Talking therapies explained – Free guide

At some point, many of us want to take a fresh look at a problem, or an issue in their life and the first port of call is often a therapist. But which one? It can be confusing to sort your way through what is available, and how suitable it is for you and your particular concern. Most people know something of how counseling works, but would psychoanalysis or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy better – and how do you know? There is now an excellent free guide from The Mental Health Foundation called ‘Talking therapies explained’, and it does exactly that. It is a quick and easy guide that explains the types of different therapies available and how they work, as well as organisations listing reputable therapists.

To get the right help, you nee to know the right questions to ask, and the guide lists practical questions to ask when looking around because although work is being done to address the accreditation and regulation of therapists, there are still unscrupulous and poorly qualified practitioners around and you can’t always recognize them without some help.

The Government now has a programme to improve access to psychological therapies on the NHS, but it has only just begun and there is currently an average wait of six months to get an appointment. In these stressful times, more people need help than ever and certainly the talking therapies not only improve an individual’s mental health but also their ability to manage family life, relationships, a job or an ongoing physical illness.If you would like a copy of ‘Talking therapies explained’ you can either telephone the Mental Health Foundation on 020 7803 1101 or download it from their website at www.mentalhealth.org.uk and it is free for a single copy, though there is a small charge for bulk orders.

Cutting the cost of travel vaccinations

One of the drawbacks to foreign travel, at least to me, is the number of vaccinations that you seem to be required to have. I am travelling to the Far East this month and was told I had to have Typhoid, Teteanus, Polio, Hepatitis A and Malaria. I am not a fan of vaccinations unless absolutely essential, as they do have side effects. The most serious to me is that they do compromise your immune system, and these are some of the others:

Headache, Itching, Loss of appetite, Fever, Nausea and vomiting, Anaphylaxis (extreme allergic reaction), Redness or pain and swelling around injection site, A general feeling of being unwell.

I like to keep my immune system as healthy as possible to naturally ward off infection and illness so I phoned my favourite homoepathic chemist and asked if there were any effective alternatives to these vaccinations. I was assured there were certainly were, and I was sent a neat set of little bottles to take one a day for the next 10 days. If homoeopathy is good enough for the Royal Family it is certainly good enough for me, and there is an additional bonus that doesn’t worry them, in that it is a huge cost saving. My remedies cost me £13, including postage, and the cost quoted at a Travellers Clinic was the best part of £150 which seems an awful lot of money to me.

I will let you know how I get on, and if you want to find out more then call Galen Homoeopathics on 01305 263996

Frozen food benefits

With flurries of snow, even on the south coast, vegetables can be pricy at this time of year and many people turn to frozen vegetables, not always with a glad heart but there is no need to disparage them. You can now buy organic frozen vegetables and if buying non-organic then, as ever, read the labels to check for any artificial additives or colourings.

Fresh fruit isn’t as plentiful, but there is one great treat from the freezer cabinet and that is to buy packs of frozen summer fruits. I keep one in the freezer and add a scoopful to the blender with yoghurt, soya milk or fruit juice to make a healthy vitamin c packed smoothie, whatever the weather.

Astrological health profiles – Aquarius

Aquarius 21 January – 19 February

Generally speaking, Aquarians tend to be quite healthy individuals, but unfortunately you don’t always practice what you preach. You do have your own areas of weakness or vulnerability though, so this is what you need to watch out for:

*Exercise is fine in theory, but you don’t give it a high priority and this can have serious consequence, especially later in life.

*Two areas where you are particularly vulnerable are hardening of the arteries and varicose veins. *To keep circulatory problems like those at bay you need to do some exercise however gentle, or restricted in movement. Yoga, Tai Chi, swimming and walking would all work well *Whatever exercise you do, be very aware that your shins and ankles can be weak, leading to frequent falls and damage to the Achilles tendon or bone fractures. Aquarius is the water carrier, so maybe you would do well to add an element of water to your exercise routine – water aerobics would fit the bill and try a bone supplement such glucosamine and chondroitin to build up those weak ankles.

Anti ageing cell therapy

There are literally thousands of nutritional supplements and new ones appear every week. Some are interesting enough for me to try them and if, like me, you don’t like taking a handful of pills every day then this new product might be the answer. It is a complete mineral, oxygen and nutritional supplement that has been used by people with chronic illness to maximize the uptake of nutrients, particularly antioxidants, and it also helps improve cell health which is a key anti-ageing factor. Cell Therapy RejuvenateT with Fulvic Acid is a highly effective detoxifier and helps boost energy, reverse cell damage and rejuvenates the natural production of enzymes. As it contains 136 essential nutrients including: 74 electrically charged minerals, 16 trace minerals,28 metabolic enzymes, and 18 amino acids, its no surprise that it also supports the immune system through its role as both a powerful antioxidant and free-radical scavenger.

