Hello everyone and welcome to my September 2022 newsletter. I realise it has been some time and I do hope this newsletter finds you in good health and spirits.
I have lots to share this month as I embark on teaching a brand-new course and offer a new updated nutrition workshop. Also, as some of you may have already seen, I am embarking into the world of video and social media and learning as I go along. I am hoping this offers a more diverse and accessible way to get to know me and what I offer🙏I will be uploading a lot of my video offerings onto the relevant pages of my website. This will include my weight management page for all my up-to-date culinary exploits 😊 and my Courses page and workshops page.
My September News Hot Topic of the month!
Eating well – the balance of mood, food, and wellbeing.
This month I am taking a deep dive into the world of nutrition for optimal wellbeing-as many of you know, I have followed a predominantly plant -based to limited pescatarian diet for many years now, but I noticed how much I had slipped into unhealthy habits during the pandemic, and this summer it was time for URGENT change! So I embarked on a journey that has led me down many paths, including ‘keto’, and plant based, to becoming as ‘sugar free’ as possible.
Anecdotally, the results have been amazing for me -I have lost some stubborn weight, but my main joy is that I have found taking sugar and grains (gluten) out of my diet completely has reduced my pain levels dramatically and given me some much-needed energy. As someone who suffers from Chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia-this has been a huge moment of ‘awakening’. Alongside my self-compassion and mindfulness practices, I am beginning to feel that life is a little less limited for me personally now and that feels so good! I will be sharing some of my ‘newbie’ social media videos on my website and you can find them on my YouTube channel and Instagram, as well as Facebook 😊
On a more professional note, as an integrative psychotherapist I look at the ‘whole person when it comes to helping them with issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. I have a keen interest in optimum nutrition and have studied the link between emotional wellbeing and a balanced diet.
Diet is not just about managing weight, it is concerned with getting enough of the right nutrients such as essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to promote the efficient functioning of the brain, improve energy levels, enhance quality sleep, and increase hormonal balance, as well as keeping inflammation in check and the body in homeostasis.
Something that is not often spoken about is the link between food and our emotions-more specifically-anxiety.
Is there a link between nutrition and anxiety?
Are there foods we should stay away from and foods that we should include plenty of to help manage our anxiety?
Certainly, eating foods that put stress on our physical well-being will have an impact on our mood and increase anxiety. These would include foods high in sugar and saturated fat. Foods that create an acidic inflammatory response in the body also create imbalance in the hormonal systems.
- There is also increasing research showing a link between vitamin D deficiency and mood disorders such as anxiety.
- Alcohol and caffeine are known to create anxiety responses in the body so reducing these is a simple but effective first step.
- Eating a well-balanced rainbow (coloured fruit and vegetables) diet rich in alkaline producing foods and nutrient dense complex carbohydrates, fats, and proteins such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds ,lean meat, and fish grains such as Oats and pulses such as lentils help to enrich the body with B vitamins and important mineral such as zinc and magnesium known to support a healthy nervous system and balance hormones.
- Dark chocolate and bananas are a good source of magnesium which promotes pain relief and relaxation.
- Good sources of protein such as lean (organic grass-fed preferably) meat, oily fish such as salmon and sardines; and nuts and seeds if you eat a predominantly plant -based diet (highly recommended) provide amino acids which convert into mood lifting neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
- Camomile is often recommended for calming anxiety
- Turmeric (curcumin) has been studied and shown to reduce anxiety and can be easily incorporated into soups and smoothies and calming well-being teas.
- Reducing sugar intake is essential to your wellbeing. Sugary drinks can give quick energy fixes but then we get the energy dips which can lower mood, or worse keep us awake at night-so swapping a sugary drink with a herbal tea or a soda and a squeeze of lemon can be really helpful in restoring emotional balance.
Check out my videos and on Instagram and Facebook to follow my journey #keeping it real where I walk you through my own journey towards wellbeing, pain management and weight management -keeping it real, because I am by no means perfect or an expert but I do have a huge appetite (deliberate pun intended☺) for nutritional knowledge and evidence based research for optimal wellbeing through nutritional sources and have studied this independently over the last twenty years or so, including an open university certificate in nutrition in 2008. I share what I have learnt and what has worked for me anecdotally, and I then invite you to explore the research for yourself so that you can make informed choices about your own nutritional wellbeing journey.
It goes without saying that there is never a ‘one cap fits all’ approach as we are all uniquely different from our DNA to our lifestyle choices and genetic makeup. However, research over the last twenty years or so is leading towards a lower carbohydrate and sugar free, whole food diet for optimum nutrition, alongside intermittent fasting and increasing our vitamin and mineral intake through food and, if necessary, supplementation.
