Posted by admin on June 1, 2010 under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid | 
Massage is another helpful and enjoyable way of dealing with the stresses associated with insomnia, particularly for people who find it difficult to relax. To lie on a couch having your body caringly tended to can ease away all kinds of muscular and mental tensions. Touch and relaxation are healing in themselves; in addition, massage stimulates the circulation of blood and lymph, boosting the flow of oxygen and essential nutrients in the blood and also helping the body to free itself of waste toxins. This can be particularly beneficial for problems like rheumatism and arthritis.
It’s interesting how massage has taken off over the last decade in Britain, since the British are not famous for appreciating the power of touch. Some men, in particular, seem to find it hard to understand that touch can be intimate and healing without having to lead to a sexual clinch, and in some areas massage is only slowly losing its erotic associations. Yet it is one of the most ancient and most natural forms of therapy, practised since ancient times in the East, and adopted by Ancient Greek physicians as a valid aspect of medicine. It is now beginning to come into its own in the West, and is regarded as a valid therapy by both natural practitioners and hospital nurses.
Everyone can benefit from massage, from the very young to the very old. Baby massage is becoming quite popular; gently stroking your baby all over is not only soothing but will help him or her to grow up with a good sense of self-acceptance. Old people can benefit greatly from touch, and are often starved of it — a lack that can certainly contribute to insomnia. In addition, massage with a good oil helps to keep their skin strong and supple.
There are various methods of massage; probably the best-known is Swedish Massage which uses a variety of techniques to relieve stress, encourage circulation, take the tension out of tight muscles and break down fat. Becoming popular today is Intuitive Massage, which is less rigidly structured and also takes into account the body’s energy system.
A professional massage can take an hour or longer, and is a very pleasant experience. These days massage therapists often use aromatherapy oils in their massage oils.
Self-help
Many people find that giving a massage is a soothing as receiving one; more than one massage therapist has told me that focusing their attention on the other person is like a form of meditation. Couples attending massage courses find that it brings them closer; non-sexual touch can have a loving quality that can feed back into your sex life. And for couples going through a bad patch, emotionally or sexually, learning massage together can sometimes break through barriers that talking can’t.
Anyone can give a massage to their child, partner or relative, particularly concentrating on the neck and shoulders; but if you are untrained, keep your touch gentle — particularly if you massage someone’s head. It’s even nicer if you use a pleasantly scented aromatherapy oil. If you want to take it further, look out for evening classes or weekend courses. You can learn a great deal from the thorough and well-illustrated Book of Massage (details below) which gives instructions for intuitive massage, Shiatsu and reflexology, with sections on massaging babies and old people, and on the energy system and centres.
Massaging the feet
This can also be extraordinarily soothing, mentally and physically; among other benefits it draws tension away from the head, helping to calm an over-active mind. If you have a partner who is willing to massage your feet, try it after getting into bed; you may well find yourself drifting off to sleep.
Foot massage is also a very good way to get a fractious baby to settle down — just gently stroke the feet for a few minutes after a bath. Of course, with babies, you can do this at any time of day.
Massaging yourself
Self-massage is obviously not as satisfactory as having someone doing it for you, but it can still be quite soothing. Starting with your head, go down whatever bits of you you can reach, gently pressing and releasing with your palms and fingers. Then use your hands to lightly brush yourself down, smoothing out the energy field around you.
Simply massaging your hands and fingers can also release quite a lot of tension. Try it: you may find yourself yawning.
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Anti-Depressants/Sleeping Aid
Posted by admin on under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid |
Kinesiology is a way of examining and rebalancing the whole person. It can help the insomniac by identifying and correcting imbalances in body and mind, using a series of muscle tests and other techniques. It was the brainchild of an American chiropractor, Dr George Goodheart, who found that by testing the strength of specific muscles in a systematic way, it is possible to evaluate the patient’s state as a whole: nutritional/chemical, emotional, musculo-skeletal and energetic.
This system, which Dr Goodheart called Applied Kinesiology, is taught in the UK as Systematic Kinesiology; some practitioners refer to themselves as systematic kinesiologists, some as kinesiologists and some as kinesiotherapists. There are also simplified forms such as Touch for Health and Balanced Health, which are intended only for family use or as an adjunct to another therapy.
Some practitioners work purely as kinesiologists, while a number use kinesiology combined with other skills. An extremely basic form consists of testing whether a person’s arm becomes weaker or stronger in reaction to certain foods, substances, or thoughts. This can look impressive; it is fascinating to see how an anxious thought, for instance, or a sugar-lump in the mouth, can cause someone’s arm instantly to weaken, while a happy thought or a bite of an apple will strengthen it. However, serious kinesiologists regard this as a party trick: properly practised kinesiology is a great deal more complex.
