October 17th-23rd is Back Care Awareness week.

This year,  the focus is on the potential ill effects of children carrying heavy school bags each day.

Heavy bags put pressure on the discs between the spinal vertebrae, which can cause long term back pain in small and still-developing bodies.

Potential long-term effects may include: strains to the neck and shoulders resulting in headaches and early development of poor posture.

To try and keep your child pain-free, a few useful pointers to remember are:

- It is best to use a backpack rather than other types of bags, as it will avoid straining one shoulder alone, but even a backpack should not be overloaded.

- Buy a sturdy bag with wide and adjustable shoulder straps for your child.

- Check your child’s posture with the bag on. Make sure the child is not slouching or leaning forward.

- Make sure only necessary items are in the bag.

- Encourage your child to use their locker to its full capacity for any items they do not need to carry to and fro between school and home.

If you have any back care concerns why not book a consultation with Muniba Malik our Osteopath? Read more about Osteopathy...

Looking to take control of your Health, Diet and Fitness? Maybe this can help. The ultimate promotion of Nutrition from it's science basis of Optimum health, peak performance, disease prevention and individual client/patient care.

My role during my weekly Nutrition clinics at So Organic and in all my Nutrition work with patients is an approach that works with the individual, most importantly, on many different levels to support the body to help alleviate or prevent illness and disease, supporting the body towards normal everyday function and importantly to promote optimal health.

Personalized Nutrition for personalized health is my goal for my patients, dealing with prevention and underlying causes instead of symptoms of illness and chronic disease. Health is more than the absence of disease:

Using a more personalized, individual approach to preventative and optimal health, good Nutrition, or Nutritional Therapy can help all manner of people of any ages with a wide range of conditions. These may include specialized areas l deal with such as:

• Energy imbalance, fatigue and excess tiredness

• digestive dysfunction such as IBS, Celiac’s, Low or Excess acid, food Intolerances and allergies, bloating and other digestive issues

• Stress management

• Female Hormone imbalance

• Skin conditions such as eczema and Psoriasis

• Male Health

• Female and Male pre pregnancy and fertility advice

• Post pregnancy diet and fitness advice

• Infant and child food advice and cooking sessions

• Weight management programmes

• Fitness and lifestyle advice

With this type of Bio chemical individuality approach towards nutrition, diet and fitness, seeing health as a positive vitality not just the absence of disease, promoting prevention and optimal health to all, Nutritional therapists in their work may also give advice and recommendations to those with an array of varied clinical imbalances including:

• Depression and other mental health issues

• Immune function and susceptibility to illness and infection

• Migraine

• Acne

• Arthritis

• Osteoporosis

• Chronic fatigue/ME • Circulatory conditions

• Candida

• Insomnia

• Blood pressure issues

• Sports Nutrition

• Cholesterol balance

• Obesity

• Child behaviour difficulties

With my Nutrition clinics, l like many other practitioners recognise that each individual is unique and important and therefore require not 'one size fit all'....."well it worked for her lm sure it will work for me" approach, but the 'what's right for me approach'...., which l can tell you of years of experience can be a ongoing process when it comes to finding what's right for our diet, lifestyle and health.

The Nutrition Consultation Process

For tailored individual care, clients will receive a detailed Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle Questionnaire prior to our first meeting that is to be completed and returned beforehand or bought along to the meeting. Along with this questionnaire, the client will have detailed at least 5 days dietary intake in a food diary to help assist the practitioner detail help and advice where it is needed or required.

The First consultation will usually last one and a half hours, during which we consider the detail of the questionnaire and food diary, taking an extensive case history, discussing health and wellbeing and any overriding issues the client has and establish Health and Lifestyle goals for the client.

Prior to the first consultation l will have started the process of looking in detail at the patients health issues and ultimate goals, and along with the Consultation in clinic l will hopefully be able to better explain potential underlying causes of any health concerns and how from that point on, a tailored, individual Nutrition and lifestyle plan will be of benefit to the client, which will delivered to the client following the first consultation. This plan discussed and negotiated with the client will be a individual Nutrition and lifestyle plan aimed at addressing concerns, symptoms and other complaints with the ultimate aim of improving health for the long term needs of the client and empowering them to take control of their health and their life, instead of waiting for illness and disease to take over them.

Follow Up Clinics

Follow up clinics are usually advised 4-6 weeks after the initial consultation whilst progress, follow up information, telephone and email sessions will be available to the client to assist them during the time following the consultation where sometimes significant changes to diet and lifestyle maybe taking place and support may be needed, and always welcomed from a Therapists point of view. A Clinic visit or telephone based follow up consultation will usually take 45 minutes, though this may take longer at the clients request. Follow up clinics may continue at the clients request if the client feels they will be of benefit to them to do so, whilst some clients may need only one follow up session.

