10 Tips to Eliminate Cellulite

There lacks definitive studies on the etiology of cellulite but what is evident is that cellulite is complex and caused by a range of factors including hormonal imbalance, toxins stored in adipose tissue, collagen and elastin breakdown, stiffening of fibrous connective tissues causing fat to bulge through creating an uneven texture, inadequate exercise, poor circulation and lymphatic drainage, and fluid retention. Eliminating or reducing cellulite is possible but requires a well-rounded approach and permanent diet and lifestyle changes. There are also more specific therapies that can be integrated into your daily routine. I have had cellulite since I was a young teenager and not surprisingly the more my health deteriorated the more severe my cellulite became, it also spread from my thighs to my stomach, lower back and upper arms. Poor detox capacity, hormonal issues, heavy metal toxicity, inability to exercise, poor circulation and protein (collagen) and elastin breakdown no doubt contributed to this. Now my cellulite is almost completely eliminated which I never thought would be possible. Admittedly many of the lifestyle and diet changes below I integrated into my life to heal myself from ME/CFS but it is those listed I believe have also had a dramatic effect on reducing cellulite. Essentially we are simply facilitating the healing, fueling the body with adequate nutrients for repair, using certain therapies, herbs and exercise to strengthen the areas prone to cellulite and improve circulation.

Here are my tips for reducing and hopefully eliminating cellulite all together!

1. Eat an organic, whole foods diet that facilitates deep cleansing of the body with adequate healthy fats and protein, reducing the burden of toxic residues found in conventional foods and foods such as processed sugars, grains, processed vegetable oils and conventional meat, poultry and dairy.

2. Dry body brushing for improved circulation, lymphatic drainage and removing dead skins cells. Great instructions are found here.

3. Exercise, particularly weight training, rebounding, squats (really noticed a difference with these), walking and yoga.

4. Adequate filtered water with mineral drops to hydrate and re-mineralise.

5. Infrared saunas to improve circulation, oxygenate the tissues and detox toxic substances residing in the tissues found underneath the skin.

6. Avoidance of Xenoestrogens that mimic estrogen in the body leading to hormonal imbalances. The best way to do this is to go all organic and ‘green’ avoiding all chemicals and avoid foods such as soy, flax seeds and conventional meat, dairy and poultry. No BPA, chemical laden body care products, toxic cleaning products and perfumes.

7. Eating gelatin (collagen) from grass fed, free ranging cows and bone broth (boiling down the bones and tissues of lamb, beef and chicken.) I use Great Lakes gelatin. This provides the body with the building blocks (amino acids) to synthesise its very own collagen which is the most abundant protein found in the body and is what connective tissues are made from.

8. Vitamin C for sufficient synthesis of collagen.

9. Lymphatic drainage massage

10. Try herbs Gotu Kula to stimulate collagen production and circulation, Liquorice root for its active compound Glycyrrhetinic acid that can reduce fat accumulation fighting the fat storage effects of cortisol and Horse Chestnut to reduce swelling, poor circulation and inflammation.

Have you had success with reducing or eliminating cellulite? What has worked for you?

Read this very well researched and referenced article by medical doctor Laurie Barclay on cellulite.

Photo credit: Helga Weber / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Recipe: Creamy Avocado Zucchini Pasta with Salmon and Dill

Gosh I find cooking therapeutic! Not only is the act of cooking so enjoyable, it’s so empowering to know I am nourishing and healing my body each time I prepare a meal. My food is my medicine. I made this lovely zucchini pasta recipe for a friend the other day. I am going to be brutally honest I do not normally consume farmed salmon which makes up the majority of the salmon found in Australia, unless you source fresh frozen Canadian wild salmon from The Canadian Way, or purchase genuine tinned wild salmon from Vital Choice or Wild Planet wild Alaskan salmon off Iherb. Farmed salmon is marketed as a health food but it is farm from it.

