Reflexologist and reiki practitioner Laura Devonshire looks at hydration - why it is so important, what it can affect and how much and what we should be drinking to keep hydrated. It’s summer (hurrah!) and this season’s theme at West Norwood Therapies is water. I have been exploring water and the human body and why hydration is so critical. Water is essential for life and for our bodies to function optimally. On average water makes up around 60% of body weight in men and 50-55% in women (this can vary depending on age and body composition). Drinking enough water each day is essential for the function of all the cells in the body, it helps us to: regulate body temperature, keep eyes and joints lubricated, helping to rid waste and transport nutrients, helps convert food into energy, protects the nervous system, prevents infection, and keeps organs functioning properly. Some organs contain much more water than others and I found it staggering to learn that the brain and kidneys possess the highest percentage of water: a whopping 80-85%, followed by the heart and lungs 75-80%, muscles, the liver and skin are 70-75%, blood is 50%, bones are 20-25% and lastly teeth at 8-10%. This helps to put into context how dehydration can have so many symptoms and consequences. The current UK recommendation is to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid per day, more specific recommendations about the quantity needed at different ages are shown below: (provided by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): The EFSA assume that 20% of fluid intake comes from food and 80% comes from drinks.
It is also important to note that doing strenuous activity or living in hotter or more humid climates may need more than the above. The body works hard to find balance and drinking too little or too much water can have severe consequences. The warning signs of dehydration include:
As mentioned above the brain contains 85% water, dehydration can also impact on cognitive function with difficulty in concentrating, impacting mood making us prone to feeling angry, anxious, and irritated. It’s important to note that on the flip side at the extreme end of consuming too much water, can lead to hyponatraemia, a very serious condition that causes extremely low sodium levels in the blood. It is more common for people to suffer with the symptoms of dehydration. The best way to avoid dehydration is to keep track of how much fluid you drink and drink water throughout the day. It’s ideal to avoid excessive caffeine drinks as they have a diuretic effect on the body, as does alcohol. Of course, I am not staying to cut them out but to just be mindful of intake and ensure you’re having an adequate water intake too. If you have been unwell with a fever or diarrhoea, playing sports or have been sweating a lot in high temperatures: drinking coconut water or a sports drink or rehydration drink can help to replenish your electrolytes and essential salts and minerals. Swap sugary drinks for sugar-free or no added sugar and dilute squash drinks to reduce the sugar content. If you don’t like the taste of water you can try sparkling water or try adding a slice of lemon or lime, some berries or cucumber.
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WNT founder Jennie Duck shares her love of river swimming and how she overcame her hesitations to get in the water this year. I live in Scotland right by the river. It has always been a fantasy of mine to live right by a river – a swimmable river – and sometimes I have to pinch myself to know that this is in fact my life. Normally I am itching to get in for my first swim of the year and this has been as early as April in our 5 years here. I have fantasies of going for a dip every day of the year at some point, but with young children and various life demands I am not aiming to achieve this anytime soon. But over the summer months I love to go in for mini-dips, mega-dips, paddles and full submersive swims. But this year I haven’t wanted to! With this theme of swimming for our summer news I volunteered to write about my first swim of the year and promptly regretted it when I realised that it would involve, well, going for a swim. I have a 9-month-old baby now as well as a 7yr old home-educated child and time has become so hazy and precisely precious all at once. We still live like in lockdown, we are both self-employed working from home and being alone is a hard thing to find at present. Having a shower now constitutes self-care time and I find myself having to choose between things that I used to value as daily activities. I can do some yoga OR tend to my veg patch. I can wash my hair OR go for a run. Swimming in the river involves a change of clothes, a short walk and a shower – that’s like 4 days personal activities all in one.. 😉 I kept thinking of the benefits I get from swimming outdoors – the freshness, the absolute presence in nature, the warm glow afterwards, the sense of achievement – and wondering when I would find these more urgent than a bit of time on my yoga mat or rescuing the beetroot from the weeds. It didn’t come – but my family did! I come from a family who grew up swimming in rivers and the sea. My mum used to say, “I’m always happy by water” and perhaps as a family of Ducks it is no surprise that we are all energised and nourished by water and being in it.
