To Mask Or Not To Mask: That Is The Question

With the advent of Corona comes also the question of how to best protect ourselves from the virus. Recently an interesting debate has been happening: the one about whether masks actually help us to stay safe or not.

Well, in order to answer that question, I decided to conduct my own research. Unfortunately with all of the answers that I found, I actually found more questions as it seems that the answer of whether masks actually protect us from Covid-19 has experts on both sides just as strongly supporting their own point of view.
One thing for sure, the countries that have responded to the pandemic with asking residents to wear masks everytime they go out are among the lowest in incidences. Some governments have now made statements suggesting that citizens wear masks when heading out into public. But even this is not conclusive as these same countries with the lowest incidences were also just quicker to respond to this new danger. There are also those who say that masks stop the spread but only because those wearing the masks aren’t spreading the disease. So that if all of the residents of that country are wearing masks then the ones who are sick unknowingly aren’t spreading the virus.

Considering the debate, I decided to interview a friend who’s on the side of pro masks in this debate. Have a watch of our live interview and also of her video of how to make your own masks from scratch (no sewing machine required). Then have a look at how I make my scarf into a temporary mask when heading to the park.

Any questions about how to support yourself mentally and physically for better immunity during this pandemic? Book a free 30 minute call with me here.

My Facebook live with my scarf mask:
https://www.facebook.com/coachjuliakeller/videos/579409319593210/

Here is a video from a wonderful KKHaris: how to make masks from scratch!

Covid-19 Diaries: What did I do to stay positive

Now that the Corona virus lockdown is entering an easement phase throughout Europe and Asia, I think it’s a good time to reflect on what we have learned and what I have personally learned during this time of isolation.

The biggest lesson for me was that it is possible to have a completely different kind of life: one that is significantly more simple and not so full of going out, restaurants/cafes (though I miss them terribly) and constantly being on the go. Personally, I have never cooked so much in my life in such a short space time. And I’m happy to report that I’m not just starting to get much better at it (my own preference being Mediterranean diet style healthy cooking that’s also tasty) but I’m also starting to enjoy it. I’m still not sure that there are enough hours in a day, days a week and weeks a year to have enough time to finish all of the things that I want to do, and see all the people I want to see, but there are certainly enough to focus on the things and people that matter.
So what matters? For me personally, relationships with the important people in our lives are what matter most. Relationships between my daughters, parents, partner, friends and the world. It is given that most of us have jobs and obligations, but we should not need such extreme measures for us to realise that without each other, without helping one another and caring for one another, things would be impossible.

During this time of crisis, we have all witnessed incredible things. We have seen so many people volunteer for the NHS help scheme that there are more people wanting to help than those needing to be helped. So many who are finishing their medical studies even have volunteered to brave danger in order to help save lives. I believe that people are naturally inclined to help rather than turn a cold shoulder, that if we have enough time to actually make relations and connect with people, we will do so.
I have personally found myself getting in touch with people around the world with whom I lost contact some time ago. This was the excuse to get back in touch and it was wonderful to hear about how they’re doing now.
However, in order to find the motivation to reach out to others, we must first feel good within ourselves. If we feel depressed and demotivated, we will never find the power and energy to help, we will simply be unable. It is only when we feel stronger and better internally that kindness and helping becomes our second nature. For example, because I felt good inside, I offered help to some of my elderly neighbours who I didn’t even know well because I can imagine the difficulty that self-isolating would put them in. If, on the other hand, we are stuck in our own misery, it’s difficult to see the situation of others as anything we should participate in bettering.
With this experience that had its’ challenges of fear, loss of some comforts we took for granted and even some personal freedoms, also came so much light and opportunity. For me, personally, spending so much time at home made me realise just how important my home space really is. For the first time since we’ve moved into our new space a couple years ago, my kids and I did a huge spring clean. And I mean huge! We got rid of and gave away so many things that were crowding our space, that we finally uncovered what a beautiful, light and clean space we really had. I transformed a whole floor of my house simply by getting rid of a pile of things that was cramping it up. Now this new space has become my makeshift office while my kids use my actual office for themselves.

With all of this difficulty has come so much opportunity and beauty. It’s as if some higher power had planned it in a way that made us suffer and learn from our suffering; it made us fear only to emerge from our fears; it caused death only to leave those living with more appreciation of life. I am not diminishing the sadness and the awful circumstances, because they are absolutely awful. But I also want us to appreciate the wonder that came with the awfulness. “Where there’s darkness, there will be light”.

The world has found a way to show us, or remind us perhaps, that the disbalance between the professional income we strive for daily should be at least evened out with the balance of living life in nature and spending it with those who matter most. I have myself started running through the park regularly and have had my two kids take turns running with me. We take walks or runs on a daily basis now where we might have gone days without doing so. I have seen more people of all shapes, sizes and ages walking in the parks we’ve gone to than ever before.
In addition, in this time, the environment has improved as has the atmosphere. There is less pollution in most countries that ever reported before. People are taking this time at home without a lengthy commute as an opportunity to get healthier and to physically exercise more. And all of the research coming out supports that being healthier and fitter means being less likely to get seriously ill in a pandemic. So this situation has provided us for the opportunity to improve ourselves and our immunity for the future. Let us hold onto the lessons so that we don’t need another pandemic to remind us.

