GRATITUDE – May 2016

Posted on June 2, 2016 by admin

May 1 – I am grateful my homemade tea tree-based cleaning spray
turned out to be effective

May 2 – Birds are chirping and tweeting in Leicester this morning
Do they know?!?! Are they Leicester City fans?

May 3 – I am grateful for making it back to Leicester before my reserve fuel was out,
in spite of a 52-minute delay due to congestion on M69

May 4 – I am grateful for getting home a bit earlier than usual this evening

May 5 – I am grateful for a lovely sunny afternoon of effective tree pruning

May 6 – I am grateful for a warm and sunny Friday

May 7 – I am grateful for my (nearly twin) sister 🙂

May 8 – I am grateful for my heart beating

May 9 – I am grateful for lovely, unexpected flowers

May 10 – I am grateful today’s motorway drive in wet conditions went smoothly
(no accidents, no congestion)

May 11 – I am grateful I was able to easily do my 10-sprint spin workout in just 15 minutes

May 12 – I am grateful for all the work I managed to do today

May 13 – I am grateful for a nice afternoon nap today

May 14 – I am grateful for a really informative book I am currently reading

May 15 – I am grateful I have managed to organise my Pilates class around LCFC’s parade tomorrow

May 16 – I am grateful the @lcfc parade was so successful and everyone was so happy

May 17 – I am grateful I made it home earlier than usual today

May 18 – I am grateful I got back in time for the parcel delivery today

May 19 – I am grateful today’s trip to the dentist’s went very well

May 20 – I am grateful for a quiet Friday

May 21 – I am grateful for the lovely Korean shop crowd helping out
accepting parcels for me

May 22 – I am grateful my neighbours went to sleep before 2am

May 23 – I am grateful I was able to get some orange recycling bags today

May 24 – I am grateful I got to Hinckley in time,
in spite of ominous speed restrictions on the motorway

May 25 – I am grateful I really enjoyed teaching yoga today

May 26 – I am grateful for not having run out of patience yet…

May 27 – I am grateful I was woken up by the sun shining brightly this morning

May 28 – I am grateful for this Bank Holiday weekend:
welcome TLC, rest & relaxation + some gardening

May 29 – I am grateful for the invention of the neti pot

May 30 – I am grateful for a lovely and healthy brunch

May 31 – I am grateful for much less traffic on the roads this Bank Holiday Tuesday

Posted in Gratitude | Tagged Gratitude | Leave a comment

GRATITUDE – April 2016

Posted on April 30, 2016 by admin

April 1 – I am grateful to have seen no April Fools jokes today

April 2 – I am grateful Saturday turned from grey and drizzly to sunny and warm

April 3 – I am grateful for bluebells unexpectedly blossoming in our garden

April 4 – I am grateful for things mysteriously working out for the best

April 5 – I am grateful for a productive lunchtime walk in sunny Hinckley today

April 6 – I am grateful for a lovely sauna after spin

April 7 – I am grateful to see a client return to Friday vitality circuit

April 8 – I am grateful for SpaceX ‘s first vertical landing of Falcon9 rocket on drone ship

April 9 – I am grateful I am ok after being hit in the head with the metal bar by a careless bodypumper (not quite whacked + not hit in the eye!)

April 10 – I am grateful the drive to Glossop+back went smoothly
in spite of little sleep + long day + roadworks

April 11 – I am grateful for Sunday’s Barre Pilates course + offering Barre Pilates soon ‪

April 12 – I am grateful my body felt really well aligned after Barre Pilates on Sunday

April 13 – I am grateful for a really lovely sunny day

April 14 – I am grateful for a relaxing day catching up after weekend course

April 15 – I am grateful we had a great time at circuits today

April 16 – I am grateful the weather stayed dry long enough for us to safely jumpstart the car (one hour!!!)

