NewsLetterMarch2013

• Oh my, what have we done to our Liver?
• Products highlights from the Website - www.maximumwellbeing.com
• Health snippets - From around the world.
• March Deals.

The Science of Gratitude.

Research carried out by the University of Texas concluded that...
an attitude of Gratitude, has amazing physical and psychosocial benefits.

Drs Justice and Blair, found that Gratitude consistently did the following;
1. Engender elevated levels of alertness, vitality, enthusiasm,
- determination, attentiveness and energy
2. Reduce occurrence of headaches, nausea, coughing, and pain.
3. Boost immunity in all people whether sick and healthy.
4. Lower blood pressure and stress related disorders.
5. Eliminate anxiety symptoms and depression.
6. Dispel anger, resentment and violence.
7. promote Empathy and Compassion.
8. Forge Positive Social Interaction.

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., from the University of California Davis,
confirms these benefits. Dr Emmons, and Mike McCullough of the University of Miami, conducted an experiment where individuals each did one of three tasks.

A diary was kept by each person recording all grateful thoughts, another group recorded all frustrations, and neutral circumstances so there was no bias in any of the observed results.
At 10 weeks, the gratitude group were 25% happier in general, than the group that documented everything including frustrations.
The Gratitude group had better health and exercised more willingly.

Another study found that individuals with congenital and adult-onset neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) also benefited from gratitude journaling.
For those who kept a gratitude journal, quality of sleep was enhanced with longer hours and a more refreshed feeling upon waking. They also felt increased optimism about the upcoming week, more satisfaction with their lives and a greater connection to others compared with the non-journaling participants in the study.

How to increase our gratitude.
- Reset all attitudes to alleviate old patterns.
- Start by appreciating yourself - your nature and accomplishments.
- Cultivate a gentle and kind disposition.
- Record all of the things you are thankful for.
- Appreciate nature, and the beauty of your surroundings.
- Enjoy the culinary efforts and thoughtful offerings of others.
- Write many thank you notes in your own handwriting.
- Tally your blessings at the end of each day.
- Pause often in silence and/or prayer with an emphasis on thankfulness.
- Show appreciation toward workmates, associates or family members.

In conclusion,
Michigan positive psychologist Christopher Peterson offers this insight,

"I'm not a Pollyanna. And obviously, someone who's unrelentingly cheerful can be a pain in the arse... There are no long-term quick fixes for happiness. So if you become a more grateful person and you add those exercises to your repertoire, you'll be different six months or a year from now. But if you say okay, I'm done with the story and I'm going back to the way I was, it'll just have been a six-week high. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not going to permanently change you."

...........So don't forget to practice an attitude of gratitude and reap the benefits

How can we help our liver?

We all know the deal, our Liver is the organ that tries to keep our blood clean and free of toxins, the primary way in which your body expels toxins is via the liver, it detoxifies and cleanses your body by continuously filtering the blood of poisons that enter it through the digestive tract, the skin, and the respiratory system, this of course includes undesirable elements that may be in our food, toxic ingredients in soaps and skincare products, in the air we breath and fluids we drink. But when your liver becomes overworked as a result of stress or excessive exposure to toxins, your entire system can be thrown off balance, and your health severely compromised.

Since the liver is also responsible for producing bile, another part of the overall detoxification process that is metabolically necessary for the breakdown and assimilation of fats and proteins from your food, it is exceedingly important that your liver be properly maintained. When your liver isn't happy and functioning at its best at least two important processes are going to be compromised, your body will be unable to cleanse itself and absorb nutrients, which is a recipe for a health disaster.

"The thousands of enzyme systems that are responsible for virtually every body activity are constructed in the liver," writes Dr. Karl Maret, M.D., about the importance of vibrant liver function. "The proper functioning of the eyes, the heart, the brain, the gonads, the joints, and the kidneys, are all dependent on good liver activity."

"If the liver is impaired from constructing even one of the thousands of enzyme systems the body requires, there is an impairment in overall body function and a resultant greater metabolic stress on the individual."

We see the signs of this all the time these days and it will often manifest for example with women who are experiencing "hormonal problems".  When addressing hormonal conditions the first thing that needs to be done is to reduce the burden on the liver. Once digestion and liver function improve the breakdown of excess and undesirable forms of hormones can begin.

The following is a list of simple every day foods that you may want to begin incorporating into your diet in order to maintain a healthy liver.

1. Garlic
Garlic contains numerous sulphur-containing compounds that activate the liver enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage, and aid it in the detoxification process.

2. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers. Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavonoid compound known as naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.

