Cellulite Solutions.

Here I am...still in sunny Cyprus...and finding myself writing about cellulite. Maybe the source of inspiration is due to observing the abundance of 'flesh' on the beach! Or maybe I am unconsciously 'picking up' a hum of discontentment from the surrounding female population as they discover - to their horror- that their beach body of last year is no more!

Do we ever hear men going on about their cellulite? - nope.

Cellulite is often considered to be a natural characteristic of the female body (not what we want to hear)... and that the majority of women will show some signs of cellulite at some time in their life.
Cellulite is the uneven accumulation of fat in certain areas of the body and is influenced by hormones, genes, lifestyle and stress.

Hormones can play havoc with the female body - do we ever hear men complain about having 'fat days'? - nope.

That's because they don't have the fluctuating levels of oestrogen that we get - simple!

This is why 85-98% of women show signs of cellulite during puberty and also when pre-menstrual, because oestrogen levels are higher...regardless of whether you are slim or overweight.

Now, in today's world of an ever increasing pace of life - stress is undoubtedly a huge contributory factor to our overall health. It increases our free radical production and our hormonal secretions...affecting out metabolism and blood pressure...as well as increases fat storage...and cellulite. A challenging state of affairs.

For me, the solution to cellulite is twofold - healthy eating and exercise.

We now have so much information on healthy eating - yet many still choose to eat unhealthy levels of fatty foods (chocolate, crisps, fries & deep fried) as well as high calories (alcohol, chocolate, ice cream, sweets, biscuits). It's not that you've never to consume these items - just not every day or even every week. If you are - then think about having to have these from an addiction point of view and start weaning yourself off them.

The ideal diet that would prevent the creation of cellulite and help to reduce it would be a typical Mediterranean diet of fish, lean meat, salads, vegetables, fruit, water and an optional occasional glass of wine. It would also be low in salt, and using olive oil instead of butter.

Exercise tones muscles - which in turn improves your lymphatic system - which in turn removes waste products from your cells. This means that your body will function better and you will look and feel better...and cellulite will be reduced. The more you exercise the more you increase your muscle mass...which decreases your fat...and cellulite will be reduced.

So, start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Wear a pedometer and start walking more - build up your steps to 10 thousand, 3 days a week.

It's all about investing in your Self...after all...you're in it for the long haul!

Holistic Healing in Cyprus

Here I am in sunny Cyprus at a beautiful apartment in Paphos called Faros Beach. It is only a 3 minute walk to the beach, and in the other direction... an easy 2 minute stroll to the shops and bars on Tomb of the Kings Road - fantastic...I can highly recommend it! As I am sitting on my balcony...having watched a stunning sunset...and now listening to the crickets accompanying the distant sound of the Greek Cypriot bazouki...it is another reminder that the Holistic Healing of the human spirit and soul is about being in the moment...being in the Now.

Surrendering to the stillness.

Appreciating the sounds.

So, the biggest change for me being here (other thatn the weather!) is the pace of life. It is wonderful to surrender...and just BE.

This is Holistic Healing in Cyprus...this is Holistic Healing ANYWHERE.

I am getting up earliedr in the morning than at home - around 6.15am, and going for a jog/walk while the day is fairly cool...then some yoga...followed by a shower...and finally one of my super duper smoothies to set me up for the day.

I am also choosing not to have a car...so I walk to the supermarket and do my shopping VERY carefully...because whatever I buy, I have to carry it all back to the apartment - and although it is only a 15 minute walk...it can seem a lot further in the heat with 2-3 full grocery bags. Therefore, I find myself thoughtfully planning my meals - and in doing so, I don't buy the spontaneous purchases that I would at home...when I can just load it all into the car.

What I will say is, that I have been very impressed with the variety of 'healthier options' now available here for those who prefer a wheat and/or dairy free diet.

I actually brought some Orgran Rice & Veg pasta out here in my suitcase, and was pleasantly surprised to see it on the shelf of a large supermarket along with lots of other healthy 'goodies'. So well done to those 'health food conscious pioneers' who managed to get the supermarkets to diversify.

