Arthritis – you really don’t need to suffer so much
There are many theories as to what causes arthritis such as an inherited predisposition, getting older (even though children can have arthritis), obesity or a previous trauma or injury. The various kinds of arthritis have some degree of auto-immune involvement and the mechanism for maintaining healthy joints is compromised. Like most conditions there is an element of both psychological and emotional involvement. It has been known for years to alternative practitioners that in cases of arthritis there is some degree of liver involvement. So treatments will probably involve prescribing herbs that are good for the liver (if the case study reveals there is a need).
Read MoreAnti-aging Disease Prevention and Weight Management
Includes the Anti-aging, Disease Prevention and Weight Management
Objective:-
This program is a voyage of personal discovery that will give you all the knowledge you need for a longer life,( you receive a copy of our Anti-aging and Weight management Twelve Essentials Manual). Many aspect of individual health are covered, we not only look at your lifestyle but also the role of internal inflammation in accelerated aging, the role of enzymes to slow aging and how to use this knowledge to stay younger, protected and healthier longer, these are just some of the topics covered.
You will also receive an individual nutritional and lifestyle plan that is built around your own personal health and physical requirements. The building blocks of your life and indeed your decline comes from the food you eat, an inappropriate diet has two consequences. Firstly too much of the body’s resources goes into digesting foods your body has no use for or even worse foods that are detrimental to your health. This process of understanding is an individual one and each person has different nutritional requirements and some foods that are good for one person can cause internal inflammation in another person. Some people estimate the energy requires to digest an inappropriate diet is as high as 80%, this leaves little energy left to deal with toxic waste matter, the efficient replacing of millions of cells that replicate themselves each day and most importantly keep you fit and young looking. Secondly by replacing foods that age you with those that slow down aging we get an overall positive effect. This part of the program is undertaken by Howard Jones AAc and Sonia Jones ND who is highly experienced in this field and has written several books on the subject including the Anti-aging and Weight Management Twelve Essentials Manual).
As part of your stay we have an in-dept assessment of your current health status and to identify any indicators to future problems. Then your individual nutritional and lifestyle plan is put together with three aspects in mind a) to allow your body to rebuild itself without stressing the system b) as prevention is the key, to give you protection against any serious chronic diseases your body might have a weakness towards and lastly c) help you with any current health issues. During your stay you will also have 2 one to one questions and answer sessions on how to use the different elements contained in the Essentials manual and the opportunity to have treatments as included in the package.
Program includes:-
The Anti-aging and Weight Management Twelve Essential manual (the client receives this prior to arrival so they are familiar with the essentials and can come armed with questions)
Use of all the facilities
7 nights accommodation includes a light healthy breakfast.
An in-depth assessment of your health and nutritional status with a written report
2 question and answer sessions on the anti-aging manual
6 one hour treatments ie massage or facials, acupuncture or remedial therapies.
We recommend the option to do a Detox during the first 4 days to include juices and castor oil packs, cost $75.00.
Additional Options:- more treatments, low level laser face lift treatments and anti-aging facials
Structural assessment (check up for pain relief and joint restrictions) includes advice and treatment options to improve any pain or restrictions and improve flexibility and stability.
Prices:-
Low season $1728 single occupancy and double occupancy is $1334 per person.
High season $1840 single occupancy and double occupancy is $1403 per person.
(programs can be mixed please enquire about the costs)
Read MoreYour food shopping list – to ease Arthritis Pain and Inflammation
Sonia Jones ND from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic
A shopping list to simplify things for you -
PROTEIN SECTION
Avoid pork – very acid forming
Free-range or organic if possible
Beef is second to pork, in the acid forming stakes then
Lamb
Chicken
Duck
Venison
Turkey
_________eat less of the protein foods above this line_____________
Fish
Tofu – organic
Eggs
Goat’s cheese
Natural plain yogurt
Beans or lentils mixed with whole grains (for complete protein) – least acid forming
Nuts and seeds
Raw nuts and seeds – good source of ‘essential fatty acids’ and protein
Almonds
Walnuts
Sesame seeds
Flaxseeds (Linseeds)
Hemp seeds
Cashews
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Other raw un-salted nuts
FRESH FRUIT and VEGETABLES
Lots of them, in as big a variety as possible
If you want to get rid of your pain – no oranges and no tomatoes (fresh or canned)
Secondly – cut down drastically on potatoes, eggplants and bell peppers
GRAINS and seeds – only whole grains
Oats
Millet
Quinoa
Brown rice
Spelt
Kamut
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Corn
To a lesser extent Barley,
Avoid wheat and rye (white or wholemeal) these are extremely acid forming.