3. Green Tea
Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of plant antioxidant that has been shown in studies to eliminate liver fat accumulation and promote proper liver function. This powerful herbal beverage also protects the liver against toxins that would otherwise accumulate and cause serious damage.

4. Green Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables such as bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory also contain numerous cleansing compounds that neutralise heavy metals, which can bear heavily on the liver. Leafy greens also eliminate pesticides and herbicides from the body, and spur the creation and flow of cleansing bile. In general we would benefit from increasing our consumption of "bitter" foods. Most of us tend to have a rather bland or sweet "diet".

5. Avocado
Rich in glutathione-producing compounds, avocados actively promote liver health by protecting it against toxic overload, and boosting its cleansing power. Some research has shown that eating one or two avocados a week for as little as 30 days can repair a damaged liver.

6. Walnuts
Walnuts, which contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid, glutathione, and omega-3 fatty acids, also help detoxify the liver of disease-causing ammonia. Walnuts also help oxygenate the blood, and extracts from their hulls are often used in liver-cleansing formula's.

7. Turmeric
Turmeric, one of the most powerful foods for maintaining a healthy liver, has been shown to actively protect the liver against toxic damage, and even regenerate damaged liver cells. Turmeric also boosts the natural production of bile, shrinks engorged hepatic ducts, and improves overall function of the gallbladder, another body-purifying organ.


Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035946_liver_cleanse_foods.html#ixzz1vhXqL1DZ

And of course for some(most) us, eating appropriate foods to give our body all that it needs is a real challenge and that's where natures bounty comes in handy in the form of "Herbal Medicine", its really another name for food, and if you feel your body would like some help here are a couple of products we use that work very well.

• PRL Liver-ND, a power packed liquid herbal formula that will support liver and gallbladder function.
• PRL Premier Turmeric, a traditional herb that has been used for many centuries in Ayurvedic medicine
• PRL HepatoVen, another great mixture of herbs in a capsule form to support liver function
   

What do we know about Magnesium?

If you know about some of the basics, you will know about Magnesium and you will also know that since I started in practice the vast majority of people that I see in the clinic are deficient in minerals. Statistics from the USA tell us that possibly up to 80 percent of Americans are deficient in magnesium.

Magnesium guides a large number of important physiological functions, including creation of ATP, the pumping of your heart, proper bone and tooth formation, relaxation of your blood vessels, and proper bowel function
   
Magnesium has been shown to benefit your blood pressure and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke, considering that heart disease and death from cardiac arrest is still right up there as a main killer this is something we should all be considering.

One of the best ways to optimise your magnesium level is by consuming plenty of organic green leafy vegetables as well as nuts and seeds. Almonds are a great source of magnesium. Foods with exceptionally high magnesium content include seaweed, coriander, pumpkin seeds, unsweetened cocoa powder, and a favourite of mine - almond butter.

As with any mineral intake, what is as important as overcoming a deficiency, is maintaining the correct ratios of minerals. If you do take a magnesium supplement, you may also need to pay attention to your ratios of calcium, possibly vitamin K2 and vitamin D, these nutrients work together synergistic-ally.

If you are considering taking magnesium there are a couple of specific products that I find are particularly popular and work well for most.

Magnesium in a capsule - PRL Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium in a liquid - MRI Elemental Magnesium
 

Whats Coming Up?

This is where we keep you updated on courses run by Maximum Well-being as well as shows we may be attending in your region.

Monday Meditations. We have begun a weekly meditation group. Anyone is invited to join with us on Monday evening at 7.30pm for an hour of meditation and reflection. Please let us know beforehand if you are coming - and bring a cushion to sit on.
Phone Andy or Gary on 07-3436909 to confirm a place.

Training coming up.
Not for you, for us - we are both attending a training seminar at the end of this week that will be focusing on some of the latest breakthroughs in Clay therapy(mud packing). This is a great therapy that we have been using for the last couple of years and for those who have experienced it, you know how amazing it can be.  We are told the training will be delivering new techniques that have been refined, that means this already amazing therapy will become simpler and yet more effective! We can't wait!

If you are anything like me and haven't already seen this one ...... get your tissues out and enjoy. A great inspiration, some days we think we have it tough! Another lesson in expressing gratitude.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW

"..... its just so much more than a massage.....restorative.....rebalancing".

So if you are feeling out of sorts, tired, lethargic, not sleeping well, moody, or have lost your balance, or your get up and go, a Well-being Session can be tailored especially for you.  For any new customers(those who haven't had the opportunity to experience Andy's work)during the month of March come and experience a Well-being Session at a Special Introductory price, make a booking now and have your first session discounted.