Farmed salmon live in overcrowded unnatural conditions fed a diet of toxic food pellets containing refined grains, soy, seeds oils, chemicals (to colour their flesh pink) and antibiotics. A FYI fish don’t normally eat these foods. Their natural diet of krill, algae, and small amounts of other fish is what gives them such a high omega 3 content. Farmed salmon is much higher in the pro-inflammatory omega 6 and much lower in omega 3. The farming practices are also destroying the environment surrounding the farming areas. Another word of warning, look out for the proposed ‘Frankensalmon‘ a genetically modified salmon.

Now you can see how farmed salmon may need to be a ‘treat’ not an everyday kinda thing to avoid traces of antibiotics, pesticides, omega 6 excess and canthaxanthin. This recipe can be made with tinned or fresh wild salmon but for a special occasion I had some farmed smoked salmon. It would also go nicely with some activated walnuts, chicken or other wild fish instead of salmon.

Recipe: Creamy Avocado Zucchini Pasta with Salmon and Dill

Ingredients

2 large zucchinis

Dill

Capers

1/2 avocado

1 red onion

Salmon

unrefined Celtic or Himalayan salt

Method

Create zucchini pasta by peeling, using a julienne peeler or spirooli. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit to wilt.

Meanwhile caramelise the red onion with a pinch of salt in a pan.

Finely chop some dill and capers then mash them with some avocado until combined but still slightly chunky.

Add the avocado mixture to the zucchini pasta and toss through. Serve with salmon, caramelised onion and a dollop more of avocado, caper and some dill on top.

Pretty simple but yumo!

Recipe: Fermented Buckwheat Pancakes

If there is one persudo grain I would consume it would be buckwheat. I personally do not tolerate any grains generally and completely avoid all gluten containing grains because of an intolerance to the protein. Buckwheat is technically the seed of a flower and comes from the same group of plants as rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat is particularly high in magnesium, fiber and manganese.

Like all nuts, seeds, grains and legumes buckwheat should be properly prepared for consumption by soaking, sprouting and/or fermenting to remove the toxins which reside in the husk. These substances protect the seed until conditions are suitable for the nut, seed, grain or legume to sprout where it discards the toxins in its outer layer. These substances include the phytate phytic acid which binds to important minerals such as zinc, magnesium and iron in the intestinal tract carrying them out of the body, blocking their absorption. Enzyme inhibitors are also found in the husk which inhibit the action of enzymes. These substances destroy, interrupt or warp the action of the enzyme interfering with digestion. Tannins and saponins are also often present.

Soaking, fermenting and sprouting nuts, seeds, legumes and grains also increases their nutrient value. Digestibility is increased, enzymes are activated and nutrients are bioavailable.

This buckwheat pancakes recipe produces the most delightful, fluffy pancakes.

Recipe: Fermented Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups of raw organic buckwheat

Water to cover when soaking the buckwheat

1 cup of water

1 tsp of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar with the mother

2 x pinch of celtic sea salt

2 whole eggs

3 eggs separated

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

stevia or raw honey to taste

1/2 tsp bi carb soda

Tsp coconut oil

Method

Soak 2 cups of buckwheat in water to cover and a pinch of salt for 6 hours of overnight. Rinse the buckwheat. Place back in a large bowl with another pinch of salt, a cup of water and the raw vinegar. Using a stick blender to blend to a smooth paste. Cover and leave to ferment over night or for roughly 12 hours. After this time you can give it another blend to ensure a smooth consistency. Add the 2 whole eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, bi carb soda and honey/stevia. Separate the 3 remaining eggs. Add the egg yolks. Whip the 3 egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the egg whites to the mix, mixing roughly attempting to keep the mixture air rated.

Heat a tsp of coconut oil in a pan on a medium heat. Place a nice dollop of the mixture in the pan. The mixture goes great in small size pancakes or large. Serve with fruit, yogurt, raw honey or whatever your heart desires. You can even omit the sweet additions and create savoury buckwheat crepes and serve with bacon.

