SchoolofCT

The School of Complementary Therapies

Keep it Up!

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Stopping for a break ~ herbal tea and some fruit ~ keeping up my blood sugar!

It’s important for you to know and be aware about blood sugar. Blood sugar stabilizing is important for reducing stress and lessening feelings of anxiety. And there are many other benefits you will find from maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Click here for more information.

As defined in the dictionary, blood sugar is the glucose in blood that rises and falls depending upon what we eat. All carbohydrates are ultimately converted to glucose to be used by the body as fuel for the brain and muscles.

When we are feeling low on energy we often crave sugar or caffeine. Caffeine appears to release stored glucose. Instinctively we know that these substances will raise our energy (or sugar) level quickly.

So, what’s wrong with that? The problem is that this high concentration overloads the system, causing the levels to swing up above normal giving  us a lift, then fall rapidly to way below normal. Then we feel even more tired and crave more sugar or caffeine…so, we have another cup of coffee, glass of coke, sugary snack…our energy swings up again and crashes down again…over and over!

Riding on the chemical roller coaster leads to irritability, depression, anxiety, confusion and fatigue. It actually becomes an addiction cycle! We are not nurturing and taking care of ourselves when we are in this pattern.

Ideally we want a strong, steady level of energy all day long. We want to avoid the swings up and down by eating healthy food in healthy amounts. We need to avoid sugar and caffeine, and instead eat whole foods that are digested slowly.

These are complex carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, grains. These foods slowly release their energy into the body. As a Natural Health Consultant I suggest most people need to eat three meals a day and two to three snacks, so your body is receiving quality energy all day.

  • Start kicking coffee by using good quality decaffeinated coffee. You will have the taste without the caffeine. If you are a heavy coffee user, wean yourself off by cutting the number of cups you drink daily. Caffeine withdrawal produces bad headaches and other side effects that may give you an excuse to give up. Go slowly, this is a process of loving yourself, not punishing. Try herbal teas. There are hundreds on the market, buy sample packs and find your favourites. Try coffee substitutes, you may find you like them.
  • And drink water! At least six glasses daily. Don’t like water? Try fizzy spring water with ice and a slice of lemon in a beautiful glass. Put some pleasant tasting chlorophyll into the water-Nature’s Sunshine has a spearmint oil added. Take a 1.5 litre bottle with you in the morning and promise yourself you’ll finish it by bedtime, then finish it by noon and feel pleased with yourself!

If you would like to learn more about “Eating Well as Part of Loving Yourself” and integrating good eating habits into your life, give me a call or drop me a line and we’ll set you up with an appointment and get you started on a personalized wellness program or take the fabulous SCT Course Nutrition 101.

And remember the important thing about blood sugar ~ keep it up!

June 2012 Health Steps ~ Get Physical With Some Love

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Walking the dog ~ an excellent way to add exercise to your life!

Over the years I have listened to hundreds of clients and students make excuses for not exercising—seriously, I think I’ve heard them all. And I always say ‘the key is finding something you love to do’.

So today I’m going to share some of my tips to making exercise more fun:

  • Don’t do it alone. Go with a friend. The buddy system works so well. If you are not feeling motivated, maybe your friend is, or vice versa.
  • Don’t over do it! The temptation to get stuck in and work like mad because you haven’t exercised for a while is so strong. Resist! Go gently. As we say at Feeling Absolutely Fabulous, ‘gentle change leads to permanent results’. Take it easy and you won’t injure yourself. You have all the time in the world.
  • Don’t commit to an exercise regime until you have tried it for a while. Sometimes the initial endorphin rush is mistaken for loving the exercise. See if it works for you and your lifestyle first. Then make the commitment.
  • Do schedule exercise into your daily calender. If you make an appointment with yourself you are more likely to keep it than saying ‘I’ll get round to it when I’ve done everything else’.
  • Do something you can afford. The stress out-weighs the benefits if you cannot afford to do it. Walking is free. Running is free. Doing the housework vigorously is free, which brings me to my final tip for today:
  • Moving your body is exercise. You don’t have to wait until you can join a program or pay for a gym membership. Get physical and clean the house. Get physical and go shopping: park the car away from the mall entrance and walk vigorously around the mall. Make love with enthusiasm—teehee! Get down on the floor and play with the kids/grand-kids/pets. Move it or lose it!
  • And think about what you eat! Good nutrition partnered with some exercise and you’ll soon be Feeling Absolutely Fabulous!
  • And get physical with some love.