April 17 – I am grateful my satnav allowed me to avoid heavy traffic

April 18 – I am grateful for feeling fine (not tired) today,
in spite of two course weekends in a row

April 19 – I am grateful my credit card turned up
just when I thought it had been lost

April 20 – I am grateful for marigolds and specifically calendula tea

April 21 – I am grateful I gave my friend good advice,
she might dislike it but it may save her life

April 22 – I am grateful for marshmallow root, althaea officinalis,
great for stomach ache

April 23 – I am grateful for the ‪#‎SeedsForBees‬ RT 38 Degrees https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/surveys/418

April 24 – I am grateful for the AMAZING info in ‪#‎TruthAboutCancer‬
https://goo.gl/tQ345g

April 25 – I am grateful the right homeopathic remedy was in my first aid kit today

April 26 – I am grateful the blackberries I bought at the greengrocer’s in Hinckley were delicious

blackberry

April 27 – I am grateful the spin bike I used on Wednesday did not have excessive resistance

April 28 – I am grateful for vapour rub

April 29 – I am grateful for dark and thick, Italian-style hot chocolate on a cold day

April 30 – I am grateful I have found a great homeopathic remedy for painful, right-sided sinus headaches

Posted in Gratitude, Healing | Tagged Gratitude, Healing | Leave a comment

March 2016 Gratitude

Posted on March 31, 2016 by admin

March 1 – I am grateful I managed to find a temporary parking space, three blocks away, when I got home at night

March 2 – I am grateful the rain stopped just as I was about to get out of my car this morning

March 3 – I am grateful for a tasty post-spin veggie-packed spinach omelette breakfast

March 4 – I am grateful to find my clothes are mud-free after an outing to the park this morning

March 5 – I am grateful for a dry (even sunny) morning when I was out and about, with rain only in the late afternoon! – in spite of a weather forecast saying the opposite

March 6 – I am grateful for a relaxing Sunday

March 7 – I am grateful for finishing my newsletter on time

March 8 – I am grateful the OS reinstall went smoothly

March 9 – I am grateful I found a parking space when I got back this lunchtime

March 10 – I am grateful I feel great after clocking 20Km at spin yesterday

March 11 – I am grateful it got warmer + spring started while I was at the park earlier

March 12 – I am grateful that today I felt good lifting heavier weights than last week

March 13 – I am grateful for feeling good, and happy
(for no particular reason)

March 14 – I am grateful our post(wo}man arrived at the best possible time this morning

March 15 – I am grateful for a nice bowl of hot dahl with organic spinach this evening

March 16 – I am grateful for a dry and sunny Wednesday afternoon

March 17 – I am grateful for making a decision today

March 18 – I am grateful I managed to run a decent circuit session
with just 3 pieces of equipment

March 19 – I am grateful my pre-breakfast (unexpectedly 3-fitness-classes-long) Saturday morning felt easy peasy

March 20 – I am grateful my coconut cookies came out great

March 21 – I am grateful I have managed to find something I have been looking for

March 22 – I am grateful for finding lots of bananas on sale today
(great for cakes 🙂

Bunch of bananas isolated on white background

Bunch of bananas – I got lots of these!

March 23 – I am grateful for friendly and helpful strangers

March 24 – I am grateful for an outstandingly sunny Good Friday

March 25 – I am grateful for a lovely breakfast

March 26 – I am grateful for clear roads and easy driving today

March 27 – I am grateful for spending time with friends and family this Easter

March 28 – I am grateful our email sending issue seems finally fixed

I am grateful I was able to give great feedback for great customer service

I am grateful for the opportunity to do a random act of kindness today
and create “positive ripples” in the world

March 29 – I am grateful for finding a lot of blueberries on sale last night

March 30 – I am grateful for a lovely and refreshing afternoon nap
before my evening gym sessions

March 31 – I am grateful for a lovely walk outdoors on a mild, sunny afternoon

Posted in Gratitude | Tagged Gratitude | Leave a comment

Sunbathing Good for Longevity

Posted on March 26, 2016 by admin

Avoiding the sun could be as dangerous as smoking…

Although they have an increased risk of skin cancer, sunbathers are less likely to die from heart disease, or pretty much any other disease. In fact, avoiding the sun could be as bad for us as smoking, say researchers.