Stay positive with positive news  
CNN: This man came home from the hospital to die. His son found a way to keep him alive.

Read the article here 

Could dogs be the key to quick Corona Virus testing?

Read the article here 

Staying positive in this strange time of uncertainty

Life throws us curve balls on a regular basis that we may not always know what to do with. Some are good ones that lead to much better things: like promotions and proposals. Some are bad ones that are painful and difficult to be a part of: like deaths of loved ones and illnesses we struggle to get better with.
Some are just challenges that can go either way. Covid-19 (aka: the Coronavirus) is one of them. How it goes depends in a large part on how we handle it. Do we take it as a negative and look at it with dismay, anger, depression, loneliness? Or do we take it as a potential positive that could, if taken as the temporary turmoil that it is, eventually lead to better things?
In this video, I speak with two friends on how they find their own way to reframe this would be negative situation into something potentially positive.

Need help reframing your negative into positive? Book a free 30 minute call with me here.

Positive Article of the week

New Covid-19 research suggests millions may have survived disease in UK without even knowing it

READ HERE

Mental Health Newsletter: A great way to organise your thoughts- Keep a journal!

Hello everyone,

I continue my newsletter with the current focus on mental health and how your mental health affects your physical health. Last week I spoke with Ruth Carter, the Liberty Coach, who works with young people, parents, schools and the community to help them to unleash their potential, to create a vision of their lives and to motivate them.

We have been hearing a lot about the mental health issues that Covid-19 has exasperated and last week’s focus was on how it affects our kids: the little humans who will very soon be the next generation of our functional society. If you are a parent and want to know what are the common problems young people and parents are facing in these strange times, please watch the interview here:  https://youtu.be/-pX4C1DXVcg.

This week, I would like to touch upon a tool used for many generations by psychiatrists and psychologists equally to help those dealing with mental issues or just those wishing to clarify their thoughts or keep track of their budding memories: keeping a diary.

There are an infinite number of rituals we turn to, consciously or unconsciously, in order to help us to bring order in our often scattered and chaotic minds, but when are pushed out of our comfort zone and our rituals are interrupted by a pandemic, we panic. Psychologists around the world are faced with the current increasing numbers of depression and anxiety, especially in those people who are highly extroverted, love interacting with other individuals, are outgoing and highly depend on the world around them. For extroverted people, the stable pillar is the society: the work colleagues, friends, family – everything that comes from the outside. Therefore, it is not surprising that when all of a sudden a much more introverted lifestyle has been forced upon us, it is exactly those people who have to undergo the biggest adjustment. This external instability can lead to a sense of loss of control over life, one’s surroundings and even one’s mind and may cause a great disorder in a once ordered life.

“The brain cannot stand disorder. If there is disorder, all its’ activities will be contradictory, confused, miserable and it will bring about mischief in itself and around itself. This order is not the design of thought, the design of obedience to a principle, to authority, or to some form of imagined goodness. It is disorder in the brain that brings about conflict” – J. Krishnamurti

The bottom line is that we all need order! Either internally or externally. So how do we reestablish that order when the world around seems to be in a place of chaos? The good news is that we can do this for ourselves even without resorting to psychotherapy. The universal tool of writing and gathering our thoughts can work like a magic wand in bringing order back to our minds and often in restoring health.

If you’ve ever imagined yourself as one of those people with black leather cover notebooks sitting in a park writing, now is the time to begin. Or if you’re more a technology buff and prefer to record on a different kind of notebook (the kind you turn on and type on) or a tablet, or even your phone, that’s also possible. Actually, the sky’s the limit when it comes to gathering your thoughts. You can even record video diaries for yourself if that’s your preference.

There is something that happens when one sits down to gather one’s thoughts… The process is eye opening. When forced to think about how we wish to express our mind, it’s incredible what transpires. Even the process of how we jot down and gather our thoughts is changing in some way, helping towards resolution. It can be in a single word, a sentence, an experience we’ve had…. Keeping a diary is like conducting research into one’s being, one’s soul, its an archive of life.

The experience is expansive because not only do you find out more about yourself, the way you think and what thought patterns you face, but you expand your view of the world at large. You will begin to notice how the same problems and feelings reoccur. Opening your eyes to a particular problem, or to particular thoughts, you will realise that one and the same individual, or a thought or idea enters your mind frequently: meaning it needs more attention and to be seriously listened to.

Once that process of ordering one’s thoughts is activated, it transits from mind to your external world. You begin to pay attention and notice things more. Additionally, it has great effect on the sense of meaning of the day. This produces a similar feeling in one’s mind as to when one exercises and the positive feeling that brings to one’s body. So that sometimes it feels like no matter how the day goes by, it still was a good day because we exercised. The same fulfillment flushes through your mind after 15 minutes of writing. And above all, after a year, a few years or a decade, when you discover your diary stuck somewhere behind a box or a shelf, a warm excited feeling of self discovery and anticipation entails.

