I am firm believer in moving on when you have been through a stressful time in your life, we under estimate what stress does to our bodies and I, like everyone, just always push on without thinking about it.

So how do we deal with it?  Should we try to heal ourselves?  I have always subscribed to the thought that dis-ease can cause disease.  Not a nice thought really but from all my research stress really does play a big part in our everyday health.

So I decided to go and give Reiki a try as it’s supposed to be a very healing type of touch, yes I know it all sounds a little vague and interestingly enough that’s exactly what it is, a little vague.

You lie down on a massage table and the Therapist places their hands on you to heal, balance and strengthen the body.

What is Reiki, well this is it as simply as I can describe it:

Anyone can do Reiki.

Switches on automatically.

Sensation felt in the hands when using Reiki, usually a heat or tingling feeling.

Flows according to demand or problem.

Reiki is not a belief system, religion or cult but purely an energy science.

Reiki does not run out.

Reiki is the same in both hands.

Reiki flow and results are not affected by the health of the practitioner.

Reiki works on plants and animals and even food.

One can treat oneself with Reiki.

Reiki always treats at the root cause level of Disease or Disharmony.

Reiki is complimentary to all other healing systems including meditation.

There are no harmful side effects from Reiki, it is 100% safe.

Improves overall Quality of Life.So did it work?  Well this is where it gets tricky for me because I have absolutely no idea, seriously none.  To be honest I really didn’t feel that much heat like they say you should and don’t feel any different.  They also claim that you will be calmer as a result, well it didn’t stop me getting grumpy at the kids when they took ages to go to bed. 

It gets a 1 out of 5 for me as it was a nice rest but at $70 a pop probably not that worth it as you can always have a rest on your own bed at home for free.  Who knows, maybe I have done a good thing and my energy and balance have been restored but I guess that is the problem, we just don’t know.

Available:Massage Therapists will say if they do it as you need to be trained

Price:$70 approx as it will vary form each Therapist

  Bugger didn’t mean to get so grumpy, goodness where did that come from as I look around to see my children standing still waiting for me to finish my moment.  Which is then usually followed by, who was that yelling just before, oh really was that me?

It may not happen to some of you and it may never happen at all but if and when it does look the heck out, because you can go from a very normal functioning adult to a complete nutter in a matter of seconds.  PMT is a nightmare and depending on how bad you suffer from it, you can come to dread certain times of the month.

The worst part about it, we don’t see it coming, most of the time we haven’t even registered that there may even be an explosion on it’s way, so how on earth can we deal with when it comes completely out of the blue.  Even worst still there isn’t even any chance for the poor kids to duck for cover either, which has resulted in my nine year old little treasure sticking a CHILL OUT MUMMY sticker on the steering wheel of my car.  Very Funny and very necessary, there’s nothing like a reality check from a nine year old to really make you take stock. 

If I told you that I has found something that can just about take most of those monthly moods away and most of the symptoms associated with PMT would you be happy?  I am, because firstly it’s all natural and very good for you and secondly I can be normal again.  Well the second bit is defiantly a matter of opinion, so lets not go there.

But seriously I take PMT Manager everyday and it is life changing, so much so that I am scared not to take it.  The best part about it, unlike other PMT products where you have to swallow about 6 capsules, which just about makes me gag you only need one capsule a day.  Easy as that as it is designed to help regulate and promote hormonal balance.  Yay

PMT Manager is full of lots of goodies too with Vit B6, ST Johns Wart, Chromium, Chaste Tree to mention a few, you can still take your normal vitamins as well as this wont interfere with them according to the experts at the Health Shop. You can also add some of their other products in this range as well which may help.  It contains no wheat, gluten, yeast, milk, artificial flavours or preservatives. 

At $25.30 for a bottle it may seem alot, but to me it’s a small price to pay to keep my sanity.  I have tried many other products and this is defiantly the best, it is also used by a number of my girlfriends with great success as well.

Price:$25.30 (for 30 capsules)                             Available: At all Health food stores

  You know when you see the words amazing and value in the name of a business that you think this is either going to be really good or one big disappointment.  You know what I mean, there’s always those ads on TV making these claims that suck you in and make you buy that set of ‘Last for Forever Non Stick Pots’.  Only to find out that after the first time you have used them they aren’t so amazing after all.

Well the other day I decided to finally do something about getting a massage, I have been back at the gym for the last month and need some extra help with getting all the knots out of my muscles.  So I wanted to find somewhere I could go to on a regular basis, because I knew this wasn’t going to be a one off quick fix.  I did my research and figured that there must be somewhere that Massage Therapists go to train and that it would be at discounted rate.

