Dis-stress

Don't Stress It!

I recently did a webinar about stress where I learned that stress comes in 3 stages. 

There is Acute Stress where you are in fight or flight mode, full of adrenalin which gives you power and endurance. In the old days that would have helped you to fight the enemy off or just flee the scene. After coming out of the acute stress you would have calmed down again and carried on with your life. So to acute stress there is a short-term, adaptive response. In acute stress, the blood sugar spikes and there is weight loss.  

There can be a lot of stressors for the body. Skipping a meal can be a stressor or an unhappy workplace or family situation. Skipping a meal might be easier to address and could be an acute stress situation. 

If the stressor in your life is not removed, stress might become chronic. It might not be just one stressor. It might be one problem after the other, something you cannot deal with, a problem which is out of your control, or you feel that it is out of your control. Chronic stress is prolonged. This is when your body adapts to the situation. Your glands going from secreting adrenalin to secreting mostly cortisol. 

Cortisol is a hormone which is normally secreted around 6 am, when it spikes to get you out of bed. During the day the levels of it go down to make room for melatonin which is the hormone that helps you sleep. If you are in a chronic stressed state, the levels of cortisol are not going to go down. You will feel "tired but wired" which means that you are really tired but cannot sleep because your mind is going round and round. Well. if you ever have been in that state, you know what I'm talking about. 

Cortisol also blocks the insulin receptors and raises blood glucose to keep the energy available for you all the time. You body still thinks that you need a lot of energy and therefore keeps the glucose levels in your blood high, having the extra energy ready for you, just in case you need it. Chronic stress puts you in an resistance, endurance state so that you can keep going on. You seem to be coping but that comes with a cost. Suppressed immune responses, recurrent infections, craving sugar and salt, weight gain and water retention might occur. 

If your stress is still not resolved in that stage it morphs into Exhaustion. This means burnout where you will have difficulties getting out of bed in the morning. It also means profound fatigue, loss of drive and motivation, slow recovery from illness, food intolerance and extreme sensitivity to noise and light. Depression might also occur. Women often think their state of health has something to do with "The Change" but in reality it is stress which caused their problems because stress disrupts the whole endocrine system. 

The good news is that you can do something about being stressed. It is easy to say: "Don't get stressed" but it is not so easily done. A good diet obviously helps and getting enough quality sleep. Easier said than done as well, but that is where Homoeopathy comes into the picture.

Homoeopathy can help you get out of the danger zone and back to a more relaxed state, but it needs personal tailoring. Homoeopathy treats the whole person and not just the disease and it can only work if you get the right remedy for YOU. So if you want to book an appointment, call me on 07813 195468 and we can sort it out together. 

Stress can be an important, vital response and we cannot be calm all the time, but it should be not affecting your health and should  not out of your control.  Looking forward to hear from you. 

A finger, not a foot, in the door

When The Door Hits The Finger

Have you ever had your hand or finger in a car door or between tables when they came together with a force? Well, have you ever had a trapped, smashed finger? 

It happened to me last week. It was not a car door but the door of a lift I had to shut. It was my little finger and I trapped it right at the root of the nail. Oh my, it was so painful. Did having a pain ever leave you speechless? It was like that. I hardly could breathe. When I could take a breath again, the next thing that happened was that my remedy pouch came out. 

I had only 3 essential remedies with me at the time for emergencies which were Calendula, Arnica and Ledum. It had to be Ledum because the injury was in a nerve rich area. It did help and the pain subsided but I had to take it again, whenever the pain became more severe. I was hoping that my nail would just turn black instead of coming off. 

When I got home I started to take Hypericum which was the more appropriate remedy. And it made it a lot better immediately. The pain went, then the next day I could use my finger again without whining. And the day after that everything was fine again apart from a tiny blue/black spot on the root of my nail. 

It reminded me of the time when I was a child and we had to move tables in class to change the seating order. Some of the pupils chatted too much. We were busy moving tables around and with the force of youth we were banging the together making much noise. I was working with a class mate we put two tables together with great force but unfortunately my finger was between the tables. 

Oh dear that did hurt so much. It throbbed as well and wouldn't stop even on the way home. When I got home I told my mother  but there was nothing which could be done about it. There was no point seeing a doctor but I was in a lot of pain the whole day and it stayed tender for a long while. I wish I would have known about Homoeopathy in those days. It would have saved me a lot of pain. 