It is based on the knowledge of a whole series of connections between particular muscles, organs, glands and bodily systems, including the acupuncture meridians and the circuitry of the brain and nervous system. So for correct treatment it’s important to go to somebody who has done a reasonable amount of training, as well as being a good counsellor.
For insomnia, says kinesiologist Maggie La Tourelle: ‘The first consideration would be to look for a balance in life, including nutrition, exercise and fresh air. Is the person in over-load or under-load? Some people don’t sleep because they are not doing enough in their lives, and are not satisfied or motivated; if they’re not expelling healthy energy during the day this can disturb them at night. Or are they working too hard? I would probably find all this out through counselling. I would look at the various stressors — emotional, work, environmental, chemical and so on, and identify where the stress is, both by counselling and by muscle testing.’
Muscle-testing is a way of asking the body non-verbal questions, to which its reactions give a truthful reply. To detect nutritional deficiencies and allergic reactions, the kinesiologist tests the strength of particular muscles in response to the patient’s contact with items of food, vitamin and mineral samples and so on.
What is actually being tested is the brain’s response to two things at once: holding the muscle in a particular position, together with another factor, like food. If there is a stress caused by the food, the brain cannot respond to the muscle test, and the muscle weakens. Items you need will strengthen the muscles, while items that are not therapeutic will weaken them. This is very useful if you are uncertain what supplements to take; Dr Goodheart once tested a film star who was taking 56 nutrients, and found she only needed four!
The kinesiologist can also ‘ask’ the body which of the various aspects — emotional, structural and so on — needs treating first, and whether any other treatment is needed. Once the areas of weakness have been discovered, he or she applies various techniques to strengthen and rebalance the body and its circuits. These include light massage on body reflexes to stimulate the lymphatic and vascular systems, and touching or holding the meridians and acupuncture points to release energy. Treatment includes nutritional and dietary advice; the kinesiologist may also recommend Bach Flower Remedies.
An important aspect of kinesiology consists of techniques for creating balance in the brain, both between the left and right hemispheres, and also the forebrain (to do with future projects) and the back-brain (to do with memory and the past), which are often in conflict with each other. If the insomnia is caused by an over-stress on the logical hemisphere and neglect of the intuitive side, the balance is restored by using a number of brain integration techniques. Brian Butler, director of the Association of Systematic Kinesiologists, suggests drawing a large ‘lazy 8′ (the figure 8 lying on its side); then keeping your nose pointed towards the centre, follow the 8 round with your eyes for a minute or two. This can improve concentration and memory, among other benefits.
Another helpful technique, Emotional Stress Release, gently clears emotional trauma. By placing his or her hands on the patient’s temples, the kinesiologist takes the charge out of an emotionally charged event, so that the memory is no longer disturbing. Clients can be taught to do this for themselves at home, which could be very helpful if a memory keeps you awake at night.
Kinesiologists may suggest other physical or mental exercises to do at home, including writing or repeating affirmations (positive statements), so that the balance can be maintained. T think that’s very important,’ says Maggie La Tourelle. ‘So that people know they can leave the therapist’s room and do something for themselves.’
Muscle testing can also be used to test for geopathic stress; for this the kinesiologist would need to test you on-site at home.
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Anti-Depressants/Sleeping Aid
Posted by admin on May 21, 2009 under General health |
Discipline
Toddlers and preschoolers, as well as older children, need to learn about limits. One of the developmental tasks of toddlers is to explore their surroundings. One of the tasks of parents is to consistently set limits.
Discipline is sometimes perceived as punishment — this is not correct. Discipline means parents teaching children which behaviours are acceptable, and which are not. In doing so, parents are also teaching the child to develop his own self-discipline. As he grows older, he will more easily be able to maintain limits for himself. This then becomes the precursor for self-control which is such an important quality in children (and adults).
Physical punishment
Discipline is not about physical punishment. Smacking or hitting your child should be avoided. It is possible to have a well behaved child without the threat of physical punishment. There are a number of arguments for not hitting children:
• It may teach your child that physical punishment or aggression is an appropriate way to interact with others.
• It has the danger of being an outlet for parental anger, and you will find it difficult to remain calm and in control of the situation while hitting your child.
Try to minimise or avoid the use of physical punishment. Use alternate methods of discipline.
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Posted by admin on May 18, 2009 under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid |
Some people will say they would never have the courage to let an attack or the anxiety happen, and that it is only natural to fight against it. I agree it is natural to want to fight against it, but fighting it by resisting it only makes it worse. We are all very strong people and we need to recognise this. Whether we use our strength and courage to take back the power by letting it happen, or whether we use it to hold onto our pervasive need to be in control, is a matter of choice. Choosing to use our strength and courage by letting the attack and the anxiety happen, will ultimately teach us why there is nothing to fear. Then we will have a choice in how we react to the attacks and anxiety in the future.
