How Stress Influences Disease

Stress is something we all experience throughout life, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The stress response is a natural reaction to life experiences and can help us to cope with potentially serious situations. However, if this stress response doesn’t stop firing, then long-term stress takes a toll on your health.

---

Prolonged stress wreaks havoc on the mind and body. Research shows that the effects of psychological stress on the body's ability to regulate inflammation can promote the development and progression of disease.

When under stress, cells of the immune system are unable to respond to hormonal control and consequently produce inflammation that promotes disease. Inflammation plays a role in many diseases such as heart disease, asthma, autoimmune disorders (like arthritis, crohn’s disease, hasimotos’s disease, Ulcerative colitis), and cancer.

Your hypothalamus, a tiny region at your brain's base, sets off an alarm system in your body in response to stress. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. In response to stress, adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure, and boosts energy supplies. 

Cortisol is known as the primary stress hormone. It increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions in the body that would be considered as non-essential in a fight-or-flight situation. This hormone response suppresses the immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, and growth processes. 

When the natural stress response goes wild

Stress has a huge impact on your health when stressors are constantly present and you constantly feel under attack. The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that can disrupt almost all your body's processes. The impact puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Digestive problems

• Headaches

• Muscle tension and pain

• Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke

• Sleep problems

• Weight gain

• Memory and concentration impairment

• Cancer

Stress management strategies include:

• Healthy Lifestyle - Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and getting plenty of sleep

• Practicing relaxation techniques - such as yoga, deep breathing, massage, or meditation

• Keeping a journal and writing about your thoughts or what you're grateful for

• Happiness / Laughter - Having a sense of humour and finding ways to include humour and laughter in your life, such as watching funny movies or looking at joke websites

• Time Management - Organizing and prioritizing what you need to accomplish at home and work. Remove tasks that aren't necessary and say no!

• Seeking professional counseling to develop coping strategies to manage stress

• Avoid unhealthy ways of managing your stress - caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or excess food. 

Next time you start to feel stress creeping back into your life, give these tips a try to maintain a healthy, happy, and stable body & mind.

---

Golden 'Yogi Tea' Recipe

Yogi tea will give you a natural “high” while your feet stay firmly grounded.  It is a tonic for the nervous system, improves memory, gives you energy, prevents colds and flu, and naturally warms the body.

Ingredients

4 Cups Water

12 Cloves

16 Green Cardamon pods

16 Whole Black Peppercorns

2 Cinnamon Sticks

4 Big Slices of fresh ginger root

1 tsp Black tea (optional - we make it caffeine free at the studio)

2 Cups milk (optional) - cow, rice, almond, or soy of your choice)

---

Method

Boil spices for 10-15 minutes. Add black tea and steep for 2 minutes.  Add milk, then reheat to boiling point. Remove from heat and strain.  Add honey or raw sugar to taste.  Makes about 4 cups. 

HEALTH BENEFITS

~  Black Pepper:  to purify blood

~ Cardamon: for colon

~ Cinnamon: for bones

~ Ginger: strengthens nervous system and prevents colds / flu

~ Milk: aids in assimilation of spices and avoids irritation to colon and stomach.

~ Black tea: acts as a catylst for other ingredients

Ref: Foods for Health & Healing Remedies and Recipes, by Yogi Bhajan

---

Create a Wellness Retreat at Home

Countrywide lockdowns, a slow economy, and a pandemic on your doorstep may have taken a toll on your mental health and lead to stress & anxiety. A lockdown is an ideal time to practice self-care and focus on your well-being to recharge your energy. 

 It's the wellness weekend you've been needing - relaxation, self-care, healthy meals, physical activity, and all your favorite wellness treatments. Retreats allow you to truly unplug, harmonise the body and mind, and recharge your energy. You don’t need to go anywhere to get these benefits and you can create your own wellness retreat at home. 