I also noticed some Alpro soya milk & deserts...but no yoghurt as yet.

However, the purchase of the week... has to be my new hand held blender to make my smoothies. As you know, a blender is synonomous with Holistic Healing & health eating... and I found one in a shop called PopLife for only 7 Euros - now that's a bargain!

The 3 Keys to Opening New Doors

Opening new doors...changing your mindset...becoming a 'new you'...embracing a paradigm shift... or whatever YOU want to call it - they all mean the same thing... that YOU are choosing to venture forward on a path of Personal Development and you want to create a positive change in Your Self.

Why do people suddenly want to change their habits or thought patterns of a lifetime? - Usually because of a 'shock' or an unexpected event that has jolted them into a state of confusion or disbelief. Something has 'rattled their cage'. It could be a bereavement, a redundancy, an illness or accident...even a relationship break-up.

This kind of change is often considered to be 'fire-fighting' or survival...it's usually crisis driven...and although any positive change is to be admired and praised...every time I have asked those who have taken this approach...they have ALWAYS said that they wished they had changed sooner and not waited until there was a crisis.

So, if you would like to consider changing something about your life and lifestyle BEFORE you are given a 'wake-up' call then here are the 3 Keys to take you that path.

The first Key is Honesty. That's right...
Who is the one person that you can lie to over and over again and never get chastised? - Yep, it's Your Self. We can do it any time - any day - any week - any year - and nobody will ever know. But you will.
Being totally honest with Your Self and to Your Self can be quite a challenge...and you may have a few 'demons' to face up to and overcome - but the rewards are phenomenal...and you will like Your Self and Love Your Self so much more for being Honest. Your Life will be catapulted into a new and rewarding era.

The second Key is Courage. That's right...
The more Honest you become with Your Self - the more Courage You need - to give You the Strength to take those Honest thoughts and put them into Action. You may have to start saying 'No' to Your Self and others, when you would previously have said 'yes'...and that takes Courage.
The great thing about Courage is, that the more you show it... the easier it becomes. Getting past that first 'No'...makes the 2nd, 3rd and 4th 'No' roll off the tongue beautifully! Then you can start saying 'yes' - to what you REALLY want to do and be.
However, the really amazing thing about Courage is that it is infectious! People admire Courage and it gives them strength... as well as opens them up to the possibility of also making some changes in their life...so spread it around!

The third Key is Noticing/Listening. That's right...
Most people drift along throughout their life almost in an oblivious state as to how they REALLY feel...often retorting with 'fine' or 'not bad' when asked how they are.
So, for a few days...ask your Self 'how am I really feeling' - when you waken up, before you go to bed, and 2-3 time during the day. Of course, then you have to be totally Honest with Your Self and give Your Self the Truth. Once you have the Truth...will You then have the Courage to accept it and possibly act upon it if some form of change is needed for You to fell better? Perhaps you feel you would benefit from getting to bed earlier or taking more exercise.

Noticing is done best in moments of quiet and stillness...then You can hear what Your Unconscious Mind is saying to You. It wants to help You to be Your best...You just need to Listen.

Euthanasia

Who would have thought that I would find myself writing about Euthanasia for my Blog on Holistic Healing Choices! However, the reason I am writing about this controversial subject is because yesterday someone asked me if I 'believed' in euthanasia.

I know that I have thought about this interesting topic in the past... albeit fairly superficially...but when someone actually asked me my opinion... I realised I wanted to investigate my thoughts and feelings on the matter.

Initially, for me, it's not about believing in it or not believing in it...although maybe by the time I finish exploring my thoughts as I write to you, I will have a more solid viewpoint.
The first thing that comes to mind is that life is a cycle; we are born...we have a life... we die. What happens (if anything) between dying and possibly being 're-born' is another matter!

So the way I see it, is, that in an ideal world every infant would be born naturally...without any medical intervention...and both the mother and child would be well...after all, childbirth is a perfectly natural event that's been taking place since man appeared on the planet, and even earlier in the animal world. The mother would go into labor after having had a glorious 9 months of pregnancy, and after a few hours she would deliver a healthy and vibrant baby.

