fl1admin, Author at Vitality Therapy

Is Reiki a Placebo? – Part 3

While in Part 2 we looked at the impact of healing (Reiki) energy on cells, yeast & animals, that is not the same as on human beings. So in this post I want to share with you some of the research done on humans. So I want to start with looking at physical factors... Krieger (1975) carried out four experiments with the intention of raising blood haemoglobin levels in patients. The technique of Therapeutic Touch (similar to Reiki) was used, with Oscar Estebany being the healer in the first three experiments and nurses trained in the method in the fourth. Significant differences in blood haemoglobin levels were obtained in:

43 healed patients as against 33 controls
46 healed patients as compared to 33 controls, where the groups were more carefully matched

Miller (1982) undertook a double-blind study on 96 hypertension patients divided equally into experimental and control groups. The experimental patients received distant healing from eight healers, together with their normal medical treatment; the controls received no healing. The results showed a significant improvement in the systolic blood pressure of the healed group, as compared to the controls, but no significant changes in the diastolic blood pressure. So there is clear scientific evidence that Reiki does have a desirable impact on the human body. Full References Krieger, Dolores (1975). Therapeutic touch: The imprimatur of nursing. Am. J. Nursing, 7, 784-787. Miller, R. N. (1982). Study on the effectiveness of remote mental healing. Med. Hypoth., 8, 481-490.

Is slouching that bad for you? – part 2

One of our biggest bad habits is slouching. In part 1, I discussed how slouching can be linked to higher blood pressure, but that is not the only health issue... It may cause heartburn... Slumping doesn’t just wreak havoc on your spine but also, in turn, on the alignment of the whole body. According to some experts, one of the consequences can be heartburn — where stomach acid travels into the oesophagus, causing chest pain.

Slumping doesn't just wreak havoc on your spine but also, in turn, on the alignment of the whole body

‘The pelvis is like a bowl, and when we stand up straight we hold it flat,’ says Robert McCoy. ‘But as you shift forward, the bowl tips forward and the contents, such as the stomach and digestive organs, shift, too.’ Over time, the sphincter muscle at the bottom of the oesophagus, which usually stops acid coming back up, becomes out of line with the oesophagus and stops working efficiently, leading to heartburn. So think before you slump!

Can I fitness tracker help you lose weight?

I know that fitness trackers are very popular, particularly with joggers and althletically minded indivduals. I think fitness trackers are great for desk bound indivduals as it helps your monitor your physical acitivity. However, I personally don't have a fitness tracker, I have considered buying one, but I am saving up so I didn't see it as an essential purchase. However I had always assumed that a fitness tracker would help you lose weight. But do they? Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh were interested in testing a conventional weight-loss programme against the use of a fitness monitor to determine the latter's effectiveness as part of an anti obesity iniative. During the randomized control trial they tested weight-loss programmes and fitness trackers on a group of 471 obese volunteers. During the two year experiement those wearing a fitenss tracker lost 7.7lb (3.5 kg) whereas those who just followed a weight loss programme and didn't use a tracker lost 13lb (6kg). I was quite surprised by this result as were the researches who couldn't explain it. It seems that fitness trackesr give feedback and encouragement to lose weight but those wo are better at just sticking to a programme lose the most weight. So what is really required is persistance. References JM Jakicic, K K Davis, R J Rogers et al, 2016, Effect of Wearable Technology Combined with Lifestyle intervention on Long-term Weight Loss - The IDEA Randomized Clinical Trail, JAMA, Vol 316, No 11, pg 1161-71 See >> http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2553448

Can tackling the big questions in life make you less depressed and anxious?

Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain,and it estimates to cause one fifth of days off from work. Well according to researches if you prepared to tackle big questions in life e.g.

Is there a God?
Does life have a purpose?

you will be less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and better able to cope with emotions. Researches surveyed 307 people about their recent life experience and found those who wouldn't engage in the big questions of life suffered "more intense" bouts of depression and anxiety. People seem to be more emotionally healthy if they're able to accept troubling insights. Looking at spiritual doubts in an objective way seems to help. You may or may not work through them but you can at least tolerate having them. Also ignoring the big questions could be symptomatic of a more general problem of avoidance and escapism, which can be harmful or even self-defeating when trying to achieve goals. So maybe now is the time to start tackling the big questions in life. References NICE (2011). Common mental health disorders | Guidance and guidelines | NICE. [online] Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg123 Das-Munshi et al. (2008) cited in McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016) Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital [Accessed 5 Oct 2016] Available at: http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf Carmen K. Oemig Dworsky, Kenneth I. Pargament, Serena Wong, Julie J. Exline. Suppressing spiritual struggles: The role of experiential avoidance in mental health. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 2016; 5 (4): 258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2016.10.002

Stretches to Help Lower Back Pain

If you remember last week, I shared some tips on how to prevent lower back pain. These tips were inspired by me straining one of my lower back muscles while on holiday in Bulgaria. I stated last week that it was sorted out by a combination of massage, stretches and back exercises. So this week I want to share the three simple stretches I used to ease my back. 1. Knees to Chest For the first day this is the only stretch I did. You lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your knees and gently bring your knees towards your chest. I held this stretch for about 2 minutes and did it 3 - 4 times a day. 2. Two - knee - twist Lying on your back, bend your knees into your chest and bring your arms out at a T. As you exhale lower your knees to ground on the right. Keep both shoulders pressing down firmly. If the left shoulder lifts, lower your knees further away from the right arm. Hold for 1-2 minutes each side. Again I repeated this stretch 3 - 4 times a day. 3. Thread the Needle Lying on your back, bend both knees with the feet flat on the ground. Bend the right knee like a figure four, with the outer left ankle to the right thigh. Lift the left foot into the air, bringing the left calf parallel to the ground. Thread your right hand between the opening of the legs and interlace your hands behind your left thigh. Hold 2-3 minutes and then repeat on the other side. Again I repeated this stretch 3 - 4 times a day.

