Mental Health is not all in our head

Science at this point in time is evolving and the evidence is pointing to Mental and Emotional health is coming from our gut.

So the digestive system breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, processes chemicals and elimates waste. But what else does it do?

The ‘Second Brain’ can control the gut independent of the brain.

The neurotransmitter serotonin ‘the happy chemical’ is responsible for mood and feelings of wellbeing.

Serotonin is primarily found in the stomach and intestines as well as the brain. Serotonin helps to control bowel movements and digestive function as well as many other psychological and bodily functions.

Serotonin is a natural mood stabilizer and impacts your emotional health. its a chemical with helps with , sleep , eating and digesting food. Healthy serotonin levels helps to reduce depression, anxiety heal wound and maintain bone health.

Serotonin is made from the essential fatty acid Tryptophan. This must enter your system through a protein rich diet such as eggs, nuts , cheese and red meat, salmon and tofu to support healthy serotonin levels.

It is as yet unknown if a drop in serotonin causes depression or depression causes serotonin. However eating a healthy diet , exercise sunlight. And making an effort to positively change your mindset with activities such as kinesiology and meditation may offer natural solution.

The psychological and mindset approach to reduce stress and improve diet may help to improve outcomes for people suffering depression.

Here are a list of goals that may be useful for people dealing with depression.

  • My body utilises nutrients from the food I eat.
  • I give myself permission to be happy.
  • I look forward to every new day.
  • I have a passion and enthusiasm for life.
  • I let go of pain from the past and freely move forward with my life.
©Beth Flynn

Real Food

Eating real food and making good food choices can have a profound effect on the muscular system.  Certain muscles are strengthened by specific foods. Choosing to eat certain foods is a cost-effective way to help to increase nutrients rather than taking supplements.

The gluteus maximus is one of the largest and strongest muscles of the body which helps to give support to our lower back as well as lends support to the reproductive area. Foods which support the Gluteus maximus are green peas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts , green leafy vegies and cold water fish. So for lower back and reproductive health a diet rich in these foods can help nourish the body and reproductive system.

Here is my salad suggestion for reproduction health

Broccoli and Kale Salad

Kale cut finely

Broccoli diced

Green peas

Cucumber

Nectarine

Pomegranate

Sunflower seeds pumpkin seeds cranberries

1 avocado

 

Dressing

Lemon or lime juice

Mint leaves or any herb blended

Olive oil.

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Case Study – Frozen Shoulder

Case Study – Frozen Shoulder

 

I have a client aged 53 who presented approximately 8 weeks ago diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder left side. At the time he had roughly 15% range of movement in his left shoulder going straight up from his hip and both forwards and backwards. His pain levels were high relying on endone from 4pm to sleep.

He has previously broken his right hip, and calcaneus as well as 3 broken ribs in a fall from a ladder approximately 3 years ago. He has disc problems in his lower back and a tear to his right subscapularis both long standing injuries.

Visually comparing his shoulders his right was sitting as normal while his left was lower and wider and his muscles were no longer hugging the glenohumeral joint but loose and weak.

He is an ideal client in many ways, happy to come weekly and determined to increase his range of movement (ROM) and reduce pain. We used Kinesiology and these are the goal statements we used for each of the first 6 weeks.

Week 1 – My muscular system and shoulders function free of dysfunction.

Week 2 – I have freedom of movement in my left rotator cuff.

Week3 – My shoulder muscles work in harmony. I am able to extend my arm over my head.

Week 4 – I increase my range of movement(ROM) and my body functions free of pain.

Week5 – I build strength and ROM in my left arm.

Week 6 –  I am easily able to do tasks that require exterior rotation of my shoulder without pain.

Kinesiology is a form of biofeedback muscle testing where you follow a succession of protocols, for example frozen shoulder massage, gaits, diet recommendations, essential oils or many other options depending on the skills and knowledge of the therapist, to gain health benefits. Kinesiology is aimed at strengthening the body’s ability to heal. So, I’m aiming at achieving congruency with the goal statement to align emotional and physical wellbeing.

In the six weeks since we started his ROM is sitting around 80 % and both his shoulder are sitting symmetrical.  He is more than impressed to be able to wash is hair with both hands and is able to place both hands behind his back. He has been endone free since week 4 and making steady progress towards having full ROM and freedom in his shoulder region.

Published with permission of client.

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Transform your Weight

Kinesiology is a great way to achieve lasting results with weight issues without personal self-sabotage.

Weight issues are complex and very individual.

There can be many triggers which prevent us from living a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Food addictions, emotional eating, genetics, poor self-worth, family culture, linage, advertising, self-sabotage all sorts of elements can be the catalyst to prevent the sustainable change we are looking for?

Kinesiology is all about setting goals and having the power to achieve them.

A goal balance is basically this:

# use an affirmation you wish to achieve such as “I am comfortable at my ideal weight”

If your body agrees with this statement you are probably your ideal weight already. If it doesn’t a muscle test will indicate just what is required to make this statement true for you. It may be working with a specific muscle group or group of muscles to regain tone but more important switching so that muscle works as it should. To manually strengthen a muscle can help can help implement change in the muscle and the state of mind.

Kinesiology can also suggest which foods can help strengthen your overall health.

Everybody is unique and following a certain protocol and making a statement like “I am comfortable at my ideal weigh” true for you. Done this way within time changes are sustainable.

Your body is always working in your best interests if we can remove the blocks to self-sabotage to doing so.

 

Some affirmations you might like to try for healthy weight are.

 

I release peer pressure around my body size.

 

I nurture and nourish my physical body every day.

 

My metabolism functions at optimal levels.

 

I am motivated to release excess body weight.

 

It is safe for me to be attractive to others.IMG_9231[1]