This was a different experience than the solo experience which boosts my emotional, mental and physical health by the combination of headspace, nature, exercise and freedom. This was fun, community, connection, joy, sharing AND nature, exercise and freedom!
As I read the interviews Tessa has done with her swimming clients and Philippa’s input on swimming around perimenopause, I can see the place for doing these things in community, for the joy that can only come from sharing and doing things together. The poet Ross Gay writes about his experience focusing on delight and joy “Which is to say, I felt my life to be more full of delight. Not without sorrow or fear or pain or loss. But more full of delight. I also learned this year that my delight grows—much like love and joy—when I share it.” Then I read Erika’s words on our senses and understand that I still want to go for my solo swims, to nurture my interior landscape as well. Maybe the weeds can defeat the beetroot this year and I can get in an extra few dips… Acupuncturist Philippa Summers looks at what women can experience from perimenopause onwards and how exercise and swimming can be of great benefit around these years. At a recent party on a chilly evening in the garden I asked a friend in a strappy dress if she was warm enough, she lightly replied “Oh, yes, I have my own personal weather system”. Made me chuckle but menopause is no laughing matter. Some women sail through but for others the symptoms can be unbearable and debilitating and can take a huge toll on just about every aspect of life. It can be a time when women feel at a loss with the changes that are happening to them, bewildered by them. Getting the balance between seeing them as a medical issue and a transformative time of adjustment can be helpful in easing women through this phase of life with greater serenity and joy, with a combined approach offering great benefits. Among the most common symptoms are hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes, tiredness, vaginal discomfort, loss of libido and brain fog, but it affects women very differently and you may experience a range of other physical, mental and emotional symptoms. They can start as women enter the perimenopausal phase, often in their mid 40s, sometimes earlier, usually but not always accompanied by changes in their menstrual cycle. From a medical perspective getting diagnosed is the first step to understanding the changes you are going through and finding solutions that suit you, including HRT. The options can be simple with far reaching benefits. Finding the right choices for you will not only help you to feel better but importantly also help to protect your future health, particularly cardiovascular and bone health. From a lifestyle perspective nutrition, exercise, sleep, relaxation and strong social and emotional connections provide the foundations for your wellbeing, regardless of whether or not you take HRT. Acupuncture can also play a supportive role in helping women ease through the transition, connecting mind with body, with proven benefits for some of the associated symptoms including hot flushes, low mood and anxiety, poor sleep, aches and pain. I have included a link to a resource with a wealth of info at the end, including medical, lifestyle, social and political info. Now, for an overview of exercise and then a brief focus on swimming, our topic for this summer newsletter, in relation to menopause. Exercise From perimenopause onwards physical activity can help to prevent muscle loss which occurs naturally as we age, support a healthy weight reducing the risk of chronic disease and improve cardiovascular, respiratory and bone health. Exercise will build strength, support the joints and alleviate the aches and pain, and the mood enhancing benefits of exercise can help in the way we perceive pain. Additionally, it can help with sleep and generally help you to feel better. If you have specific health issues that limit your activity then seek appropriate advice and support. As a guide try to get about 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 times a week but if you are new to exercise then start light with 10 mins a day and build up gradually. Aim for a combination of exercise each week:
Cold water swimming is anecdotally very helpful to relieve hot flushes and some of the other symptoms of menopause. It has proven stress relieving and anxiety reducing benefits which can last for several days, and also helps immunity. We are fortunate to have Tooting and Brockwell Park lidos on our doorstep. During the winter especially, they are places with a strong sense of community and camaraderie. If you intend to swim into the winter months then start swimming during the warmer summer and autumn months so that you can gradually acclimatise. As the temperatures cool check out the cold water swimming guides so that you adjust safely and do not overdo your exposure to the cold.