I was right and it’s called the ‘Amazing Value Massage’ and that’s exactly what it is.  Amazing Value and I was really pleased I went.   I had probably the best massage I have ever had and I will go back on a regular basis.  The best part about it is at $40.00 for what turned out to be about 1 hour 15mins, you can spend alot more than if you were to go to a Beauty Therapist or a fully trained Massage Therapist.

The surroundings are basic and it’s very clean and tidy, also your experience may differ depending on what Therapist you get.  But a $35.00 to $45.00 a pop you can afford to keeping trying them out,  till you are happy.  I hit the jackpot on my first go with a lady called Christine Gillespie who was fantastic.

This clinic was established many years ago to meet 2 key objectives: 1) to provide exceptionally well priced Massages to members of the public, on a regular full-time basis, at a price the reflects the training level of the Massage Therapists, and 2) to provide advanced students of The Wellington School of Massage Therapy with the opportunity to work in a central city clinic while they continue to study more advanced training. Open 7 days.

LOCATION

Level 4
Plimmer Towers
Plimmer Steps (Plimmer Steps runs from Lambton Quay to Boulcott Street)
Wellington

HOW TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT

By phone 499 8825
If your call is not answered please leave a message with your name, contact phone number, and the ideal time for your appointment and one of our Therapists will phone you back. Messages are cleared regularly.
All our Therapists can do Relaxation Massage, and many Therapists are also trained to provide Remedial/Therapeutic Massage. Several can provide Ortho-Bionomy® and Bowen Technique. It will be important for you to make it very clear when you book your Massage, or purchase a Gift Voucher, what “type” of Massage you are wanting so that we can ensure Therapists with the appropriate level of training are qualified for that type of Massage. The Therapist booking your appointment will help you with this. We are looking after your interests when we remind you that in fulfilling our legal requirements under the Code of Health and Disabilities Services Consumers Rights, Therapists can only provide Massage to the level that they been trained to.

PRICES

Relaxation Massage                     $35 per hour
Remedial/Therapeutic Massage    $45 per hour
Bowen Technique                        $45 per hour
Ortho-Bionomy®                         $45 per hour
Gift Vouchers are available.    Payment is by Cash or Cheque only.

This is their website   www.radianthealth.net.nz

It’s a good location for us city people and this really is worth a visit.  Enjoy.

  

How’s your life going? Are you achieving the things you want to? Or is there something standing in your way but you don’t quite know what?  If things are not going the way you want them to, no doubt you are blaming yourself for lacking motivation. You probably keep saying “this should be simple, why can’t I just do it?” Worst of all, you probably tell yourself that everyone can do it.”

Nike has a famous slogan “Just Do It!” Simple to say but not so simple to do. You may need something to “un-block” you and Neuro-Linguistic Programming could be the answer. What would you say if I told you that you can re-focus your thinking and change how you feel about something with NLP?  Amazing is all I can say and life changing. 

So what is NLP and why is it so good?   Well I am going to give you my uneducated guess because I don’t know if you ever really will know the extent of what NLP is, it may require a professional to explain it to you.  But in a nutshell NLP provides amazingly simple, powerful methods for changing the way you think, feel, act and learn. In essence, all of NLP is founded on two fundamental presuppositions:

1. The Map is Not the Territory. As human beings, we can never know reality. We can only know our perceptions of reality. We experience and respond to the world around us primarily through our sensory representational systems. It is our ‘neuro-linguistic’ maps of reality that determine how we behave and that give those behaviours meaning, not reality itself. It is generally not reality that limits us or empowers us, but rather our map of reality.

2. Life and ‘Mind’ are Systemic Processes. The processes that take place within a human being and between human beings and their environment are systemic. Our bodies, our societies, and our universe form an ecology of complex systems and sub-systems all of which interact with and mutually influence each other. It is not possible to completely isolate any part of the system from the rest of the system. Such systems are based on certain ’self-organizing’ principles and naturally seek optimal states of balance or homeostasis.

Ok so that’s one of the official explanations you could get someone to give you, mine is far simpler.  What we perceive we believe.

With NLP you get a systematic approach to understanding how your perception of something can prevent you from achieving what you want to achieve. With that understanding, you can re-programme your perception and break though the barriers that you place in front of yourself.

I am pretty sceptical about anything like this but when I tried NLP I was stunned by the results. I found it to be a really practical approach to something that is normally pretty fluffy.

Here’s the catch, do your homework before you go to see just anyone.  It doesn’t come cheap to re-arrange your thoughts and at around $130 for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, you need to make sure you are seeing someone good.