Hmmm, I'm not sure how many of you reading this have given birth...and if you have...was it just like the ideal situation described above?
I have given birth once...and it was certainly not like that!

Interestingly, I was (and still am) a very healthy woman...I was 25 when I gave birth and I was fortunate to have a good pregnancy with no sickness. When contractions started, I was admitted into hospital...and after 9 hours of labour...it was obvious that 'things' were not going to plan. Even I got suspicious when a nurse put tape around my wedding ring!
Yes, you've guessed, I was being sent to theatre for surgery.

Apparently, my baby had moved down and was lying at an angle with the head tilted to the side
'bypassing' the birth canal....and going nowhere!
The baby was in distress and I was exhausted.
Now, had this happened a few decades earlier we could both have died - but with the knowledge, skill and modern medical equipment, I had a healthy baby girl and I recovered from the operation.

So where is this train of thought taking me?

Well I suppose I am trying to get into the mindset of those who are against Euthanasia, so I think I will play 'devil's advocate' for a moment... in that, if they are against any form of medical assistance to leave this world...then perhaps they ought to be equally against any medical assistance in coming into this world?
Yes, they do believe in palliative care - which includes various forms of pain management...but if I had only been administered painkillers...I would eventually have died, and my baby along with me.

Well I am sure that the anti-euthanasia supporters might just be saying that my medical intervention was about saving my life...in fact, saving two lives and that is what our medical doctors are striving to do; they are not striving to end our lives!

I was certainly very grateful for their expertise.

However, let me present that scenario in a different light. Let me say...that what the medical practitioners actually did, was to use their skills and equipment to assist me in completing what should have been a natural and inevitable outcome i.e. bringing forth a 'life' after the ideal incubation period in the womb. Fortunately, I did not have to be 'induced' - but many women are, and for all sorts of reasons - and this particular intervention 'speed's up' the whole procedure.

Maybe you can see where I am going with this.
Death, like birth, is inevitable.
One is the beginning of the cycle...the other is the end of the cycle.

Some people develop particularly painful, destructive and debilitating illnesses and the way they are going to die is mapped out before them. They have a known TERMINAL condition. The medics know that the patient's life cannot be saved or prolonged. They know that their patient will progressively deteriorate with various organs becoming dysfunctional, inevitable pain being controlled by drugs (which can seriously affect other organs) and many bodily functions becoming dependent on equipment. Dignity is also questionable.

Six week before my mum 'passed away'...she repeatedly said to me that she wanted 'to go'...that she wanted to die...to not wake up in the morning. That she'd 'had enough'. This was very distressing for everyone...we all felt disempowered. We could only support her and comfort her. She died in a hospice at 2am - alone. Of course there would have been a couple of nursing staff - but none of her family was there at her final moment. That is sad.

Mum had been a musician and entertainer, and had she had a choice... she would have chosen to have her family and friends around her...player her music...as she was 'induced' towards her final moment. She would have loved that...and we would have loved for her to have had a beautiful and loving end to her wonderful life.

I have actually found this piece of writing to be cathartic and emotionally cleansing...so I thank you for bearing with me through my reasoning.

So for me...Euthanasia is not about being right or wrong...it's not about believing in it - or not... for me euthanasia is about choice. We have choices as to how we give birth...with as much or as little medical intervention as necessary...let's consider giving ourselves more choice in how we die.


Definition of "Euthanasia": the practice of having a medically-assisted death.

This process is illegal in most countries throughout the world. The real controversy is between the advocates, saying that this is a form of a "merciful death" and the opposers stating that it is a form of murder.