---

Steps to create a home retreat:

1. Create a schedule for the day or week. Just like going on a retreat, give yourself an agenda. Schedule both energising and relaxing activities, meal plan, and create downtime. Type them up and put the agenda on your fridge.
   
   A sample day might look something like this - morning meditation and journaling, breakfast, mid-morning yoga flow class or walk, lunch, a nap after lunch, downtime, dinner, evening restorative or yin yoga or bedtime meditation or journaling, or an Epsom salt bath.
   
   

2. Eat healthy Wholefoods. Plan meals, eat meals at the table, chew slowly, consider doing intermittent fasting or a juicing cleanse. Create a healthy menu. Shop for groceries and prep food ahead of time.
   
   

3. Disconnect. Go on a digital detox on the weekend or one day a week.  Alternatively, limit screen time each day. Turn off your phone. No emails, no social media, and ignore the TV.
   
   

4. Home Day Spa. Create a home Day Spa experience. Do a home facial and facemask, have a bubble bath or Epsom salt bath, self-massage, manicure/pedicure, or dry skin brushing before a cold shower.
   

5. Be organised. Do all your household jobs before your retreat day / week. Plan to spend a few hours getting rid of clutter and cleaning up before you begin your retreat. Set aside a yoga mat, your journal, and other items you would take on a retreat to have them ready to go. They're all set aside and ready to go, just as they would be when you arrive at a retreat centre.
   
   

6. Schedule down-time. Make space for "Do-Nothing-Time." This allows you to reflect and to cherish this experience. Too often on Retreat, we try to cram in as many activities as we can. Read a book, sit in the sunshine, and lounge around the house.  Give yourself time to rest & recharge.

During the lockdown enjoy your self-care at-home wellness retreat! Have fun creating an at-home retreat that is perfect for you to rest and recharge.

---

8 Tips to keep your Immune System Strong

When we’re feeling strong and healthy we can take our immune healthy for granted. Yet when the sniffles start we hope our immune system will pick up the slack. The colder months often make it harder to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. However your first line of defence is to choose a healthy lifestyle.

Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies. I’ve listed my top 8 tips for keeping your immune system strong as the seasons change.

---

1. Sunshine

Vitamin D is important in keeping your immune system ready to fight infections. When possible, get outside and soak up the sun. Foods that contain Vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, however the skin's exposure to sun produces the largest amount in the body. If you're not getting enough sun you can try taking a Vitamin D supplement.

2. Get your dose of Vitamin A, C and E to help fight off nasty infections

• Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that helps rid the body of free radical waste that is produced during normal bodily functions. A deficiency can weaken the immune defences of the respiratory tract by damaging the mucous membranes that form a protective barrier against bacteria and viruses. Top food sources for Vitamin A are all orange and dark green fruit and vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, papaya, spinach, silverbeet etc).

• Vitamin C is an antioxidant is responsible for keeping the number of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies needed to ward off bugs. 

• Vitamin E for an extra healthy immune system – this antioxidant has been known to improve upper respiratory immunity. 

3. Minerals

Iron, zinc and selenium help nourish the immune system and cells active and healthy. Include mineral-rich foods such as. nuts, seeds, meat, fortified cereals, kale, broccoli, quinoa, and pulses. 

4. Sleep

Getting enough sleep is one of the ingredients to keeping strong and healthy. Rest is important to keep your heart and other organs functioning correctly. 

5. Exercise

Regular exercise promotes good cell circulation, improves mood, energy levels, heart health and prevents weight gain. 

6. Water

Drink plenty of water in winter because your body needs just as much hydration as it does in summer. Drinking water can help maintain regularity and flushes out toxins.

7. Lay off the sugar

Refined sugars negatively impact the body's defence structure. Sugars increase inflammation and can damage your cells. Try to avoid refined sugars as much as possible. To curb a sweet craving, eat more foods with protein and fats to stabilize your sugar levels.

8. Try to minimize stress

When we're stressed, the immune system's ability to fight off antigens is reduced to make us more susceptible to infections. The stress hormone cortisol can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system.