More Information If you are seeking more information the Balance-Menopause website, set up by menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson, is a good place to start for understanding more about the perimenopause and menopause and finding support, with an app to track symptoms if you wish. Their mission is to make menopause support inclusive and accessible to everyone globally, with some extremely useful free resources. If you have symptoms then seek out a menopause trained specialist to confirm diagnosis and guide you through treatment choices - HRT, alternative options and lifestyle advice all have a role to play. Sports massage therapist Tessa Glover interviews her client Emily Hayter who is a competitive swimmer who trains with Spencer swimming club. Emily shares how she approaches training and competing and encourages us that swimming can be taken up at any age and stage. Thanks for sharing Emily! How long have you been a competitive swimmer? I always loved the water and I swam competitively for a few years in my early teens while I was living in Canada. I swam on and off on my own after that but was mainly keeping active through other things. After a 17 year break from club swimming I joined a Masters club, Spencer, in London in my early 30s and started competing again. How did you come to choose your preferred swimming stroke and distance? It's changed since I was younger, partly due to injuries (eg no breastroke because of my knees so no medley events anymore). The only one of my favourite events from when I was younger which I'm still doing is the 50m butterfly. One thing that's great about pool swimming is you learn and practise all four strokes, so everyone finds their own favourite. Aside from the 50 fly I race all freestyle, everything from 100m to 1500m. This year I'm also doing my first open water event which will be 3800m. At some point I might need to choose between the short and long distances though, as it's difficult to train for both at the same time. What do you love most about swimming? What does it give you? As an adult, swimming in a club has brought me back to a regular fitness schedule, guided by a coach and in the company of great fellow swimmers. I get so much more from it than I was getting just from going to the gym. I've also made new friends and started going on swimming trips like training camps at Club La Santa in Lanzarote and sea swimming holidays in Italy with SwimTrek. I feel inspired by the older swimmers in Masters, many of whom are still racing and setting records in their 60s and beyond. Club swimming has brought me great examples of how to stay fit in later life. What's the toughest part of training for a competition? I've always been more of a training person than a racing person. I like training and usually go 3 times a week with Spencer. Some people are the opposite, they love racing but not so much training. The unpredictability can be tough in both training and racing. You have good days and bad days in the pool, and they can be quite random (ie not linked to diet, rest etc) which can be discouraging. So trust and confidence in the training you've been doing throughout the year is important. There's also a lot of technique to think about in swimming, and we work on that all the time. It's difficult to change ingrained habits and patterns of movement, and it takes patience. I usually find that as soon as I fix one technique detail I start doing something else wrong! So it's a continuous process. Can a swimmer get into competitive swimming as an adult? Definitely! I know several people who only started doing lane swimming or learned all the strokes as adults and then got into competitions, either in pool/Masters swimming, open water or triathlon. At my club not everyone competes in pool competitions, some people do triathlon or open water and others just train for fitness and don't compete at all. How do you look after yourself physically and mentally? I do pilates a few times a week, which helps with management of old knee and back injuries that would otherwise prevent me from swimming. Swimming encourages me to do these types of conditioning exercises I should have been doing before but wasn't motivated to do. I used to do yoga but after learning more about hypermobility I swapped to pilates and find it better for me. I also go for massages with Tessa at WNT which really helps me manage a neck issue I've developed. I'm lucky to have generally good mental health. I try to maintain it through exercise, work/life balance, social life and occasional restorative yoga. I love food and eat a lot but generally pretty healthily. Another thing I should have mentioned that swimming gives me is the excuse for a lot of snacking.
How long have you been a swimmer and when did you discover the joy of open water swimming?