Are you low in magnesium?

Although we have talked in general about lots of people being low in magnesium, it begs the querstion are you low in Magnesium? Given we can't take a test, what are the signs you can look for to see if you are low magnesium?

Anxiety
Times of hyperactivity
Difficulty getting to sleep
Difficulty staying asleep
Muscle spams and muscle cramping
Fibromyalgia
Facial tics
Eye twitches or involuntary evey movements

In clinic we often see clients who's muscles are really tight or contracted. Without magnesium in our body our muscles would be in a constant state of contraction. It should be noted that calcium causes our muscles to contract. While calcium and magnesium have actions that oppose each other they function as a team. So you must always consider your calcium levels when considering your magnesium levels. References Seelig M, Rosanoff A. The Magnesium Factor. New York: Avery Books; 2003

Start eating prebiotics to reduce stress levels

When we are under pressure, stressed or anxious our bodies react, for some people this means they develop tension in the neck & shoulders, for others they get butterflies in their stomach or their digestive system becomes more sensitive. Stress messes with your they bacteria in your gut and creates a viscous circle that makes stress and anxiety attacks even worse. While we are all familiar with probiotics or good bacteria which you can buy in tablet form in health food shops or are added to yogurts. What you may be less familiar with are prebiotics which are the "food" for the good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics can undo the impact stress has on the gut. They are found in plant fibers like

raw chicory root
raw Jerusalem artichoke
raw garlic
raw leeks
raw asparagus
raw and cooked onions

Researches from the University of Colorado discovered eating prebiotics has a protective effect and can help to safeguard good bacteria in your gut during times of stress. They also discovered eating prebiotics can even help reestablish good sleeping patterns. References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28119579

Can reflexology help you with period pain?

It is claimed that up to 50% of women of reproductive age suffer from period pain. For many years from my mid-teens until my late twenties I suffered from dysmenorrhea (period pain). To avoid it interfering with my O Levels I went on the pill but discovered that didn't suit me. In my mid-twenties I tried reflexology and I felt it helped but I never knew if it was just as a I got older my periods were less painful. Recently I came across some research that supports my experience. A clinical trial in Iran compared the effectiveness of reflexology and ibuprofen in reducing period pain intensity and duration. 68 students with period pain were randomly divided into a reflexology group, receiving 10 reflexology sessions (40 minutes each) during two consecutive menses cycles or an ibuprofen group, receiving 400mg of ibuprofen every eight hours for three days during three consecutive menses cycles. The study results indicated that reflexology was superior to ibuprofen in reducing period pain and the effects off treatment continued even after discontinuing the intervention in the third mense cycle. Reference Valiani M, Babaei E, Heshmat R and Zare Z, Comparing the effects of reflexology methods and ibuprofen administration on dysmenorrhea in female students of Isfahan University Medical Sciences. Iran Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. December 2010; 15 (S1): 371 - 378

Soul Food

Last week I talked about having a spiritual connection, soul food is what helps increase our spiritual connection. Soul food is spiritual nourishment, it is anything that simply uplifts or inspires us. One universal source of spiritual uplift is to bring more beauty into life, whether this is through exploring nature, being creative or simply appreciating art. Beautifying your home or garden is an easy way to feel more spiritually nourished. Other common soul foods include enjoying the wonder of children or exquisite music. Making time to catch the sunrise or sunset can seem like a huge challenge in our busy lives yet it never fails to leave is feeling more uplifted. Similarly climbing to the top of a hill or mountain is worth the effort to see the view which can often uplift us. Another, key spiritual nourishment is to simply stop, and remember you are a “human being” not a “human doing”, so stop and take the time and space to simply be. We often feel down in the dumps or depleted when we have gotten to bogged down with responsibility, and “doing” while forgetting how to play, sing, dance and make things with our own hands. That is when its time to stop and nourish yourself with soul food. Remember soul food can literally be anything that nurtures us and makes life feel it’s worth living. Identifying your soul food and feeding it to yourself increases your spiritual connection which is profoundly healing and nurturing and probably one of the best form of preventative medicine you can give yourself. If you would like to improve your spiritual connection try exploring the following

What lifts my spirit and inspires me? Can I spend more time doing what inspires me?
Who lifts my spirit and inspires me? Can I spend more time with people like this?
Are there any places that inspire me? How often would I like to visit them?

How to boost your Vitamin D levels?

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone as the body can manufacture it (via exposure to UVB radiation from sunlight) as well as absorb it from food. So in the dark winter months when safe sun exposure is impossible without going on holiday, your can become depleted in Vitamin D. (see signs). So I want to explain how can you boost your vitamin D levels? Probably the simplest way it to take a vitamin D supplement, I would recommend D3 as this is the most natural form of vitamin D. In addition vitamin D is found in the following foods.

Sardines
Wild caught Alaskan salmon
Egg yolks
Cheese
Beef livers
Butter
Breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin D
Yoghurt fortified with vitamin D

However it should be noted that it can be difficult to optimise your vitamin D level just from food sources. Vitamin D is well known to prevent osteoporosis and promote strong bones and teeth but its role in disease prevention is probably less well known. So in the next few blog posts I want to look at its role in disease prevention starting with the immune system.

About fl1admin

Is Reiki a Placebo? – Part 3

Is slouching that bad for you? – part 2

Can I fitness tracker help you lose weight?

Can tackling the big questions in life make you less depressed and anxious?

Stretches to Help Lower Back Pain

Are you low in magnesium?

Start eating prebiotics to reduce stress levels

Can reflexology help you with period pain?

Soul Food

How to boost your Vitamin D levels?

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