How not to catch a cold

The sun is shining but the summer is nearly over and next week the children will be going back to school.  We all know what happens next - the cold season starts and I don't mean winter!

As soon as the children start mixing at school the germs start spreading.  The primary way to catch a cold is through someone sneezing on you.  From the time that someone sneezes on you or near you it takes only 15 minutes for the cold germ to travel to the back of your nose and start infecting you.  The average cold lasts between seven and ten days.

Unless you spend your days in solitary confinement, there is not much you can do to prevent yourself catching a cold.  There are many viruses that give rise to cold symptoms and no effective immunisation has been developed yet.

You can boost your immune system by taking Vitamin C and zinc.  You could also try using a saline solution to keep your nose moist and clear of germs.  One mind/body techniques that I use is to imagine a transparent shield around me that stops germs from getting through.  It also stops other people's negative attitudes infecting me!

If you do succumb to a cold you can reduce your symptoms by:

• Drinking lots of water or fruit juice
• Getting plenty of rest 
• Eating a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables

Have a happy and healthy Autumn. 

Your Daily 'To Don't' List

When I am coaching clients I often encourage them to have a to-do list.  This not only helps to give structure to your actions, you also get a burst of the hormone dopamine as you tick things off your list and move towards your goal.  This contributes to your feelings of happiness. 

To help with time management I also suggest having a to-don't list for the things that steal your time and stop your progress.  These things can arise in a couple of ways.  Firstly there are the things that you enjoy doing but they are a waste of time if you do them for significant periods.  How much time do you spend playing computer games or looking at social media?  If it's too much, put it on your to-don't list. 

Secondly, there are the things you do when you don't want to do something you need to.  I remember when I had essays to write for my OU degree, I would suddenly find cleaning the bathroom or unblocking the drains very attractive occupations!  If you have jobs that don't need doing, put them on your to-don't list and concentrate on the activities that will take you towards your goal. 

It is important to recognise when you are procrastinating and think about why you are putting off those important tasks. Is there a fear attached to the task or is just a job that you don't love doing?  What action could you take to overcome that fear or outsource the job?

So what can you put on your to-don't list today?

Are you looking for reliable and friendly menopause advice?

Do you remember when you were a young teenager?  Puberty was like a badge of honour and you talked endlessly with your friends about period pains and what was going on with your body.  And then later when you were pregnant you talked with all your women friends about all the intimate details of your pregnancy.

So what happened when you started to approach menopause?  Was it still ok to talk to your friends about this new stage?  Or was it suddenly a bit embarrassing? 

Hot Women, Cool Solutions

It was certainly my experience that it was much more difficult to talk to women friends about anything to do with menopause.  Maybe that’s because it is seen as a sign of ageing and is viewed in a negative way despite all the positive aspects.  

That’s why I decided to write a book that would be like having a knowledgeable friend.  Someone who can help you discover useful information plus tips on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.  Even better, someone who can give you easy to follow mind/body techniques that will help you to get back in control of your symptoms.

‘Hot Women, Cool Solutions™: How to control menopause symptoms using mind/body techniques’ can be your new best friend and it will cost you less than having lunch with one of your women friends!  

Each chapter answers commonly asked questions about menopause including:

• How can I stay cool and sleep better?
• How do I control my weight?
• How do I keep my 'mojo'?

The book comes with access to bonus gifts including The Menopause Workbook, The Stay Cool Hypnotic Recording and the Mindful Weight Loss Hypnotic Recording.

What are you waiting for – go and meet your new friend! www.hotwomencoolsolutions.com

Blue Monday

Researchers at Cardiff University have determined that Monday 21^st January 2013 is Blue Monday - the most depressing day of the year!   

They calculated this by looking at six factors:

• Weather conditions (cold and grey)
• Debt levels (and our ability to repay that debt)
• Time elapsed since the Christmas holidays
• Time elapsed since abandoning New Year Resolutions
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of having anything to look forward to in the near future

I have really noticed since the Christmas holidays were over how subdued people have been in the supermarket and around the town.

But stop worrying now because this year 21 January is also National Hug Day!   

I know what you’re thinking, ‘There’s colds and bugs around, why do I want to hug someone?’  Well firstly, having a positive attitude is very good for your immune system.  Secondly, making social connections is essential for boosting your mental health. 

And finally giving and receiving hugs causes our body to release the ‘feel good’ hormone oxytocin.  Oxytocin has been credited with numerous body-and-mind benefits, including: giving us healthier hearts; improving our relationships with other people; slowing down the ageing process, and (critically) making us feel happier.

If you’re not ready for that hug yet, you can achieve similar results from giving and receiving smiles and you can do that from a safe distance!

Have a Happy Monday!

Dryathlon

Here in the UK, Cancer Research UK are encouraging people to give up alcohol for the month of January and raise money for the charity through sponsorship or by pledging the money saved by not drinking.  What a great thing to do after the excesses of Christmas and the New Year. 

Drinking alcohol is not just linked to increasing your risk of cancer, it is also linked to a variety of diseases and injuries associated with accidents.  Although giving up alcohol for a month will not have a lasting positive effect on your health, it may break an existing habit and get you into a different way of enjoying yourself. 