Although I learned to swim as a child I only took up Open Water swimming aged 51. As my youngest son finished his A levels, I found myself with more time at weekends. I know you consider yourself to be a slow swimmer compared to others but you are a strong endurance swimmer. When did you discover that you can swim long distances? And what’s the key to endurance swimming? After a few 1 mile (1.6km) lake swim events I decided I wanted to take on bigger challenges, so next up was a 1.9km then a 3km swim. I couldn't find anyone to join me for the Jubilee river 10km relay and ended up signing up to swim solo instead. It was at this point I decided I needed some swim coaching so joined Windrush Triathlon club, a multi-sports club in south London. After the Jubilee marathon I did several other long distance swims and also went on some open water swimming holidays. My tips for endurance swimming are to keep working on your swimming technique over winter, then gradually build up to longer distances in lakes, rivers and the sea as the weather warms up. Experience of being able to handle currents, cooler water and all weather conditions helps a lot. Breathing, technique and cardio fitness combined? Anything else? Relaxed breathing comes with practice and I would also recommend some strength and conditioning sessions and of course regular sports massages. What do you consider to be the main benefits of open water swimming? I experience a huge sense of wellbeing swimming outside. I love the sensation of moving through the water, hearing birds, seeing fish (sometimes) and feeling part of nature. The open water swimming community is extremely friendly and I love the challenge of different water conditions. A sea swim between the same two points will be different every single time so you never get bored. I like to think there are health benefits and I definitely feel more mentally resilient. What advice would you give to people who would like to try lake or sea swimming for the first time? Many venues have introductory sessions so I would try these. Don't wait until you can persuade a friend, as you will meet like-minded people there. For sea swimming I would rely on local knowledge and join online communities. For a first time open water swimmer, what are essential items they should buy/borrow? Essential items are a comfortable swimming costume, a brightly coloured swim cap and goggles. If you want to try a longer swim and/or cooler water, a wetsuit is recommended. You can hire these at many venues if you want to try one out. I bought my first wetsuit second-hand. Make sure it is a swimming wetsuit though, a surfing one will restrict your shoulders. I would also recommend a tow-float unless it is very windy and the first time you swim against the current (outside an organised event), fins can be useful. Margi is Swim Captain at Windrush Triathlon Club https://windrushtri.co.uk/swimming Massage therapist Erika Zettervall explores our senses - the big 5 and some lesser recognised ones that shape our experiences - and suggests some ways of using this to cultivate calm and a richer experience. We have five main senses that we all are likely to be very familiar with and three or four lesser known senses. These are connected to sensory organs. Our main senses: Vision - eyes Touch - skin Hearing - ears Smell - nose Taste- tongue The lesser known senses are perhaps just ones that have not been incorporated into everyday thinking about senses. There are several and it varies depending on how much you break them down into finer systems and functions.
Balance – the vestibular system – tells us whether we’re in equilibrium or not, and whether we’re in motion or not. We have the inner ear to thank for that one. The sense of pain – nociception – is nerve or tissue damage felt in the skin, joints, bones, and internal organs. Proprioception or position Temperature There is also interoception related to how things feel on the inside for example blood pressure, sense of stretch in the bladder Through external sensory input our brains interpret nerve signals and conjure up a picture that gives us all a unique view of the world. Colour adds a dimension to seeing and we all experience colour differently. The artist Cezanne described it as where the brain and the universe meet. Practicing a wider sensory awareness will create a richness in life and is useful to bring calm and presence. A simple way to bring to ground yourself and reduce anxiety is tuning into the five main senses: What can I see: looking around, pick large or small items to focus on, try to notice the colour, texture, and patterns. What can I touch: notice skin whilst taking palm to palm, fabric of clothes, any object you can pick up and touch, putting hand (or body) into water. What do I hear: near, far, from different directions and volume. What can I smell: you can bring things to your nose but also notice if and what you can pick up from the air. What do I taste: if you don’t have anything at hand think about distinct flavours as you remember them like lemon, coffee, something sweet, Noticing and observing the sensations from the surroundings brings you into the space and present to the moment. It also orientates you into the now, geographically and in time. In addition it will also subtly enrich and broaden any experience. With anxiety we are away worrying about what may or may not happen, sometimes completely fictional but the fear appears real. Becoming present in the moment this way aids the distinction between factual and fictional fears. For example; good to hear a car approaching whilst out walking rather than being away in the mind somewhere else, worrying about things that might or might not happen. Since we have a focus on water and swimming with our blogs from West Norwood Therapies this summer, a suggestion from me is to bring your senses into interactions with water. Apart from taste for obvious reasons. When immersing into water notice the sensations on the skin, sense the texture, temperature and scent. The sea water is very different to a lake or pool in texture, scent and colour. Listen for the sounds both being in, under and around water. If you are by the coast, gaze out at the offing, where the sky meets the ocean. Pay attention to the sounds sounds and smells and you can have an awe-inducing full body/mind experience. Observe water move - be it waves of the sea, swirling brook, big water fall or rain is mesmerising and meditative, adding the sound and smell of it the experience swells. Stepping out just after rain, scenting the petrichor brings calm and joy. Bring your senses to your summer water adventures and see if it will increase experience of awe and joy. Acupuncturist Mihaly Rosta shares some information about the Chinese Medicine concept of 'dampness' in the body and factors that might cause and help this. Is diet just about what you eat? Sluggishness (especially) in the mornings; Heaviness of body and mind; Bloating; Loose, sticky stools; Swelling; Weight gain. These are only a few symptoms of Dampness in the body. Damp.. what?
