Looking after the 'Girls'

Breast care is important to us Ladies!  We can only give you a snapshot into this vast subject here, however, as with almost everything we write about, if you changed just one small thing (be that with your diet or lifestyle) you would be stepping a little closer to improved health.  

For this post I interviewed Nancy Dale, a inspirational woman who became an expert in nutrition as a result of her own experience of breast cancer.

There is so much to discuss and I am hoping this gives the thirst to find out more.  I am treating more and more women within my practice and I believe that by helping them to understand how their bodies work is a wonderful gift to offer someone.  I love it.

Please enjoy the interview.  Below it I have added more details on the screening mentioned :)

Thermography breast screening

As spoken about by Nancy, she uses thermography as a way of screening for abnormalities in the breast.  I investigated a little more and for those of us in the UK; there are several facilities that offer thermography in England, but in Scotland only Aberdeen has the service available at present.  

I decided to phone the main production company Meditherm to find out more.

So what did I found out?

• As with your finger prints - we all have a unique thermal pattern.

• Thermography works with physiology (that is HOW the body is works) where as a Mammogram works with structure (what your body is made of).

• Thermography does not replace a mammogram, however it can detect any abnormalities years before a mammogram.  That means cancers can be traced well in advance of any mammogram breast screening program.

• Thermography is a non invasive safe way of screening your breasts.

• As you would get an MOT with your car, you would also get a yearly check up with thermography breast screening.

• When you first get screened you would have two done, 90 days apart.  This is because your first screening is only a starting point until it is identified what YOUR thermal pattern is.  Thereafter it is done yearly.

• The cost may vary.  For you first two screening and results the cost can range from £275-£375, then approximately £120 every year after.  This may seem like a lot of money, however this works out to be £7 a week for the first session and £2.50 a week for follow up appointments.

 

As a holistic practitioner, I cannot emphasise enough that prevention is better than cure.  We can all make those simple improvements in our lifestyles.  Our boobs should not be something to be fearful of developing a disease in; they were designed for nurture.  Being fully aware of what procedures and treatments are on offer to us and being FULLY informed or circumstances, allows US to make the best decision for ourselves.  I hope this has uncovered a little more information as to what is on offer out there and what you can proactively do.

To your health and happiness.

Sam x



The Scottish Fitness and Nutrition Expo - what did we think?

A few weeks ago Sam and I decided to have a girlie day out.  But instead of a relaxing spa day we opted for the Scottish Fitness and Nutrition Expo at the SECC in Glasgow!

We were looking forward to spending some time together pursuing our mutual love of all things health and fitness related - but first we needed a coffee!  This gave us a chance to have a quick catch up and plan our wonder around the various exhibitions, information stands and demonstration areas.

We quickly realised that this was an extremely male dominated event but were pleased to see that there was an attempt to encourage us girls in the form of The SFN Sisterhood.  The 100 Rep challenge also had a female competition too!

The event that pulled the biggest crowd was the CrossFit competition.  For those of you who haven't heard of CrossFit, it is a programme developed to offer a full-body workout that combines elements of cardio, weight lifting, gymnastics, core training and more to prepare the body for the unexpected!  All in all it is pretty full on, hardcore training and has almost developed cult status.

Without a doubt both the male and female competitors were extremely fit, strong and with their minds truly set on winning the competition.  We felt that CrossFit definitely seemed to come across as a "survival of the fittest" and not sure whether this competitive lifestyle was for us.  Is it a sustainable approach to fitness?  Where does health fit in to it?

In fact health didn't really seem to feature in many of the events or exhibition.  Lots of the products were aimed at getting you lean or bulked up but few addressed day to day health and even fewer (in fact none) mentioned women specific issues such as exercise and hormones.

In all honesty we found the expo a bit of a let down as unless you were interested in your bodies image you were ignored!  Most of us aren't elite athletes but hope to improve our health and fitness in an easily manageable and sustainable way.  We decided that being "normal" is very underrated!  Who needs the pressure to constantly be in top form or look like a walking Adonis statue!  But we also don't want to spend the rest of our lives sitting on the couch wishing we looked and felt better about ourselves. 

So keep doing what makes you happy and healthy!  Hopefully next year the event will be more inclusive with a wider variety of health and fitness related exhibitors - and you never know, maybe Ladies, Lunch and Lunges will be taking part too!