April 2012 What to eat? What have you got to lose?

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Have you noticed that it is becoming more and more confusing to decide what to eat? It seems that a new study or a new fad diet comes out every day. One day we are avoiding too much protein as it’s hard on the kidneys, and then the next we are loading up on protein heavy diets to lose weight. One day we are taking all dairy out of our diet so we are free of congestion, and the next day we are eating yogurt three times a day to improve our colon health. Are you confused?

Gluten-Free Spagetti| Eating Healthy|

SCT Founder Jacqueline Fairbrass tucking into a fabulous gluten-free

Have you noticed that it is becoming more and more confusing to decide what to eat? It seems that a new study or a new fad diet comes out every day. One day we are avoiding too much protein as it’s hard on the kidneys, and then the next we are loading up on protein heavy diets to lose weight. One day we are taking all dairy out of our diet so we are free of congestion, and the next day we are eating yogurt three times a day to improve our colon health. Are you confused?

Over the years I worked as a naturopath, I found that diets and fad diets were occasionally useful but most of the time left people out of balance. So, I developed Nutrition 101 to help people learn to eat well and follow a balanced diet. Whether you want to maintain a healthy weight or lose a few pounds, understanding what our bodies need to ingest and paying attention to how we feel when we have eaten is in my opinion the key to healthy body weight.

This month I’ve spent some time with people on what I call ‘fad diets’. That is, diets that cut calories to less than

1000 a day and cut out one particular food group. When we cut down our calories to a very low level (seriously, one friend of mine is currently ingesting under 500 calories a day while working out!) our body goes into ketosis. This means that we use our stored energy and we lose weight. The question is, whether this is healthy for us. Initially, we get a sense of euphoria from it, which people attribute to increased energy. It’s actually a body function from ancient times ~ we get energized to find more food because we are starving ourselves. When we go back to normal eating, the weight goes back on faster than ever as the body celebrates not starving!

Quite simply, removing one particular food group from our diet can lead us into ill health through unbalance. We don’t get the body’s nutritional requirements met unless we eat from all the food groups.

So, what should we do? Perhaps you are looking to lose a few pounds, or you’d like to be healthier or you’d simply like to stop being confused. I recommend that you take the Nutrition 101 course. It’s experiential, which means that while you study and learn you are guided to record your nutritional experiences. Take this course to help yourself and to help your family and loved ones. It’s easy to follow and learn and you’ll be able to take charge of your eating habits.

In the meantime here are some of my tips to make eating right easier:

  1. Drink more water. We often confuse hunger and thirst, so drink your water, hydrate your body and see if you need to eat as much.
  2. Take a daily multi-vitamin. Make it a good quality one from food sources.
  3. Eat a rainbow. Make sure your plate has various colors on it. Food colors represent nutritional components.
  4. Eat fruit and veggies daily. 
  5. Eat a variety of foods. Make sure you eat from all the food groups.
  6. And the most important! Slow down and enjoy your food. Don’t eat while you drive, while you watch TV or standing in the kitchen because you are in a hurry. Paying attention to what you eat cuts calorie intake like nothing else.

As our food supply is being chemically changed and modified you owe it to yourself to take charge of your eating habits. Want to go a step further? Then start today on one of our Feeling Absolutely Fabulous revolutionary new weight loss programs. So start today! What have you got to lose?

Get to Know Your Body

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The human body is a wonderfully complex structure, and despite its complexity works wonderfully well most of the time. That many of us feel helpless in the face of illness or disease reveals a lack of understanding of how the human body works. When we work to develop a relationship with ourselves holistically: body, mind, spirit and emotions, we can impact our relationship to dis-ease and to illness.