So now I always carry some emergency remedies with me and I was thinking about adding Hypericum to my little pouch. I hope that there is room. Homoeopathy can also be helpful in chronic conditions but don't forget: Homoeopathy is an individual medicine which can only help if you have the right remedy. That is my job. So self-medication has its limits. If you want my help then call me on 07813 195468 to book an appointment. Looking forward to hear from you. 

Coping with the heat

 THE HEATWAVE

Last week it was cold, grey and windy, this week all of a sudden the summer is here. It might be really difficult for the body to adjust with nothing in-between. Some people find it easy to adjust and love the heat anyway, others might have more trouble to cope.

Homoeopathy is here to help in case that you have had too much sun. Causticum can help to ease the pain on sun burned skin.

Belladonna is another good homoeopathic remedy in case your skin had too much sun, particularly when skin and head are red and hot. You need to seek medical help when the area of your skin which had too much sun is bigger than the palm of your hand. This is a rough measure. You always need to stay on the safe side. So even if the area of your skin is not as big as the palm of your hand but you feel not well, you need to see somebody of the medical profession. 

A good homoeopathic remedy to take before seeking medical help in case of too much heat is Glonium.

In case of any emergencies seek immediate medical help.

Some peoples' head is aching as soon as the sun comes out, even if they are not sun bathing. Well, homoeopathy can help. Natrum muriaticum is one of the homoeopathic remedies which can help with that but don't forget that homoeopathy is a very individual medicine and completely tailored to you so what I mention here is only a rough guide. 

 A good homoeopathic remedy for people who have never been well after your skin got severely burned by the sun, is actually made out of sunshine. It, too, has the symptom of aching heads in sunshine, particularly if the sun is shining on an uncovered head.

It suits people who are very sensitive to sunshine in general as well and might help with depression and sadness. 

Don't forget that there are limitations to self treatment and Homoeopathy is a medicine that can only work if you have the right remedy. If in doubt, always seek medical help.

Coping with the heat is not always easy but try and stay cool and use Homoeopathy.

Let me know and get in contact on 07813 195468 if you think that you might benefit from homoeopathy, I'm happy to help. Hopefully there might be some cooler weather on the way. Enjoy the sun.

Photograph by Roger Giraud-Saunders

Working together

Going Hand In Hand

A lot of people actually don't know that Homoeopathy can be a choice of medicine to be used alongside mainstream medicine. 

There are many advantages to using both hand in hand. Homoeopathy might reduce the pain and speed up healing. It can help with wound healing after an operation and might even speed up the fusion of bones after they have been set.

Homoeopathy can reduce swelling which might be particularly important after an accident. 

I can remember when my daughter broke her leg the first time. Arriving at the doctors surgery, the first thing the orthopedist did, was to give her some homoeopathic Arnica. The x-ray showed a complicated fracture which needed operating on, but my daughter was in no pain and feeling so well that we made the mistake of having lunch before driving to the hospital. So having eaten was the reason why she couldn't be operated on straight away after arriving at the hospital. Still, she was in no pain and in good spirits even though so bored while we were waiting for the hours to pass. Her leg was not swollen at all despite the nature of the fracture.

The situation was very different when she broke the other leg 4 years later. The fracture was a lot less complicated but this time she didn't receive any Arnica after the fall and the leg swelled up enormously. It was in fact so swollen that they nearly had to cut it open lengthwise down the whole leg to relieve the pressure because it was threatening to damage the nerve. As you could imagine it was not only my daughter who was very distressed about this. It was the worst night of my life. Luckily that didn't need to happen and after 2 days they could operate on the leg. This made me think that so much distress and suffering could have been avoided if Homoeopathy would have been employed, or in fact that Homoeopathy would be more widely used alongside mainstream medicine. 

Don't forget that in Homoeopathy you need to know what you are doing and that it is a very individual medicine. Even though in 80% of cases Arnica is the right remedy to give after an accident there is still the other 20% where another remedy is needed. So the best thing to do is to see a qualified Homoeopath. Contact me on 07813 195468 to book an appointment.

     

 

Light it, or better not.

A Lump Of Charcoal

One of my favorite Hompoeopathic remedies is made out of charcoal.  Contrary to other coal, charcoal is usually man made. In the past, there were professional charcoal burners who would pile wood into conical pits, ignite them and limit the air flow so that the wood would burn slowly and form charcoal. 

