Mental Health Awareness

Here are few ideas of what you can do to get yourself into positive spirits.

There are so many things that you can do to support mind function especially dietary wise.  Remember, food is fuel to give you energy and drive to do things, therefore what you are eating has an impact on how you will feel.

Example of where food affects your mood and how to support that

Blood sugar balancing

Problem If you aren’t doing a physically energy demanding activity and you eat certain foods you can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. The spike tells your body to release insulin to store the sugar in cells so that you don’t pass out from too much glucose whizzing round your body.    When the sugar is packed into cells you can have a major dip in your blood sugar causing you to feel a bit emotional ie: irrational, moody and sad.

Common causes of blood sugar spikes and dips:

• Chocolate, crisps, sugar, refined carbohydrates
• Caffeinated and fizzy drinks
• Portions bigger than your two fists put together as this is the size of your stomach
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Sweeteners
• Carb loading
• Longer than 4 hours without eating
• Stress

Solutions:

• Eat protein or fat with everything you have ie beans, meat, fish, eggs, pulses, avocado, nuts and seeds
• meal portions no bigger than your two fists together
• de-stress with breathing exercises
• herbal teas
• chromium rich foods (ie: broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, eggs, and meat)
• Eat B vitamin rich foods such as rice, meat, avocado, green leafy vegetables, sea plankton to encourage the production of positive brain chemicals to be produced.

Sunshine 

Problem most people in a westernised world don’t get enough sunshine as people tend to spend most of their time indoors whether it be working, or social and one of the reasons for that is unfortunately we don’t have great whether or year round in the UK 

Solution sunshine for at least 20 mins per day helps you produce the happy vitamin D, due to the lack of sunshine that we can get in the UK it may be a good option to take supplementation to improve mood especially during the winter.

Essential fatty acids essential for the mind

Problem low fat diets and the choice of poor fats in the diet, ie rich in saturated fats from biscuits and pastries means that people are not fuelling their brain.  Think about it this way; the brain is made up from between 60-70% fat.

Solution its all about the fats you do choose to eat so aim for omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids from oily fish and nuts to help your mind function. Include these foods daily, both fats together have been used together to improve symptoms of most mental health problems.

Exercise

A great way to encourage endorphins to keep you feeling happy.  If you go for a run outside, even better as you will be getting your happy hormones from the sun too.  

Cataracts Treatment

This is the clouding of the lens inside the eye which decreases the eyes visibility. It is the one main causes for loss of vision as if untreated it can cause blindness due to the light not being focused on the retina at the back of the eye.  There are a couple of options for this, a simple surgical procedure can be used.  However, over the last decade there have also been natural treatments used to reverse the condition in the space of two months.

I have just had a cataract op. Are there any supplements I can take to boost healing?

This will require healing of connective tissue and antioxidant support that are rich within the eyes structure.

Supplements

MSM and vitamin C to restore any structural damage and Reduced Glutathione and Gingko Biloba to support circulation and water balance within the eye.

Diet

Fruits and vegetables support pigmentation restoration and general lens function.

Zinc and beta carotene encourages better eye adjustment in dark conditions, reducing night blindness and supports better absorption of vitamins and minerals by the body. Beta-carotene the precursor of vitamin A, is an orange pigment that is found in sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and broccoli.

There are two types of antioxidants known as ‘carotenoids; lutein and zeaxanthin that have been shown to support eye health and reduce the risk of developing eye problems:

Lutein can be found in yellow peppers, mango, bilberries, and green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, chard and broccoli.

Zeaxanthin can be found in orange sweet peppers, broccoli, corn, lettuce (not iceberg), spinach, tangerines, oranges and eggs.

Nonsurgical procedure option

Following the supplements suggested above will still be beneficial for eye health but this can be combined with:  

Bright Eyes eyedrop treatment

In 2003 Richard and Judy had an ongoing study looking at NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Carnosine) drops and the benefits to eye health which have been suggested by London Eye Hospital.  To see how successful this study was for treatment you can follow the link to view the results.

Contact us and Consultation Booking

Contact: 
Samantha Prior
Email: Samanthaeprior@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 07411 646 200
The Well Health Centre Institute Road Kings Heath, Birmingham B14

Open times: 
Monday – Tuesday 6pm -9pm
Wed- Thursday 8am-9pm
Friday Closed
Saturday and Sunday 6:30pm - 9pm

Fees
Initial Consultations 1 hr  £70 
Follow up Consultations 45mins £40
Package Deal
1 X1hr Individual consultation
1X 45 min Follow up Consultations
Total = £99

The consultation

Initial Consultation (1.5 hour): The consultation will take place after the questionnaire has been filled out and returned. The hours consultation will be carried out face to face. What the consultation shall cover: We will go through your nutritional and medical profile and come up with a plan together on dietary and lifestyle changes you can make within the following month to support your health goal. The consultation may or may not include tests to be carried out depending on your health and health goals 

Follow up consultation (45mins): The consultation may either be face to face, over skype or a telephone consultation What the consultation shall cover We will follow up on the program we set for the previous month and see if we still need to make adjustments to help us work towards your initial goal, or if you have a new goal you would like to achieve. There may be results of tests to cover and at this point there may be supportive supplements recommended and further adjustments to be made to your diet and lifestyle. We will decide if we need to make any further developments to the suggestions previously made and if you have any new targets to achieve.



Further information
Telephone consultations can also be arranged. 

Massage 

A massage that works on the head neck and shoulders relieves tension found in the most common areas that are affected by tension and stiffness. By working deep into these areas we can aim to alleviate:  

• Headaches
• tension
• reduce stress
• stimulate the lymphatic system to remove toxins
• support the immune system
• aid sleep 
• release muscle tension
• reduce anxiety

Cost
Swedish Head Neck and Shoulder Massage 30 mins £25 


The therapy (30 mins):  We will cover general health and if there are any particular areas that need extra work on, people often carry added tension in different locations.  The massage is seated to get the right amount of pressure. You remain in light clothing and there are no oils used, making this a nice option for sensitive skin. 

Stressful Week?

This is a typical Sunday evening for so many and it is a warning sign that your adrenals (energy glands) aren’t functioning how they should be. Modern life is often the disruptor to our biological clock. At work many of us work under pressure and our body copes by releasing the stress hormone cortisol. When this gets out of balance you can have too little cortisol when you need a lift, and too much when you are trying to wind down and sleep.

Nutrient survival tips for modern life • Stock up on your B Vitamins to support the nervous system and energy. • Vitamins B3, B6, B12 and folic acid support the ability to make energy and help to reduce tiredness and fatigue. They also support the normal function of the nervous system. • Hops exert a calming effect on the nervous system. • Liquorice is a tonic for weakness, exhaustion and tiredness, and contributes to increased mental and physical energy. • Lemon Balm helps maintain positive mood, relaxation and supports sleep. • Camomile contributes to optimal relaxation, healthy sleep and supports relaxation and mental / physical well-being so ditch the caffeine and stock up on the teas.

Reduce stress with ‘mindfulness’ at work When you are feeling stressed in your day job, nobody need know that you are taking time out to relax the mind and reground yourself. ‘Mindful meditation’ is something you can do at your desk. It is a great way to refocus your attention away from negative aspects of workday stresses and concerns and increase clarity and effectiveness.