Dr. Andrew Weil in his book Health and Healing says “All living things consist of one or more cells. Each cell can live independently of the rest and cells can arise only from other cells. This implies that those parts of our bodies that live–that eat, breathe, move about, and reproduce do so only through the cells…if physiology seeks to discover how living things work, it must ultimately express the explanations in terms of cellular activity.”

The cell is the basic structure of all tissues, organ and body systems. The body contains hundreds of different types of cells: the long spindly muscle cells, the round red blood cells, the sperm cells with their tales, the nerve cells with their dendrites and axons. However, in spite of their different shapes and functions, each cell has essentially the same composition.

The cells make up the organs. The human body is made up of many organs, and the majority of organs work together in organ systems. Each system in turn depends for its own effectiveness on the proper functioning of the other systems. In short term, the cardiovascular system is the one that keeps us alive, and therefore may be called THE MOST IMPORTANT, but for long-term survival the body needs all of its systems to function effectively and in harmony. All systems are vital to human survival.

You can read lots of information about how cells are impacted by different things, including our thoughts, feelings and emotions. They are impacted by what we eat, breathe, sense and feel. However, that same sense of helplessness occurs whenever we are faced with something going wrong!

There are a number of ways to combat this sense of helplessness, and I believe that education is the key. The more you can learn about how your body works, the better idea you have to prevent things going wrong; and if they do breakdown or you become ill, you have a better idea of how to get better!

There are of course different ways to educate yourself, and I’m not suggesting that you have to know everything. A sense of general knowledge, for instance: knowing where your organs are, knowing how the cells work, understanding what the basic organs systems do and feeling comfortable in knowing what does what in your own body.

JF ~ confident in knowing how her body works!

I encourage you to read articles on the web, pick-up books and watch documentaries. However if you would like to do some structured learning: The School of Complementary Therapies offers a very comprehensive and easy to understand course in Anatomy & Physiology that you can learn in the comfort of your own home. This guided learning process will help you understand how your body works, thereby empowering you in your health care choices. In addition to discussing and learning about the various body systems and their functions, we explore some of the more common problems that can arise.

If you would like to learn more, please click here for the course outline. And of course, I am always happy to hear from you by phone or e-mail. Get to know your body.

 

 

Muscle cramps!

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Recently I was asked about muscle cramps and what it means ~ that awful ‘charley horse’ feeling that occurs in a muscle.When a muscle engages or contracts, it shortens. A spasm is an involuntary contraction of a muscle and you just can’t simply will it to relax!

Muscles spasm when the normal balance of potassium and sodium (electrolytes) in the muscle cells is disturbed for a longer period of time than the muscles usually can handle. So, even something like a Reflexology session can cause muscle spasms as the circulation is improved during the treatment.

There are a number of things that may contribute to an imbalance of electrolytes:

  •  Dehydration, from inadequate fluid intake or excessive sweating
  •  Vigorous exercise, especially if you don’t stretch before and after
  • Potassium and/or calcium deficiency

So why may a cramp occur during a foot reflexology session?

Muscles that have been overly taut for a period of time, including the lower leg and sole of the foot, relax during a reflexology session. This may disrupt the electrolyte balance and may cause a muscle to cramp.

If you are a Reflexologist and this happens when you are giving a treatment, the first thing is ‘don’t panic”. The solution is simple. To relax any muscle in the body, you actively engage the antagonistic or opposing muscle, which will increase circulation to the affected muscle and allow it to lengthen and relax. If you are receiving a Reflexology treatment and this happens to you, relax, breathe and allow the trained professional to take care of you.

What I do when a Reflexology client on my table cramps up is to immediately place the palm of my hand on the dorsal side of their foot and ask them to strongly pull their foot towards their face (dorsi-flex). At the same time my hand resists their motion, attempting to pull their foot towards my face (plantar-flex). Obviously, this is done with sensitivity to the flexibility of the client, which I have assessed at the very beginning of the treatment session. This combined action engages the foot flexor muscles and lengthens the extensor and intrinsic foot muscles. The hold is held for a couple of seconds and then both the client and I relax our efforts. We immediately do it again, and continue to repeat the sequence of engagement and relaxation until the cramping stops (usually three or four repetitions is all it takes).