I can remember my mother, who once lived in the woods as a child, telling me about one of the pits which she opened because she wanted to know what was inside. The wood flared up, of course, with the sudden inflow of air and oxygen, and burned out. The work of the charcoal burner was ruined. Charcoal burners were among the poorest people. I wonder how my mothers thirst for knowledge affected that poor person. 

Charcoal was mainly used for cooking food in the past. Nowadays it is still used for cooking, but that is on the barbeque. 

There are medical usages for charcoal as well, as it stops you from having the runnies. This is not the stuff for the barbeque. It is food grade charcoal, so don't mix it up. 

Furthermore it is used in beauty products and in toothpaste because it is supposed to make your teeth whiter. 

Believe it or not, there are biscuits for cheese which contain charcoal and they actually taste quite good. I've also known people who put charcoal into their meringue mix. The resulting colour is not very attractive and I have never tried them.

Taken the food grate charcoal neat as a powder or capsules, it helps to detoxify the body and is so perfect for a spring clean. The capsules are very big and I find them difficult to swallow. The powder is very dry and therefore difficult to swallow as well even in small quantities. The best charcoal is supposed to come from bamboo but I have not been able to get hold of bamboo charcoal so far. 

As a Homoeopathic remedy, where it is called Carbo-vegetabilis, it can help to detoxify the body as well and is a lot easier to take. Just put it under your tongue or take it in water. 

But it can do even more. It is a Homoeopathic remedy for the weak, sick and exhausted where there is a lack of energy which is almost lifeless. Carbo-vegatabilis acts on the venous circulation and capillaries so it is perfect for people who suffer from icy coldness and were vitality becomes low. The strange thing is that the person suffering must have air and all the windows open even though they are icy cold. 

When indicated it is the ideal remedy for people who have never fully recovered from the effects of a previous illness. It is amazing what Homoeopathy can do to help you, but don't forget that Homoeopathy can only help if you get the right remedy for YOU. So self medication has its limits and it would be better if you come and see me. Call me on 07813 195468 to book your appointment. I'm looking forward to hear from you. 

Decisions

What Shall I Wear?

I don't know if you know what I mean but it is not "one of those days", it is almost every day. I find it difficult to decide. This starts as soon as I wake up. Shall I get up early and have a shower now or stay in bed a bit longer and have shower in the evening? Shall I wear a dress or would trousers be better?  If "yes" to the trousers would the red t-shirt go with the green trousers or would blue trousers be better? It might be better to wear a dress if it is going to be sunny but as I do not know how the day will turn out, trousers might be more appropriate? And what about the shoes? Will wellies really go with the dress if it is going to rain? 

Or shall I just stay in bed and forget about getting dressed? Oh, but when shall I do the hoovering if I just stay in bed??

And what shall I have for breakfast? Shall I have porridge or bacon and eggs? What about lunch?  Would it be wise to have a BLT for lunch when I have had bacon and eggs for breakfast? And anyway what are we having for supper? Maybe I should skip breakfast and then it would not be a problem. Or have a late lunch and dismiss supper? Some times I think it was easier back in the days when my mother told me what to wear, what to do and what to eat. Then at least I knew what I didn't want to wear and that I definitely didn't want to set the table when I was reading a book and that the carrot pottage was exactly not what I wanted to eat.

All those decisions that I have to make all on my own on a regular daily basis can be really hard particularly if you are afraid to make the wrong decision. One decision which was clearly the right one was to turn to Homoeopathy. 

Homoeopathy is a very individual kind of medicine which does not only take your symptoms into account but your whole personality as well. It definitely helped me make decisions more easily and it also takes into account if you cannot make a decision at all, or if different options go round and round in your head. And there are more options. It is not a difficult decision to opt for Homoeopathy because it always has an answer. If you made your  decision give me a call on 07813 195468. 

Red rose or white clematis? Or both???

Time Travelers

The clocks have changed...again. I still do not understand why we do it apart from just to confuse us. Summer time was actually introduced by Germany in 1916 during World War I to make better use of natural daylight and to save natural resources like coal. The history starts there, and the British actually experimented with double Summer time and having permanent Summer Time for 3 years.

It is really weird every time. My head is in winter time whereas my body has to travel in summer time. My head thinks it is too early for work or breakfast or lunch or to go to bed, whereas my body has to have breakfast, lunch, work or go to bed because otherwise it will be too late. 