Food reactions and a Recipe: Pumpkin & Coconut Custard

I love experimenting with new recipes that not only nourish my body and suit my complex dietary requirements but taste amazing! Food sensitivities, intolerances and what are known as IgG food allergies are becoming increasingly common. In ME/CFS food reactions effect the majority of sufferers and are inevitable when leaky gut is suffered. Leaky gut occurs when the small intestinal walls becomes damaged and permeable due to various lifestyle and dietary factors. Large undigested food particles find their way across the gut wall and activate an immune response because the immune system see these food particles as foreign. These reactions cause inflammation throughout the body and can lead to symptoms that include gastrointestinal distress, fatigue, skin eruptions, mood changes, joint and muscle pain, sinus congestion plus many more. Any food could be potentially causing an IgG reaction from nuts, meats and eggs to fruit, vegetables and grains.

Food intolerances such as gluten and dairy intolerance are extremely common but do not necessarily involve an immune response. The most common reaction to dairy is lactose intolerance where the individual lacks the enzyme lactase to digest the lactose present in the dairy product, causing gastrointestinal symptoms. Gluten intolerance tends to occur due to an individuals inability to digest the problematic proteins found in gluten containing grains. The exact etiology of gluten intolerance is not known and the reaction may vary from person to person. The immune system may still be involved but it is not the same as celiac disease where an auto-immune reaction occurs. Both gluten intolerance/sensitivity and celiac disease can lead to severe damage to small intestinal villi, hindering absorption of nutrients. Gluten intolerance can cause not only gastrointestinal symptoms but neurological symptoms, muscle and joint pain and many other symptoms. Grains, particularly modern wheat contain other problematic components that can cause issues. But that is another post in itself.

Some people also react to certain foods due to the foods manufacturing process, that leaves their chemical composition essentially damaged and nutritional factors destroyed. An example is milk. Conventional milk comes from cows that are barn raised, fed unnatural feed (grains, soy), hormones and antibiotics. The milk is then pasteurised and homogenised which destroys live enzymes including the enzyme lactase that helps digest the disaccharide lactose and lipase that digests fat. Nutrition content is also affected. Homogenisation is used to break up the fat in the milk and evenly distribute it throughout the product. This process causes fat to oxidise. Many people find that consuming conventional milk makes them feel very ill with an array of symptoms from stomach cramps, sinus congestion to fatigue. Many have observed their symptoms cease when consuming only organic, raw milk or at the very least organic, unhomogenised milk from cows (goats or sheep) roaming freely, consuming their natural feed of pesticide free grass, access to fresh air, sunshine, and no antibiotic or hormone residues.

There are also some people who may tolerate organic, raw, fermented dairy products who would not otherwise tolerate dairy because the fermentation process creates a food that is highly digestible and the lactose present is consumed by probiotic bacteria.

That’s enough for now on food reactions. The whole subject is complex and highly individual. It is well worth looking into if you have any unexplained symptoms. A warning, testing can be expensive and is never 100% accurate. The gold standard in finding out what may be causing symptoms: cut out! and observe how you feel.. It is best done under the care of a health care professional.

Thankfully eating an allergy friendly diet is NOT boring and there exists many beautiful substitutes. I will post on these next time. But for now, for those of you who cannot tolerate dairy for whatever reason or have a sweet tooth try my pumpkin, coconut custard!

This recipe uses coconut milk without any additives and without guar gum that can be potentially irritating to the gut, organic pumpkin, gelatin from grass fed humanly raised cows, organic egg yolk, stevia and spices. The custard provides a rich source of vitamin A, D, E, K, B vitamins, EFA’s, minerals, beta-carotene, medium chain triglycerides, lauric acid and gelatin providing amino acids for the building and repairing of our own proteins. It is not only nutritious but highly delish!

Recipe: Pumpkin & Coconut Custard

Ingredients

1 can of Ayum coconut milk

1 cup of grated pumpkin

1 organic egg yolk

3 teaspoons of gelatin (I use Great Lakes brand.)