The vitamin D from the sun’s rays is essential for the healthy functioning of our body and immune system, and staying in the shade all the time could be a recipe for a premature death, researchers from the Karolinksa University Hospital in Sweden have discovered.

Based on the review of 29,518 Swedish women, aged 24-64, whose levels of sun-exposure were tracked for 20 years, they offered these conclusions/predictions:

* people who regularly sunbathe will live just over two years longer than someone who always avoids the sun.

* Frequent sunbathers had a lower risk of developing heart disease or dying from any disease prematurely compared to those who avoided the sun.

* Non-smokers who avoided the sun had a similar life expectancy to smokers who had the highest exposure to the sun, suggesting that sun avoidance has a similar risk factor as smoking.

Just sunbathe responsibly, 20 minutes a day are generally enough! Protect sensitive areas.

Tags: sunlight, mortality, vitamin D, cardiovascular disease, smoking,

Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, smoking, Vitamin D | Tagged longevity, mortality, smoking, sunbathing | Leave a comment

Reverse DIABETES for life

Posted on March 24, 2016 by admin

It IS possible to reverse diabetes: this works even for people who have had diabetes for 10 years before changing their diets, say researchers from Newcastle University.

Lead researcher Roy Taylor [1] of Newcastle University showed in an earlier study that diabetes could be reversed with a low-calorie diet, but the study was over a short period and it was not clear if the condition would return.

In his new research, Prof Taylor recruited 30 people how have had diabetes from 8 to 23 years. They were put on the same low-calorie diet (maximum 700 calories a day). They lost an average of 14 kilograms (nearly 2 stone), over eight weeks. None regained weight in the following 6 months.

12 of the 30 who had diabetes for less than 10 years successfully reversed the condition, and were still free of the problem six months later. During that six-month period, another participant also reversed his diabetes.

In spite of losing weight, participants were still obese or at least overweight. Yet, Prof Taylor conjectured that they had lost enough weight to remove fat from their pancreas, which allows for normal insulin production to resume.

So it is not simply being a question of being obese, says Prof Taylor. “This supports our theory of a personal fat threshold. If a person gains more weight than they personally can tolerate, then diabetes is triggered, but if they then lose that amount of weight, then they go back to normal”.

The fact that 70% of obese people do not have diabetes seems to support his theory.

It may also somehow explain the strange finding last year that “overweight diabetics are 13 per cent less likely to die prematurely than those of a normal weight or those who are obese” [2]. How? Well… my guess would be that:

* This “counter-intuitive” result was obtained because BMI was used as a measure of “overweight”. This would place a really muscular bodybuilder (with very low body fat %) in the overweight or obese category! This is obviously not correct.

* On the other hand, the study did not seem to use a measure of deep abdominal fat (including fat around pancreas) such as direct measurements (scans) or even indirect measurement, such as waist circumference.

* It is likely that, had they used a measure of deep abdominal fat quantity, even just waist measurement, the results would have been very different.

The great news is that diabetes need not be a life sentence. It IS possible to reverse the condition. Start acting now!!!

For more help reversing diabetes or preventing it, contact Emanuela at www.pilatesfitness.co.uk. Emanuela is a Personal Trainer who has specifically studied nutrition and exercise protocols most suited for obesity and diabetes.

References

[1] http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/news/2016/03/profroytaylordiabetesresearch/

[2] http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/05May/Pages/Overweight-diabetics-live-longer-than-slimmer-diabetics.aspx

Tags: diabetes, pancreas, personal fat threshold, weight loss, waist measurement, deep abdominal fat,

Posted in Diabetes, Health, Weight-Loss | Tagged central obesity, deep abdominal fat, diabetes, diabetes-reversal, obesity, waist measurement, Weight-Loss | Leave a comment

Sleep On It – The Importance of Sleep for Your Brain

Posted on March 19, 2016 by admin

Sleep is Important for the Brain

Want to know why we all need to SLEEP ON IT?

During sleep, the brain “replays” events to consolidate memory.