Imagine a clear beautiful river gracefully flowing through a forest. Now what if this river is being filled with debrish? It slowly becomes cloggy and turn into dirty mud. The most common cause for this muddiness to develop in the body is improper DIET. Excessive intake of fried, greasy, raw food; as well as alcohol, sugar, dairy, and even meat may result in the symptoms described above. However before removing unhealthy, overly processed foods from the diet, it’s important to intorduce new, appropriate foods in your diet. On the picture you may see a simple stir-fry dish, perfect for lunch or even breakfast -accompanied by some soup or tea. Bitter and slightly pungent/aromatic food like kohlrabi and romain lettuce are excellent at transforming congealed body fluids. Add some radish and leeks in order to strengthen the Lungs (Metal/Autumn) and clear any damp/phlegm that may reside there. Kidney -especially Aduki- beans are great source of protein in this case. Complementing the dish I also used garlic, thyme and parsley to help clear excessive mucus. To make this dish more seasonal, add some water and cook it on low heat. In order to introduce the sour balancing flavour of autumn (Metal) you may finish your dishes by squeezing some lemon/lime juice over them. Making small changes in the diet is an excellent tool for becoming more healthy over time. However if an already developed illness (or any of the symptoms above) are present, acupuncture treatment may be especially beneficial in order to address those issues. Please note that we always advise patients to see a professional Acupuncturist in order to determine the accurate diagnoses, which allows us to make personalised recommendations. For any seriously health concerns please see your GP. #diet #damp #acupuncture #bloated #sluggish #autumn Acupuncturist Philippa Summers delves into the world of healthy bacteria - microbiome - and gives some helpful insights and tips as to how this can benefit us along with a delicious saurkraut recipe to help us along. Did you know that your body contains roughly as many bacterial cells as human cells? Along with viruses and fungi, and their collective DNA, they make up our microbiome. The microbiome varies hugely from person to person and plays a crucial role in determining our health. There is a whole eco system living on your skin and within you, in your respiratory tract, your reproductive tract, in breast and other tissue, but primarily in the intestines – the gut microbiome. Among them are vitally important beneficial microbes that help to keep the disease-causing pathogens at bay, while also enhancing and interacting with many of the vital internal processes that work to keep us well. The Benefits of a Healthy Gut Microbiome A healthy gut microbiome has benefits that extend throughout the body and is considered by some to be equivalent to an additional organ, such is its importance. It plays a crucial role in helping to maintain and support metabolic function, immunity, plus cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive and menopausal health, as well as helping with sleep, mental well- being and brain function. It is an area of intense research, with more being discovered all the time. The scope of its influence cannot be overstated. A healthy gut microbiome is anti- inflammatory and helps to combat the development and progression of a whole range of chronic health issues and to reduce infections throughout the body, helping in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Type 2 diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, Parkinson’s, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, hypertension, dementia, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, vaginal infections, asthma, allergies, autoimmune diseases, IBS, IBD, some cancers...the list goes on... have all been shown to have an association with an unhealthy balance in the gut microbiome. It is the subject of ongoing research to determine the processes and balance of cause and effect between disease and the microbiome. A High Fibre Diet supports the Microbiome Our environment, where we live, who we live with, how we interact with our environment but particularly our diet has a huge influence on the microbiome, and for each of us our microbial fingerprint will be unique and changing dynamically all the time. A poor low fibre diet of refined carbohydrates like white flour, white rice and particularly simple sugars will encourage inflammation and take the balance of good bacteria to bad inan unhealthy direction. A healthy high fibre diet on the other hand will help to support the community of beneficial bacteria, which ferment more complex carbohydrates that we cannot otherwise digest, into nutrients with anti-inflammatory and metabolic health benefits. The beneficial bacteria lie mainly in the colon at the far reaches of our intestines and to feed and support them we need a diet where the carbohydrate portion of what we eat can pass through the upper reaches of the intestines to the colon without previously being completely broken down. Simple and refined carbs get broken down too high up in our guts but high fibre complex carbohydrates (wholegrains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit) make it all the way to where they are needed. Aim for a wide variety of colourful plant foods including