If you want to get started make a commitment to yourself and then tell a friend or even better tell a lot of friends.  That simple step will increase the probability of you sticking to your resolve.

 Once you have done that, think about the circumstances and contexts in which you usually drink alcohol.  What could you do differently?  What alternative drink could you enjoy?  If you have a drink of alcohol at home at a certain time of day, what else could you do at that time to break that habit?

Drink plenty of water.  It will let your conscious and unconscious mind know that you are not thirsty.  It will also help to flush through your kidneys and liver.

The deadline for signing up for Dryathalon is 6 January but if you have missed it you can still do this for yourself.  For more details see www.dryathlon.org.uk

Three Wise Men

In the past few weeks I have had the privilege to hear three inspirational men speak.  They were the sort of speeches that make you stop in your tracks and think differently.

Geoff Thompson with BAFTA

The first speaker was Geoff Thompson.  Geoff was abused as a child and became a violent young man.  The turning point in his life came when he realised that he might lose his wife and his children because of his violent acts.  He has gone on to become a world famous martial arts teacher, a coach and inspirational speaker.  He has channeled his experiences into writing.  He has written forty books, five award winning films and three stage plays. 

At the start of his speech, Geoff passed around his BAFTA award and invited us to feel the weight of it – surprisingly heavy.  He said that this was the weight of the fear he used to carry around within himself and his way of exorcising that weight is through writing and sharing what happened to him.  Turning fear into art is an amazing alchemy.

The second speaker to inspire me was James Lafferty, a CEO at Coca Cola.  Apart from being a senior executive in some big brand multinational companies and working in some of the most challenging countries in the world, James has had some amazing life experiences.   He is someone whose inner strength is obvious and comes from his complete congruency with his beliefs and values.

James says ‘A principle is not a principle until it costs you something’.  We can all say that we believe strongly in a certain principle but when push comes to shove, how much are we willing to stand up for it?  If you say that you are anti-racist or anti-homophobic, what will you say if a friend or colleague makes a racist or homophobic comment?  How much do you value your principles?

I have to confess I have not met my third speaker, the designer Paul Smith, but I saw an excellent documentary about him.  I loved his energy, his humour and his creativity.  The phrase he used that struck me most was “There is inspiration in everything, if you can’t see it you’re not looking hard enough”.

Wishing you an Inspirational Christmas and a Creative New Year

Top Tips for Healthy Eating at Christmas

Top Tips for Healthy Eating at Christmas

Tip 1 – Eat slowly

Eating at Christmas is about socialising with family and friends.  It is not a contest for who can eat the most the quickest!  Watch your portion size and then eat slowly, really enjoying your food.  Stop when you are satisfied.  There are always left-overs at Christmas and nobody will notice if you leave something on your plate.

 Tip 2 - Eat your big meals as early as possible

The best time to eat a big meal is just after noon.  At that time your metabolism is working faster and you have the rest of the day to burn off the calories.

Tip 3 – Have a break before you eat your dessert

If you load Christmas pudding, trifle or other sweet things on top of your turkey and gravy it will take much longer for the sugar to digest and pass through your stomach.  During that time, the bacteria in your stomach will cause everything to ferment causing bloating, heartburn and wind.  Take time out to clear the table, have a walk, play a game or something else to let your dinner go down for at least an hour.

Tip 4 – Watch your alcohol intake

There are two problems with drinking alcohol.  The first is that the alcoholic drink and the mixers are empty calories – they are not giving you any nutrition.  The second problem is that alcohol acts as a dis-inhibitor.  After a couple of drinks you notice less about what you are eating and drinking and therefore you tend to eat more than you normally would. 

To avoid these problems drink plenty of water so that you are not thirsty.  Have a glass of water before you sit down to eat your Christmas meal and have a water ‘chaser’ if you are drinking in the evening.

Tip 5 – Be careful when you eat out

Eating out can be a challenge when you are establishing new, healthier eating habits.  There are some simple ideas that can help you.  Firstly, push away the bread basket and resist the temptation to eat before your meal arrives by sipping water.  Next, trade potatoes for another vegetable you enjoy.  Ask for sauce or gravy separately so that you can have a smaller amount.  Finally, don’t over-order or overload your plate.  If you are satisfied before your plate is empty either leave it or ask for a doggie bag.

Tip 6 – Take opportunities to exercise

The Christmas break can be a great time to get out for a walk with friends or members of your family.  Getting outside during the middle of the day is a great way to burn off some calories and boost your levels of vitamin D.  If the weather is not so kind, you could play a physical game indoors.  There are plenty of computer games that are fun and involve physical activity.  Or you could dig out that old game of Twister from the back of the cupboard.  Or how about just having a dance to some music?  If you’ve got young children they will love it.

Tip 7 – Enjoy yourself

Eating healthily over Christmas is not a punishment – feeling bloated and overweight in the New Year is!  The holiday period can be an opportunity to take time to cook and eat good quality food.  Enjoy it!

Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year!