My recommendation would be Charlotte Hinksman in Wellington and if you are out of the Wellington area she may know of someone else you can contact closer to you.  You can contact Charlotte on 021 701 138 or chinksman@gmail.com 

Price:  varies on practitioner but generally around $100 - $140 a session

  

I discovered a little helpful gem the other day when we were all home unwell.  I was really annoyed to have gotten sick as I was determined that it wasn’t going to happen this winter.   I had made the big, brave, grand statement last year and announced to anybody who would listen that I was not going to be sick this winter.  Ah wrong.  Went down in a screaming heap like a baby and managed to take this kids down with me.  Pathetic really.

How was I going to make this better because there’s something really bad when you are a mother and and you know you are responsible for children being sick and at home for days on end.   There is also that ”let me out of this house, I haven’t been to the shops for a week” feeling as well.

Ok what can I do, well along with the Iron Melts, I stumbled across my trusty old Beroccas.   We all know how good they are, but up until now I have never been able to get the girls to drink them and even with the entertainment value of having races to see whose Berocca dissolves first.   Sad I know, but did I mention we had been at home for quite sometime, it’s amazing what we find to amuse yourself. “

I know that you are all saying Beroccas have been around for ages, but they aren’t something I thought of because you had to drink them. Children aren’t always willing to accept sometimes you have to just drink something to get better, but I still tried the Tropical flavour and that was definitely a no go.  In fact, I even got  a “that’s disgusting Mummy” so that was ruled out pretty quickly and with no room for negotiation.  But by chance I came across another bottle which happened to be Orange flavour and thought I would give it one more go and we hit the jackpot.  I think to quote them, the word “yummy” was used and “Mummy it tastes like Fanta”. 

Every morning we all had a Berocca and I do have to credit this with the girls returning to school sooner than I thought they would be able too.  It’s really hard to find something you can give children, when they don’t like swallowing tablets and this really has become a big hit in our busy family.  If you like the taste of Orange, then this is great to help you guard against all those Winter bugs.

You can buy them in a single tube of 15 tablets for $14.50 or the better deal is to but them in a two pack for $20.00.  Add this to your list to keep you healthy and well, what with all these crazy bugs out there we need all the help we can get.

Just remember you can’t go wrong with the Orange flavour.

Available:All leading Supermarkets and Pharmacies          Price:$14.50  one tube

$20.00 for two tubes

  I would love to tell you all that yes I am in fact invincible and no I am too busy to get sick. But I would be lying as this week has seen me recovering from the flu,  along with both of my children.

So how do we stay well when all we are at the moment is surrounded by colds and winter chills.  What with one day being beautiful, clear and in double digits, the next it’s practically snowing outside our window.  It’s no wonder we can’t plan for what’s next and stay well.  So what can we do to help combat one of the worst flu infected Winters we have ever seen.

Well a tablet we can take called Iron Melts, could go along way to helping us all stay a little healthier.  Each tablet contains Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Iron and would you believe me if I said they are really yummy.   They taste of strawberry and simply fizz in your mouth and dissolve.  There is no after taste, gentle on your stomach, gluten free and lactose free.  I have tested this on the girls with huge success and what’s more they go in search of them, amazing.

The other big plus is the combination of the Vitamin C and Iron together helps aid the absorption of the Iron into your bloodstream, in other words it works faster and more efficiently.

Grab some of these next time you are at the Pharmacy and add them to your winter line-up of ‘keep healthy vitamins’, I think they are great .

Available: All leading Pharmacies                                               Price: $12.99

  I am starting to think that as we age we can’t worry about everything that seems to be deteriorating with our bodies.  I mean one minute we are able to multi task, run marathons, stay out late and then turn up for work on time the next day and still look amazing.  You know what I mean, we were almost super human, our bodies would simply bounce back at whatever we threw at it.

Then one day we wake up and hello, things aren’t in the same place they were last year, come to think of it can I even remember where they were, getting out of bed is harder and the thought of running a marathon next Sunday, well you would but you do have that brunch with friends you really shouldn’t miss. 

So when I picked up John Shacks book called Life is for Living and it’s about getting the best out of our lives and he really has made me think.  So often we just push through life, being busy not really making conscious decisions on how we live and John, with this book, challenges you to think about that.

‘This book wont tell you what to eat or what exercise to take - there are loads of books on the market which will give you that information…..but primarily this book is about attitude and thought processes you’ll need to adopt to achieve your health and fitness goal.’                John Shackleton

If you hurt now at whatever age you are when you exercise, what are you going to be like at sixty.

Now there aren’t any stunning new revelations on how to get fit and loose weight in two weeks, or that he has been the one to discover the magic pill that really does melt the fat off with not effort required.  But what he does say makes sense, if we are out of shape, tired and stressed now at our current age, what on earth are we going to be like when we are sixty.  I am scared and probably should be.

