fbpx

Happiness and Joy

As a Kinesiologist a large part of my work with clients includes looking at the emotional aspects of the issue at hand.

Often the word to describe the emotion is very specific. Last week I was working with a lady who needed more “joy” in her life.  I had been testing “happiness”, which we had considered as the same, but “joy” definitely tested as the correct word.

There are subtle differences between the two feelings.

Happiness and joy are closely related and frequently occur simultaneously.  They both bring feelings of contentment, pleasure and satisfaction, but the reasons for these feelings are where differences lie.

Happiness is an outward expression of bliss and elation and comes from material things and earthly experiences, for example good food or company.  Whereas joy is a more inward experience of peace and contentment, from spiritual experiences like feeling connected to a god or people.  Joy requires an ongoing process of living a moral, more selfless lifestyle, caring for others and expressing gratitude on a regular basis.

Because happiness is based on outward circumstances, it is often more fleeting.  Whereas joyfulness takes longer to cultivate, it is a stronger, longer term state less influenced by life’s ups and downs.

It’s worth your time, effort and energy to cultivate more happiness and joy in your life.  There are health benefits, including; stronger immune systems, lower heart rate and blood pressure, fewer aches and pains and longer life spans.

Here are some simple hints to integrate more happiness and joy in your life. Read More…

Multitasking? Stop it!

For a long time I considered myself an expert at multi-tasking.  I often would be working on 3 or more tasks at the same time, thinking I was being productive.  As a single mum and small business owner I figured multi-tasking the best way of getting everything done.  Wrong!

It made me constantly stressed and tired.  I made mistakes that I then beat myself up about, and, worst of all, I often over cooked or burnt dinner.

Then one day I read a list of “Zen things” and at the top of the list was “Do one thing at a time”.  I started putting this into practice and discovered that I was much more efficient and productive, made less mistakes and produced better quality results (and meals).  Admittedly, it took me a while to develop this new habit and even now I sometimes have to remind myself to stay focused, but it has been well worth the effort.

I did some research to find if other people had similar results and here’s what I found…. Read More…

Maintaining Mobility

Swimming at Darwin Waterfront – Rena Walker in the lagoon

Staying active is one of the most important tools for leading a long, healthy life, however, when pain strikes, it becomes challenging to maintain your activity.  Injury and pain often occurs because of a lack of mobility and flexibility.

When I work with my clients I define flexibility as the ability of a muscle to be lengthened and mobility as the ability to move through your full range of motion efficiently and comfortably.

In this context true mobility requires a combination of flexibility, balance, coordination, control and strength.  Muscles and tissues need to lengthen, as well as work together to activate and relax in a coordinated way to allow smooth, controlled movement throughout the full range.  This requires the neuromuscular system (the communication system between the brain and muscles) to be working effectively. Read More…

5 Tips to take control of your chocolate cravings

 

Everywhere you look in the weeks leading up to Easter there’s chocolate!  It gets harder and harder to control your cravings, with foil covered eggs and bunnies calling out to you.  Seriously, it feels like the shops are out to undermine your latest commitment to eat healthier, avoid sugar and hopefully drop a kilo or two.

The good news is that there ARE health benefits to consuming chocolate, but moderation is the key.  Don’t deny yourself completely and then blow your diet by bingeing when your willpower finally gives in.  Try these tips to help you make healthier choices and enjoy chocolate in moderation. Read More…

3 Ways to Achieve Better Health

When the physical, bio-chemical and emotional sides of your life are working in harmony, balance is achieved. Kinesiology uses this “Triangle of Health” to provide equilibrium and complete bodily health.

Kinesiolgists use muscle testing to detect and correct imbalances related to stress, nutrition, learning problems, injuries and energy.  By looking at the whole person and the way they function and interact with their environment – rather than focusing on symptoms or named diseases – Kinesiologists can determine how your health and well-being is affected by imbalance and make necessary corrections.

Let’s look at how imbalance can affect your health. Read More…

Kefir breakfast

kefir-bfast-2

 

I love the probiotic goodness of kefir, so I consume it regularly.  I also prefer variety in my diet so I have created a couple of recipes to use kefir in a variety of ways.  This simple recipe is just as good whether you use kefir made from coconut milk or cow milk.  I include dried fruit in my recipe to assist with energy for my exercise schedule, plus I personally enjoy the sweet flavour burst from the sultanas.  If you’re concerned about your sugar intake, leave out the dried fruit, it still tastes great! Read More…

Coconut kefir pudding

kefir-pudding-1

 

 

How’s this for an easy, yummy, healthy, kid friendly dessert!  It has all the probiotic goodness of coconut kefir plus the tropical sweetness of banana and mango.  Flaxseed meal gives it a lovely thick pudding texture, as well as being a source of fibre and Omega 3s. Read More…

Magnesium

magnesiumSo there you are peacefully asleep, happily in the land of dreams, when…. Whammo!!!! You’re viciously woken by extreme pain in your calf and your foot is pointed in a position that would be the envy of a ballerina.  You silently scream and try not to thrash about too much so you don’t wake your partner. You sit up a knead away at your calf and then stand and try limping around to get the calf to release the cramp….

I know many of you will be familiar with the scenario above and will already be taking a magnesium supplement to try to reduce the frequency and severity of muscle cramps. But do you know how magnesium works to alleviate cramping?  And, did you know there are many other benefits of ensuring you have adequate levels of magnesium in your system?

Read More…

Balancing our energy is like balancing our finances

spend-saveWhen it comes to our finances, ideally we want the flow of money to be higher income than expenditure.  If the flow is in the right balance we have “left overs” that we can bank and keep in reserve for harder times.  If the hard times go on for a long time we use up all our reserves and start going into debt. The further into debt we slide the harder it is to come out of.  We know that once our finances are back into the right balance we know that it will take time to firstly get out of debt and then to build up reserves again.
In our youth our bodies are quite good at producing more energy than is expended, and we can easily build up reserves.  When we hit a period of extra demand on our energy, we have the reserves there to handle the extra drain. For example when we’re young we can pull a series of all-nighters for work or uni and survive quite well afterwards.  Unfortunately, this can lull us into a false sense of security, we mistakenly think that because we managed so well in the past, we can continue to use up our energy without acknowledging it needs to be replenished at some stage.
As we age, our body becomes less efficient at energy production and our ability to produce more energy than we use is diminished.  If we are moderately healthy, we may be producing enough energy to sustain our normal day to day energy expenditure but not enough to build up reserves.  Many of us have health issues that mean our ability to produce energy is so diminished that we are not even producing enough to sustain our “normal” activity.  If we continue to drain our energy faster than it’s replaced, we will start heading into energy “debt”.  And, the longer we continue this pattern, the further into debt we slide.

Read More…

Candida

sick-dogDo you find that as the heat and humidity increases, your allergies, sensitivities and intolerances increase as well?  Do you have cold or flu like symptoms that you can’t seem to shake off?  Are you constantly tired?  Do you suffer from digestive problems like gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation?

These symptoms and many others may be an indication of a candida overgrowth.

What is Candida?

Candida albicans is a yeast that is naturally found in the gastrointestinal tract, on the skin and in the genitourinary tract. It is one of the millions of friendly organisms that live and serve useful purposes in the body.  Candida plays an important role in helping to recognize and destroy harmful bacteria. Read More…

Next Posts