We all need at least 90 growth and maintenance nutrients throughout our lives to support our cells. If our bodies don’t get that support, then the cells break down, and that leads to degenerative diseases that are directly or indirectly related to mineral deficiencies such as arthritis, osteoporosis heart disease, cataracts and of course cancer. One cause of this deficiency has been the deterioration in soil quality and the fact that because of that plants are not producing the minerals they once did. The causes are well known; intensive farming, industrial fertilizers and pesticides and even the growth of the organic market doesn’t help the vast majority of people to get the nutrients they need from their everyday diet.

The key element Of all the factors that make a difference to the reversal and prevention of disease, as well as the maintenance of good health, is Fulvic which was abundantly present in plants but now has to be supplemented for maximum effect. Scientists have found that Fulvic is the element that makes minerals absorbable, and without maximum absorption you do not get the maximum effect from the food you eat. Fulvic is a supercharged electrolyte, and cellular electrical energy is the life force of the body. Cells disintegrate and die when electrical energy is reduced. It is believed that electrical and chemical balances within the cell can be created and controlled by electrolytes – the body’s mini battery chargers. Fulvic is one of the most powerful natural electrolytes known to man and the Fulvic molecule prepares nutrients to interact with each other and makes vitamins and elemental trace minerals more absorbable so that are easily transported into and through membranes and cell walls. It also increases the metabolism of proteins, which contributes to DNA/RNA synthesis, and chelates heavy metals and body toxins, removing them from the system.

Cell Therapy Rejuvenate’s utilizes this unique ability so that when it is mixed with water it immediately releases oxygen to the body releases its natural minerals, enzymes, electrolytes and amino acids to go to work on the deepest cellular level. It is very simple to take as you stir 8 drops into 250 ml (8 oz) of water, 3 times per day. It is best taken between meals (30 minutes before or 1 hour after) but personally I prefer to just put the drops straight into a water bottle and sip through the day for continuous benefit – and then I don’t have to remember to take it!

Because it contains organic enzymes it is not suitable for pregnant or nursing mothers and if you are under medical care, do talk to your doctor about it. A month’s supply cost £34.97 from Pro Active Healthcare, and if you want to know more then call them on 08707 650 304.

Transscleral light therapy – New way to maintain vision

As we get older small print on labels and that annoying habit magazines have of printing in white on a black background all become more difficult to read. The official term is presbyopia and it occurs at middle age when our eyes lose their ability to focus.

It can start with just a slight blurring and our close vision usually continues to deteriorate due to loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens so we are less able to focus on objects at various distances. At this point most people surrender and get glasses, a pair for close work, a pair for reading and a pair for distance, or combine them into bi or varifocal lenses. Now, a new treatment from America could change all that.

If you don’t want to wear glasses all the time, and don’t like the idea of laser surgery – which I confess I find rather more frightening than standing on the edge of Beachy Head in a force 10 gale – then three cheers for a new treatment called the transscleral light therapy system. Not a catchy name, I must admit, and it is still in the trial stage with the USA Food and Drug Administration but patient experience over the two years it has been monitored has been positive.

What happens is that a laser device emits a low level of light aimed at strengthening the ciliary muscle (which bends and straightens the lens) under the whites of the eyes. The key phrase here is ‘low level’ and consists of weekly 10-minute sessions at an optician’s office for five consecutive weeks, followed by periodic tune-up sessions about every six months. So no hospital visits, and one satisfied participant has thrown away his 8 pairs of glasses and just kept one distance pair which he only occasionally uses for driving at night.

If you think that sounds like a good option to you, and I would love to get rid of the permanent dent on the side of my nose from my glasses, then it should be widely available with 1-2 years – but not, I suspect, on the NHS.

Disability can strengthen older marriages

It can be a daunting thought in a relationship that if one partner is incapacitated or disabled in some way we may wonder about how we would cope. Well there is very good news from new research – particularly for older couples. An encouraging new study from Professor Jeremy Yorgason at Brigham Young University was reported in the academic journal ‘Research on Aging’ and showed that both men and women – regardless of age – reported being happier in their marriage after they themselves became physically disabled. It may seem strange that when one partner loses the ability to perform routine daily activities it improves the state of their relationship: finds that the onset of physical disability boosts marital happiness more often than not. It seems to apply more to men who are looking after their wives, rather than the other way round, but exactly why physical limitations boost marital happiness is not fully understood.

One theory is that by taking on a more active and caring role for their partner the couple experience more interaction with each other than they did before. The situation seemed to provide the men in the study an opportunity to support and spend more time with their wives and ultimately enhanced their appreciation of their relationship.

This is not of course to say that looking after a less able partner does not have its own stresses and strains, but it is good to know that there is also a bonus to be found there for many people in this situation.