Stevia to taste or raw honey to sweeten

Cinnamon, nutmeg and or vanilla powder to taste

Method

Heat up coconut milk and pumpkin in a small pot on medium heat until simmering.

Simmer with lid on for about 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and use a stick blender to puree. Add in the egg yolk and continue to blend. Place back onto a low heat and continue to wisk for 5 minutes. Take the custard off the heat.

Mix the gelatin with 2 tablespoons of water. Then add a tablespoon of hot water to properly dissolve. Add the gelatin mixture to the rest of the ingredients and continue to wisk for another minute. Add the stevia and spices.

Place in a bowl or what ever you choose to serve it in. Set in the fridge or quickly in the freezer. You can eat it warm or cold. I served mine with blueberries and a dash of coconut cream.

Seasons Greetings and Christmas Raw Chocolate Avocado Pie

I hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas and my best wishes for the new year! 2012 has been quite the year. I am so grateful for all that 2012 has delivered on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. I have moved from Hobart to Byron Bay and am basically living in paradise. Although ME/CFS continues to be a major challenge I am grateful for how far my body has come in terms of healing and all that I have learnt along the way. I am so grateful that I was able to pursue my passion for health with very casual study in naturopathy. I am so grateful for my beautiful friends and family and their love and support. I am so grateful for the work my body does for me daily, although I get angry with it at times. I am so grateful that I can go for short walks and do hardcore weight training! (Ok maybe not that hardcore.) I am so grateful for what CFS continues to teach me about myself on a physical, mental and spiritual level. I am so grateful for the amazing organic food I have the pleasure of consuming on a daily basis. I am grateful for so much! I am very excited for 2013 and for the major improvements I WILL experience with my health and for continuing my study which WILL become much easier as symptoms diminish.

Now onto my delicious raw chocolate avocado pie recipe. I made this for dessert on Christmas day. I must say it was amazing!! So I thought I must share it with you all.

Recipe: Raw Chocolate Avocado Pie

Ingredients

Base

1 cup of activated almonds

6 fresh dates

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder

A pinch of Himalayan salt

Filling

1 and 1/2 cups soaked cashews (I soaked for 3 hours)

4 fresh dates

1/2 cup avocado

1/4 to half a cup of raw cacao depending of how intense you would like it to be

3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil

3/4 cup water (I added 1/4 of water at a time a in the end needed this amount for my blender to mix the ingredients to a smooth consistency.)

Raw honey or stevia to taste (I used 1 tablespoon of honey and a small amount of stevia.)

Pinch of Himalayan salt

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder

Method

Using a food processor, combine all base ingredients until well binded. Line a pie dish with glad wrap and press the base into the dish, molding into shape. Place into the fridge whilst making the filling.

In a blender, preferably a high powered one place all ingredients apart from the coconut oil and water. In a small pot melt coconut oil and add to other ingredients with 1/4 of water. Continue to add water until the blender is able to blend all ingredients into a very smooth texture. It took me a while with my old blender.

Pour filling onto the base and freeze. It will be ready within a few hours. You can take it out of the freezer an hour of 2 before serving if you do not consume on the day of making it.

Serve with berries, coconut yogurt, raw cream or your choice of topping! Enjoy!

See you in 2013! x

Recent healing chronicles

Hello! Finally I am back and ready to share with you what I have been up to recently in terms of healing. As I mentioned previously, I packed my bags and made the big move from Tasmania to Byron Bay. I felt so strongly that this is what I needed to do and on coming here everything has felt so right. Although the move was physically challenging, emotionally the transition has been fairly seamless. I live with like-minded people, a kinesiologist and a personal trainer/yoga teacher. We support and inspire one another. I do feel blessed to be here.

In terms of ME/CFS, it has been a journey as per usual. The move really knocked me about, but thankfully I didn’t crash and have continued with my treatment protocol. My progress is still positive, but slow. I find I can do a bit more generally, but also don’t feel very different in terms of symptoms. It is only when I look back that I can see progress.

