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Being Well – The Big Picture

Wellbeing is a trendy wee word that you see about a lot in advertising (and my business card) these cards, but what exactly is it?  The International Journey of Wellbeing (https://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/89) defines it as  “a state of equilibrium or balance that can be affected by life events or challenges”.

Our bodies are well designed “machines” –  under perfect circumstances well equipped to successfully combat any challenge.  However, modern lifestyles very quickly stack the odds against us, “perfect circumstances” becoming elusive to even those of us with a high level of commitment to our personal physical and emotional health.  Our communities are filled with people suffering from chronic and autoimmune diseases oblivious to how they came to be in that situation. I am here to tell you that you have an element of control over your health outcomes.  You have the power! However, it does involve you taking a serious look at your lifestyle and committing to making necessary changes. These changes however, do not have to be drastic in nature. Unless your life is imminently in danger, you have the luxury of time to make small (yet powerful) incremental changes.  In fact, even if you think you are in relatively good health, preventative measures now are mega preferable to any level of suffering. You may have already heard the quote “You Cannot Heal in the Same Environment That Made You Sick”.  This is a truth that we don’t always want to hear as it puts responsibility for our health right back where it belongs – with us.  Yes, you may be like me and were born with weaknesses and challenges, yes you may have been told that you have a genetic predisposition to a particle medical condition (If this is you check out this from author Bruce Lipton

https://www.brucelipton.com/resource/video-and-podcasts/quantum-creation-epigenetics-genes-arent-your-destiny).  But you do have control over where to from now.  You can choose to make the best of what you have.  The more multifaceted your approach, the more likely you will see positive results.

Here are my recommendations for a “big picture” approach to your health.

BODY FUEL:  This is a great place to start.  Besides…we wouldn’t dream of putting dirty fuel in our cars, knowing full well the effect it would have on its performance.  For a detailed approach to how to make positive change in this area, read this blog https://www.lyndabrodie.com/2019/01/20/6-easy-action-steps-for-cleaner-eating-in-2019/.  It is also important to assess your hydration.  The general recommendation is about 8 glasses (2 litres) of water a day.  Most of us are not so good at this and this is probably the single most important change you can make to instantly benefit your overall health.  75% of our bodies are water. Proper hydration is essential for our survival! In fact we can only survive a matter of days without it. A quick note alcohol, coffee and carbonated drinks are dehydrating beverages, so consumption of these negatively affects your fluid balance.  I think what you drink is the best place to start in making nutritional changes – a lot simpler than tackling food which can seem overwhelming at first. There are phone apps out there that will track your daily water consumption and even alert you to when it is time to drink.  I simply start my day with 4 rubber bands around my 500ml drink bottle and remove one every time I refill it.

STRESS REDUCTION & SLEEP:  We have all felt how stress triggers a “fight / flight” response in our bodies – increased heart & breathing rates, muscles tensing in readiness for action.  The release of adrenalin in reaction to an external stressor is designed to prepare us to stand and fight or run for our lives. Perfect if our lives are in danger.  At this stage your body is only interested in getting you out of a “short term predicament”, only interested in directing energy to the body systems that will help you survive the threat.  The systems that are not thought necessary are your digestion, immune, hormonal and reproductive suffer under the influence of adrenaline. The problem is that often the stress response is triggered by running late for an appointment, worries about financial security and the future,  a big to-do list and perceived lack of time. Also, these issues are often perpetual or at least frequent subjecting us to being in an unnatural and unhealthy state of readiness and depriving us of optimal health. Often we reach for alcohol, sugary food, caffeine and cigarettes to “help” us get through it!  I’m sure you can see the problem with this scenario. Simply recognising this is the first step to stopping the cycle. The fix is as easy as making a quick assessment of what enjoyable, healthful activities you can use instead of these props. A lovely soak in a bath, a walk on the beach, reading a book for pleasure, listening to calming music, yoga, and meditation are some suggestions.  

Also, how do you sleep?  Do you get enough? Is it good quality?  Do you wake up refreshed and ready for a new day each morning?  Check out this article for why this is so imperative and some suggestions on how you can make any necessary improvements. https://www.lyndabrodie.com/2018/06/08/sleep-easy/

PHYSICAL MOVEMENT & FITNESS:   I have been involved in the fitness industry for over 20 years and are constantly frustrated with the over use of scales and often warped perceptions of weight as measure of health.  I have found this to only really be true in the extreme and prefer to use other indicators for measuring fitness improvements. The advertising industry also fills our screens with images of “perfect” bodies and unhealthy claims for fast slimming programmes. URGGHH!  I prefer to put physical activity right where it belongs – a natural need for movement for the health and efficiency of our bodies. Movement should be fun and preferably outdoors in the fresh air. Here are my suggestions for how to easily integrate exercises that improve your cardio fitness strength & flexibility into your day. https://www.lyndabrodie.com/2018/10/04/top-tips-for-a-fit-toned-body/

TOXIN EXPOSURE & ELIMINATION:  This is the aspect of good health that I believe is most overlooked.  The first step here is becoming aware of what we are we are putting in bodies and being exposed to in our environment.  Read this to help you see how to educate yourself and make informed choices on foods and products you use. https://www.lyndabrodie.com/2018/11/17/7-ways-to-reduce-your-exposure-to-toxins-and-why-it-is-important/