It is a bit like coming home after a holiday in a different time zone. You do not really feel at home in your current life till everything has stabilized again. Well, let me tell you that Homoeopathy can help your body and head adjust to the situation, whatever the reason for your time travelling is. I think without Homoeopathy I still would be eating breakfast or be late for a church service like it happened to me before.

Best to call me soon to book your appointment before it is too late. Call me on 07813 195468. Looking forward to hear from you. 

Is it time for Tea?

  

Heros

Everyday Hero

It is Mothers' Day today. Time to give your mother chocolates and a card to say "Thank you" for all the care you received. It should be Mothers' Day every day.

Children are a lot of work. Everybody who looks after children knows that. I know that, I had 5 to look after.  Even though there are some fathers, guardians and grandparents who look after children, most of the time they are looked after and cared for by mothers. It is not only that mothers do the washing, shopping, cooking and cleaning, they also help with the health issues, school work and emotional issues of their children. On top of that some act as their children's best friends. 

I can remember that life changed dramatically when I had my first child. There were no lazy Sunday mornings anymore. No just getting out to the shops to quickly pick up something that was forgotten or run out. All of a sudden life had to be organized  to suit that little human being 24/7. Sometimes my needs had to wait, even though I was starving or needed the loo urgently. What you don't realize is that it never ends till the day you die. Once mother, always mother, you never stop worrying about your children. 

Be prepared that nobody will even say "Thank you" but do not forget that nobody actually asked to be born. 

So it is really important that the mother never forgets to look after herself and her needs. Other wise you might end up in a situation where you resent your children and family. Burnout can happen to mothers as well as any other person in a high powered job,  particularly if you have another job as well. Homoeopathy can help to look after you and your needs. So do not wait till you are really exhausted, give me a ring on 07813 195468 and book an appointment now. 

 

It is never to late

Feed Your Brain

I just read a quote which said that education is something which never can be finished. I do agree. I was always a keen learner and I still want to learn. I always want to improve my knowledge, no matter the subject. 

I loved school and university, the more to learn and to know, the better. But I must admit, in recent years I found it quite hard to retain and recall the information. It was particularly bad after giving birth to my son. It was so bad that I had to phone the doctor just after putting the receiver down again because I could not remember the date and time for the next appointment. So I had to call back with pen and paper in one hand, the receiver held between ear and shoulder to write the appointment  down there and then. 

Now I think it is just old age. I sometimes want to do something, walk into the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom.... and forget what I wanted to do. So, does that happen to you as well? Or I meant to do something and there is the nagging feeling that I haven't completed the task but I just cannot remember what it was? Is tying a knot into a handkerchief still in fashion? Does anybody still have handkerchiefs to ty a knot into? Did it work anyway??   

There are certain things you can do to prevent your memory from drying up. Coconut oil is good, even if you don't eat it. Just putting it on your skin. Rubbing it into your feet is said to be particularly good for your brain. And there are Homoeopathic remedies which can help as well. I found Bacopa very useful, but there are other remedies which can be taken before and after revision to aid the remembrance of the material studied. This can be very helpful if you have some upcoming exams, and it might take the stress out of the situation. If you need any help then give me a call om 07813 195468. Don't forget it!

Valentines' day

Love Is In The Air?

Flowers and cards from secret ( or not so secret, admirers), chocolates, red roses and special meals next week. There should have been plenty of that yesterday, because it was Valentines' day. I hope that you had a happy Valentines' day. We went out for a special lunch and it was nice. But what about all the people who did not have a happy Valentines' day? 

So what if there is nobody who will send you secret admirers cards or red roses? So what if there is no special meal? What about all those lonely people who do not feel the love or any affection from other people? Is it a sign of our times that more people become lonely? What does it say about your person if there is no such thing as a red rose or a card for you on Valentines' day? Are you a bad person? A failure? No, you are not. It just means that you didn't get any red roses or cards for what ever reason. 

A card or some flowers do not make a better person out of you but you might still not get rid of the feeling that nobody loves you or cares for you. I can remember a story we heard during our English lessons while I was still at school where a father sent a Valentines' card to his daughter and changed her life. Well, she didn't know that it came from her father but it shows that the perception of yourself is important. Knowing that you are loved and desired can improve your self confidence hugely. It might increase your self worth. 

One important step is actually to start loving yourself. How do you expect somebody to do something you are not happy to do yourself? Find it difficult to love yourself? Homoeopathy can help with that as well, it might take a bit longer than just a Valentines' card but it is more effective. Give it a go and let Homoeopathy be your alternative.

A red rose for you