I was recently told of an acupressure to alleviate cramping. While performing the movements described above, you wuld ask your client to apply pressure with their index finger between their lip and nose, two-thirds of the way up and to hold that point firmly until the cramp subsides. I haven’t tried it yet, but am game next time this happens!

Adequate hydration, regular foot reflexology, massage of the muscles that tend to cramp, a diet high in potassium and calcium, and daily stretching can prevent the re-occurrence of muscle cramps. And my personal favorite, drink a glass of carrot juice each day until your condition improves ~ seriously! Carrot juice contains all types of electrolytes and is yummy. I’ve even encouraged clients to drink a cup before bed to fix their night cramps.

So now you know how to fix those pesky muscle cramps!

ATA Jan 2012 |Carpet odor

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Welcome to ‘Ask the Aromatherapist’ Monthly! This month we delve into the archives and get a Q & A from Emma Fairbrass

Question

My carpet smells really bad. Is there anything I can use to hide, remove, change the smell?

Thanks Kenny

Answer

Hi Kenny, Try this:

1 cup Sodium Bicarbonate
1 Tbsp lemon peel
1 Tbsp Coriander
5 drops of Lemon essential oil
5 drops Juniper essential oil
5 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Cedarwood

Mix together and shake over carpet let sit for 30 minutes and Vacuum. This aromatherapy recipe should help with carpet odor.

Emma Fairbrass, Certified Aromatherapist

Get off your butt!!!

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Easy Fitness Tip
Did you know that to be considered moderately active you only need to exercise for 2.5 hours a week. That can be as simple as one hundred and fifty minutes of brisk walking. A recent study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health indicated that dog owners who walk their dogs are 34 percent more likely to be be physically fit than people who don’t.
When we are physically fit we look great and feel great!

I have adopted a rescue dog, Eddy. We go for at least one half hour walk each day, and some days as it feels so good we go for two. And on the weekends we often make it three! Eddy is happy. I’m happy. And we are both looking good and feeling great! Woohoo!
Stay Fabulous,

August 2011

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This month Jacqueline Fairbrass gives some great Summertime Aromatherapy and Tips

Stings and Bites

During the summer months it can be easy to find yourself or someone around you on the losing end of an encounter with a bee or wasp. Try using witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) to ease the discomfort and heal the wound. Witch hazel is a liquid distillation of the leaves, bark and twigs of the tree Hamamelis virginiana which may be found on most drugstore shelves in the areas near to rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.

To treat stings and irritation, douse a cotton pad with witch hazel and apply to the affected area. This treatment is also good for insect bites, sun and wind burn and may also be used in the same manner to disinfect minor cuts and abrasions. Witch hazel has no drug interactions and may be used safely by both children and adults.

Seasonal Allergies

If sneezing and itchy eyes have become part of your day-to-day life through out the summer months you may have allergies. The following herbs may be added to your diet and you can see if they have any beneficial effects on your allergy symptoms:

  • Try making a strong tea with stinging nettles and butterbur and drinking it daily. Both herbs are reputed to perform as well as antihistamines, without the drowsiness.
  • Eliminate dairy from your diet to avoid immune-system irritation. I know, that’s a hard one, but there are some soy and rice substitutes for ice-cream that are really yummy!
  • Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, for example wild Alaskan salmon, freshly ground flaxseeds or fish oil supplements.
  • Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits such as berries and cherries to help modify the body’s inflammatory response.
  • You may also want to try nasal douching with a warm saline solution (purchase a neti bottle from your health food store) and drink plenty of water to keep nasal passages hydrated and to flush out your system.

