Stand By Me

Have you got 6 minutes to be inspired?
This inspirational project asks us to acknowledge the people in our lives.
It was a bit of a tear-jerker for me (they were rolling down my face in fact!) but let it in a little bit – this is about the really important things in life.

Enjoy!

A funny look at Therapists

Have a squiz at this entertaining and light-hearted look at therapy. It certainly made me laugh! 

Why isn’t life that simple? Maybe it is. Maybe we just like to complicate things…

I wonder if this approach would work? What do you think?

Enjoy!

Journey to better health – Simone Sleep and Naturopathy

“I like to live my life to its fullest potential and when I was in my 20’s the motto was “Go hard or go home”.  So I was hardly ever home.  And isn’t it the way how we think “I can do anything and it won’t affect me” (especially when it comes to your health).  At school I used to be into every sport and would pack my own lunches of fresh vegetables and fruit.  Once I finished school it was training at the gym everyday and partying hard at night.  I decided to further my studies in Naturopathy and then went overseas to complete studies in Medical Acupuncture.  That’s where all my major health problems appeared starting with teeth problems; then to kidney infections; to major skin problems and somehow picked up Giardia from China.  

I was also experiencing painful intercourse and painful menstrual cycles.  I had to go to bed at 7pm from exhaustion.  I had professional Chinese Herbal doctors looking after me but I was getting worse.  Some things were improving but my major problems weren’t.  When I came home I did a Detox that actually heightened my health problems and no one could explain why!  I was getting desperate.  I decided to leave natural therapies as a career to go off and see if I could find a solution to these problems.  It wasn’t until a business associate who was a dentist and naturopath said I may possibly have mercury poisoning.  After doing some major blood tests he was right!  I was poisoned with mercury and pesticide chemicals plus I had two rotten teeth that caused issues with some of my organs e.g. ovaries and kidneys.  On top of that I had a medical check up with a doctor which the test results came back positive for cervical cancer and it was growing.  Talk about experiencing health pressures.  So I was straight onto the program to eliminate mercury and pesticide poisoning and began my dental program to correct the problems in my mouth.  What I was taught at a Natural Therapies College was thrown out the window and my new education about how to feed ones body correctly was put into practice. 

After completing this program my test results came back with positive improvements but I still had ways to go, this was not an overnight experience.  I still look after myself and each year my health keeps improving and that health drama was 6 years ago.  From there I started to learn more about blood biochemistry and how environmental toxins affected human beings.   I received training from a Hematologist from USA who specialized in environmental exposures and to learn how the body actually goes into disease.  By doing major blood testing I am able to see where a person is heading towards an undesirable health problem and to provide a solution.  

It has been an amazing journey to learn about myself and my health problems to be able to come out on the other side and be able to help others with their health problems.  Nothing beats raw experience these days.”

Simone Sleep is a qualified naturopath specialising in bloody chemistry analysis at the Gold Coast Anti-Ageing and Wellbeing Centre, Southport. In 1994 Simone graduated with a Diploma of Naturopathy and went straight to Shanghai in China to be the first foreigner to study Advanced Medical Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine at the No.1 Shanghai Medical University/Hospital.  Simone is also a qualified practitioner in other modalities including Massage Therapy, Hatchets Therapy, Free Radical Therapy, qualified Avatar Master and holds 2 day workshops to Rejuvenate people back into life. unique approach, coming from many modalities is producing significant results with clients and for anyone who meets Simone knows she is a fun presenter, giving the listener hope for their problems, and allowing personal growth to be the catalyst to one’s own well-being and longevity.  Simone offers 4 levels of care programs for people and takes the guessing game out so you can totally understand your health problem and how to fix it.  If you don’t fully understand the causes of your health problem and have no improved results within two months, Simone offers a money back guarantee.

Simone and her partner Luke have a beautiful baby girl.  Simone loves being a first time mum and the joy that family and loved ones bring in her life.

For more info, contact us on 1300 797 281 or Simone directly on 0420 362 990.

The Ins and Outs of Fasting

Fasting has been around for thousands of years. It is the oldest and some say, the most effective natural healing therapy for our physical, mental and emotional ailments. It does something to our bodies, minds and spirits that no other remedy does. It’s quite literally, life-changing – transformational medicine in it’s purest form.

Fasting plays a part is every religion on earth. Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Elijah and Mohammed all fasted to purify their bodies and minds. The Sufis and the Essenes both used it extensively. Many indigenous cultures such as the Native Americans value fasting. Socrates, Plato, Galen, Aristotle, Paracelsus and Hippocrates the father of medicine all advocated abstaining from food and used fasting therapeutically.

Have you ever been sick and simply not wanted to eat? In fact, has the thought of food been quite a turn-off and the farthest thing from your mind? That is your body naturally fasting, naturally negating the drive to eat because food is not the best thing for you at this particular time. Have you ever had a pet that has refused to eat? This is their way of encouraging the healing process – an instinctual knowledge that the body has more important things to do than digest right now.

Fasting is precious time that we give to our internal organs to breathe out, have a break, relax, recharge and restore. We do the same for our mind when we go on holiday or get a massage. Why not give our body the occasional break too?

Have you ever considered fasting? What do you think would happen if you simply didn’t eat food for a while? What do you think would change? How do you think you would feel? Here’s a brief overview of fasting designed to inform and perhaps inspire a fasting journey of your own. You certainly won’t regret it and will be amazed by your body’s inherent ability to heal and the insights you gain on so many levels.