“One advantage in keeping a diary is that you become aware, with reassuring clarity of the changes which you constantly suffer . . .. In the diary you find proof that in situations which today would seem unbearable, you lived, looked around and wrote observations, that this right hand moved then as it does today, when we may be wiser because we are able to look back upon our former condition, and for that reason have got to admit the courage of our earlier striving in which we persisted even in sheer ignorance.” – Franz Kafka

If you are unsure of how to start a diary, and feel slightly awkward at that moment when gazing down at a fresh sheet of empty paper, try beginning with anything current that comes to mind: the night you had, what you ate the previous day, a discussion with friends or family or a persistent thought or issue: really whatever grabs you in the moment. The beautiful thing about writing a diary is that there are no rules and no limitations. Write your day’s plan and then check it the next morning to see how well you executed it. Try to remember something that touched you, something you felt immensely. Be it beauty, anger, jealousy, even hunger, lust, love… You only need to start and the rest will come.

Want more help on this path or to ensure that your mental health isn’t compromising your physical health, book a free 30 minute call with me here

Could this be the new thing in the anti-aging market?

Hey you!
I have to say that one of the things I love best about my job is that it puts me in the forefront of what’s out there in the wellness and longevity markets and news.
So clearly there’s something to be said about our obsession with staying young considering how the longevity-boosting market is only growing and growing year on year. There are constantly new beauty products in the market to help us to look younger longer. There are new machines, facials, fillers and surgeries to help us more radically to lose 5 to 10 years off the age that we look and there are plenty of books out there to help us stay younger longer by learning to halt ageing altogether. There are even diets that claim to help our brain and our body to remain as young as they can.
To be frank, as someone who’s main professional goal is to help learn the secrets of wellness, healthy living and longevity, I can tell you that there is SOOOO much out there! In fact, there is so much that we can do to help ourselves stay youthful both from the inside out and the outside in that really we should all be able to manage it. The main issue, however, is that there is so much out there to get through that, unless your main point in life is (like mine) to become a Wellness and Longevity Expert, you probably won’t be taking the time to pore through what works and what doesn’t.
Rather, you’ll likely be like many people out there who either when faced with everything that’s out there decide to do absolutely nothing as (and I quote) “it’s all too much and I can’t be bothered”. Or, you’ll be like others out there who, desperate to stay off the clicking clock of time, spend whatever money they could buying loads or products that may or may not work while missing out on the actual life changes that will really make the biggest life differences.
Well, lucky for you, that’s where I come in. In this coming year, my goal will be to bring to you what I find of what’s out there that sounds rather appealing. Now, just to let you know that having now worked with quite a few clients, both in my private practice and in student clinic, what works for one may be different than what works for another. That’s why you may try some kind of diet or beauty product that your friend raves about but experience completely different (or possibly no) results.
The only way to really know what works for you is to go through your issues and goals (what you want to fix or work on), your symptoms so far, your current situation (what’s happening with your mind & body & how you feel) and your diet and lifestyle, among others. There is no simple one size fits all solution. That’s why going through it with a specialist will give you the tailored way that’s best for you, that you then try out and tailor further until you find something that really works.
So below, here’s something new in the world of beauty products. But if you want something that really works for you, set up a session to go through your personal situation. Start with a free 30 minute call by booking here: https://WellnessSession.as.me/

READ THE ARTICLE HERE 

The New Year’s Detox Plan

Happy New Year to you all! Now that the Thanksgiving and Christmas face stuffing has finished, and the New Year’s Eve drinking is just a memory from the year that passed, it’s time to begin the detox for the new year.
 
For some reason, January is the month that everyone associates with detoxification and cleansing. We even see signs in the tube advocating a “dry January”. Well, why not utilize that momentum in order to embark on a highly effective detox plan.
 
There are many benefits to regular detox, including giving your liver a rest so that it can clear all those toxins out of your body. After all, less toxins means a healthier you, which also means less inflammation in your body overall which in turn also means a healthier lifespan and greater longevity.
 
So to help you along the way, I’ve tried out a few different detoxes on myself throughout the year up to now and have culminated on one that took various positive elements from them and that I find most doable for someone with a busy life. Watch the video below for the detox plan I like best:

I know you’ll have questions along the way, so I offer everyone on my mailing list a free 30 minute phone call to have your questions answered. You can book the call on this link:

Not on my mailing list yet but would like the free call to discuss your detox options? Just use the link above and click ‘yes’ to be added onto our email list when you register for the free call.

