Presbyopia or “old-age” sight i.e. loss of reading vision as you get older
- Astigmatism
have all responded to the Bates Method.
In 1957, C A Hackett a Bates Method Teacher (the Bates Method is a instruction manual), analysed 10 years of her work in which she treated 2180 patients with problems with their eye sight. She found 75% achieved lasting improvement and 45% were able to do without their glasses completely.
Right now you are probably thinking, “if this is so great, why haven’t I heard of it before?”. That’s a good question, and the answer probably is because it’s a way of re-educating your eyesight. Which means it takes time and definitely isn’t a quick fix.
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Good Posture Exercise
Having spoken previously about why poor posture is bad for you, I wanted to move on to give you a simple exercise that helps promote good posture. Brugger's exercise routine is devised to activate postural muscles weakened and simultaneously stretched by a prolonged sitting posture. Slumped Position
Check the tension in your upper back and shoulders in the slumped posture and then in the Brugger's position, to see if you notice any difference as the muscle tension is dramatically reduced.
Brugger Exercise Posture
Step By Step Guide
- Sit perched towards the edge of your seat; this will naturally place your lower back into a curve (lumbar lordosis) with your butt sticking out a little. As you do this your breastbone (sternum) will naturally lift up.
- Separate your legs to 45 degrees each side with your feet turned out slightly and in line with your knees.
- Your shoulders are relaxed and down with your chin tucked in, making the back of your neck longer – imagine a piece of string is attached to the top of your head and someone is lifting you up.
- Fully straighten (extend) both elbows and arms.
- Make sure you keep your shoulders down and imagine your shoulder blades [scapula] are pushing down and together to form a V.
- Turn your thumbs out (externally rotate), palms up.
- Separate your fingers.
- You should now be in the position show above in the Brugger's exercise posture picture.
- Hold for 30 seconds.

How to treat heartburn naturally – part 2
In my last blog post, I shared some tips on natural way to trear hearburn, below are more tips: 1. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Because acid reflux actually occurs due to having very small amounts of acid in your stomach, raw apple cider vinegar may actually help keep it from occurring. Simply dissolve a tablespoon of it in a glass of water and drink it to improve your acid levels. However, more research still needs to be done on this. One study found that apple cider vinegar alleviated heartburn symptoms for some individuals, but the effects only lasted between 60 and 75 minutes. 2. Ginger Tea If you know that you're going to be consuming a huge meal, it may be helpful if you drink a cup of ginger tea at least 20 minutes before you start eating. Simply steep a 2-inch piece of ginger root in two cups of boiling water for five minutes, and then drink. Ginger not only has an anti-inflammatory effect, but also tightens your lower esophageal sphincter, thus preventing acid from refluxing. 3. Papaya A study found that the enzyme papain may help promote better digestion, providing positive effects for people with heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation References https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/166181/content/Yeh_asu_0010N_15671.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21990307 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420113 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622

How to live to 100
Here are some top tips on how to live to 100. These tips are from Dr Claudia Kawas at the University of California, on of the world's leading scientific researchers into longevity and scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and the scientists working on the Blue Zone project. Scientists studying lonevity are tyring to answer the question why doesn one person live until they are 94 while another dies at 75. Dr Claudia Kawas has spent 15 years studying "super-agers" - those who live until into their nineties and beyond while keeping their minds sharp. By studying the lifestyles of these "super-agers" scientists have discovered some common lifestyle habits and traits including:
- Drinking two cups of coffee a day
- Don't over eat
- Get out and socialise including talking to strangers
- Drink two glases of wine a day
- 15 mins of light exercise a day
- Positive thinking or optimistic outlook in life
- Resilience when bad things happen
- Having a purpose/ belief in life
- Put others including family first
- Be with the "right" people for you
- Healthy eating i.e. more plant based diets