SWEETNESS – in moderation or better still educate your taste buds so you don’t need these sweeteners
Dried fruit
Honey
Molasses
Stevia
DRINKS
Water
Herbal teas
Smoothies – made with fruit, some protein powder, and a plain yogurt
Green tea (contain low levels of caffeine)
White tea
Rooibos tea (red tea)
Home made vegetable juices
Alcohol in strict moderation
PASTA
Rice noodles occasionally
Soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat
GENERAL
Organic apple cider vinegar
Low-Salt
Black Pepper
All Herbs
All Spices
All Beans
All Lentils
Goat’s Milk
Rice Milk
Oat Milk
Brown Rice
Tamari (soy sauce without wheat)
Tahini (sesame paste/butter)
Butter (no margarine)
Ghee
SPROUTING
Mung beans
Lentils
All whole grains
All beans – except red beans and soy beans
OILS – extra virgin, cold pressed, expelled or first pressed
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Coconut oil
Walnut oil
Hemp oil
Flax seed oil (never heat)
TREATS
70% or more cocoa chocolate bar
Dried fruit
Natural popcorn, made yourself
Natural nut butters, buy in glass jars or make yourself
Fresh fruit
Raw nuts and seeds
Read MoreIs healthy eating possible on a budget?
I have heard many times over the years when discussing with people about changing their eating habits, that it is impossible to be healthy on a tight budget. This is a misconception. Convenience foods are generally not healthy and more expensive for what they are. Here are 20 tips that might help you save money, get you eating healthier to reduce inflammation and stiffness.
1) There are always fruit and vegetables that are cheap, especially when they are in season. Supermarkets now have offers on fresh fruit and vegetables – buy one get one free etc.
2) Try local markets they often have cheaply grown local produce that is in season.
3) ‘Pick your own’ can be a very good way to get cheap local produce for the freezer.
4) If you are unable to grow your own fresh produce for one reason or another, and you know of someone who does grow their own, offer to buy their surplus (there is always surplus) or trade with them – for instance some sprouts you have grown (see below).
5) Whenever you see anything on offer – prepare it and freeze it.
6) Bought frozen vegetables and fruit can often be cheaper and there is no wastage.
7) Sprouting is a really wonderful way of getting highly nutritious fresh food for pennies. Sprouts can be grown all year round in your kitchen (big or small), take up almost no space, no expensive equipment, and next to no time needed. It’s as simple as ABC. Sprouts really are amazing as they can be used in soups, salads, stews, and stir-fries, they are extremely versatile. It is possible to sprout all seeds, whole grains, beans and lentils (easy to digest when eaten this way).
8) Buying fresh herbs is expensive so start a herb garden, they take up very little space and are decorative. Herbs look good and will save you a fortune, medicinally and culinary wise. If you don’t have a garden you can grow herbs in window boxes or in pots indoors and/or outdoors. Herbs are very useful as part of any health program. Use them fresh, frozen or dried herbs in cooking or for making teas.
9) Forget the hype avoid any thing with lots of fancy packaging that ends up in the bin, that is only wasted money.
10) Eating more beans and lentils with grains like rice (to get your protein) and cutting down on meat can help the budget, is healthier and increase your life expectancy. Bean and lentils are cheap, extremely versatile and good for you.
11) Getting together with 3 to 4 friends, to share the cost of buying things in bulk, this is a very good way of cutting costs. The difference in the cost of buying some brown rice for instance in small packets compared to buying a 25lb bag/sack, the saving per person is considerable.
12) Generally homemade food is cheaper and better than pre-pared processed foods. The Internet is full of free recipes and the local library is bursting with cook books from healthy ethnic to vegetarian to raw foods.