 

How to distinguish between the fact and fiction of the masses of health info out there

Hey there!
So, I get it! With all that’s out there about what’s good and not good for your health, you’re probably pretty lost and confused, as are most of the clients, as to what’s actually accurate and what isn’t. So how do you know what to pay attention to and what to ignore? Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any easy solution.
For example, recently my kids and I watched a documentary on Netflix called “What the Health”. The film was done extremely well. I’m now in my third year of Nutrition training and I must admit that even I sometimes struggle over the question of whether meat and fish are healthy or not. The film — which is basically a very compelling advertisement for the currently growing in popularity vegan movement — did an excellent job of showing just how unhealthy eating meat and pretty much any meat products really is. The film blames meat and meat and dairy-based diets for pretty much the majority of preventable chronic diseases out there, some of which were considered mostly due to genetics: such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Dementia, Obesity… Basically, the documentary’s basic premise is don’t eat meat or meat-based products and you’ll be much healthier. It even showcases many examples of those who are ill and dependant on medication who are miraculously better when they give up meat and dairy. Fish, by the way, is pushed aside by us being reminded of just how polluted the oceans where the fish is coming from are.
While the film does make many valid points, it also suffers from some sever inaccuracies. For instance, dairy products are all lumped into one big box without any distinction made for probiotic yogurts or kefirs, which actually are good for your health. Yogurt is represented by strawberry Yoplait, which is oneo f the poorer examples of its’ kind and, I believe, lacks any cultures (not to mention is full of flavourings and enhancers). Natural probiotic yogurts and kefirs (in particular of the goat variety) are, for most people, an excellent addition to a healthy diet as they provide probiotics which our gut needs for optimal function, as well as protein and some vitamins and minerals.

Another huge fallacy in the film is the line which rightfully has offended many watchers: “eating an egg is equivalent to smoking 5 cigarettes”.

I actually had one of my daughter’s friends say this exact line to me, which is what prompted the watching of the film to begin with. While I understand the necessity of being extreme at times when desiring to advertise one’s point, this couldn’t be more incorrect and, frankly, offensive! To compare eating eggs with smoking is more than just distasteful; it’s just wrong! Eggs are good for you. They are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats and a wonderful way to start a morning to feel full and to help with brain function. The yolk, in particular, is excellent for feeding your brain. Here’s more information for the egg lovers (or haters) out there about the health benefits of eggs: https://www.healthextremist.com/are-eggs-good-for-you-30-reasons-to-eat-eggs/.
But the most fallacious claim in the documentary yet was that Diabetes is caused by eating meat and not by eating too much sugar or processed carbohydrates. Now that claim just goes against everything out there so far as far as what actually causes Diabetes. The film actually went as far as to claim that Diabetes type 1 is caused by dairy being introduced too early into a baby’s diet. Now, I haven’t researched that to death, and I don’t disagree that milk is unhealthy (think food for a baby cow and not a baby human), so I’m willing to agree that it could potentially be one reason why we have a growing incidence of Diabetes year on year. However, I can say from what I learned in my Nutrition degree that certainly diet is key to what brings about Diabetes type 2 (mainly poor diet full of processed food, too much sugar and low in fibre and plant foods). So I definitely agree that adding more plant-based foods into the diet is key. Eating too much meat, in particular highly processed meat, is certainly not beneficial. However, I would never suggest a client with Diabetes type 2 cut meat but not cut sugars and processed foods (which is kind of what the film seemed to be suggesting).
In conclusion, while I certainly agree that we are all better off with a mostly plant-based, whole food diet, and that cutting meat down significantly is likely healthier, I wouldn’t eliminate it completely (one every other week or once monthly perhaps) and I wouldn’t eliminate fish either despite the fact that yes our oceans definitely have issues (but truthfully so do most our soils these days as well). I certainly wouldn’t eliminate eggs or probiotic yogurts or kefirs for most people either. Again, this is very much dependant on one’s health already. And let’s not forget some of the pitfalls of veganism that this film literally glossed over: that of potential deficiencies in areas such as vitamins B12 and B9, iron, zinc and even protein if the diet is not a good one.
If you’d like to find out more about which way of eating is best for your personal health, book a free 30 minute call with me here:

Is negative thinking damaging your health?

Do you ever find yourself wondering why some people who appear to have a terrible lifestyle still manage to live a relatively long and healthy life, while others who seem to do everything right still end up becoming gravely ill. Some years back I witnessed a friend from my community pass away from Cancer at a young age and found myself questioning why.
The truth is that there are many things that play a part in illness: including genetics, general immunity, lifestyle, etc. It could be that those who manage to live relatively long lives despite poor lifestyle would have lived even longer and healthier had they taken better care of themselves, while those who seem destined for ill health despite what seems like a healthy lifestyle, may not be as healthy in some key areas that may be hurting them.
For instance, one of my uncle’s friends, who was “never sick” and was in “good health” despite drinking and smoking and having “too much fun”, until he died at 77 from a heart attack may have survived healthy and fit until 107 had he taken better care of himself. While the friend of mine who passed away from cancer despite what many would have called a “healthy lifestyle”, suffered from chronic lack of sleep and persistent anxiety and depression. Research has shown that adequate deep sleep is necessary for healing and chronic low moods have been linked with many disease states.
In fact, according to a recent study, negative thoughts could be causing you to age quicker, get sick more often and even become seriously ill and die younger. In contrast, positive thinking and positive living could save your life, help you to stay younger longer and even improve your immunity and your recovery from serious illness or injury. Find the article about this below.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