Partying

Sometimes during the summer we drink more alcohol than our body is used to: beers at the barbecue, coolers at the cottage, exotic cocktails when we travel. If you are more frequently using alcohol I suggest you take milk thistle (Silybum marianum) regularly. It is available in capsules, but I believe you get more from using a tincture. Purchase from a reputable health food store and follow the instructions on the label. The use of this herb for liver health comes from the European folk medicine tradition. It is said to enhance the metabolism of liver cells and help protect them from toxic injury. (Milk thistle may also help those with chronic hepatitis, abnormal liver function, and those using pharmaceutical drugs that are hard on the liver, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy). This herb is considered non-toxic and you can stay on it indefinitely.

However, if your alcohol consumption does not reduce at the end of the summer or you perceive it to be affecting your quality of life please call me at 206.201.2764 for an appointment. We’ll assess your health and get you on a personalized wellness Program asap.

Babies and Young Children in the Heat

  • Diaper or Nappy Rash Mix 1 drop each of lavender and Roman chamomile essential oils to 20 ml of calendula oil and apply to baby at every change until completely healed. (Also, be sure to take special care to wash and dry baby well after each nappy or diaper change. Be especially careful of using powders with mineral oils as they clog the skin. Avoid plastic pants and disposable diapers or nappies as they discourage the circulation of air around the baby’s body, while retaining body heat and moisture.)
  • Heat Rash Bathe baby in a bath in which 2 drops of lavender essential oil has been added to one litre of cooled chamomile tea.
  • Insect Bite and Burns Use 1 drop of lavender essential oil in 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and mix into a paste with a little cold water. Apply as often as necessary.

Essential oil blends may be purchased from the School of Complementary Therapies or specific blends may be made for your personal needs. Contact us with your requirements.

Of course, I have only covered a few things that can benefit from herbs and aromatherapy in the summer time. If there are other issues you would care to discuss or that require a more in-depth consultation,please contact me.

Wellness with Color

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Tips for Using Color as a Healing Therapy

I don’t believe I have to convince anyone that color has an impact of our lives. Color has long been researched, especially by those in marketing, for the impact it has on us. But did you know that it has also been researched as a healing art. Let me tell you more.

Human beings have been using light and light color sources for healing since time has been recorded. However, the foundations of our modern color theories are attributed to Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) with his famous prism experiments. By shining white light through a prism we can see the seven color band of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Each of these colors vibrates to a different frequency and the brain interprets this vibration as color. Pretty cool stuff!

We actually record color as sensation. Light falls upon the light receptor cells of the retina in the eye, which convert the light into electric pulses. The hypothalamus in the brain is then stimulated by these pulses and sends instructions to the pineal and pituitary glands; which then send messages to the other endocrine glands. For example, it has been scientifically proven that the color red stimulates the adrenal glands, raising blood pressure and pulse rate. Therefore the color red is considered to have an ‘exciting’ effect on the nervous system.

In the 1920s Darius Dinshah developed colored filters and lamps which he matched with his scientific research to apply color to the body for healing physical disease. At the same time Charles Butts was applying color through the eyes to affect healing of imbalances in the nervous and endocrine systems.

We now in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) or Holistic health field recognize that color therapy can be applied in three ways:
Psychological
o Identifying states of mind and negative stress through color preference and then using color to make positive changes
Eastern or Mystical Influence
o Briefly, this assumes that we are all bodies of light and is prevalent in Hindu, Tibetan and Chinese teachings. Using chakras (energy centers of light in the body) and intuition the therapist uses color to make positive changes holistically: body, mind, spirit and emotion.
Physical
o By directing colored light or using colored swatches of fabric color is introduced to diseased or imbalanced areas of the body to promote healing.

Want to add more color to your life?
There are a number of ways you can add the healing vibrations of color to your life, including through your clothes, the colors on your walls, using light application of color and even taking baths in colored water! Here are a few simple tips to get you started:

  • Feeling overly stressed and anxious? Choose to wear a green sweater and bring in the calming and soothing vibration of green.
  • Need a pick-me-up? Then get some orange cellophane, wrap it around a glass of water and leave in the sunshine for about ten minutes. Drink the water and take in the vibration of uplifting and energizing orange.
  • Don’t want to get into an argument with your boss, your spouse or the kids? Then wear the color pink. Pink is non-confrontational and promotes compassion.
  • Taking an exam? Wear yellow to stimulate your mind and intelligence.
  • Difficulty sleeping Paint your bedroom blue. Blue is the color of peace and protection. Use blue in your bedroom to create a peaceful and serene room to sleep in.
  • Suffering from psoriasis? Try shining a blue or green light on the affected areas to counteract the rash.