I’m passionate about positive nutrition and reducing our sugar intake as I have learnt the stark truth about the links between sugar and chronic disease and the phrase “Cancer loves sugar” sticks out big time for me. I am looking forward to sharing what I have learnt from my own reading and researching, and my own journey.
If you would like to know more and learn some new strategies for optimal wellbeing then my latest workshop may be just what you are looking for!
Nutrition for wellbeing and weight management
This half day workshop/retreat will incorporate the latest evidenced based strategies for keeping sugar cravings at bay and helping you get the optimal nutritional value from your food.
Where: Twemlow
Date: Saturday November 12th
Time: 2-5pm
Cost: £40.00 -this includes refreshments and training materials/booklet. I am offering a discount of £10 for anyone who has completed the new six-week core skills resilience training or any mindful self-compassion programme, or who brings a full-paying friend.
“Wellbeing for life!”
A practical and evidence -based core skills training in mindful self-compassionate approaches and strategies for emotional and physical wellbeing and resilience.
This new course is based on the official mindful self-compassion programme and facilitated by one of the first European trainers to be trained directly by the co-founders Kristin Neff and Chris Germer.
Where : The old fuel depot business centre , Twemlow Lane, Twemlow, Cheshire, CW4 8GJ. Full directions available on application and payment.
When: This new six-week core skills training course is being offered over two sessions so that numbers can be kept small and intimate.
The first six -week course now starts on Friday September 23 and runs for 6 weeks to 28 October-Application for this course now closed.
The second six-week course starts on Friday November 4 and runs for 6 weeks to December 9.
Time: 11.00am -1.00pm
Cost: £200 payable upon application to secure your place due to limited numbers and a wait list in place.
To reserve your place/request an application form: call me or text or WhatsApp me 07753 957371 for further information. You can also email me via my contact page on my website.
Details: This dynamic and practical course brings together the very latest neuroscientific research with compassion-focused training practices to build resilience and a sense of peace within, building on the framework of mindful self-compassion practices and mindfulness-based CBT strategies to build confidence and achieve goals and ambitions.
Places are limited as I want to keep the sessions intimate and a place where you can safely and compassionately explore your needs and how to meet them in a healthy compassionate way.
Who for?: This course is for anyone who wants to learn mindfulness based and compassion -focused approaches to develop a better relationship with themselves and manage stress and life challenges; and develop the skills to make healthy choices for optimal wellbeing. This course is for everyone, and it is not necessary to have any experience of meditation prior to this course.
Bonus: Your investment of £200 will include materials, refreshments, individual support throughout your journey and I am offering a discounted rate for the ‘bonus’ nutrition workshop in November – as a standalone this will be £40.00 including learning materials and workbook, as a discounted bonus the cost is £30 if you have completed the course and are interested in learning more about nutrition for wellbeing.
About the mindful self-compassionate approach to wellbeing
Mindful self-compassion can be considered an ultimate emotional strengths and resilience training. It is an intelligent and compassionate response to suffering, trauma, and imperfection and is grounded in evidence based neuroscientific research, and evolutionary psychological research from Professor Paul Gilbert OBE as a proven way to effectively overcome emotional difficulty and develop and healthier relationship with ourselves. The programme has been developed from the self-compassion research of Professor Kristin Neff, and the clinical wisdom and expertise of Dr Chris Germer as they joined forces to founder this unique, and now world -renowned therapeutic training.
The three key components of self-compassion are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and balanced, mindful awareness. Kindness opens our hearts to suffering, so we can give ourselves what we need. Common humanity opens us to our essential inter-relatedness, so that we know we aren’t alone. Mindfulness opens us to the present moment, so we can accept our experience with greater ease. Together they comprise a state of warm-hearted, connected presence.
Self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those who didn’t receive enough affection in childhood or who feel uncomfortable when they are good to themselves. It’s a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including the harm that we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, self-isolation, or self-absorption. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, motivate ourselves with kindness, forgive ourselves when needed, relate wholeheartedly to others, and be more authentically ourselves.
Rapidly expanding research demonstrates that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, less anxiety, depression and stress, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships.
The Six-weekly gatherings continue
The next dates for your diary are September 24th, November 5th, and December 3rd or 17th TBC.
I am hoping to run these gatherings face to face at Disley Quaker meeting House and I will be sending out my usual separate newsletter to the regular gatherers. However, if you have completed a Mindful self-compassion course and would like to attend then do get in touch as this is an ‘inclusive’ group.
Well that’s all for this month! I hope you have found something of interest/helpful/useful in this offering and I look forward to connecting with you again soon.
Wishing you safe, well, and happy always…wherever your path may lead.