In fact, my uncle’s friend who lived a healthy life until his heart attack had a great family life with a happy marriage, children and grandchildren and enjoyed his vast community of friends and his fun lifestyle. He always said he smoked because he loved it and that he was “fit as a fiddle” to all of us who tried to convince him to give it up for his health. In contrast, my friend who sadly passed away from Cancer, didn’t smoke or drink much and had a relatively good diet but complained often of loneliness and of missing true love in his life. He was quiet, shy and mostly alone and also suffered from depression. His one outlet was the community where we met where he had some friends and acquaintances who really appreciated him and who were very saddened by his sudden illness.
The thing is, our bodies are not machines that function independently without any connection to anything else. We are interconnected human beings where everything that surrounds and affects us physically and emotionally makes a difference. 
Hence, having a happy and fulfilled personal life might be just what we need to clean up the mess we make with not taking as great care of our health as we should. In contrast, taking impeccable care of our health may not be enough to save us from illness if we live with persistent loneliness, unhappiness or even fear of poor health. Negative thoughts like bitterness, anger or holding onto pain caused by a past wrong done onto us years ago could find its’ way into our overall health and slowly counteract all of the good we are doing in other ways. That’s why when we take on clients in the program where I study Naturopathy and Nutrition, we are taught to look at the entire picture of their life up to now and not just their current diet. 
Of course, my first area of wellness that I started with was psychological health anyway, so I’ve been helping clients to tackle loneliness and negative thinking for quite some time.  But it’s only since my study in health that I’ve come to realize just how powerful our emotional state is for our overall health. Have a look at the article below for more information on the affects of negative thinking.
Ready to tackle some of the loneliness and negative thinking in your life? Then book a free 30 minute call with me here:

Why is eating so confusing these days?

Having almost finished the second year of my 3 year Nutrition study, I’m starting to really understand why my clients are so confused about what to eat and what not to eat. Unfortunately, neither the media nor our communities nor even many well-meaning health profScreen Shot 2019-07-19 at 3.55.31 PMessionals make it any easier to grasp what exactly IS and IS NOT healthy.
Not long ago, the National Health Service in the UK dropped the traditional food pyramid in favour of the seemingly more easy to grasp Eatwell plate.

While the idea of making what we should actually eat much more clear was definitely a good one, and the intention was in the right place, unfortunately the EatWell plate leaves much too much open for misinterpretation. For example, fruits and vegetables are lumped in together and we are told to eat just 5 (or more) of the whole bunch of them. We are then told to eat a large bunch of starchy food and to drink anything up to 1.5 liters a day (tea and coffee count) and to have some dairy (or alternatives), some beans and pulses and some fish. And yes eating less red and processed meat is actually suggested (which is good), but an allowance is made for sweets and processed snacks (though it is suggested that we eat less of these.

So, if I happened to be a particularly unhealthy person who wanted to get away with a somewhat unhealthy diet (as many people who don’t know better do), I could use the guidance of the EatWell plate to help me fall into the comfortable zone of believing that I’m actually doing the right thing for my health. It wouldn’t even be too difficult. I could simply eat some cereal with milk for breakfast (dairy & starch categories); drink 2 cups of coffee with milk in the morning with a candy bar and a banana as a snack (dairy, fruit & veg & liquid categories with that limited candy bar included); a chicken salad sandwich with an apple for lunch (bread, protein and fruit and veg categories); another coffee and builders tea with milk with an orange and some roasted nuts as a snack (fruit & veg, liquid and protein categories); and some fish and chips with pickles and strawberries for desert for dinner along with a few cups of sparkling water (fruit & veg, protein, liquid and carbs categories). Technically, I’ve fulfilled the EatWell plate requirements. However, have I actually eaten well at all?

Well, technically, I’ve had absolutely no green leafy or cruciferous vegetables, I’ve mostly eaten unhealthy carbs (there are much healthier versions which I didn’t eat) and even my fish was buttered and deep fried, as were the chips. Almost all of my “5 a day” (which should actually be closer to 10 a day) were fulfilled through fruit, rather than vegetables. I would have also drank pretty much no healthy, cleansing filtered still water and would have instead dehydrated and overly stimulated myself with too many cups of caffeine and did a number on my hormone balance with a too high intake of milk.

Too be sure, there are some healthier alternatives to milk, such as almond, coconut, oat… milk but these aren’t even shown on the EatWell plate (though are referred to) and the fact that coffee (which actually dehydrates is supposedly counted towards the 1.5 liter liquid threshold is certainly not going to help with health!

So what’s a healthier alternative? Well, I like to take my clues from the populations that have basically outlived the traditional Western diet. The Mediterranean diet, for instance offers a more healthy and still manageable version to truly eat well. Though not a vegetarian myself, I must admit that those on a vegetarian diet definitely significantly outlast those on a typical Western diet. Meat, as it happens, is highly acid forming to the body. Vegetables and actual healthy grains, beans and lentils (and I mean grains like buckwheat and quinoa and not pasta and sugary cereal or store bought processed sliced bread) are good for the body and improve health rather than taking away from it. The macrobiotic diet too has won accolades for its’ longer life potential. But the diet that wins the number of most octogenarians is the Okinawa diet, which puts its’ emphasis on vegetables and whole grains (the good ones as mentioned above), followed by calcium and flavonoid rich foods and fruit and then by omega 3 foods with very little of meat and poultry also allowed (probably less than weekly even) and a minimum of sweets (sugar being definitely not great for us and unfortunately much too addictive).
The idea behind the diet isn’t simply that it helps us to live longer. Rather it makes sure that we live healthier for a longer period of time, meaning that we stay “younger” for longer. Now that sounds pretty good to me. What about you?