---

Using garden weeds as Medicinal Herbs

We all know internal health and digestion play a large role in skin health. Digestion and assimilation of nutrients are often related to how and what we consume. Food choices can be reflected through the skin. Choosing foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre can help to improve skin health. We all know that growing our own vegetables is a sure way to increase the nutrient level. Have you ever thought however, about eating the weeds from the garden too?

In todays society it is more common to buy food from the store than collect it from nature. However there are many benefits to adding some wild plants into your diet. Weeds contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals and add diversification to our diet.

Our not too distant ancestors ate a much larger variety of food giving them access to many nutrients. Wild plants provide a different set of nutrients to conventional produce. Eating wild foods nourishes us and connects to the land.

Here are three of the most common and easily identifiable edible weeds that are beaming with medicinal properties:

Nasturtium flower:

This common weed grows in abundance. It is part of the mustard green family and has a similar peppery taste to watercress. The leaves are a fantastic for blood and lymphatic system purification. The leaves are also known for stimulating appetite.

The beautiful, round, bright green leaves can be included in pestos and soups for a hot zing of flavour and nutrients, the vibrant red, orange and yellow flowers are also edible and can be used to garnish salads and cakes!

Dandelion:

Dandelion is also an extremely abundant herb that is probably in your backyard as you read this. Before mowing the lawn, gather up the dandelion leaves and flowers as they are ultra medicinal.

The leaves are bitter which stimulates saliva release to create enzymes to help with digestion. They are also known to be blood purifiers and are an excellent contribution to pestos, salads and smoothies for a touch of wilderness.

There are few weeds that look similar to dandelion so always be sure that it has a hollow stem and that the leaves are hairless!

Ribwort Plantain:

This resilient little weed grows like crazy. It is known to be beneficial for respiratory conditions such a bronchitis and coughs. It is high in vitamins C, E and K as well as being high in plant protein and iron. I love this in soups, as a salad garnish or steeping a handful of leaves in hot water with liquorice root and fennel for a medicinal tea to ease winter ailments.

*When foraging for your edible weeds always make sure the area has not been sprayed.  Choose not to pick from sides of roads or public areas as we never know the state of the soil and it is likely dogs have been doing their business- your back lawn. Community gardens or the untouched forest is best! Always be certain that is the indeed the correct edible weed you are about to pick, if in doubt do not eat, ask a wise old soul or do some research!

5 Tips to Boost your Immunity

The dreaded winter cold/flu that inevitably strikes when the seasons switch. Try these top 5 immunity tips to boost your health and dodge the bugs this winter.

1.    Reduce your stress externally and emotionally. When we are feeling stressed our immune system is also compromised. Try to add in 5-10 minutes of daily breathing or meditation into your daily routine.

2.    Eat warming foods. Over the winter months we tend to want to eat more comfort foods. Instead of eating rich creamy foods switch to healthy nutritious vegetable soups and slow cooked foods. To build internal fire increase warming foods such as cloves, ginger, chilli, horseradish and pepper. Try to use fruit and vegetables that are seasonal and local so they are packed full of nutrients.

3.    Reduce sugar intake. The negative effects of sugar starts within 30 minutes and last for over 5 hours!! Sugar typically reduces the ability of the white blood cells to destroy and engulf bugs by about 50%. Try to have less than 50g of sugar per day (12.5 teaspoons). The more sugar you consume the greater the negative impact on the immune system.

4.    Take Vitamin C daily. Vitamin C is antiviral and antibacterial. It helps to enhance the response of white blood cells to fight infections and reduce the severity of a common cold. Take a maintenance dose over the winter of 1000mg per day and then when you are feeling like you are getting sick take small doses (250mg) every 2 hours. Increases interferon (chemical factor that fights viral infection and cancer). Vitamin C has a direct biochemical effect on white blood cells as interferon.