Aileen x

Video - The Instant Cure

Recently I did a fab little Skype interview with a wonderful guy who has guided me in my education to better health, Magnus Mulliner.  Today I am delighted to share my video of it with you.  In it Magnus aims to give us a little insight into the empowerment of our own health.

A little something from Magnus:

" No one has ever healed anyone of anything, only your body given the right opportunity can and will heal itself. The question is, how far down the 'rabbit hole' are you prepared to go to make the necessary distinctions in your life to prevent (by giving your cells what they want and remove all inhibiting blocking factors) yourself from becoming a medical statistic and or 'disabled'. Ultimately become the change you wish to see in YOU! "

Wishing you all a joyous, fun loving year.

Love and light

Magnus A. L. Mulliner

Magnus and I chatted after our interview.  We were talking about responsibility and why he felt woman were less likely to be "responsible" for their health.  We discussed that in a lot of cases woman tend to be the "nucleus" of the house; the centre of "domestic operations" which usually require them to take on many different roles.  Inevitably they put themselves at the bottom of the pile and view their health as a luxury that does not need to be addresses as there are more important people in the family that need attention.  This is a topic I have touched on before in previous posts.  If we truly wish to reap the benefits of good health we need to stop being so "selfless" all the time and learn to be a wee bit selfish every now and again.

I am looking forward to hearing your views on this as always.

Sam x

Why you SHOULD exercise when you are pregnant!

A very good friend of mine recently told me that she is expecting her first baby and, seeing as ante and postnatal fitness is my specialty, I thought it was about time that I did a wee blog on this topic!

Pregnancy for some people means a good excuse to put your feet up for nine months and “eat for two”.  As long as you have a low-risk* pregnancy this needn’t be the case.  

If you are a regular exerciser you can pretty much carry on as normal during your first trimester – just remember to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!  If you are feeling the effects of early pregnancy (like nausea and fatigue for example) perhaps you need to take it a bit steadier until you feel better.  Remember, now is not the time to train hard, it’s all about maintaining your fitness.

So what exactly are the benefits to exercising when you are pregnant?

• Helps to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby.
• Can alleviate many symptoms of pregnancy e.g. back ache, varicose veins.
• Improved core strength.
• Enhances self-esteem and positive feelings.
• More oxygen rich blood via the placenta.
• Lower chance of high blood pressure.
• Increased endurance levels for labour.
• May help decrease the time in active labour.
• Less likely to need obstetric intervention.
• Increased confidence to cope with labour anxiety and pain.
• Faster recovery from labour.
• Better posture and less back pain.
• Improved sleep patterns and energy levels.
• Reduced chance of developing gestational diabetes.
• Less likely to suffer from stress incontinence and prolapse
• Quicker return to pre pregnancy weight, stamina, strength and flexibility.
• Enhanced body image and confidence.

But what about these Old wives’ tales?

“Exercise in pregnancy increases your risk of miscarriage”.

If yours is a low-risk* pregnancy, then your chances of miscarriage are not increased by exercising.  In fact, research has shown that the rate of miscarriage is actually lower in runners and aerobic dancers than it is in women who don’t exercise at all (Pregnancy and Fitness, Baker 2013).

“Exercise will cause your waters to break”.

Not true!  Your waters will break in due course, when it is the right time.

“Exercise will take nutrients from your baby”.

As long as you are eating a well-balanced diet and following a sensible, regular exercise routine that is suitable for your stage of pregnancy then there is no reason why any nutrients will be diverted away from your growing baby.  Exercise actually seems to improve the function and growth of the placenta due to the increase in blood vessels produced as an adaptation to exercise

Exercises to avoid

• Avoid exercises that require you to work at a high intensity.  In general I recommend that my clients work at level of 50-60% of their max (you should still be able to talk comfortably). 
• From 12 weeks onwards it is recommended that you avoid lying flat on your back.  This can be dealt with by elevating the “head” end of the surface you wish to lie on.
• It is best to avoid any exercise that requires you to raise your arms above your head, from 20 weeks.
• Avoid exercises with too much impact or twisting actions.
• It is also best to avoid exercises that stresses your pelvis laterally i.e. side lunges and some gym equipment.
• Abdominal flexion exercises i.e. sit-ups/crunches/v-sits etc. should be off the schedule until your tummy muscles have healed sufficiently after birth.
• Finally, any exercise that you don’t feel comfortable doing, either physically or mentally, should be avoided!  It’s your body so listen to what it is telling you!!!

If you have any questions, please to get in touch!