13) Saving a little on gas or electricity and time – make two three or four times the amount you need. For instance if you cook some chicken in the oven for dinner, add some extra chicken to eat cold the next day with a salad that includes your home grown herbs and sprouts. Also place another dish or two in the oven at the same time, on another day can just be heated up quickly.
14) Look in the supermarkets for the reduced section, there are always foods that have almost reached their sell-by-date, you can pick up some amazing bargains, leave the unhealthy ones, just pick up the healthy ones.
15) Breakfast cereals in general are very expensive especially when you think of the cost per pound. Eat porridge, or make your own muesli, much more filling and better good for you.
16) Can’t afford to go out to eat, find some like-minded friends that also like healthier food and take it in turns once in a while to eat in each others home. It is fun and you get to go out occasionally.
17) Supplement on a budget Spiralina is a broad spectrum supplement full of a wide variety of nutrients. Buy in powder form it’s cheaper than buying capsules or tablets.
18) Go out during the autumn months and pick blackberries they are free and freeze them. Berries are bursting with plant compounds and anti-oxidants.
19) Wild crafted dandelions – it is very important you know for sure they have not been sprayed with weed killer. Dig up the whole plant use the fresh leaves in salads or dry the root and the leaves an excellent tonic for the liver and kidneys.
20) Wild crafted nettles are extremely good as a general health tonic, makes really good tea. Pick the nettles wearing gloves, then tie them into loose bunches and place the leaves down into a large paper bag this protects the leaves from flies and dust. Then hang these bunches up by their stems. Any leaves that fall off will end up in the bag. It is important to hang any drying herbs in an area that is dry with air movement, maybe a garage, utility room, laundry room or airing cupboard.
Read MoreSeratonin your own natural pain-killer for Arthritis
Sonia Jones ND from The Haven Spa and Health Clinic
The B vitamins and zinc are some very important nutrients needed by the brain to enable it to manufacture neuro-chemicals out of amino acids (proteins). A good supply of B3 (needed for a whole host of functions in the body) is very important (found in all sorts of whole foods) otherwise our body will make it out of tryptophan.
This is not a good idea as your body would use your reserve of stored up tryptophan to convert and produce B3, as you want your body to produce serotonin from your tryptophan reserves and not use it for making B3.
Eating foods that contain a good amount of tryptophan as well as the B vitamins will ensure better levels of serotonin.
These foods are a good source of tryptophan
·Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, sesame
·Nuts – hazelnuts and almonds
·Wild game
·Chicken
·Turkey
·Bananas
·Prawns
·Yogurts
Read MoreArthritis management – Good digestion is needed
As we get older our digestion begins to slow down, especially as we have taken it for granted for so many years. We have constantly been eating foods that have taken their toll over the years.
For the body to perform this enormous task each day it needs plenty of fluids and a huge amount of nutrients to produce enough enzymes and digestive juices.
Unfortunately, the foods that most people have chosen to eat over the years have been hard to digest, supply few nutrients the very nutrients needed for their own breakdown leave alone enough nutrients for all the other systems in the body.
The Perfect Scenario
↓
Choose to eat foods that are nutritious, making sure a large proportion
of them contain ‘live’ enzymes (fresh fruit and vegetables, live yogurt etc)
↓
Easy to digest, provide plenty of nutrients for their own digestion with plenty left over for other functions
elsewhere in the body, ‘live’ food bring with them plenty of enzymes, sparing the body’s reserves for other
important processes like regeneration of deteriorating joints
In reality was has actually happened over the years
↓
Consumed a diet typically full of refined foods and processed foods
↓
Provide next to no nutrients or enzymes – use up a lot of energy not in the
sense of calories, more like vital reserves. In the digestion process of these foods
the body has had to steal nutrients from other systems, digestion struggles
and deficiencies are created – hence aging and deterioration are further encouraged.
For instance a shortage of zinc – affects every aspect of digestion, also affecting your taste and smell, as we age it is noticeable how people add more salt to compensate for the decline in taste.
A zinc deficiency affects the quality of hydrochloric acid levels, the correct levels
·break down calcium sufficiently to enable us to absorb and utilize calcium properly, vital as a we age
·kills bacteria before they enter the body and cause problems
·ensures proper protein breakdown
Enough zinc is also needed for healing and repair, for the immune system, to fight infections, involved in anti-inflammation, it’s an anti-oxidant. It’s a very busy mineral.
