 Would you say you’re a night owl or an early bird? Would you think it could make a difference to your health? We need 8 hours sleep so it shouldn’t matter when you get those 8 hours right? Wrong! I remember, many many moons ago, working permanent night duties in A&E while I was nursing. After a month I was feeling sick, after 6 months I was really sick. I knew it wasn’t good for my health but at the time it was a way to save quickly so I could go traveling. Since then I have learnt to look at what the body can and can’t take and thought long and hard about what is worth it to me. So here are some simple rules that can make a real difference when done consistently • An hours sleep before 10pm is worth 2 hours compared to that after 10pm • Getting up before 7am will leave you feeling more energized and less lethargic than sleeping in • Switch off the phones/social media/computer games an hour before bed An Epsom salt bath before bed helps you sleep • Magnesium taken in the evening promotes sleep • Eat your dinner before 7pm so your sleep isn’t disturbed by your digestion Herbal teas can help relax the body for sleep – chamomile, Passion flower, oats, hops, lemon balm and many more The most important things you can do is to decide it’s important to get a If you are struggling with sleep and need an appointment, contact carina. To find out more, you can contact Carina at T -(087) 0978880, E - info@itsanaturalchoice.com W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com, A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922
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 Sciatica can be a real pain in the backside(literally) I see many clients with sciatica. It’s easily recognizable, with the sharp pain that shoots down the leg, often one side. The pain starts at the base of the spine, shoots across the back to the hip then down the leg. It can be excruciating and debilitating. This pain is caused by the sciatic nerve being pinched, either by disc problems or tight muscles. When this nerve is pinched it sends nerve pain down the path of the nerve, in this case down the leg. So what can you do: • Cupping – cupping can help to release the impingement and relax the muscle tightness in the area • Diet – an anti-inflammatory, plant based, high in anti-oxidants, high in magnesium, high in omega 3 • Supplements – B vitamins, high dose Vitamin C, Liopoic acid, Acetyl-L- Carnitine, N-Acetyl cysteine, Krill oil • Herbs – the herbs that I commonly use are turmeric, devils claw, mullein root, skullcap, wild lettuce, willow bark, St. John’s wort. I choose herbs according to the client. No one fits all. • Water – make sure you are having the minimum 2L • Exercise – stretching – yoga, Pilates, swimming • Physio • Reflexology • Reiki • Put a heat pad on the lumbar spine at night owing to bed. If the pain is eased in the morning it is more likely muscular in nature, if not it is more likely disc related • Stretch the purify is – lie on your back, Brian the leg affected up, bring the knee of the affected side to the other side of your body – eg left side, bring the left knee towards the right shoulder The main thing with sciatica as with any other health issue is to treat the person and not the symptom. If you need help with Sciatica, contact Carina for an appointment To find out more, you can contact Carina at T -(087) 0978880, E - info@itsanaturalchoice.com W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com, A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922  I have suffered with tinnitus myself. For me it always sounded like the long tone at the end of the night on the TV back in the 80’s. But when it’s in your ear you can’t turn it off, it becomes torture. My mother used to say hers sounded like she was sat in the middle of an aviary. Well, as you might have realized by now, I always look for why you have an issue. The lining of the ear canal is the same as the mucous membrane throughout the digestive tract. Some of the common causes of tinnitus are exposure to loud noise, infection or cyst. All of these will result in inflammation of the mucous membrane as protection, which result in a narrowing of the canal. This is a contributing factor to the noise. When you look at tinnitus from this angle it seems quite logical to help soothe the mucous membrane and reduce the inflammation. Now lets go back to what I said about the membrane being the same as that of the digestive tract. This is the key. Heal the mucous membrane and gut inflammation and the tinnitus starts to improve. This is best done under the supervision of a Naturopath/Herbalist/Nutritional therapist for the quickest and most economical way to lasting results. 5 point tinnitus plan 1 – balance gut flora – probiotics 2 – soothe the mucous membrane – herbs like marshmallow or Aloe vera, 3 seed tea. 3 – feed the body (the nutrients it needs to heal)– wholefood diet high in vegetables 4 – cut the caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy and processed 5 – heal the gut – herbs like slippery elm, pau d’arco, goldenseal, myrica. There is often a simple solution to these niggling issues that impact your life. Don’t give up on finding solutions. To find out more, you can contact Carina at T -(087) 0978880, E - info@itsanaturalchoice.com W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com, A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922  I recently joined a Vegan/Vegetarian cookery course at Davitt College. Our tutor is Ron, or as I’ve fondly nicknamed him, the Salty Chef. It has been an absolute joy to learn from someone who is as passionate about food and nutrition as I am.
This week Ron brought some articles into the class about food and nutrition. One that really caught my eye was by Muiris Houston in the Irish Times. In this article Mr Houston says “The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Irish. The Mexicans eat a lot more fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Irish. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Irish. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Irish. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausage and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Irish. Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Being Irish is apparently what kills you.” It’s funny but it’s true. Confusing Huh? Not when you simplify it. The Japanese, the Mexicans, the Chinese, the Italians, the Germans have fewer heart attacks than the Irish, they also cook from fresh a lot more than we do. Maybe the message here is we need to stop looking for the ingredient in food that is killing us, fat, sugar, salt and look at the type of food that might be. One of the biggest changes we have seen in the way we live in the last 30-40 years is the way we eat, what we eat. We have been sold the image of convenience but really most of the foods we are hooked on are bad for our health, lacking nutrients and contain chemicals that our body finds very difficult to process. In the same time period chronic health issues have soared How many people over the age of 60 do you know that are not taking a long term medication? How many people do you know with some form of chronic pain, heart issue, asthma, chronic constipation, obesity, inflammation, cancer etc? If I could get one message across for better health it would simply be to start cooking more from fresh and ditch the processed where you can. To find out more, you can contact Carina at T -(087) 0978880, E - info@itsanaturalchoice.com W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com, A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922  A common question I get asked about pregnancy reflexology is can you induce labour. My training and personal experience leads me to say no! Your baby will decide when the are ready for their big debut, unless medical intervention is needed.
What reflexology does and how it can help pregnancy and labour is quite simply, it helps to bring balance. So what does that mean? Reflexology in pregnancy helps the following:
Reflexology is no miracle, it just helps to promote balance, and we could all do with a bit of balance during pregnancy and beyond! To find out more, you can contact Carina at T -(087) 0978880, E - info@itsanaturalchoice.com W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com, A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922 |
AuthorCarina Kennedy was formerly a Nurse, now a Nutritional Therapist and Herbalist living in the west of Ireland. Her passion is food, health and teaching clients to gain control of their life with simple techniques. Archives
March 2023
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