5.    Boost your immunity with herbal medicine

• Echinacea root: Maintains upper respiratory tract health and supports the body's own natural immune system to bring effective relief from the symptoms of colds, flu and minor infection.
• Astragalus: A traditional Chinese herb to enhance immune function and has a mild antiviral activity to help prevent colds.
• Andrographis: Supports the body's immune system when dealing with cold symptoms.
• Withania (Ashwaganda): Enhances immune function and is a natural antioxidant.
• Goldenseal: It is anti-microbial, anti-biotic, anti-inflammatory and astringent. So it can help fight bacterial infections, and fungal disorders.

By Erin O'Hara

Moving Through the Seasons

It has been a summer to remember with warm tropical temperatures.  We may want to hold onto the light and warmth that we've enjoyed, or perhaps we're looking forward to the cooler months ahead. No matter our preference the wheel is about to turn and we must roll with it.  This time of changing seasons presents an opportunity to re-evaluate your lifestyle and boost your immunity before the cooler months settle in.  Here are five tips to help you transition seamlessly and supercharge your health...

Cleanse your body 

Moving into Autumn is the perfect time to reconsider your diet, to cleanse and re-balance the body before the winter bugs get the chance to sneak in. Embrace the offering of the delicious variety of fresh fruit and vegetables available. Enjoy fresh pumpkins, parsnips, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, figs, and berries. Maybe challenge yourself for a week and remove all processed foods and sugary treats from your diet. Focus all your meals and snacks around fresh fruits, vegetable, nuts, seeds, and wholegrains to cleanse your palette. A clean diet will help your digestive function improve and boost your overall health. In natural medicine, we regularly look at disease starting with poor detoxification from the digestive system.

Boost Your Immunity

With the changing season, now is the time to boost your immune system to prepare your body before winter. Some of my favourite natural immunity boosters are: eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, drink at least 8 cups of mineral water daily, Vitamins like B, C, and D, zinc and CMD (Concentrated Mineral Drops); or medicinal super boosting herbs like Echinacea, Withania, Astragalus, Andrographis, Garlic, Olive leaf, Shiitake mushroom, and Ginger. Our Pure Cure Clinic can make up herbal formulations specific to your needs.

Move your Body

During the warmer summer months we love to spend more time outside. Naturally we are more likely to move our bodies and enjoy walking and swimming at the beach. As the temperature begin to drop in the months to come, don’t let it stop you from moving your body and enjoying the fresh Autumn breeze. While the summer motivation is high, create a regular routine to move your body on a daily basis. Find an enjoyable way to gently move your body to keep yourself fit and healthy. Great options could be walking, yoga, swimming, going to the gym, cycling, or find a dance class to get your groove on!

Embrace a Daily Meditation practice

We quiet often put a lot of emphasis on keeping the physical body balanced but it is just as important to take the time to de-clutter the mind.  If you have never done a meditation practice you can start simply with a home meditation practice of 5 – 11 minutes of a breathing meditation (pranayama) or mantra meditation (chanting).  It is best to do the same meditation everyday and start with a commitment of 40 days.  Ideally practice little and often to unload the mind and clear the subconscious.  Book in for a one-on-one and we will customise the right meditation for you.

Take time to reflect

We move from the summer towards the Autumn Equinox on the 20th March, which is a great time to empower yourself and use the energy of this sacred day, where there is an equal amount of daylight and darkness. This powerful day offers us the opportunity to balance the light of our consciousness with the darkness of our shadow.  At this time of transition we can let go of anything that no longer represents us and make energetic space for new doors of opportunity to open.  Take this time to reflect on your life, make positive changes in your lifestyle, and realign to your goals.

Strong Digestion in Summer = Strong Immunity in Winter

Yoga teacher and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner Angie Gervan explains how improving digestion in summer can set us up for a robust immune system over the following winter.

