Darkness Into Light- Carrigaline

Inspiring post below...see you all 4.15am Saturday morning...I'm looking forward to the dawn chorus....🙂

Killing Cravings with Kindness - Breathworks Ireland - Mindfulness Based Courses And Workshops

KILLING CRAVINGS WITH KINDNESS. Here's a brilliant blog post that brings you though step-by-step what happens when we have cravings. Cravings are usually a signal for something else that we're avoiding, something going on underneath that needs our attention. If we can ask instead, 'what do I really need' and respond to that, this can be enough to dissolve the craving and see the tender spot beneath... Read on for practical tips on what to do if you regularly get cravings that never seem to be satisfied for long.... http://www.breathworks.ie/breathworks-blog/killingcravingswithkindness

Mindful Eating workshop

POWERFUL BENEFITS OF MINDFUL EATING It’s not the latest fad – Mindful eating, when practised regularly, brings impressive benefits to our health and wellbeing. Here are a few: 1. You learn to eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’ve had enough. This can be difficult if your sense of hunger and fullness has been skewed by fad diets, comfort eating or old habits of distracted eating (in front of a screen, while driving etc.). When we tune into – and respond to our body’s cues, this can support naturally achieving a healthy weight – without deprivation or struggle. Studies show that mindful eating programmes can help participants maintain weight loss over time. 2. You learn how food really tastes (not just ‘inhaling’ food!) and learn to enjoy the taste of good quality, healthy food 3. You slowly start to realise that unhealthy food isn’t as tasty as you thought especially after the first few bites, nor does it make you feel very good. 4. You’re satisfied with smaller portions, less likely to overeat high sugar high fat foods 5. You start to sort through emotional issues around food and eating patterns. This is a gradual process but key to making changes that last 6. You dismantle old patterns of eating and gain new tools for making choices that support your health and wellbeing 7. You learn how food affects your mood and energy throughout the day. 8. You learn what food best suits you and fuels your exercise and work and play. 9. You’re better able to handle daily stresses. By being more mindful when we eat, studies show that we engage our parasympathetic system which signals the body to ‘rest and digest’ and this will reduce release of the stress hormones including cortisol which over time has far reaching impact on health (weight gain, inflammation, reduced immunity, poor gut health, lower mood, depression). The more regularly we eat mindfully, the greater the impact of this natural ‘relax’ mode not just in eating but throughout our daily life. Does this sound interesting to you? I’m co-facilitating a workshop on Mindful Eating on Sunday, May 21st at Lissarda Manor, Co. Cork. Call me for more information. Here are the details… https://www.facebook.com/events/1761120360867595/

YOUR Practical Nutrition, Sharon O'Dwyer

YOUR Practical Nutrition, Sharon O'Dwyer's cover photo

Nature's Corner

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR HAY FEVER Hay fever season has officially started! For many (it seems increasingly so?), it is a season plagued by itchy and puffy eyes, itchy throat, runny nose and generally feeling miserable from about when you start to hear the lawnmowers going, the first cherry blossoms… until July or August, to varying degrees of severity. These symptoms are caused by your body’s immune system reacting to a harmless airborne substance – often pollen. Your immune system initially produces antibodies to this harmless substance. The next time you come in contact with the substance (spring time usually), these antibodies signal your immune system to release chemicals such as histamine into your bloodstream, which cause a reaction that leads to the signs and symptoms of hay fever. Natural remedies The best way to reduce symptoms is to avoid contact with pollen – keeping windows and doors closed. This is often impractical, especially in Spring an Summer when we most want to be outdoors. The beach is usually a hay fever free zone if that's an option for you as the pollen count tends to be much lower There are some very practical diet tips that also help reduce symptoms by helping to support your immune system and reduce the amount of histamine in the blood: 1.Increase the levels of vitamin C in your diet to support your nasal lining and reduce histamine - think citrus fruit like oranges, kiwi, berries, papaya, green veg especially broccolli and peas, red peppers, tomatoes 2.Increase anti inflammatory foods in your diet to reduce the inflammatory reaction i your body triggered by your immune system in response to allergies - increase colourful fruit like berries, blackcurrants, pineapple and veg like sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, avocado, oily fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, healthy anti inflammatory oils like flaxseeds oil 3. Fresh ginger, a natural decongestant to calm the immune system 4. Reducing dairy and sugar can help some people as these foods tend to be mucus-forming which becomes more of a problem for hay fever sufferers 5. Consider food intolerances that will worsen an already overactive immune system (wheat and milk are common culprits) 6. Local honey works for some to desensitize the body to allergic 7. My colleague, Gerald Culhane, owner of Nature's Corner in Macroom recommends Acupuncture to provide relief for symptoms. Gerald has put together a handy guide with tips on how to relieve symptoms...see below Hope some of these help!!

Timeline Photos

STRESS, ANXIETY, often leads us to believe that peace of mind can ONLY be found outside of ourselves. Yes, sometimes we definitely do need support from outside, but sometimes, we just need to be reminded that we can access it within ourselves.... I loved this poem when I heard it today... PEACE, (a poem by Dorothy Hunt) Do you think peace requires an end to war, or tigers eating only vegetables? Does peace require an absence from your boss, your spouse, yourself? Do you think peace will come some other place than here? Some other time than now? In some other heart than yours? Peace is this moment without judgement. That is all. This moment in the heart-space where everything that is, is welcome. Peace is this moment without thinking that it should be some other way. That you should feel some other thing. That your life should unfold according to your plans. Peace is this moment without judgement. This moment in the heart-space where everything that is, is welcome.

Tips for making wise choices

We need to eat protein at each meal to feel full and satisfied. But we also need it to keep our body functioning properly - Protein literally is the building blocks of our life - needed to repair and maintain itself - muscle, skin, hair, nails, blood, bones, hormones, antibodies as well as enzymes to turn our food into energy. But like fats, which we also need, it's quality that counts. The page below has some tips on how to vary your protein sources - it's important to include plant protein sources as much as possible as a regular alternative to animal protein to reduce risk of developing chronic illness and for general good health (this is more in line with the well-researched healthy mediteranean diet). Try introducing one source of plant protein a day...

Timeline Photos

MAGNESIUM FOR BONE HEALTH (and an important, effective mineral to help us relax and reduce anxiety...) Bone fractures amongst the elderly is one of the leading causes of disability and ill health burdening the healthcare system. Calcium and vitamin D are popular preventative treatments for osteoporosis, but what is less well known is that magnesium is also crucial along with vitamins K2 and A for good bone health. Scientists at both the University of Bristol and Eastern Finland University studied nearly 2,000 middle-aged men over a 20-year period. The study showed the risk of experiencing a fracture was reduced by nearly 44% in men who had high blood levels of magnesium, whereas men with lower levels had an increased risk of fractures, especially to the hips. Ensuring a plentiful supply of MAGNESIUM RICH FOODS such as dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, dark chocolate can help mitigate the risk. However, for elderly people, supplementation may be of benefit due to the problems they can experience with absorption of nutrients. Source: anhinternational.org

[Infographic]: 3 steps for prepping (and loving) your veggies.

Here's a pretty comprehensive guide to preparing most veg you come across - what to add to them to make them tasty, how to cook them (or not) and what other foods they work well with. Worth browsing for ideas before your next shopping trip...

Ballincollig Health and Wellbeing

Fantastic cause, Darkness into Light, we'll support you Catherine - best of luck!!