What did you think when you read that you need to let the attack and the symptoms of anxiety happen? Did you think ‘I can’t do that. What will happen? How can I let it happen?’ How did you respond physically? Did you feel anxious? You probably did. Most people do when they first hear this. Did the anxiety or the negative thoughts come first? It was the thoughts which came first and the symptoms which followed. Very subtle but very true.
The first time we let an attack happen there may be an increase in the intensity of the attack. This happens because we are thinking ‘what if. Go with this onrush of fear. Let this happen also. When we are able to give up the fight and give in to an attack without resisting it, it will disappear so fast it will scare us further. ‘Where is it? Where did it go?’ ‘It’ will only return if we don’t let go of our fearful thinking.
When we fight the attack it can last for over an hour. When we totally give in to it and let it happen it can disappear within thirty seconds because it is not being fuelled by our fear-provoking thoughts.
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Posted by admin on under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid |
“Sleeping through the night” is a phrase that is probably best banned from our vocabulary. Let’s face it, no one really sleeps through the night. If you poll a group of adult friends and ask them how they slept last night, you will undoubtedly hear such things as: The wind woke me up.
At 3:00 am I looked at the clock and was relieved to see I had two more hours before the alarm would ring.
If you poll a group of parents, and get past the “She has always slept through the night,” you will hear a variety of comments:
When he is teething, he has a little trouble sleeping.
She seems so hungry at around 2:00 am—must be a growth spurt.
He has been waking with bad dreams.
If sleeping all night long, every night, is your expectation for your child,
you may be setting yourself up for frustration. Sleep needs and patterns
change with age, illness, and emotional or even environmental factors. Just as
with other parenting issues, our goals, expectations, and approaches must be
constantly re-evaluated.
It is misleading to think of sleep as a state we simply fall into at night and wake from in the morning. Sleep research has shown that there are definite patterns and fluctuations during the night. They play important roles to help refresh us and can reveal some causes behind sleep disturbances.
The descriptions of these cycles can be quite technical. Because a basic understanding is crucial, an effort has been made to give a very simple explanation of what occurs and how your child might be affected.
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Posted by admin on under Cancer |
Swelling of your abdomen means there is something extra there that is not normally present. This can be either fluid, gas, or large cancer growths.
If fluid is the cause of the swelling, it is usually lying within the peritoneal cavity. The peritoneum is a fine double membrane that lines our abdominal cavity. Fluid can form between the two layers of this membrane (the peritoneal cavity) for example, when cancer cells start growing on it. This fluid is called ascites. Ascites can also be caused by liver diseases — both cancer and some noncancerous conditions.
Severe bloating due to wind can develop when the bowel is partly or completely blocked. Abdominal swelling can also be due to cancer itself — perhaps greatly enlarging your liver, spleen, or kidney(s).
If your swelling is due to fluid, the resulting discomfort, lack of appetite, nausea and indigestion can usually be quickly and simply relieved by draining the fluid away. This can be done under a local anaesthetic through a plastic tube inserted through the abdominal wall. Unfortunately, the relief will be temporary unless something is done to stop the fluid from forming again. Reducing your salt intake and taking tablets to help you pass urine (diuretics) may help. Treating the responsible cancer itself, say with chemo^ therapy, may be an attractive possibility if you have a type of cancer which has a good chance of responding favourably to chemotherapy.
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Posted by admin on May 15, 2009 under General health |
Coffee, tea and some cola drinks contain caffeine.
This is a stimulant and is responsible for the lift most people experience after drinking these beverages, but too many cups may make you tense and irritable and keep you awake if you drink them late at night.
Caffeine tends to constrict the blood vessels and, when the effect wears off, a rebound dilation of the scalp arteries may cause a throbbing headache. Many of the combination analgesic tablets and powders also contain caffeine and can relieve the headache by causing further arterial constriction.
But, when this wears off, headaches may recur.
Analgesic abuse is often related to the regular taking of analgesic tablets and powders for the “lift” experienced, then a rebound headache provides the justification for taking more analgesics.
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Posted by admin on under General health |
The middle-aged spread is common and its cause is debated. It may be due to hormonal factors but is more commonly due to over-eating and less exercise.
Even if the cause is hormonal, it can still be corrected by proper dietary advice.
Once the periods have stopped and the woman has become post-menopausal, late changes may arise from the lack of oestrogen. The bones may lose their protein matrix and, with it, some of their calcium. This is called osteoporosis and the bone is thinner and weaker.