In terms of diet I continue to:

• Eat a wholefoods, organic, unprocessed diet that my body is biologically adapted to digest and assimilate and that makes me feel the best that I can. Avoidance of IgG allergens strictly: dairy, soy and gluten. Avoidance of foods that for me cause digestive upset and disrupt homeostasis: sugar, caffeine, legumes, grains, hydrogenated oils and processed foods.
• Focus on fresh, vibrant, organic vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, organic meat, poultry, eggs and seafood.
• Include fermented foods for probiotics such as raw sauerkraut, water kefir and coconut yogurt.
• Drink lots of pure, filtered water with concentrace mineral drops. Additional raw apple cider vinegar on the mornings. I use this filter.
• Eat adequate protein and fats to prevent blood sugar crashes.

The mind:

• I continue to practice mindfulness meditation, do a daily yoga nidra practice and monitor stress levels as best I can.
• I have been enjoying incorporating positive affirmation and seeing my kinesiologist to clear any emotional baggage.
• I remain positive.
• I continually work on not giving power to my ailment by thinking about it. It is impossible to forget, but its important to attempt to not associate and/or identify with an ailment.

Exercise:

• Yes I have started to exercise! But in a specific way that works for me. For most ME/CFS sufferers it is common for aerobic exercise to be particularly difficult if not impossible (that was me for nearly 3 years.) I find now that I can generally do anaerobic exercise integrated with yoga.
• My workout begins with yoga, then I do basic weights 3 x 20 repetitions of 4kg. I started at 1kg and worked from there.
• I also often do very light yoga mat work with lots of gentle rotations and grounding poses.
• I stroll to the beach when I can and dip in the ocean.

Nature Cure:

• I spend plenty of time in the sunshine, in nature, I breath, swim in the ocean and remember health relies of physical and mental equilibrium.

Specific supplementation and protocols:

• I continue to take magnesium gluconate and malate before bed.
• I take high dose vitamin C with bioflavanoids for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral properties.
• I take vitamin D3 and K by Thorne.
• I began the Methylation B-12 protocol 4 months ago after doing testing for a partial methylation block through a US lab. It showed that most of the nutrients required to fuel the methylation cycle were deficient. Methylation is responsible for hundreds of crucial reactions in the body. Without optimal methylation the immune system mal-functions, the body cannot detoxify, ENERGY cannot be produced, DNA, mood and inflammation are effected.
• My supplement protocol includes: Methyl B-12, Dibencozide, Potassium Gluconate, Sam-e, L-Carnitine Tartrate,  Active Folate 5-MTHF and Thorne Methyl Guard.
• After much hesitation I underwent a rigorous drug protocol, formulated by the Centre for Digestive Diseases Sydney for treatment of blastocystis Hominis. I actually think doing this protocol has helped, although progress it slow. I understand the time it may take for me body to heal after such treatment.
• During this protocol I continued to eat an abundance of fermented foods as well as using Dr Mercola’s multi-species probiotic and Perma-Clear by Thorne which contain gut healing nutrients such as glutamine, glucosamine, saccharomyces boulardii and quercetin. The protocol involves the use of anti-biotics which harm the beneficial gut flora and this inner eco system must be maintained and replenished.
• I tried LDN, Low Dose Naltrexone. Unfortunately I could not tolerate this ‘side effect free’ drug. I attempted to take 3mg and then 1mg the following night but it caused severe headaches, nausea and caused me to feel like I was crashing. It brought back an array of symptoms which had become generally milder. Flu-like symptoms flared, tight chest and breathlessness came back, pain skyrocketed!! I am still investigating my reaction as it is atypical, but because of the nature of LDN and its immune modulating properties it is likely the reaction is due to extreme immune dysregulation and/or viral load.
• I am going to begin taking Lauricidin Monolaurin for its anti-viral, bacterial and fungal properties.
• I have purchased a portable far infrared sauna to accompany my healing regime. Particularly to aid in detoxification and for pain relief and relaxation.