What is fasting?
The word “fast” itself give us a clue. By avoiding food or certain types of food for a time we literally speed up the natural detoxification and cleansing process that is happening constantly in our body and we speed up cellular renewal and regeneration. So a fast is a cure, a remedy and a therapeutic action. In the purest sense of the word, fasting refers to total abstinence from all food, whether it’s 40 days or 10 days or even 1 day. In more modern times fasting can also refer to limiting particular food intake or perhaps eating only one type of food or taking fresh fruit and vegetable juices only. There are so many different types of fasts and internal cleanses to choose from and you can tailor them to suit your individual needs. You can even do a simple cleanse by avoiding all alcohol, dairy, caffeine and processed food and drinking more water if you like, this alone will have an extremely beneficial effect on your body.

Why should I fast?
Good question and there are as many reasons as their are people on the planet. Some fast to cure cancer or diabetes. Some fast for weight loss. Some fast for detoxification and to improve liver function. Some fast as preventative medicine. Some fast for chronic skin conditions or digestive complaints. Some fast for self-realisation. In my own recent 40 day fast my intentions were to simply get more in touch with the internal functioning of my body and mind, to lessen my emotional attachment to certain foods (think potato chips and chocolate) and to rekindle my fascination for the healing properties of food we eat daily. For me and many others, fasting is a way to look at our habits when it comes to food consumption and reassess our diet. It allows us to keep what is working and get rid of what isn’t. It also allows us to clearly identify the moments we confuse cravings and comfort eating with the nutrients the body and mind really need.

Fasting has been used to successfully treat the following: colds, flu and respiratory symptoms, headaches, reproductive system issues, allergies, skin conditions, ulcers, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, mental illness, epilepsy, obesity, fatigue, back pain, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation and insomnia.

Fasting promotes purification, clearer skin, anti-ageing, reduction in allergies, improved immune system function, change of habits, better sleep, greater ability to relax, more energy and clarity of focus, rest for the digestive system, improved sense of smell, taste, hearing and vision, dietary changes, creativity, new ideas, inspiration, better attitude, spiritual awareness and right use of will. Pretty cool huh?

Who shouldn’t fast?
As with any changes is health you are thinking about making there are always considerations. For the following group of people fasting is not recommended unless under the careful guidance of an experienced health professional: pregnant women, underweight people or those with serious physical and mental degeneration and those with major nutritional deficiencies. 

How do I fast?
Fasting can be a controversial topic and there are many schools of thought on the best way to do it. Here are four steps to follow to start your journey:

Educate yourself on the best possible fast for your body and your lifestyle – you are unique and what works for another may not work for you. Seeing an experienced health professional who listens and who wants to guide and support you through your fast is highly recommended. 

Choose a suitable time. Winter is never suggested as it is a natural storage and rest time for your body. Other than that, the change of seasons is always good (out with old and in with the new!). Lighten your schedule if you can while you fast.

Begin and plan your fast. The reality of you having nothing to do but nurture yourself is pretty thin unless you go on a retreat of some sort so making a start is the most important thing. Be easy on yourself. You will experience rapid change that may surprise you but the results and how you will feel after your fast will blow you away. Make sure you’re prepared and have everything you need as going to a supermarket may not be high on your priorities.

Listen to your body. It will clearly tell you if what you are doing is working or not. Surround yourself with supportive people, give yourself some time to go through the initial detox symptoms (very commonly some degree of discomfort, headaches, bowel change, fatigue and irritability for the 3-5 days) Know you are doing an amazing thing for your body and mind that will change your whole experience of health.

 

There is much, much more to say about fasting and the correct way to do it. Thousands of years worth of study in fact! We have simply scraped the surface. With everything in relation to health this is about you. How do you choose to take responsibility for your body, mind and emotions? Fasting is nature’s doctor and is one extremely practical and effective way to achieve better health, more energy and greater passion and clarity for the gift of life. Want to know more? Have a squiz at Susan’s 40 Fast for my day by day experience. Entertaining and informative. Don’t forget, we can also connect you with an experience and qualified health practitioner in your local area who can offer effective treatment, guidance and support no matter what your health issues.

Journey to better health – Homeopathy

“I developed post-natal depression at 26 after my second son was born.  For years I was treated by psychiatrists to help me manage the debilitating anxiety & thought processes that I experienced.  After eight years of chronic illness, life was more on an even keel, but still the medication had to be continued.  Eventually, another eight years, I realized that I had to take my mental health into my own hands and sought the help of a professional Homoeopath.  Throughout my dark nights of the soul, I never ever gave up the thought that somehow I would be cured, despite being repeatedly told by psychiatrists that I would be either a schizophrenic or have bi-polar for the rest of my days…I chose never to accept the labels put on me by the medical establishment and imagined that only a small portion of my mind was dysfunctional… in this way, I was able to maintain my belief that I could have a healthy  mind one day.

After the initial first remedy I felt “something slip away”… it was a very subtle process but nonetheless real.  After 6 months of therapy and feeling more like my normal, capable self, I thought to myself “if Homoeopathy can do this much for me, then I’m going to study it so that I can help stop people going through what I went through in the mental health system”.  So at the age of 40, I left my job as a Secretary & began to work as a Telstra Call Centre operator, night shift work, whilst still managing 3 children at home, doing my husbands bookwork and running the home myself.  I was able to study when it was quiet between 1am – 3 am after work and slowly but surely, my dream became true when in 2001 I completed my training at the NSW College of Natural Medicine.” Christina Munns

Christina has practiced in Northern NSW and is now on the Gold Coast.  Having studied the teachings of such modern homeopathic masters as Alize Timmerman, Rajan Sankaran and Frans Vermeleun she has gone on to integrating their ways of case-taking into her clinical analysis.  She is passionate about letting people know the benefits that Homoeopathy, practiced correctly, can offer in the field of mental health. Visit Christina at Natural Health Shop or contact her directly on 07 5594 4904.