herbs and spices to aid digestion, and of course include proteins and healthy fats for a balanced diet. We feed these bacteria and they in turn feed us with the beneficial by-products of their meal. Think good housemates - you provide the healthy ingredients, and they cook up a feast! The healthy foods we provide them with are the prebiotics, the healthy ‘bugs’ are the probiotics. Choosing Probiotic Foods and Supplements Some species of these healthy bacteria will have established themselves as long term residents of our gut, beginning at birth and supported early on by breastfeeding. We can augment this existing population by eating fermented foods containing other beneficial live bacteria, or for convenience and maybe for specific health issues by taking them as supplements. To reap the benefits, we need to choose those that are alive and can survive through the upper reaches of the gut all the way to the colon as many cannot survive the acid of the stomach. How our individual microbiome interacts with our own metabolism and diet is complex and more in-depth studies that take a personalised approach are the subject of ongoing research, one of the largest being the Zoe PREDICT studies. A peek at these studies will show you how complicated a field it is. People with a histamine sensitivity may not tolerate probiotics and care should be taken by people with bowel conditions like IBS and IBD. Deciding which strains are most beneficial is a complex subject which varies from person to person and according to the health issues being addressed, and I suspect is obscured by the commercial nature of supplements and the influence on research. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most widely recommended in supplements, with many species and strains of each offering different benefits. A little more of that below in relation to women’s health and gut health but to go into more detail is beyond the scope of my experience or this blog. If you prefer to take supplements in my opinion Optibac are a reliable good value brand and provide a simple useful guide with formulas for a variety of situations: every day, after taking antibiotics, for women’s health including during pregnancy and for gut health. Symprove receives wide recommendation but is much more expensive and is limited to a single multi-strain formula. I am not suitably knowledgable to offer any wholeheartedrecommendations but those are a couple of reliable options. You can eat fermented foods as well or instead. For Women’s Health including fertility and menopause Lactobacillus species support a healthy vaginal microbiome where they help to keep disease causing yeasts and bacteria at bay, by maintaining a favourable protective acidic environment. From the research so far, implantation and reduced incidence of early pregnancy loss are also supported when the predominant species in the uterus are Lactobacilli. They are of benefit when taken orally, even for colonising the reproductive tract. Lactobacillus species can also be helpful at alleviating some of the symptoms of menopause via the two-way interaction between oestrogen levels and the gut microbiome. Yoghurt, kefir and Sauerkraut are all high in Lactobacillus species and other lactic acid bacteria. For Gut Health For people with gut issues like IBS and IBD I would recommend seeking guidance from a dietary or nutritional specialist. Some of the otherwise healthy prebiotic foods can contribute to symptoms, and some probiotic strains can be helpful while others may exacerbate symptoms. Probiotic Fermented Foods For general health benefits why not try a range of different live unpasteurised probiotic foods such as kefir, yoghurt, kombucha, kimchi, miso or sauerkraut to see which you like and which suit you? Or try making your own. They can be more potent than probiotics supplements and much cheaper, too, and all have different microbial profiles and benefits. Some ferments like kefir and kamboucha contain a range of yeast and bacteria while others like yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi are predominantly bacterial. Additionally, as they have fermented over a period of time the fermented product will contain high amounts of more easily digestible nutrients that are a by-product of the fermentation process. Making your own fermented foods If you fancy making a home-made ferment you can try the simple sauerkraut recipe below. Incidentally, I was surprised to learn that sauerkraut, despite its German name, originated around 2000 years ago in China and came to Europe in the 1600s. Making Kimchi, a spicy Korean ferment, is similar and there are plenty of recipes online. If you really want to get into ferments then I recommend Fermentation by Asa Simonsson which covers a whole range of fermented foods and drinks including vegan dairy, or check out the many websites and blogs on fermenting. Sauerkraut Recipe You will need a container in which to ferment the veg before transferring it to smaller jars