My healing is still slow but it is happening and that is what I focus on! I believe the methylation protocol is helping, but it requires patience. I am aiming to continue for another 2 months to see further results. With the introduction of these nutrients to fuel methylation, the body is able to begin detoxifying properly after a prolonged amount of time which can cause unpleasant detox reactions. I remain aware of this fact particularly when I have dangerously high heavy metal levels.

I also wanted to add that a new ME/CFS diagnostic guide has been formulated for practitioners and it is fantastic:

http://www.mecfs-vic.org.au/important-information-medical-practitioners

Now you have an idea of what I have been doing, next I will speak further about the mechanisms behind the new approaches I am applying to healing!

Hello again and a Pumpkin, macadamia, coconut and chia porridge

Dear Readers. I am sincerely sorry it has been soo long since I have published a post. The past few months have been busy for me, moving to Byron Bay to continue healing, for change, to meet more like minded people and for the warmer climate.

There is soo much I need to fill you in on. New recipes, new information, new changes to my personal healing regime, new ideas on general health and on ME/CFS and its causes. Conveniently I do not have the internet where I am living so I am relying on the local library wifi which is slow and has a one hour limit, so bear with me.

Today I wanted to share with you a warming, sweet winter recipe I have created. It uses lovely steamed and pureed pumpkin, soaked macadamias and chia seeds, coconut flakes, cinnamon, stevia and your choice topping, whether that be yogurt, coconut cream kefir, tahini, coconut flakes or just a dashing of coconut milk.

Remember you can play around with this recipe, I blended some of the macadamias with water to make a milk consistency and then added the pumpkin, you can use canned coconut milk/cream instead.

Recipe: Pumpkin, macadamia, coconut and chia porridge

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 cup of pureed pumpkin (I tend to steam a whole lot of pumpkin one evening and then use leftovers for breakfast whatever that may be.)

Approximately 10 whole Macadamias per person/serving soaked overnight

2 teaspoons of chia seeds

¼ cup of coconut shreds or flakes

Approximately 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (3/4 in recipe and ¼ to dust on after serving.)

Stevia to your desired sweetness

Approximately 3 tablespoon of water or coconut milk

Yogurt, kefir yogurt, tahini or coconut milk/cream to serve

Method:

Blend steamed pumpkin, cinnamon and stevia with water or coconut milk until smooth, add in macadamias and coconut shreds or flakes and pulse literally once or twice to mix and roughly chop. Pour into pan and warm up gently adding in the soaked chia seeds near the end.

Pour into a bowl and add a generous dashing of yogurt, kefir or your preferred topping, dust with cinnamon and enjoy!

You can also experiment with adding nutmeg, vanilla powder, raw honey and different nuts and seeds.

If you don’t have a blender you can always mash the pumpkin with a fork, and chop the macadamias and flakes with a knife! Enjoy!

Recipe: Raw chocolate mousse

For Easter I decided to make a raw chocolate mousse. It was divine!!

Of course this treat could be made any time. I topped it with raspberries and Loving Earth raw chocolate.

I used quite an old and powerless blender, the result was still amazing but not quite as smooth as I wanted. A vitamix or equivalent would be perfect!

Here is my recipe

Ingredients:

I whole medium avocado

Flesh of 2 young coconuts (mine had quite thick flesh as they had matured a bit since leaving Thailand I gather. It was still effective.)

1/4 cup of coconut oil

1/2 cup of water

5 tablespoon of raw cacao (or to your desired strength, taste test!)

A vanilla pod or 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder

Approx 1/2 a teaspoon of stevia (taste test.)

Method:

Place water and coconut oil in a pan and warm until oil melts.

Place coconut flesh and avocado in blender. Add the water and melted oil and blend until smooth.

Add stevia, vanilla and raw cacao. Blend until ingredients are well blended and very smooth. Make sure you taste test for cacao strength and sweetness.