Hopefully I’ve tweaked your curiosity and you’d like to learn more! We have distance learning color therapy courses available, which are fun and informative. Start with Level One and learn about your own responses to color and learn about traditional uses of color for healing. Level Two takes you into more exploration and a deeper knowledge and then Level Three teaches you how to apply color therapy to others. Start NOW! If you’d like to learn more or have some questions before you begin your journey into Color Therapy please contact me.

You may reprint this article and include this information:
Reprinted with permission by Health Steps, the School of Complementary Therapies Education division of Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC Newsletter. Jacqueline Fairbrass is the founder of the School of Complementary Therapies, a leader in the field of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) education. For more information go to SchoolofCT or Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC JacquelineFairbrass, call             206.201.2764       or contact us on-line.

Don’t Let the Blues Get You Down-Try Reflexology!

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With all the information now available on the adverse side-effects of medical intervention into depressive states many people are looking to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to help. I am often asked about alternate or complementary practices that can alleviate the symptoms of depression. Although there are many holistic treatments that can help, one of the favorites is Reflexology. Reflexology has been well documented by science to relieve symptoms of depression.(1) Let’s look at depression and reflexology:

So what is depression? Depression is described as a state of low mood and aversion to activity that affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical well-being.(2) When people are feeling depressed they will describe life as being sad, empty and hopeless. They may feel anxiety, be irritable and develop lethargy or restlessness: Once pleasurable activities become uninteresting, appetite may change and they may develop problems with concentrating or making decisions. People also exhibit physical aches and pains or digestive problems and sleep problems which seem to be resistant to usual treatments.(3) Bouts of depression may span from weeks to years and sometimes cause despair so great that suicide may be contemplated.

And what is Reflexology? At SCT we define Reflexology as a specific bodywork technique, where the therapist strokes, massages and applies pressure to the feet, hands and face to effect changes in the body, relax muscles, and stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

A Reflexology treatment session causes an increase in blood flow to organs and helps the body to eliminate toxin build-ups. The lymphatic and endocrine systems are stimulated while a state of relaxation is induced. Both sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems come to balance and natural feel-good hormones called endorphins are released. Scientific sources indicate that an increase in production of endorphins reduces the body’s stress response and causes feelings of well-being.(4)

On the holistic or CAM level, the internal energy lines that flow through the body are cleared and the body returns to energetic balance. This in turn is believed to allow optimal nervous system functioning.

Sounds good? And it feels even better! A good Reflexology session will leave you feeling rested and refreshed, ready to tackle the world again.(5) Regular Reflexology as part of a wellness program has been indicated to help alleviate depressive symptoms. So, if you are feeling a bit blue, why not give it a try?

If you would like to learn more about Reflexology SCT has courses in the classroom and distance learning available for professional or home use. If you have any questions or would like to learn more please contact us.

(1) http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/11/1026
(2) Sandra Salmans (1997). Depression: questions you have – answers you need. People’s Medical Society
(3) Depression: National Institute of Mental Health 2009-09-23
(4) PBS Online: A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries. Public Broadcasting System. 1998-01-01
(5) Disclaimer: Reflexology should not be used to replace allopathic medical advice as prescribed by your primary health care provided. Do not stop taking medication without medical supervision.
You may reprint this article and include this information:
Reprinted with permission by Health Steps, the School of Complementary Therapies Education division of Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC Newsletter. Jacqueline Fairbrass is the founder of the School of Complementary Therapies, a leader in the field of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) education. For more information go to School

Welcome To The School Of Complementary Therapies

jacqui

Hi, I’m Jacqueline Fairbrass—licensed Hypnotherapist, holistic wellness therapist, vivacious health coach, and founder of the School of Complementary Therapies.