You can also choose to buy the CD and listen to an interview with John which is very easy to do, I found it funny and was at the end of it before I realised I had been listening for a while.

Available:www.johnshack.com

Price:$24.95  book        Price:$20.00    CD

  I bought the Wondercap from my local pharmacy ages ago, with the view to being able to give my hair (since I’m really hard on it) a deep conditioning treatment at home.  At the time I thought, gosh this is a good idea.  You buy this Wondercap which is a thermal heatcap you pop in the microwave heat it up, put your treatment in your hair and then put the cap on your head. It sat around for a long time as I could never really find the time to use it.

The product is well presented and conceptually sounds like a good idea. The heat comes from a wheat pack that goes inside the cap before you put it on your head. All good? Well, coupled with the fact that I really did not enjoy using it,  I’ve found a couple of more serious problems.

The first problem I found is that despite following the instructions, I know its hard to believe but I did follow the instructions, the cap melted. When I pulled the wheat pack out of the towel so I could wash it and noticed a hole in it where it had melted.

The second problem is with 500g pot of "Feral Organic Hair Conditioning Treatment" included in the pack. I’m no chemist but its ingredients; Cetrimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride and DMDH Hydrantoin don’t sound all that organic. A little research shows that:

• * Cetrimonium Chloride is "used in hair conditioners, but originated from the paper and fabric industries as softeners and anti-static agents. In the long run they cause the hair to become dry and brittle. They are synthetic, irritating, allergenic and toxic, and oral intake of them can be lethal."
• * Stearalkonium Chloride is, "A chemical used in hair conditioners and creams. Causes allergic reactions. Stearalkonium chloride was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, and is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which do help hair health. Toxic."
• * DMDH Hydrantoin (which is listed on the package as "natural preservative") contains Formaldehyde which is "a known carcinogen (causes cancer). Causes allergic, irritant and contact dermatitis, headaches and chronic fatigue. The vapour is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat (mucous membranes)."

My conclusion, a heat treatment might be a good thing for your hair but if you are going to give it a try, buy a good quality conditioner and steer clear of the Feral Organic stuff especially if you are susceptible to allergic reactions.

Available: Rodney Wayne, selected pharmacies or online www.wondercap.co.nz

Price: $45.00

  Just found out the most unbelievable piece of information today which I thought I would share with you all.  I am a Mizone drinker and have been since it was first launched.  I would regularly buy 3 - 4 bottles per week and it was mainly for the afternoons when you need to drink those extra couple of glasses of water,  but don’t feel like drinking it plain.

So can you imagine my horror to discover today that there is not one, not two,  but five teaspoons of sugar per bottle.  Oh my god.  Who knew that, obviously not me. I wouldn’t have drunk it if I did.  Who in their right mind would add an extra 20 teaspoons of sugar to their weekly calorie consumption. Its hard enough as it is these days with the “up size me” environment we all live in, why on earth would we want to add to it buy sticking that much sugar in our water. 

Interesting fact as well is that the Charlie’s Sports Drinks are just as bad.

So to all you flavoured water drinkers, check the bottles carefully.  The trick is to see how many servings they say is in each bottle, in this case there is five, very sneaky.  Who considers there to be five servings in bottle of Mizone,  this is the only way they can get this through without raising red flags to us all.

So it’s back to my regular bottled water, but it is safe with the knowledge that I’m not going to have to run to Palmerston North and back to burn it off afterwards.

                           

   Unbelievable, woke up yesterday morning and felt like I had been hit by a bus.  Not another cold, winter is definitely here and I feel like rubbish.

So while I was at the supermarket I found Vicks First Defence, they say it fights the cold virus before it takes hold.  First Defence is a nasal spray that targets the nasal cavity where the cold virus takes hold and multiplies.  Given how I was feeling, I thought it was worth a try. 

Flippin heck is all I can say, boy did I live to regret that decision.  The pain was unbelievable and apparently I have a high pain threshold.  So if it hurt me like that, look out is all I can say.

I love the statement they make on the packaging ‘it is normal to experience temporary stinging…….. and it will not last long.’  Temporary stinging,  seriously it reeaaallly hurt and I mean hurt.  I felt this immense pain went up my nose and into my sinuses, which then it carried on into my head.   It took days before I really felt that I couldn’t feel it anymore.

Maybe I was by this stage to far down the line with my cold for this to be effective but nevertheless nothing should hurt like this.

If you’re not bothered by someone shoving a cattle prodder up your nose then by all means give it a go.  But if the thought of that is a slight concern to you, then I wouldn’t recommend it.  Mine is going in the bin and thank goodness I tried it, before I used it on the girls.

Available at:Supermarkets and Pharmacies                                   Price:$16.99