Place in separate bowls or one large bowl and place in the freezer for an hour and then the fridge for another half an hour.

Serve with raspberries and roughly chopped raw chocolate or your choice of topping.

Serves 3 to 5 people depending of how big the serves are.

Enjoy! x

Mindfulness meditation: the key to inner peace, healing and equanimity

The past few years of my life have been rather difficult… to say the least. But if there has been one thing that has helped me cope (apart from the support from others), that would be mindfulness and mindfulness meditation.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness involves being conscious and paying attention to what is happening within the body and mind, in the present moment without judgement or reactivity. Being mindful means being aware of sensory impressions, thoughts, imagery emotions, urges and impulses and accepting these as natural processors of the mind. We become the observer, without identifying with the mind. It is like watching a stream of consciousness, without swimming in it and becoming involved and effected.

Mindfulness shares a number of core principles with the Eastern meditation technique Vipassana including equanimity and impermanence. These two notions or responses are really important to develop and understand.

Equanimity is a neutral response to our daily experiences. It is a state in which we are aware, balanced, calm and composed and neither feel disgust for unpleasant experiences and nor an insatiable craving for pleasant ones. The development of equanimity or an equanimous mind is important in living mindfully and being able to act less reactive and judgemental.

Impermanence is the notion and understanding of the changing and impermanent nature of all things including our own mental and emotional experiences. Realising and understanding impermanence leads to a less rigid view of life and oneself. This idea comes from one of the three marks of existence of Buddhism called Annica.

Quite often in life you do not have complete control over what happens and not all life experiences are going to be pleasant or go your ideal way (I am sorry to say), and this can evoke all kind of negative emotions. What we can control however is how we respond to these experiences, often this will be with anger, frustration, negative thoughts and emotions or we can learn to respond with more equanimity, calmness, optimism and positivity. This is obviously easier said then done, but surprisingly after a lot of training using a mindfulness meditation technique results have been quite significant for me personally. It does not mean you will never experience feelings of anger, negativity and frustration but you will not get caught up in these emotions and physically/emotionally react to them. You will be fully aware of these emotions, mindful, non-judgemental and non-reactive.

So how do you put mindfulness into practise?

You can simply make a conscious decision to become more aware, observant and present in daily life. Although this is a great start, practising mindfulness meditation is much more effective at training the brain to become more mindful. The daily training you do will eventually flow into everyday living. It will naturally become a part of how you live your life.

You can simply begin practising mindfulness meditation from the instructions found on the internet or by finding a mindfulness meditation group or practitioner. Or if you are really serious about training in mindfulness you can do as I did and do quite intensive training with a practitioner such a psychologist who specialises in mindfulness meditation training. Although I wasn’t very keen on seeing a psychologist, it was well worth the effort to have the support of someone through the intense 4 month training 40 minutes twice a day.

Another important part of understanding the notion of living in the present moment and detaching myself (as much as possible) from the ego (the mind) was reading the bookA New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Although living mindfully has not necessarily made a difference to the physical symptoms of my ME/CFS is has done absolute wonders to how I deal with it on a daily basis. No more crying, chucking tantrums and thinking dark, negative, destructive thoughts (which there is no doubt effect the body on a physical level.) Not only this but it has dramatically changed how I react to criticism, to my own thought processors and to daily life in general.

 

Are you hungry for change?

The creators of the educational and eye opening documentary Food Matters James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch are about to release their new film Hungry For Change. This film features some of the worlds leading health authors and medical experts providing information on how to take control of your own health and heal yourself! This premiere is FREE so I thought it was well worth mentioning this on here. I personally think it will be a must see for all! Food Matters has done a superb job at getting the message out there of the importance of real nutrition for the mind, body and soul. Although I did not agree with Food Matters very strong raw foods message entirely, I still think that what the creators have done and continue to do is amazing.

You can sign up for the premiere here which will begin in about 4 hours and last for 10 days! Get on it.