Happiness - Book Review

As an avid reader of Personal Development & Holistic Healing books, I have read my fair share of 'enlightening' manuscripts over the years. From many I have received a wealth of guidance and insight...others have given me 'nuggets of wisdom'...while some have left me untouched. However, if I was to choose one series of books that I would be proud to put my name on, it would be the Happiness books by Andrew Mather. If you've never read them then I would encourage you to have a look.
Happiness is such an essential yet elusive emotion. Many people spend their life 'chasing it' - while others have resigned to a life of mundane repetition, struggle and disappointment. Interestingly, some do think they have 'found it' - only to discover that their material possessions and wealth have been distractions from loneliness or low self esteem.
Happiness is an outcome of your thoughts, feelings, experiences and actions and the books by Andrew Mather are simple, engaging and profound. There are many things that I love about his style of his writing.

First of all, it keeps your right brain happy with all the highly amusing and appropriate sketches...he has a amazing artistic gift with his cartoon impressions of serious life situations that really help to get his message over.
Also, because of his charming style, humor and succinct delivery of important life issues, I feel he has successfully bridged all generations as well as all intellectual abilities - these books could be read by anyone...some parts (like the In a Nutshell) could even be read as bedtime stories for young children, giving them an early insight into the importance of their self worth and potential.
In short, I feel that every home would benefit from having these books available to all ages in the household...even just to 'dip into' when an appropriate life situation arises.
Simple solutions are always the best ones.

Is Your No.1 Relationship Real or an Illusion?

What relationship am I talking about? The one with your partner or spouse...or perhaps the one with your parents, siblings or even your children? Well, it may surprise you...or maybe you've guessed ...that your No.1 relationship is with your Self.

Why?

Because, everything in your world is a reflection of the relationship that you have with You!

Yep, you might have to read that sentence a few times to appreciate the enormity of its implications. Now, without getting too 'new age' and 'woolly' - I'm just asking you to be open to the possibility that the way you feel about your Self and how you see you Self not only contribute to your reality but can actually create it. In other words, you create what happens to your Self by sending out 'energy signals' - a bit like a frequency or vibration - that represent how you are feeling about your Self. Then your frequency attracts experiences into your life that are an extension of your Self Worth & your Self Esteem energy.
Simple!
So, if you would like to attract happy, and fulfilling experiences into your life - then you have to feel happy & fulfilled, be happy & fulfilled and see your Self as happy & fulfilled.....in the first place!
We can talk a bit more about this in another Article on The Law of Attraction. However, if I was to ask you this question... "Is the relationship you have with your Self ...Real or an Illusion?" - what would you say?
Think about it for a moment.

Well, I asked that very question to 100 people and the top 3 answers were...
1 - I don't know.
2 - what do you mean?
3 - I don't understand the question!
Now, I don't know if any of those answers would be typical of a larger survey in the 'western world', and perhaps you had a different answer...but what I do know, is that the majority of clients I have worked with in the last 30 years do not think or believe that they are the most valuable person in their life - and so, if you are not the most valuable person in your life...then the relationship that you have with your Self...is an Illusion.
That's right.

When I challenge my clients with this issue, most of them believe that their are many others in their life more valuable than they are...not only all of the obvious ones already mentioned above, but it could also extend to their pets, neighbours and even their car! - yep they spend more time, money and effort on their car, house and garden than they do on their own Self!
So, why as a society do we do that? Why do we deny our Self of feeling and being the best we can be? Why do we believe that other people and 'things' are more valuable than our own Self? Well, from what my clients have told me, the two greatest inhibitors of truly valuing our Self are:
1- not wanting to feel the Fear & Guilt of Selfishness...and
2 -not wanting to take Responsibility for our actions.

Now, before we go any further, I just want to clarify something.
Valuing your Self is not about lavishly indulging your Self in every whim and desire - doing that, is undoubtedly living an Illusion. I'm also not saying that this particular lifestyle is Good...or Bad...because however you choose to live your life will reap its own consequences. All I am saying is that if you do choose to live that way then it is not Real...it's not Authentic...it is an Illusion.

When you live your life with the intention of honoring Your Self above all else, you will be amazed at the results. When you make Authentic choices that are truly in Your best interest...then your life will be moving in a higher (frequency) level of harmony and joy.

Let me leave you with this thought.