If you’d like help to get your diet and lifestyle under control to ensure healthier ageing, book a free 30 minute call with me here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=12785109&appointmentType=1926282

Healthy Ageing starts here!

Hello you,
How are your stress levels these days? I hope that you reflected on the things I had to say about stress management, and by now are convinced just how body and mind are connected, and why we need to pay attention to our nutrition, physical health and of course mental health. In my stress management videos, I identified three tips to help you to cope with stress: 
1. Focus on your self care and be aware of how you feel. How does your body feel? Take time to care for yourself: including taking care of your looks as well.
2. Feed your body – eat alkaline rich, nutritious foods.
3. Take care of your mind – meditate in order to calm down, stop reacting and become proactive in your own life.
Now as a part of that trinity, I would like to share with you an article on the benefits of exercise for for overcoming osteoarthritis and also other ailments and to keep your body ageing well long term. Our health in relation to stress is like a vicious circle. We get stressed so we become more susceptible to illnesses and disease. When we get the illness, we stress about that causing more stress and so on… Therefore I want to share actually two articles, one on the physical benefits of exercise and the other about the mental benefits of exercise, because both are intensely affected by stress.

Need more helping conquering stress in your life? Perhaps hypnosis will make that difference. Book your free 30 minute call with me here to find out more

Schedule your free 30 minute Wellness Taster Session with me by clicking here: 

Why to add some raw food to your diet

Hey there!
Recently I chose to do a Raw Food Diet for a week for my Nutrition course. While I struggled most of the way with this not so easy diet, I have to admit that there were some pretty cool benefits. Among the benefits noticed was that it was almost impossible not to lose weight: eating vegetables and fruits and nuts and seeds after all is pretty much guaranteed to help you trim down (well unless you eat bucketfuls). Another great benefit was how great my digestion felt: after all, all that fiber is great for your tummy. But the best benefit of all was how great my skin looked.
Friends and people who knew me asked about my new beauty regimen. Strangers who I met thought I was in my twenties. Let’s just say my eldest just became a teenager, so I am definitely NOT in my twenties. The youngest I was told I was in the last couple of years before starting my Nutrition course was early thirties, so being told I was a whole decade younger was definitely a great benefit! So even though eating only raw food doesn’t work for me long-term (I really like cooked food), I will definitely add more raw food into my diet, and especially much more plant-based food. So what is it about raw food that so many people swear by? Well according to raw foodists, eating food raw preserves the natural health benefits of the wonderful vitamins, minerals and enzymes of the food which cooking often kills or interferes with. That’s why I recommend clients to add fresh fruit and vegetables into their diet, even if mixed with cooked food as well. In fact some claim that lightly steaming food still leaves most of the benefits as well, so mixing it up might be best of all and definitely more interesting for your diet than to simply eat raw. However the idea definitely is to include much fresh fruit and vegetables into your diet.
Here’s a great raw vegan cheesecake recipe for you to enjoy, even if you’re not that into raw food just yet.

https://lovingitvegan.com/raw-strawberry-cheesecake/

Targeted Nutrition, Weight Management and Skin care (3)

Need help trimming down or getting yourself into a healthier regime? You can book a free 30 minute call with me here.
Schedule your free 30 minute Wellness Taster Session with me by clicking here: 

Stress: Fear Of The Unknown

Last week I introduced the topic of stress, and defined it partially as us being out of flow with life. This includes the experience of frustration, when everything seems to be going against us. In one way, it feels more like the external world is out of flow with us… But in reality, it is us who are out of flow with life, not because it just so happens to be one of those days, but because, somewhere internally, our wants and needs are out of flow from our actual life situation. In reality, stress could be a useful bodily reaction that protects us, an instinct which is inprinted in us from millions of years ago when stress would be our response to a truly dangerous situation, such as seeing a tiger ready to pounce. Only now, our stress is caused not by the tiger, but by little things that do not threaten our life but only impact on a seemingly important moment of it. But our body reacts to it as though it is a life or death situation.

To understand more of what I mean, have a look at Part 2 of the Stress mini series. And if you need help conquering that stress, you can book a free 30 minute session with me here:  https://WellnessSession.as.me/

Stress: why you have it & how to cope better

Hi there!
 I am starting summer with a very special and necessary two episode series all about stress.
Remember those days when everything seems to be out of flow? You are commuting to work (for example) and all of the lights turn to red as if the universe is trying to make you late; or the tube is running with extra delays or you just miss your train and find the next one cancelled… You rush into a coffee shop to get the first coffee of the day, but the machine breaks down just as you are about to buy it, or there’s an extra slow new server on. You run to work and your boss, who usually comes a tad late, just today decided to come in exactly on time and sees you arriving late?
Yes this is a typical day when you are out of flow and you are in stress. What do you do? How can you help yourself to change that and can you? Watch my Part 1, of the two episode series on Stress (and look out for Part 2 next week): what it is, how to cope with it and how stress is even linked with sugar cravings!