Lack of oestrogen may cause changes in the vaginal walls. The skin lining may become thickened and less moist. This may lead to irritation, infection, a discharge or an intolerable itch. Intercourse becomes difficult.
Similar changes may involve the urethra, the tube which carries the urine from the bladder to the outside. These changes may lead to frequency and pain on passing urine. This is commonly called cystitis but is due to irritation.
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Posted by admin on May 8, 2009 under Diabetes |
Ian was manager of the Victorian Under-18 Men’s Hockey Team. In addition to his role as manager, he was also in charge of the team’s fitness and nutrition programs. He had done quite a lot of reading about the glycaemic index and decided to base the whole diet around this.
Despite some early grumbling and moaning, the players stuck to the diet almost 100 per cent during the whole two weeks of the Australian championships in Darwin in July. Ian planned the diet very carefully so that they got all the right foods at the right time—low G.I. before the game and high G.I. immediately after, along with jelly beans at half time!
He noticed that the benefits became very apparent early in the championship. The players themselves were noticing that they were not running out of energy during the game and were recovering a lot quicker than they had in the past.
About half way through the tournament other people started to wonder just where this Victorian team was getting all its energy from! Ian said:
‘At first they thought it was amusing and perhaps a little strange that we were eating Coco Pops and Rice Bubbles at the team bus in the carpark immediately after each game, but soon their amusement turned to curiosity.
People kept commenting on how fit the team was. But I knew that it wasn’t just their fitness. I had not had as much time as I would have liked to work on their fitness, and in fact I remember being concerned just before we went away that their fitness levels may not have been high enough. I knew that what I as seeing in Darwin was not just their fitness—it was the combination of fitness and a sustained energy supply. A “whole body fitness” was what we had achieved. It clearly demonstrated to me that you cannot do one without the other.
We ended up winning the championship by a relatively easy margin, and our fitness and energy levels were certainly a major contributing factor.
One of the things I liked about using the Glycaemic Index as the basis of the diet was that the players were able to very quickly understand the basic principles and by the end of the first week they knew exactly what to do.
I gave the players a questionnaire to complete at the conclusion of the tounament, and I thought you would be interested to hear some of their comments.
• ‘ I felt that when I played each game I was at my peak. I believe the diet played a major part in this.’
• ‘I found I had more energy coming into and during the game.’
• ‘Energy and glycogen levels were at perfect level.’
• ‘I never felt flat or without energy.’
• ‘Felt really good after every game, never felt run down during the game.’
• ‘Everything made me feel good before, during and after the game.’
• ‘Diet was major reason we did do well in the championships.’
• ‘Feel better after games, recovery is better, better energy in the game.’
• ‘I was never short of energy. My glycogen levels were con stantly maintained and replenished at the necessary points. I always felt fit and healthy.’
• ‘Kept my energy level high in the game and also after the game.’
• ‘After the game, recovery is far more rapid.’
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Posted by admin on under Weight Loss |
Behaviour modification became the vogue, based on the theory that fat people are conditioned to eat in response to the ‘wrong’ stimuli, such as watching TV or being ‘bored’. Behavioural modification is centred on the notion that habits are learned patterns of behaviour that usually do not involve complex cognitive, or thinking processes. Change the response and the tendency to eat inappropriately (i.e. in the absence of body hunger signals) or to be inactive, will fade away.
In their simplest form, habits develop as an association between a stimulus and a response. Initially, a stimulus which initiates a response is known as an unconditioned stimulus (US) resulting in an unconditioned response (UR). This stimulus is then paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS) to give a conditioned response (CR). In psychological terms this is known as ‘classical conditioning’. Perhaps the best known example is the salivary experiences of Pavlov’s dog. Ivan Pavlov was a physiologist living in Russia around the turn of the century. He discovered, not so surprisingly, that every time he presented dinner to his dog, the dog salivated. Pavlov then paired the sound of a bell to the presentation of the food and found, after a while, that the bell alone was all that was necessary to cause the salivation.
Similar principles can be applied, in a very simplistic way, to humans. An example of a typical learned response to eat in modern society would be getting up from a chair to get something to eat every time an advertisement interrupts a program on television. The association between the advertisement and eating is a surprisingly simple connection, but the kind of thing that people do every day without conscious thought. This is similar to the habits formed in getting dressed, sleeping, working, driving a car, or the myriad of other activities that are carried out automatically during the day.
Examples of eating patterns that are conditioned include:
• eating at the same time every day whether hungry or not
• reading while eating (and thus getting hungry while reading)
• always finishing off everything on the plate
• eating crisps/peanuts with alcohol.
Examples of conditioned inactivity patterns include:
• driving to the shops instead of walking
• getting someone to get something for you rather than getting it yourself
• going for a drink instead of a walk
• sleeping in on cold mornings.
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