Two Cancer Breakthroughs

The first breakthrough refers to women who have had breast cancer. The survival rate after treatment has improved, and it always helps to know about anything extra you can do to make those odds even better. One of the risk areas post breast cancer is that survivors have a lifetime risk for developing lymphedema as a result of surgery or radiotherapy. This is a chronic condition that occurs when lymphatic fluid builds up in the soft tissues of the body, usually in an arm or leg, as a result of damage or blockage in the lymph nodes and results in swelling of the affected limbs. Lymphedema is a risk for approximately two-thirds of breast cancer survivors in the 30 months after surgery and those who develop post-op swelling have a significantly higher risk of up to 40 percent. It is the second biggest concern, after the recurrence of the cancer itself, and if you are unfortunate enough to develop chronic lymphedema it can be difficult to treat. The swollen limbs can become vulnerable to infection from even a minor injury to the skin, such as a cut, scratch, insect bite, or even athlete’s foot. This condition is called lymphangitis and affects the connective tissue under the skin. Repeated infections can cause scarring that makes the tissue vulnerable to more swelling and infection. Unfortunately lymphedema can lay dormant and symptoms can occur 15 or more years following an injury to your lymphatic system. The good news is that one way to combat this problem is to ensure that there is no risk of seriously being overweight or obese after cancer treatment as a new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia, published on 2 January, found that the risk of developing lymphedema is 40-60 percent higher in women with a high BMI (Body Mass Index).

Breakthrough two is not ready to launch yet, but there is a way you can take action by utilising that old hospital visitor standby and taking a cancer patient a large bunch of grapes. Make sure they are white grapes, as The American Cancer Association has reported that researchers from the University of Kentucky have been feeding grape-seed extract to laboratory mice and found that it kills leukemia cells. Apparently it forces the damaged cells to commit cell suicide and does it effectively as the researchers found within 24 hours, 76 percent of such cells had died after being exposed to the extract. This isn’t the first time that grape seed extract has been tested for various types of cancer, but this is the first time it has been looked at in relation the blood and bone marrow cancer cells. The key factor is that the grape seed extract affects the cancer cells, but leaves normal cells alone.This research is at its early stages, but it’s a good reason to include grapes in your healthy five a day – just don’t peel them Beulah, eat them skin, seed and all.

Yawning isnt always about feeling sleepy

It’s your body’s way of keeping you cool. Andrew Gallup, a researcher in the Department of Biology at Binghamton University led a study which has shown that if your head is overheated, there’s a good chance you’ll yawn soon, because the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature.

Your brain operates best when cool and we have cleverly adapted our bodies to ensure we make sure it has the right temperature. If you find yourself yawning over a book or a piece of work, we naturally tend to go for fresh air, it’s not just the extra oxygen we need, but the drop in temperature that usually accompanies it. Bertie Wooster, the PG Wodehouse character who certainly had trouble thinking, would call on the faithful Jeeves for a wet flannel to soothe his overheated brain and indeed it’s a good remedy along with taking deep breaths in through the nose and making sure a room is properly ventilated and not stuffy.

Yawning can also be an early warning signal, because if done excessively it precedes the onset of seizures in epileptic patients, and predict the onset of headaches in people who suffer from migraines.

Is gardening the new gym workout?

I love two for one offers, and apparently gardening is not only going to provide you with lots of organic fruit and vegetables, and flowers to brighten your life, but apparently it has now been declared healthy, too.

A report from the American Society for Horticultural Science (30 December 2008), has given us the glad news that being fit is not just about eating fewer calories but it also provides the right amount of recommended physical activity for the over 60′s. It’s generally recommended that for optimum fitness you need at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week – which can be hard to fit into a schedule, and as my readers know I am full of admiration for those who have the discipline to go the gym regularly, but I have no intention of joining them.

But gardening is a pleasurable activity and one that is very popular; previous research has shown that it results in improvement in mental health and depression and a recent study from Kansas State University wanted to find out how it could affect fitness compared to such activities as jogging, swimming, or weight training. They anticipated good results on bone density because of the weight bearing activities related to gardening – mowing the lawn, digging holes, pulling up weeds, pushing the wheelbarrow in case you are interested – because all these tasks involve, using all the muscle groups in the body.

Obviously the time you spend in the garden varies according to the time of year from up to 33 hours a week in May down to 15 hours a week in June and July – and it does depend on what part of the country you live in. As we get older we are risk of having less strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and a healthy heart but we are also less likely to exercise because we find it boring. Gardening is a year round physical activity that engages our mind and our body and now we can also cite is as our ‘free and natural gym’. No membership required, but I am wondering how I can spend 33 hours a week on a balcony 6 feet by 3 feet – does sitting watching the garden grow count do you think?

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