Feel as if you are relate to this and need some help to help you handle stress so that it does not handle you? Book a free 30 min session with me to discuss your options.

Back to certainty !

Hey there,
Before I was a Mind-Body Wellness Specialist, I was a Transformational Love Coach. That was some years back when the Brexit vote had just happened and when we were then, much like now, in a state of uncertainty and flux over what would happen in our future.
The fact is that the only thing that really changed between then and now is that we’re some years older. Unfortunately, that certainty that we hoped the politicians would provide us is even less certain than it was when I first made this video. The learning, however, is the same: no one can provide us with certainty as life generally is uncertain. So the only way forward is through our own achievement. We must become our own anchor in a life where we can so easily float away on so many different levels, paths and agendas.
Being “well” in life relies on feeling grounded in ourselves even if not in the universe around us. Hence this video on how to deliver our own certainty is just as timely now to our overall well-being as it was then.

Wellness Series

Get ready for wellness!

For those of you who have been keeping up with my newsletters, you probably have noticed the move towards a focus on Wellness. Our 10 minutes Facebook live series is now called “10 Minutes to Wellness  (find ithere)  and we are currently launching a Wellness series of newsletters geared towards helping you and your loved ones to live healthier in the three key areas. These areas are Physical (feeling good in your body which should feel good and keep you healthy); Mental (ie: good mental health, managing stress, sleeping well, etc); and Emotional (feeling satisfied in your life and where you’re heading & having a good support network of friends, loved ones, community and even that someone special).

In the upcoming newsletters, I’ll be sharing with you what you need to stay “well” in life for longer life. This means what you need to look and feel great no matter what your age. I think in modern day living we surrender to the idea that getting older means allowing our bodies to crumble and to abandon us, our memories and minds to deteriorate and our chances for happy relationships to dwindle. Well in the course of my work, I’ve met so many people who proved this wrong that I know it isn’t true. I’ve met women and men who live healthy and medicine free well into their 80s, 90s and even beyond. My own great grandmother in fact lived almost until 102 and she wasn’t on any medication before she passed away just weeks before her birthday. My father, who’s over 60 is healthy, happy and works and lives as fully as a 30 year old. He and my mother have a happy successful marriage and a great network of family and friends. My father also is pursuing his life work which he loves and is passionate about and still studies and learns new techniques for his practice regularly. I recently met a woman who basically partied away her twenties, thirties and forties. It was only in her late fifties that she realized that she actually wanted to settle down and get married. Guess what, she married for the first time ever on her 65th birthday!

I constantly meet people who are healthy and look great well into their older years. Unfortunately, I also meet the opposite: people who are unhealthy even in their teens, twenties, thirties and forties. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity are claiming not just the elderly anymore. People are dying younger and feeling ill younger. Those in their teens are feeling already the effects of stress and not knowing how to manage it, as well as depression, anxiety and even insomnia. Therese aren’t just ailments of adults even anymore! So how do we manage life better and help our children to do so? Well with my current studies in Nutrition and Naturopathy, this has become my interest and my obsession. I will attempt, through my own learning, to reveal what I learn to you here. Stay tuned.

Want to be fit but hate the gym, watch this video!

Hey there!
As someone who’s totally into keeping fit and eating right these days (but for whom maybe this wasn’t always the case), I totally get that everyone has their own level of how much they are willing to do to keep themselves healthy and attractive and feeling great before it begins to feel like too much of a chore. Hey I get it! And I’m sure every one of us slips into bad habits at times (after all Christmas eating is just a few weeks behind us).
Well, now that it’s New Years and we’re filled with New Year’s resolutions we should hold onto at least some of those “get fit this year” plans. I do understand that getting fit, especially when the weather is cold and damp and the sky is grey or dark can feel too much like hard work if what’s required is going out after a long day to get to the gym. Believe me, I get you! That’s why I have some alternative suggestions of how to get fit without the need of using the gym at all (it’s much easier than you think).
Here’s a Facebook Live I did some time ago that was very popular on our page. If you like it, please do subscribe and like our page.
And if you want some help with getting up your willpower to succeed in getting into shape and eating right for 2019, you can book a free call with me on this link

If you’re struggling with Insomnia, here are some tips to get to sleep naturally

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been on a pretty cool radio show from Resonance FM called “The Naked Short Club” several times already answering calls from distressed Bankers. Well, I’m sharing one from some time back with a question from a caller who suffers from Insomnia. As a Hypnotherapist, I often have clients coming to me asking me for help to get them to sleep again naturally. So I thought I’d share the answer to one of the questions that came up about how to tackle Insomnia naturally. Here are three quick tips to get you started.

Listen to “The Naked Short Club”

How to tackle insomnia naturally:

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1. Check your daily caffeine intake.