Our zinc supplies are primarily stored in our muscles, also found stored in red and white blood cells, the retina of the eye, bones, skin, kidneys, liver, and the pancreas. It is also found in the prostate gland.
Zinc also has some antioxidant properties, which means that it helps protect cells in the body from the potential damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, cigarette smoking, and air pollution) can also increase the number of these damaging particles. Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging and degeneration processes.
The typical daily intake of zinc is approximately 10 mg, this much lower than the woefully low recommended dietary allowance (RDA). RDA is the lowest setting it’s not for optimum health.
Osteoporosis
Zinc is essential for maintaining proper bone health throughout life. Zinc has been shown to stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone loss, as well ensure the correct breakdown of calcium so it can be used by the body. Depending on your digestive the body will absorb anything from 20% to 40% of the available zinc in foods.
Zinc is more readily absorbed from animal sources like red meat, fish, seafood (is particularly good), cheese, and poultry, than from plant sources as phytates particularly in wheat hinders absorption of zinc. Beans and seeds like pumpkin, sesame and sunflower contain good sources of zinc.
Zinc is also an extremely good antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory actions. Making it invaluable for arthritis suffers. It has been noted that higher levels reduce the generation of inflammatory cytokines, especially as we age. It would seem low levels of zinc allow greater levels of inflammatory cytokines to flourish.
Supplements
Digestive enzymes will improve digestion and absorption.
Mineral - Zinc 25mg
Vitamins – B complex
Food - Apple cider vinegar (no other vinegar will do). Take a dessertspoon in a little water 30 minutes before each meal.
It is so very important to chew your food properly. Never over fill your stomach. When you have eaten a meal wait 10 minutes before you have anything else to eat. The reason being it takes that long before your body tells you whether you have eaten enough food or not.
Spice – Crack fresh pepper on your food. Ginger encourages the production of digestive enzymes.
Herb – Anything that has a bitter taste before a meal will do wonders for digestion. The bitter taste stimulates all the digestive juices. That is why aperitifs often contain bitter herbs.
Remember – Zinc is only one vital nutrient the body needs in adequate amounts there is a huge array of others it needs to function properly.
Read MoreAre you undoing the good for your arthritis?
We all know that fruit and vegetables are good for us. Though you wouldn’t think so when you look at all the statistics of how little people eat each day. You may think that you are getting the nutrients you need from the vegetables you eat but are you? As an arthritis sufferer you need more than most to encourage joint repair.
Boiling your vegetables and throwing the water water away means a lot of the water soluble vitamins and minerals are literally being poured down the drain. You could drink the water but few people do this, or you could make soup from the water, in reality few people can be bothered to keep the water until they are ready to make soup. What to do instead? Steam your vegetables as little water as possible for a little time as possible to preserve as much of the nutrients and enzymes as possible.
The more you cook the vegetables, be it boiling or steaming the more enzymes are destroyed.
The longer the vegetables sit a round in your kitchen the more nutrients they lose. Putting them in the cool dark fridge helps to slow down their deterioration a little.
Peeling, and cutting up fresh fruit and vegetables should be done just before using them. The longer the cut surfaces are exposed to oxygen and light the faster the nutrients deteriorate (oxidation). Supermarkets offer fruit and vegetables ready cut up, buying your produce this way you pay a premium for less nutrients, however this option is better than choosing a processed meal because you are in a hurry.
Microwaving – vegetables, there is some evidence it changes the molecular structure of the food in a negative way? Use your microwave very occasionally to reheat. Buy an electric kettle to heat your water for herbal teas, don’t use the microwave.
Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables whats best? I buy both, this enables me to have more variety and so there is always fruit and vegetables in the house as a standby when I have run out of fresh produce. It is always better to eat frozen fruit and vegetables, than none.
When you eat fruit and vegetables you are getting the vitamins, minerals, healing plant-compounds, fiber and the all important enzymes. Don’t destroy them with your cooking methods.
Producing your own sprouts in the kitchen will give you endless amounts of fresh, highly nutritious, cheap food, grown without pesticides etc, to use in stir-fries or salads.
Read MoreArthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