for storage, and you will also need weights to hold the veg below the surface of the liquid while it ferments. You could use a large wide necked jar with a lid but you will need to keep an eye on it and keep releasing the gas that will build up inside. Or you may wish to buy a fermenting jar or a crock pot which allow the gas to release automatically. Some come with weights, others don’t. Ingredients 1kg finely chopped white or red cabbage (you can substitute some of the cabbage with grated carrot, beetroot and apple to make a total of 1kg veg) 15g sea salt Optional spices: 1 tbsp chopped garlic/ginger 1 tsp caraway seeds, chili flakes, peppercorns, seaweed etc Method • Place the veg, salt and spices in a large clean bowl mix well and massage with your hands for 5 mins. Leave for 5 mins. • Massage and squeeze again for about 20-25 mins until you have plenty of juice and the veg has softened. • Pack into the fermenting jar or crock, add the weight so that all the veg is completely submerged in the briny liquid. This is very important as the fermentation will spoil if the veg is exposed to the air. • Put on the lid and leave at room temperature to ferment. The fermenting jars have a valve, the crock has a sunken rim that you fill with water so the gases release automatically. Keep checking that the water level around the rim is above the notch in the lid. • Leave for anything from 5 days to 4 weeks depending on the room temperature and how sour you like it. I leave mine for about 10 days. As the sauerkraut ferments is becomes more acidic which most bugs can’t tolerate and you’ll end up with a tasty ferment rich in acid tolerant Lactobacillus. The result should be a crisp, slightly sour, flavoursome kraut. If it becomes mouldy, slimy or smells rotten then something has gone wrong, so discard. Pack into clean jars, pressing the veg below the surface of the liquid and store in the fridge. Keeps for weeks, months according to the experts but I’ve never left it that long. Great in a sandwich, salad or as a meal accompaniment.A word of warning - as your body adjusts to fibre and probiotics you may find you are a bit more flatulent, but it should settle down after a few days, start with a little and build up. In any case, a little every day is better than larger quantities less frequently. Masssage therapist Lauren O'Sullivan discusses her experience massaging a care home resident and shares some suggestions as to how to benefit your loved ones with some simple positive touch. Carers and care homes provide essential medical care for people experiencing long-term illness. Good quality care upholding the person’s dignity and respect is important and necessary. In my experience working as a massage therapist for a care home resident, I have seen great quality of care within the home. However, a lot of the care provided is for medical treatment or vital tasks such as washing, feeding or manoeuvring. Physical touch is experienced impassively and routinely. This type of touch is necessary for medical care but we should also consider the person’s emotional needs and how a more sensitive touch may help to improve their wellbeing.
Of course, family and friends can provide emotional support and engage in a more soothing physical touch but more often than not, their touch is fleeting. Sustained sensitive touch can have physical effects on the body to instill calm and reduce anxiety and even pain. This is where complementary therapies can come in. I provide massage therapy to a resident at a local care home once a fortnight and I have been providing treatment for them for almost 4 years. They look forward to our treatments together and I can physically see the relief and relaxation that a little massage therapy gives them. I will share a little of my experience here in the hope that it may help carers or family to understand why and how to provide some gentle massage themselves. Before starting any massage therapy I was very conscious as to how it may affect the individual and how their illness may alter my approach. I did my research, consulted with their carers and, most importantly, communicated with the individual themselves. If verbal communication isn’t possible then try and find another way to communicate. Either through written words, flashcards, or if motor control is very limited, there may be an Eyegaze in place. Eyegaze is a screen setup in front of the patient to capture their eye movements to letters on the screen, which then forms words and sentences from their gaze. When using non-verbal communication it can take some getting used to and feedback can be slow. The answer is being patient and explorative with different methods and areas of massage, waiting for a response to each new sensation or area before continuing or adjusting. On the other hand, if the person has physical responses these can sometimes be quicker than verbal communication! Communication is important in any massage treatment as individuals will have starkly different physical and emotional responses to it. It’s also important to consider what the patient’s goal for the therapy is; the ‘why’. Is it pain relief? To reduce anxiety? For increased relaxation and wellbeing? For variety and stimulation in conversation and communication? All of these and more are relevant and people will have different priorities. If the goal is to soothe, relax and reduce stress then light pressure, slightly more than if stroking a cat, is all that is needed and carers and family members are able to provide this kind of touch. Thinking about stimulating circulation, you ideally want the direction of your strokes to be going back towards the heart. So when working on the arms, my strokes will generally be going upwards towards the shoulder. Think