Dear All

 Welcome to the winter edition of our newsletter.  Personally I think winter in the country is beautiful with the fog and frost, the dull grey against the green hills with the sheep and cattle, the pitta patter of rain drops and the fresh county air.  Unfortunately it is also that time of year that we associate with colds, coughs and the flu.

 So what can we do to make this time of year better? Lets start by looking at winter differently, more positively! Winter is a season for us to slow down, unwind a bit, rest body and mind. It’s a time for warm fires, hearty  meals shared with close family and friends. Its quality time indoors with early nights and late mornings, it’s a time not to rush.

 The key to surviving winter illness is that “prevention is better than cure”. Remembering that most winter infections are self limiting, and if addressed early will result in milder, shorter  symptoms. .

 Basic tips include

· Dress according to the weather.  Rug up and keep warm. If you get wet or wash your hair, make sure it is dried as soon as possible. 

· Rest in a nice warm bed at the onset of any infection.

· Burn essential oils of Eucalyptus oil, Lavender and Tea tree oil, bought from the local supermarket (5-7 drops each) in a candle burner or steamer with water. (Caution: Never leave a candle burner unattended).

· Eat nutrient dense fresh food like chicken soups, hearty casseroles or stews with plenty of garlic and onions. (Garlic and onions are natural anti bacterial, anti viral and anti inflammatory).

· Increase citrus/Kiwi fruit or supplement with vitamin C for immunity. 

· Avoid being stressed by imagining that whatever is stressing you is melting away from  your mind and body (like an ice cube!), or feel the stress inside of you and breathe it out, or look at the big picture and see that it is not worth the stress, and just let go.

Hopefully by giving ourselves and our loved ones a  big dose of tender loving care we should all breeze through another winter in tact.                                                                                            Jacqui Fernandez  

Headaches

Headaches are a common complaint and are experienced by most of us at some time or the other. However for those who suffer from them chronically or regularly the impact is felt physically, mentally and socially. Common causes of headaches include stress, tension, anxiety, allergies, constipation, hormonal or trauma. The experts estimate that 90% of all headaches are tension headaches and 6% migraines. 

Tension headaches: As the name suggests this is caused by muscular tension. They tend to happen more in the afternoons to late evenings and could be due to minor hassles of the day or fatigue causing the muscles to tighten or tense up. This discomfort can further cause aroused emotions resulting in the muscles of the head, neck, shoulders and lower back to become the target of tension and further tightening causing tension headaches. 

 What we can do:

Regular exercise like walking for 30 minutes at least, can ease tension physically and mentally.

 Relaxation: Get comfortable, take a deep breathe and slowly blow the tension out of your mouth. Now mentally feel your scalp soften, feel that softness moving to your face, as your face softens, now feel your throat and neck softening. Feel your shoulders melting as all tension continues to melt and soften your arms, hands and fingers. Now feel your chest soften, feel your belly soften and feel your whole body relaxing. Feel your back bone melting from the base of your head down to your tail bone and feel the muscles in your back soften. Feel your hips softening, now feel your pelvic area and bottom soften into your hips. Feel your thighs soften, knees melting, calves softening, ankles melting and finally feel all tension draining out of your body thru your feet. Now concentrate on your breath by saying “one” each time you breathe out as you mentally and physically go deeper into a state of relaxation.

(At Nordic we do use this type of relaxation during your massage accompanied by relaxing music. If we have not used this on you and you would like it, please request it, as it is a great tool to learn to relax).

 Other suggestions include consistent sleep, good nutrition, increase water intake and positive self talk to reduce stress and tension.    

Migraines: Migraines headaches are caused by the constriction (tightening) and dilation (relaxing) of blood vessels in the head and occur in stages. During the first stage arteries constrict, and some symptoms include dizziness, flushness, visual static, and can include a sense of uneasiness. The second stage, the arties dilate and results in intense one sided pain. There can also be inflammation leading to irritation of nerves and activation of hormones and neurotransmitters. This can lead to neck and headaches, nausea, light sensitivity, pins & needles and complete temporary incapacitation.

 Causes: The causes of a migraine are diverse from food allergies/sensitivity from chocolate, red wine, orange juice and cheese, stress (especially after a stressful event) or disruption of hormones, certain drugs can also contribute to initiating a migraine.

 Treatment: Identify and avoid foods that trigger a migraine, practice relaxation techniques, try and not keep pent up emotions especially anger (let it go, or have your say!). Some home remedies that you could use is in a darkened quiet room, fill a foot bath with warm water (as warm as you can tolerate) add either

2 tablespoons of mustard powder or lemon juice. This would help moderate the circulation to the head and reduce the symptoms of the migraine.

 Naturopathy: We generally use a combination of head neck and back massages with relaxation techniques. This can be combined with herbs that relax the muscles and reduce tension and modulate circulation.  
                                                          Jacqui Fernandez  

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."--
Helen Keller

Naturopathy - Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, Massage, Iridology, Counselling, Stress management

Helping in the treatment of ailments such as anxiety, depression, asthma, stress, headaches, women's problems (PMT, Menopause), Men's problems (Prostate), digestive problems, bowel problems, immune deficiencies, etc.

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