If insomnia is a regular issue, cut down on any caffeine (that includes coffee, black tea, chocolate and even green tea if you’re still struggling), especially after 3pm. Also, consider lowering how many cups you have a day. While a cup a day is probably not an issue (depending on your constitution of course) — and even 1-3 cups may be normal and find for many people — anything over six cups a day is definitely a sign that something needs to change. Remember that coffee increases your heart rate and basically mimics the stress response. You may be masking burned out adrenals with way too much caffeine and the end result may be trouble getting yourself down to sleep at night. This then creates a vicious circle as you then again need coffee the next day to keep you going and again find yourself having trouble sleeping, and so on. Need help cutting down and getting healthy again? Book a free call with me on the link below.
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2. Calm your mind for bedtime.

If you’ve cut down your caffeine intake, but still can’t sleep, the issue may be in your mind and you may need to learn to relax first. A calming meditation practice is a wonderful way to dose off. There are plenty of apps out there to help you zonk out at night, and even playlists on YouTube and Spotify. But if you’re still struggling or don’t know how to get started, think about seeking out a Hypnotherapist to help you get to sleep. To book a free 30 minute call with me about how I can help, click on the link below.
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3. Keep to a working bedtime routine.

A healthy bedtime routine isn’t just for kids anymore. If you want to get to sleep easier each evening, stick to a relaxing routine at bedtime. Eliminate anything that keeps you awake, such as late-night eating and even evening exercise or showers (opt for a calming bath instead). Also eliminate late night technology which has been shown to disturb sleep. And for a really nice bedtime routine, try adding lavender essential oil or crushed flowers to your evening bath. It’s no surprise that lavender is added to so many children’s products, as it’s known for its’ calming properties. It works for adults too, so if you’re struggling, try it (yes you guys too!).

Schedule a free  Call with Me Here 

Want to be fit but hate the gym? Watch this video.

As someone who’s three main areas of focus working with clients are Wellness, Confidence & Connection, you can bet that I have quite a lot to say about getting healthy and fit. In fact, the other day, I was at a bar and met some random people who asked me about what I do. When I told them, they very excitedly (and mistakenly) asked about how they too can get more healthy. Well, as I’m studying Nutrition these days and pretty obsessed with being fit, it may not have been the best timing to ask me such a question, as I definitely have quite a lot to say on the topic.
But the reason I’m writing this is to address one of the questions that one of these people asked me: “I want to be fit, but I really hate going to the gym. How do I do what’s good for my body while also not having to do what I hate?” Well, if you’re reading this right now, firstly let me apologize for all of the extra information about what you shouldn’t be eating and doing (smoking, partying too hard every night, eating food that’s highly processed and full of sugar, drinking coke) that you had to sit through that evening. To make up for it, here’s part of the answer to your question about how you can get more fit without having to hit the gym. (You’re welcome!) ;->
If you need more help, by the way, staying fit and eating better, you can schedule a free call with me on the link below to find out how I can help you too to look and feel great.

How much fruit and vegetables should you actually eat for health? Find out here!

As someone who helps clients with towards peak Mind-Body, Personal & Professional Interactions and who is studying both Nutrition and Naturopathy, I often get asked by clients who want to be more healthy (or who are trying to slim down), what the ideal number of fruits and vegetables that they should eat is.
Well, up to now, the accepted idea was that “five a day” was the healthy ideal. In fact, we often see written on products being sold all over the place the message “one of your five a day”, so it’s no surprise that we assume that the “five a day” (meaning five portions a day of fruits and vegetables — mainly veggies by the way) is accurate and complete. So you can imagine my surprise to find a study published on the NHS website no less claiming that actually what we need to be eating is closer to “ten a day” to ensure our healthy survival and to significantly cut our chances of serious illnesses leading to premature aging or death. The main surprise, however, was that this study was more than a year old, but yet not much had changed in our beliefs around how many fruits and vegetables we should be eating daily. You can find the NHS article below.

https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/five-a-day-of-fruit-and-veg-is-good-but-10-is-better/

For those who want to understand a bit more around what a “portion” actually is, the study states that we are safe with 800g of fruit and vegetables (concentrate on the vegetables) eaten daily. Portion size explanations for different fruit and vegetable sources can be found here:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-portion-sizes/

What do Brexit, budgeting and a “Stressed Out” hotline for Bankers have in common?

Hey there,
I bet you’re wondering about the headline for today’s newsletter! Well, recently I was invited to participate in a very interesting and innovative radio show for Fund Managers, Investors, Bankers and anyone else interested in the world of finance. It’s called The Naked Short Club and you can find the link to this last show here. I speak about Stress Management and the importance of sleep as the official responder for those dialing into the Distressed Hotline. The show was fantastic, really fun (just have a listen and hear Dr Stu’s great humour), while also highly informative (and how he asks just the right kind of questions to get the most poignant info from the show guests) and I’ll be coming onto future shows as well, probably once monthly to answer the stress and health-related questions of callers.
Have a question you’d like to ask ME about how to better manage your stress or how to improve your health overall, including better interactions with others (personal or professional) or with yourself? You can schedule a free 30 minute call with me here: https://juliakellerdiscoverycall.as.me/schedule.php