about the structures of the body and get a feel for the difference between muscle, tendons/ligaments and bone. Generally muscles will feel softer or springier than their tendons and ligaments. Tendons and ligaments are what surround joints at the two ends of a muscle. Bone should feel different again, this isthe hardest of the structures. When providing gentle massage, we only want to be acting on the muscles. With consent from the patient, have a feel for these different structures and try to identify the muscles. It may be stimulating for them to isolate and pay attention to different muscles within their body and notice how they feel. There are some key areas that tend to provide relief for most people. These are the shoulders - squeezing the tops of the shoulders can feel really nice and this can also be done through clothing. Around the ankles and feet can feel nice and provide a ‘lighter’ feeling. And finally some very light head massage can provide relief from headaches and tension - gently pressing into the bridge of the nose, lightly squeezing the eyebrows and massaging the temples in a circular motion are great places to start. Ultimately, deciding on what areas to massage comes back to communication with the person receiving the therapy. Constantly giving and receiving feedback and creating trust with your patient, friend or family member is the most important consideration when beginning any massage or touch therapy. Be patient, understand their needs and their individual response to any new touch you may give. Just because slightly more pressure feels good in one area, it may be intolerable in another. Massage is a constant feedback loop! Treating my client within care has taught me so much and enabled me to grow as a therapist. I am more than happy to discuss this topic further if it would help you - please reach out to me at sportsmassagesos@gmail.com. Acupuncturist and tui na massage therapist Mihaly Rosta shares some thoughts around how we process and store emotion, stress and experience in our bodies in this insightful blog It is now becoming a mainstream concept that our psyche has a direct effect on our bodies (soma) and vica versa. However, most people still miss the chance to realise the ’cause and effect’ relation between their bodily suffering and their mental state. Often when we feel vulnerable with slow self-esteem our posture collapses, our shoulders become rounded and our breathing turns shallow. Likewise, when we feel stressed (threatened) our body naturally prepares for battle and starts using our muscular system as armoring. Unfortunately, our nervous system cannot make a differentiation between psycho-emotional and physical threats. Whilst it is natural and necessary to experience stress, unfortunately, a lot of us (if not most of us) get trapped in a cycle of constant stress. Whether that will manifest as a hyperactivated or “frozen” state of our nervous system, it will also directly affect our musculoskeletal system. Which in return leads to misalignment, shortened and inactivated muscles. Thus prolonged emotions often lead to muscle pain. In worse cases, to chronic debilitating pain. Our body is a feedback system that is constantly telling us how we feel and where we need adjustment. It is our choice wether to listen or not. In any case our choices will lead to consequences. There are at least 71 channels or pathways used in Chinese Medicine. They all have different purpose and effect when accessed during an Acupuncture session. However there are 12 sinew channels -encompassing all muscles, tendons, ligaments- that a Tuina Massage therapist works with predominantly. In terms of Chinese Medicine, people experiencing high amount of stress and anxiety usually leads to the qi (vital energy) to be trapped in the upper part of the body. You don’t even have to imagine it. Just pay attention to your body when this happens. You will feel as you cannot breath deep into your abdomen, you chest might feel a bit heavy and constricted. Your shoulder (especially your trapezius muscle) will tighten and raise your shoulder. You might even feel tension in your neck as in something is pulling on it -from around a place between your scapula. This is a basic explanation of when certain Sinew channel pathways become tense and constricted. The real problem is however, when these muscles groups are shortened for a prolonged time, as they will literally start building up armour -especially around the shoulder- that will feel like wood or concrete. Thus ’emotional armouring’. There are many ways to reverse this process, however it will always require consistency and investment.
Wether you go for massages regularly, be seen by an osteopath or attend yoga classes. Real, long lasting change will only happen if you bild awareness in your body. You will need to leave behind aggravating habits and pick up new ones that help to release this armour causing you muscle pain. That is why Qigong and Tai Chi classes are excellent. Because you not only learn exercises to help and relax both your body and mind. But you also build -over time- deep awareness in your body and your life. |
AuthorBlogs from the WNT team. For our blogs from before June 2020 please see individual profile pages - it's a good way to get to know practitioners too. Archives
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