Aileen xxx 

*If you are unsure whether you have a low-risk pregnancy, consult your doctor.

The logo has landed!

It's taken a few months to get here, but at last we are please to unveil our fab new 'Ladies, Lunch and Lunges' logo!!!

What do you think?

Look it even comes in other colours too!!!

And did we mention that we now have a Facebook page too?  Find us at www.facebook.com/ladieslunchandlunges

We would love for you to let us know what you think.

Pop a comment below and the first 5 people will received a branded 'Ladies. Lunch and Lunges' canvas shopping bag!

Do you need permission to relax?

Sam is off on her summer holiday and I am just about to start mine so I will keep this short and sweet.  I am so looking forward to taking my foot off the accelerator and forgetting about the pressures of everyday life for a wee while!  

This idea got me thinking: how often do you give yourself permission to chill out or just truly enjoy some "me time"?

Us modern women are sooooo busy!  Whether it is work or children (or both) that seem to fill up your day, it can be extremely hard to make a bit of breathing space for yourself - and boy I need that sometimes!

My classes have been quite quiet over the past few weeks as everyone it seemed, except me, was taking their summer break!  In fact for one class no one showed up at all!  Initially I was a bit disappointed but them I realised "I have a free hour"!  I could have so easily of used that hour doing a bit more work but I though "NO,  I am not going to look this gift horse in the face"!  Since my mum was already booked to watch my girls for me I decided to head to a coffee shop, grab a drink and a newspaper and just take a moment!

The result - a less frantic, stressed out me!  I actually gave myself permission to not do anything and it was great!  In fact it was so successful that I am actually going to book a coffee date with myself every week!  Just a little reward to myself that says "Yes, you do deserve a little treat".  I highly recommend that you do the same!

Aileen xxx

Inspiration!

"Right! I shall start the diet on Monday!"

Very familiar words I hear said.  In my previous blogs I have talked about learning to love yourself.  But I also recognise that people are unhappy with various aspects of their life.  That is something you do not have to live with.

Life is full of choices.  The "quality" of your life is directly reflected in making the right choices for you and your family.  However, sometimes we do get bogged down in the turmoil of not being good enough or "if only I could lose a few pounds/ a stone, I would be happy" - REALLY???

There are many things in life that we can buy and are thought to improve our happiness - cars, clothes, gadgets, boobs!  But, does it make us contented and happy or do we seek the next best thing?

I caught up with a client this week whom I hadn't seen in a long time.  She commented on how much she enjoyed reading this blog (from another continent!).  So I took the opportunity to ask what else would she like to see on it.  I was delighted with her feedback and it really inspired me.   I sometimes struggle to see the wood for the trees so this was a great light bulb moment.  I got to reconnect with my dream in life of coaching others!

  

So how can you find your "lightbulb moment" and make a change in the right direction?

There is something inside us that makes us feel "right that's it, I'm .............."!

This point is crucial and it's different for each of us.  For some it's hitting rock bottom, for others it's through inspiration from another source.   

Change can only happen when you know what you want; when you find what your dream or one love is.  There is much adage to the saying - "if you don't know where you are going, you will never get there".

So:

What gets you out of bed in the morning (and I don't mean an alarm clock or the fact that you HAVE to appear in at work)?  We all live for something or someone!

1.  Decide what you want or where you want to be (your passion, your love, your drive).

2.  Decide what it takes to get you there (relationships, money, time).

3.  How much responsibility are you willing to take in order to get this?

Once you have decided your overall passion/drive for life - now you can put the littler steps in place - the details.

And guess what? 

YOU get to chose how long it takes and what steps to take. The key to each little step is that it has to be achievable and realistic.  There is no point blowing yourself out the water on the first hurdle and making life so difficult it is miserable for you and those around you!  I read an article about there being no such thing as "falling off the wagon".  How true! we only live life; there is no perfection, so by allowing life to continue, it allows us to enjoy our amazing journey.

Then:

Reward yourself with something at the end of each small goal - a massage or a lunch/dinner out, nails done - something like this makes us feel good and also reinforces the belief that we are worth it!

Remember:

With having a main goal - we have a focus.

By rewarding ourselves - we reinvest in our happiness and worth.

By choosing to make positive change - you make a positive YOU.

  

Be responsible for your own health and happiness (as you are who it ultimately lies with).  

You cannot change others, however you can inspire them.  

Go for it (write it all down).  

Seek your dream and make your journey fun!

Sam xxx