My Role your Role

In essence, l see my role during my Nutrition clinics as the supplier of knowledge, of facts, of science that may help everyone on a individual basis, to enpower them once they have the right tools, take control of their own health, know their own bodies, know what their body needs to maintain optimal health and live life instead of worrying about health and the potential for illness and disease.

If that means that are only see clients a few times, so bit, hopefully that means l have done my job and done it well.

So why not see me, a Nutritional Therapist, at one of my Nutrition clinics

At So Organic Therapy Rooms: Thursday 4-8pm Sunday 2-6pm

Until the End of March: £20 off!!! Contact So Organic or direct to Ray of Sunshine Nutrition: 07793 017534 Or Matthew Reay: matt.reayofsunshine@hotmail.co.uk

Do you find yourself suffering from one bug after another, or perhaps it takes you a while to recover from an illness and get back on your feet? Are your energy levels low and you’re struggling to feel enthusiastic about the new year?

Then you’ll be interested to hear that a new holistic therapy called BodyTalk can help you get back on your feet and make you more resilient to future illness.

It will help balance your brain so that it is switched on and communicating properly with the rest of your body. It will balance your entire immune system, helping your body become more resilient to stress and external forces, such as germs and viruses. It will help improve your sleep, digestion and circulation, and it will increase flexibility, improve memory and your concentration.

“BodyTalk has really helped boost my immune system and I don't get as many viruses as I used to. If I do pick up something it doesn't seem to last as long and I recover much quicker. I definitely have more energy, am less stressed at work and find it easier to cope with things.” Fiona

So, whether you are just feeling abit under the weather or are struggling to shake off the dreaded flu, BodyTalk can help you get back on the road to recovery.

Not only will you heal much quicker but your general health and wellbeing will also improve and you’ll become more resilient to picking up nasty bugs in the future!

And because BodyTalk is completely safe and non-invasive, it is suitable for everyone, of all ages, including children, babies and pregnant women.

So if you feel in need of a winter pick me up then Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, Lynsay Brown is at So Organic every Friday from 2 - 6pm and one Saturday a month from 10 - 2pm.

If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment please contact Lynsay Brown on 079 2002 1638 or lynsay@bodytalkmatters.co.uk

February BodyTalk Offer: All new clients will receive £10 off their first session until 28th Feb 2011.

After the excitement of Christmas, when the January blues set many of us look forward to Spring, desperate to break out our sandals and spring outfits despite the freezing temperatures. A sure route to let the already rampant sniffles take their hold!

However make-up and hair styles can be updated in anticipation of the changing seasons without the risk of doctors waiting rooms, and the predicted trends for Spring 2011 are enough to sate the appetite for change.

First of beautiful bright lips were seen all over the catwalks in a variety of shades, oranges and watermelon was especially popular and the Lavera Sunset Orange and Dr. Hauschka Soft Coral especially fit the bill.

If you prefer to make your eyes the main feature of you face then bold popping colours were everywhere, for the fashionista the Nvey 160 Turquoise Shimmer makes an impact, but for the more conservative try Green People’s Eco Eye Trio in Aqua to create as much or as little impact as you like. When making the eyes the focus it’s best to keep lips nude but soft looking, try the Barefoot Botanical Smooch Penetrating Lip Salve for kissable lips!

In terms of hair, the most prominent trends were side partings held in place with pins or a clip, ‘messy’ up dos for a casual chic or high buns for high glamour. Using a paddle brush will help you achieve all this looks and the Hair Spray by Lavera or John Masters Hair Texturiser will keep styles in place all day.

As a long time sufferer I know that often pills are not the answer to Migraine pain nor do I want to be regularly taking pain killers for something that though horrible painful and inconvenient is not life threatening. The causes of migraines vary from person to person and suffers can learn their triggers and avoid them up to a point. However there are those caused by hormonal changes, stress and tiredness which are much more difficult to avoid in everyday life. Working at So Organic means that I have been able to talk to a lot of our holistic therapists who practice in our Therapy Rooms to get their advice.

 

Matthew Reay our Nutritionist advised me to cut down on carbohydrates and to eat lots of magnesium rich foods such a spinach and nuts, I now try to eat a portion of unsalted nuts per day and eat spinach as much as possible while avoiding eating carbs with my evening meal, instead having lots of vegetable alternatives such as mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. I’ve really noticed a difference in the regularity of my migraines after making these dietary changes.

 

Our old Massage therapist Kristy taught me some gentle moves to also help such as using both hands and very gently kneading the top of the head, working down the neck and across the shoulders and back up again, this is very soothing and helps distract from the pain. We have a new Massage Therapist now since Kristy emigrated so I will be asking Mike what his tips are.

 

Lyndsay Brown our Body Talk therapists helped me understand that my body was trying to tell me something when a Migraine occurred and that often it was because I wasn’t drinking enough water throughout the day, therefore I’ve increased my water intake as well. As all Migraine suffers know there isn’t a magically solution to stop Migraines but using the both I have at least managed to decrease the amount I suffer from without increasing my amount of medicine!