When you take Responsibility for Your Self by putting your Relationship with Your Self first - by choosing what is truly the best option for You - then You will also be choosing what is in the best interest of those around you...even if they are unable to acknowledge it at that moment in time.

When you are able to do this...your Relationship with Your Self - is Real.

Holistic Healing Choices - Changing Your Mindset

To change your mindset...in order to choose a different path...which in turn will create a better outcome...is a courageous and admirable choice. Changing your mindset is about changing the way you think about an existing and established recurring event. This is called your 'Thought Response', and although I am specifically referring to using your Thought Response for making Holistic Healing Choices to improve your health... this process can be used to change any behaviour.
However, in order to choose Holistic Healing instead of your established Thought Response of medication... or a 'quick fix'... you need to start thinking differently... one day at a time... you need to change your mindset.

To change the way you think... one day at a time... all starts with Awareness & Noticing - perhaps you remember them being mentioned in Article 1 - Holistic Healing Choices....Are You Worth It?

There is a great quote by Albert Einstein that encourages you to start thinking out of 'the box' in order to find a way forward. He said,
"You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created."

By saying this, he is referring to 'on the level' as the same as being 'from a Thought Response'.
In other words...the way your mind was thinking when you unconsciously or consciously created 'the problem' would have to change in order to solve 'the problem'...he sure was a smart guy!

Oh, just in case you're not sure what I mean by 'the problem' ... I'm referring to your health issue.

You see, if you start to raise your awareness of how you are really feeling...as well as how you would like to feel or be, then that is the starting point for your Internet research. From doing this research, you will find all the alternatives available to you to help you move forward in the best direction for YOU - then you will be able to make an informed,appropriate and alternative choice of treatment, remedy, self-help or complementary practitioner that is best suited to your needs.

Knowledge is Power.

Perhaps you have an ongoing or recurring ailment that you would like to consider for Holistic Healing... maybe you suffer from migraines, IBS, yeast infection or perhaps you have several issues... then start to research the Internet...some of the links in this article may be of value to you... increase your knowledge about your health... and you will then gain confidence in choosing what is best for you from all that is available. Searching on the Internet on Holistic Healing can lead to a wealth of information...after all, that is how you found my Blog!

Therefore, if changing your mindset starts with your Awareness & Noticing of how you really feel, then the first step is to become more Self Aware...or more 'conscious' of your state...your tensions...your feelings...your bodily functions...your energy. Not in an obsessive way...it's just about Noticing when you feel really good...relaxed...happy...and energetic - and recalling what you did to feel that way.

Perhaps you got to bed earlier the night before...or maybe you drank more water the last few days...or maybe you cut out wheat for a week....whatever you've done...has made a difference. This means that when you don't feel so 'well' or energised you can then reflect on what you've NOT been doing, that makes you feel good!

It's about being more in the moment with your Self...which sounds simple...yet most people are rarely in the moment with their own Self...most people spend most of their thinking time in their past or in their future...and that is why, most people hold onto their existing mindset...even when their existing mindset is damaging their health.
If you can master the Power of Now...then you are the master of your own mind.

Finally, I would just like to say that, people change their Mindset for all sorts of reasons...and one of the most common is ... because of fear... the most drastic being - "if you don't change your ways, you're gonna die!"
This in an unfortunate ultimatum that some people are faced with... and even then, some choose not to change.
Other reasons for changing could be peer pressure or teenage rebellion; religious beliefs; scientific discoveries...or simply learning more about life!
The best reason for changing your mindset - to improve your life by making Holistic Healing Choices - is because you truly Love your Self...simple.

Holistic Healing Choices – Are You Worth It?

Health along with Time are, in my opinion, two of our greatest assets as we go through life on this planet. What we do with them...has a profound influence and effect on how our life will unfold. So this article is about... why bother to take the Time to choose Holistic Healing when you've managed to get to this stage in your life without it?