In summer we can easily think we are at optimum health but a golden glow isn’t necessarily indicative of what’s going on inside. Digestion can easily be compromised during the warmer months. While you probably already know over-eating and heavy foods can tax the digestive system, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners also advise that eating too much “cold” food stresses the digestive system. Foods from the fridge and ice-cold drinks can put out our digestive fire, but cold foods are not just those foods cold in temperature, but also those that are cold in nature such as dairy, some vegetables, fruit and sweet foods - sugar is considered a cold food in TCM. You can balance cooler meals like summer salads with cooked vegetables - try adding some warm roast sweet potato to your plate. Think of soups as not just a winter dish, when made with seasonal green vegetables a summer soup can be really refreshing.

Cold foods can be enjoyable in the warmer months but be mindful of the time of day that you are consuming them – it’s best to start with something warm first thing in the morning, so save the cool smoothies and juices until midday or late afternoon. If you are making juices, add some fresh ginger as a healing agent (ginger is warm in nature and great for your digestive system) and consume at room temperature.    

In tropical climates, people often drink hot tea which helps to maintain the digestive fire. In Japan during summer barley tea is commonly consumed; this brown tea is cooling in nature and sipped warm to perfectly balance the system. Protecting your digestive system over summer is said to avoid the late summer and autumn bouts of gastro according to TCM.  

If you are craving ice cold drinks and foods, this is an indication that your system is internally expressing too much heat. There are a few indicators which you can look out for; redness is often a sign that too much heat is present. Look at your skin colour, rings around your eyes and if you are female you can also look at your menstrual colour – is it more red than normal? Other common signs are trouble getting to sleep at night and dry skin.

Drinking plenty of good quality water in summer especially is important. Adding a hint of lemon and mint to your water is really refreshing and will keep summer colds away. Lemon is good to move energy in the system and mint is cooling in nature and will help to reduce internal heat. 

Swimming of course is great and fun in summer! But for women it’s important to be conscious of your body’s state before you take a dip. If you are menstruating or post birth, stay out of cold water - the cold energy can enter your body more easily at this time and lodge in your system. But if you do find yourself taking a refreshing swim, you can counterbalance this by changing into warm dry clothing soon after, drinking warm tea or adding a warm compress to your navel and back.  Note: dark bleeding at your menses time, lower back pain, cramping are often an indication of cold lodged in our system - not a good feeling for your body.   

It isn’t commonly known that the seasons preceding the cooler months can predetermine how your immune system will respond when winter strikes. But taking good care of yourself during summer will boost your immune system for the months to come.  If your last winter was a challenging health-wise for you, think back to your summer - did you take time to rest, eat well, take in the warmth and enjoy nature at that time?  Often our winter health is a reflection of the summer before in TCM terms so really enjoy and utilise the vibrant energy of summer to stock up on warmth and boost your immune system!  

YOGI TEA

Yogi tea will give you a natural “high” while your feet stay firmly grounded.  It is a tonic for the nervous system, improves memory, gives you energy, prevents colds and flu, and naturally warms the body.

Ingredients

4 Cups Water

12 Cloves

16 Green Cardamon pods

16 Whole Black Peppercorns

2 Cinnamon Sticks

4 Big Slices of fresh ginger root

1 tsp Black tea (optional - we make it caffeine free at the studio)

2 Cups milk (optional) - cow, rice, almond, or soy of your choice)

---

Method

Boil spices for 10-15 minutes. Add black tea and steep for 2 minutes.  Add milk, then reheat to boiling point. Remove from heat and strain.  Add honey or raw sugar to taste.  Makes about 4 cups. 

HEALTH BENEFITS

~  Black Pepper:  to purify blood

~ Cardamon: for colon

~ Cinnamon: for bones

~ Ginger: strengthens nervous system and prevents colds / flu

~ Milk: aids in assimilation of spices and avoids irritation to colon and stomach.

~ Black tea: acts as a catylst for other ingredients

Ref: Foods for Health & Healing Remedies and Recipes, by Yogi Bhajan

---