Researchers at the University of Bristol tell us that during sleep our brains replay daytime events at fast-forward speed. This ‘brain replay’ strengthens the microscopic connections between brain cells that are active, helping us retain important information and consolidate memories.

“Major” Brain Restructuring

I also believe these replays play a role in major “brain restructuring”.

* When I changed field of study, I found myself having weird long dreams where stuff from my childhood, my previous university learning and people from my past and present were merged with new concepts in totally irrational ad seemingly random clusters (e.g. home staircase, then current classmates either by Prague’s river Vltava or at my secondary school in Italy, plus database design entities in garden structures).

* It is my belief that my brain was trying to make sense of new concepts and could not quite do that withing the existing brain structuring and so had to undertake a kind of “spring cleaning” and reorganising effort.

* I also found that, when these crazy long dreams “normalised”, I found my course easier. It is my belief that – by then – my brain had finished performing a “major restructuring” over many nights of “replays”. This restructuring allowed it to accommodate new experiences and concepts with past/stored memories within newly formed and more effective structures (for the tasks at hand).

How can we use take advantage of this in practice?

* Ever tried having lots of naps while studying? Just a few minutes after a key point should be sufficient. (Do this during the day)

* For best longer-term “data storage” and “effective learning”, make sure you sleep well and sufficiently at night too

Let me know what you think!

* Do you have any more tips? Let me know below (comments)

* Have you ever experienced some major brain restructuring?

* Do you use sleep strategically when studying?

I look forward to your comments!

Reference:

Best to sleep on it: brain activity patterns during sleep consolidate memory
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2016/february/brain-sleep-learning.html

Posted in Brain, Sleep | Tagged brain, Learning, Sleep | Leave a comment

MIGRAINES and MENOPAUSE

Posted on March 14, 2016 by admin

Migraines worsen as women approach menopause

It is well-known that women experience more migraines than men at all ages. Triggers include stress, flashing lights and some foods (such as cheese and even chocolate!).

On top of this, women experience worse migraines as they approach menopause, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC), Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Vedanta Research.

“Women have been telling doctors that their migraine headaches worsen around menopause and now we have proof they were right,” says Vincent Martin, MD, professor of internal medicine in UC’s Division of General Internal Medicine and co-director of the Headache and Facial Pain Program at the UC Neuroscience Institute.

The risk for high frequency headache, or more than 10 days with headache per month, increased by 60 percent in middle-aged women with migraine during the perimenopause–the transitional period into menopause marked by irregular menstrual cycles–as compared to normally cycling women, says Martin, the study’s lead author.

The findings were recently published online in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, a publication of the American Headache Society.

3,664 women took part in the study

The menopausal years include both the perimenopause and menopause. Menopause begins when women have not had a menstrual period for one year. Symptoms such as hot flashes, irritability, depression and insomnia are common during both.

“Changes in female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone that occur during the perimenopause might trigger increased headaches during this time,” says Richard Lipton, MD, director, Montefiore Headache Center and professor and vice chair of neurology, and the Edwin S. Lowe Chair in Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

The risk of headache was most apparent during the later stage of the perimenopause, which is a time during which women first begin skipping menstrual periods and experience low levels of estrogen, adds Lipton, also lead investigator of the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study.

Women who participated in the study also reported that high frequency headache increased by 76 percent during menopause. However, researchers think that it may not necessarily be the direct result of hormonal changes, but rather due to medication overuse that occurs commonly during this time: “overuse of pain medications for headache and other conditions might actually drive an increase in headaches for the menopause group”

What to do?

You could queue at the doctor for the pill or oestrogen patches but there are many lifestyle modifications, herbs and supplements that really help even out hormonal levels. Watch out for our group!

Positive fact:

The peak intensity and frequency of migraines occur between ages of about 20 to 60 years of age. As you age past 60, migraine intensity and frequency decrease and, in some patients, migraines cease (medicine.net).