Well, before I answer that...just let me say...I think there is a possibility that there have been times in your life when you actually have chosen a Holistic method of Healing your Self, and you did it instinctively and intuitively...why? Because it is the NATURAL solution - that's right. Holistic Healing is fundamentally an intuitive way of keeping your Self well... naturally. It's as though you are already 'hard-wired' with a default mechanism to Heal your Self - whether you like it or not!

Wow...that is quite a thought - did you realize that you were SO powerful?

"Hmmm"...I can hear you say..."If we all have this 'power' to Heal our Self then why are so may people sick...and why do we have millions of medicines, drugs, doctors and hospitals?

That's a great question...and too big to answer in detail in this article - although, the answers will unfold...so watch this Blog. At this stage, however, let me give you a short, sharp solution to your question.

To access your 'power' of Holistic Healing takes Time, Stillness, Awareness & Noticing, Balance, Taking Responsibility, Moderation & making Beneficial Choices - and most of us have chosen to 'let go' of these things. If you do choose them, then it means that you really Value your Self, and you feel good about your Self.

Ouch...did that hurt? Of course you think you Value your Self - or maybe you're even admitting to your Self right now, that you don't.

What I have discovered from being a Holistic Consultant for 35 years ....is that the level of your Self Worth and Self Esteem are inseparable from the state of your Health and what you achieve with your Life. So, in short, if we have millions of drugs, doctors and hospitals worldwide - then perhaps as human beings we are suffering from low Self Worth on a global scale...
...it's only a thought!

Let's get back to you and Holistic Healing.
Oh, just before I do...I would like to say (for the record) that I am not writing in criticism of our medical professionals...in fact, I think our medical staff do an amazing job...particularly in the emergency situations, accidents and reconstruction work.
It's incredible what they can do - but they are trained to function within a care system of sickness & disease rather than health & prevention. So, until we can change the system...by changing your Self...we need them.

Now...if you are new to the idea of choosing Holistic Healing or Holistic Medicine - either in place of or alongside conventional medicine - then it's initially about making a move in your 'mindset'.
Perhaps, form an early age you (like most of the western population) had no choice in your healthcare. This was probably because your parents also felt they had no choice...and their parents before them. But, if we go back just a little further then the use of natural ingredients to combat common aliments was the norm. Unfortunately, it was the horrific unsanitary living conditions of the city populations that became an epidemic breeding ground for bacteria...leading to diseases of the masses that Nature could not cope with.

However, we now have healthier living conditions...and we are also very aware of the production of bacteria, germs and viruses...so let's use that knowledge to our advantage and reclaim our Health... Holistically...and let's teach out children to take responsibility for their wellbeing...that would be a wonderful legacy to pass on to them.
I'm sure many of you have, in your childhood, benefited at some point from you grandma's remedies of hot drinks, soups, lotions and potions...which have been handed down through the family from one generation to the next. Many of them got the desired result...though they probably took some Time and plenty of rest, good home cooking, fresh air and sleep.
Then came along modern drugs that got results in less Time - so that seemed a better option... right?
So 'we' moved away from Self Help remedies and favored drugs....with their side effects??
But maybe 'we' only got ill in the first place because 'we' were working too hard, not eating properly, cooped up and not getting enough sleep??
- it's only a thought.

Therefore, until this point in your life, your mind has been 'trained' to think about seeking a medical drug solution when you have any feeling of un-ease, dis-ease, pain, discomfort - or any concerns about your physical, emotional or mental state. It might simply be that you buy some over-the-counter pain killers, indigestion tablets or maybe a hay fever remedy etc. This simply means that your mind is 'set in your ways', and for you to make a different choice...a paradigm shift...to choose Holistic Healing as your first 'port of call' - then you literally have to change your mindset!
There is a lovely quote by W.L Bateman that you may well have heard before that sums up this situation perfectly.
"If you keep doing what you have always done, then you will keep getting what you have always got."
Therefore, if you're prone to any of the common repetitive ailments like eczema, heartburn, hay fever, headaches & migraines, acne, fatigue, yeast infections, IBS and many others...then consider changing your mindset...and look for more Natural solutions. The next article will help you on your way.