What we eat builds the foundations of our health, and yet so many of us have such a complicated relationship with food. If you are willing to work on that relationship, you can develop a healthier attitude and learn to listen to your body’s natural cues. Having an awareness of what you eat, the beliefs you hold around food and thinking about what you are putting into your body can help to promote healthy habits that encourage both mental and physical wellness. Controlling your eating and making healthy choices doesn’t have to mean bland, you can feel excited about food changes and not restricted. With the festive season just around the corner, why not bring a little conscious cooking into your kitchen. See the real benefit that incorporating herbs and spices into your food can make, such as food being more exciting/flavoursome without added calories as well as being a great substitute for salt, sugar and saturated fat. Why not try some of the following herbs and spices in your cooking:
If possible try to use herbs in their fresh form and if cooking add when the food is almost finished cooking to retain the flavour and aroma. *Please be mindful of any allergies you may have when selecting herbs and spices. #consciouscooking #herbalremedies #herbalist #homemade #kitchenguide
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As Winter draws in the nights get longer, the days get colder and all around us parts of the natural world go into hibernation. Nothing says snuggle down under the duvet and grab a quick forty winks more than a grey winters afternoon, but as nature around us slows down and takes time to regenerate we continue to push ourselves to take on an even busier, fast paced, intensive schedule particularly during the month of December. This is the time of year when it is reported that stress levels jump, depression spikes and day to day health declines and while a Winter's nap wont solve all your problems it will give you that all important window of time to focus on your own self care and wellbeing in amongst the rush of the season. Napping may not be something that you will be able to squeeze into everyday, but when the opportunity does arise allow yourself permission to take hold of the moment. Not only will a quick snooze leave you feeling reengergised and refreshed but it will also help reduce stress and increase your feelings of emotional wellness. GETTING THE TIMING RIGHT When setting your timer for napping there are two ideal time lengths. The first is 30 minutes as this is just the right amount of time to allow you to grab a quick replenish without entering deep sleep (which is hard and no fun to wake out of). The second is 90 minutes and this is roughly the length of a full sleep cycle meaning you will enter REM sleep and wake up feeling bright and refreshed. BEFORE YOU START Find yourself a restful space where you can position your body in such a way that it is comfortable and when relaxed you will be able to drift off to sleep. You may want to use pillows, a snuggly blanket or even a hot water bottle to up the cosy vibes. For many of us sleeping in the middle of the day may not feel like the most natural of things and it is important to relax your mind into the moment as it is not uncommon for your brain to resist the unusal change to your daily routine. If you are struggling to find your way to the land of nod there are a couple of ways you could ease yourself into a sense of calm : 1. Focus on your breathing, hold your attention on your inhaling and exhaling. Breathe in for the count of 5, hold for the count of 4 and breathe out for the count of 10. Repeat this process for around fives minutes to allow the chatter of your mind to fade away. 2. Starting with your fingers and toes and slowly moving up the body do a couple of slow, gentle stretches. You should stay lying or sitting down, whichever is the more comfortable position for your upcoming nap. 3. Thoughts, ideas and feelings will creep into your head as you prepare yourself to nap, but it is important to not try and blank them out as this may result in a resistance that makes it hard to relax into sleep. Instead acknowledge these thoughts and then move on, not holding on to anything for a prolonged amount of time before returning all your attention to the inhaling and exhaling of your breathing. After not too long you should have settled down to enjoy a quick winters nap. #wintersnap #sleeptherapy #hypnotherapy #hygge
When it comes to Christmas in November there are definitely two types of people: those that are already talking trees, favourite christmas movies and all things festive and those that will be sticking their fingers in their ears and shaking their heads with a ‘too early’ anytime a christmas song is played before December the 1st. As we already know Christmas is a whole lot more than what you find under the tree on Christmas morning but there is also a deeper level to the holidays beyond the twinkling fairy lights that meet the eye. This Christmas season take the time to close your eyes, inhale a deep breath and allow yourself to enjoy the nostalgic and familiar scents that remind us that it is beginning to smell a lot like Christmas. Research has discovered that not only does this time of year tend to smell amazing but these smells could actually be beneficial to your mind and body. So if you are already a Christmas fanatic you can start enjoying the festivities and these unknown benefits on a whole new level and if you are finding it too early to bring out the tinsel, you can just block out the baubles and simply breathe. THE CHRISTMAS TREE There is nothing quite like the smell of a real life Christmas tree. If you ever get the chance head out to the woods or even just have a wander around your local christmas tree farm and breathe in their sweet, earthy aroma. Scientists in Japan have revealed that this nostalgic scent of the season may also be good for your health. They discovered that the smell of pine needles can be beneficial in combating anxiety, stress and depression. Just breathing in their scent can improve your mood and overall feeling of wellbeing. CINNAMON This spice packs a festive punch and not only does it smell as if Christmas has just exploded inside your nose but studys have also discovered that it can help improve brain performance and memory. Research has found that just catching a whiff of Cinnamon can impact cognitive processing and increase attentional processes, visual-motor response speed and working memory, which could come in handy when trying to get through a Christmas to-do list as long as Santa’s. A FESTIVE ORANGE From dried orange garlands and clove studded orange pomanders to the traditional orange found in the toe of your stocking. Not only do oranges around the home look incredibly festive but the citrusy aroma has been shown to boost energy levels and increase alertness. It is also a great scent for creating a sense of composure and studies have found that a little sniff of orange can do wonders for helping to keep people calm under pressure. Perfect for when you need to navigate those hustling, bustling Christmas crowds. #christmas #hypnotherapy #festivefun #emotionalwellbeing
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AuthorEvery month we will be delivering little snippets of therapy news alongside seasonal tips and tricks for the the mind and body, exclusively for our newsletter tribe. So why not get comfy, take some time out from your busy day and enjoy a catch up chatter with us. Take a seat on our therapy couch and allow yourself to breathe, escape and grow. Archives
November 2018
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