Important Facts:

new headaches, in people with or without a migraine history, that last about 2 or more days should be checked by a doctor.
a headache developing with other symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, confusion, or paralysis is considered a medical emergency

sources:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-01/uoca-mwa012016.php

http://www.medicinenet.com/migraine_headaches_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

Posted in Menopause, Migraine, Women | Tagged Hot Flashes, Menopause, Migraine, Perimenopause, Women | Leave a comment

Viruses cause Alzheimer’s Disease?

Posted on March 11, 2016 by admin

Viral infections such as cold sores and pneumonia could be the unsuspected cause of Alzheimer’s and dementia, a leading group of experts is claiming.

Dormant viruses and microbes are found in the brains of most elderly people, but they can be reactivated after stress or by a weakened immune system, says the group of 31 scientists and clinicians from research centres such as from Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial universities.

An activated herpes virus, for instance, can cause damage in areas of the brain associated with memory and cognition.

They say there is growing evidence of a link with viruses and more than a hundred papers now support the belief: over 100 studies link the cold sore bug – herpes simplex virus 1, or HSV-1 – to Alzheimer’s disease.

Other suspects include a bacterium that causes pneumonia. The researchers argue that after working their way into the brain the microbes lie dormant, only to be awakened by ageing or illness.

They can then kill vital brain cells, triggering the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The theory also states that beta-amyloid, the toxic protein often thought to be a cause of the disease, is actually made by the brain to fight off the bugs.

If viruses are indeed a cause of Alzheimer’s and dementia, a whole new way of treating the diseases opens up.

Source:
WDDTY

Tags:
herpes, Alzheimer’s disease, pneumonia

Posted in Alzheimer's, Dementia | Tagged Alzheimer's, beta-amyloid, dementia, virus | Leave a comment

Animal tests fail to detect drug’s deadly dangers

Posted on March 9, 2016 by admin

March 9th 2016

Opponents of animal testing were vindicated this week by the news that tests on laboratory rats, mice, dogs and monkeys all failed to detect the dangers of a new drug that killed one volunteer in an early-stage trial.

Six others needed emergency hospital treatment after they reacted to a new substance, BIA 10-2474, that treats pain and mood disorders.

Experts in France—where the drug trial took place—say the injuries and death were directly caused by the substance being tested. They emphasised the “astonishing and unprecedented” nature of the accident, which caused a reaction in the brain “unlike anything seen before”.

The investigators from France’s National Agency for Drug Safety want to know why extensive animal testing failed to detect any dangers. The animals suffered no ill effects despite being given doses that were 400 times stronger than those given to the human volunteers.

They are also concerned by the extent of animal testing, which suggests the manufacturer, the Portuguese drug company Bial, may have been worried about the substance’s possible toxicity.

The Biotrial research institute, which was testing the drug, recruited 108 volunteers. Of these, 90 were given the drug, and the rest had a placebo. The seven who suffered severe reactions had been given a 50mg dose.

MY COMMENT:

Why does this not surprise me? It is well known that our physiology differs from that of mice or even monkeys… after all, if it didn’t, we’d be mice or monkeys!

This question of testing on animals is a bit like computer modelling, it can go totally wrong! If you choose to model the wrong things (or forget about an important element), your results are worthless and even dangerous.

In short,
1) don’t sign up for a drug trial unless you are not that keen on life.
2) Pharmaceutical companies had better do more “informed” and intelligent testing: it is worrying when they claim they have no idea what went wrong!

Source of original article:
WDDTY

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged animal testing, computer modelling, drug companies, drug trials, side-effects | Leave a comment

“Love Pilates”+”Pilates with HEART” -> PilHeartEase Clothing

Posted on March 6, 2016 by admin

Pil*Heart*Ease BLACK Tops:
https://goo.gl/flO0ED

Pil*Heart*Ease PINK Top
https://goo.gl/4HuIbs

PilHeartEase LIGHT BLUE (tops and bottoms):
https://goo.gl/DlUQ0Z

Follow any of these links and explore the colours and styles available.

Hope you find something suitable for you.

Enjoy!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged clothing, fitness-clothing, Pilates, Pilates-clothing, shopping | Leave a comment

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