SELF CHECK INS:  We have become very desensitised to what is happening in our own bodies.  We are often naive about how our bodies work and the signals it sends us. These signals or alerts are crucial to our wellbeing.  Again with the car analogy…we are much better at following up on a mystery rattle in our vehicles than investigating a niggle or pain that shows up.  I like to think about these signals as the way our bodies communicate with us. Sometimes the are whispers, small seemingly insignificant aches or itches that are easy to ignore.  Left unheard they can evolve into “louder” signals, calling for our attention. Unfortunately even these attempts to alert us can be masked with painkillers or over the counter remedies that dull the symptoms as we battle through our days, weeks & months until eventually, in a desperate attempt for action, our bodies present us with symptoms that floor us.  That stop us from working and insist that we intervene. At this level we almost always need medical assistance. My mission is help you to get into the habit of ‘checking-in”, noticing what changes are occurring and helping you to understand what action your body is calling for. Last year I suffered from recurring thrush symptoms. On investigation my body had been trying to alert me to a short fall in my diet by offering sugar cravings as a first alert signal.  I failed to make the necessary adjustments to my peril and it took months to completely heal my gut from an overabundance of good bacteria – known as Candida. This was a great time of learning for me and my reluctance to go back to that state motivates me to keep my sugar and alcohol intact to a minimum. I made sure I really concentrated on all aspects of healthy lifestyle as I gave my body space and time to heal. It is important to note that if I had not been able to see significant improvement I would have had no hesitation to seek medical help and that I am in no way are suggesting that you should deny yourself this.  It is vitally important to know when you need a health professional to help you get on the right track. How many times do we hear of people who ignored recurrent headaches only to find, often too late, that they have a brain tumour? The point is, tune in, listen, take whatever steps feel right for you to address it, then support your body in its healing by controlling the things that you can – nutrition & hydration, stress relief, fitness and toxin reduction. Take responsibility for your role in your health story and do what you have to live your best life.

If you feel ready to make an assessment of where you are and look at how to get started, give me a call.  This is what I love to do, what I feel called to do. I want to help you put your health back in your hands, empowering you to learn how to help yourself, knowing I am here for a little help if  and when you need it. Prices are in the Wellness Consultation tab but are up for negotiation if this is out of your price range. Alternatively if you have a few friends who you think would be interested, we can arrange to get together and share costs.

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In The Pursuit of Great Health – how small changes transformed my reality

I didn’t have the best start to life. Born a few weeks early with a whole in my heart and with compromised lung function, the medical team that surrounded me at birth din’t expect me to live. I was baptised on day one (just in case they were right). My mother was able to go home to the rest of my family while I was kept under the watchful eye of the hospital staff for a few more weeks.

A chest x-ray at age 5 confirmed that my heart had healed, however my lungs, although improved, were still a weakness. Simply catching a cold would usually develop into another bout of Bronchitis – with a persistant barking cough and wheezing often lasting all winter. Mum encouraged me into tap dancing which helped to keep me fit and improved my lung capacity, but forget joining a netball team with my friends. I simply couldn’t commit to a team – too many sick days and winters were always a challenge.

Fast forward to high school days and add a good measure of pre exam stress and hay fever started to become an issue for me. Severe symptoms now persisted throughout the spring and summer -swollen itchy eyes, sneezing and of course the familiar wheezing. During this era I was also struggling with my weight and an eating disorder. I felt held hostage by my physical limitations – often missing out on activities with my sporty friends. My GP at the time prescribed steroid injections – and as I was needle phobic, this became a great catalyst for me to search out alternatives to this treatment. It was during this time that I started reading books on healthy living – my first being Ultrahealth by Lesley Kenton. What a revelation! An American author, she wrote about water quality, the nutritional values of different foods (rather than simply calories), importance of exercise and other practises like skin brushing and detoxifying . A whole unfamiliar world opened up for me – starting my insatiable hunger for learning more about health and how my choices would affect my energy and wellbeing. I made small adjustments to my lifestyle and it made a small difference.

A few years later, as a young mother, newly divorced, my parents gave me a membership voucher for a local gym. This is undoubtedly the best gift I have ever received as this became another turning point in my life/health journey. Inspired by the energy and joy that my instructors oozed, I started learning to become a fitness trainer myself. I had found my passion! On a very limited budget at the time, our diet mostly consisted of home grown vegetables and affordable meat. No lemonade, sweets or cakes for us and very little dairy. These things were, out of necessity, only for special occasions. Although not exactly intentional, this did increase my vitality and stabilise my metabolism (which had been seriously compromised by previous dieting and self abuse). I started to look a lot healthier. However, my inhaler was constantly with me – ready to open those reluctant airways and it was needed often.

A move to the country to enter a new phase of my life with my new husband to be and a few more babies later, a busy life on the farm, still taking weekly fitness classes – my eating habits slipped. Now what I had considered “treats” were readily available. I also allowed the hustle and bustle of my life tempt me into sneaking more convenience foods into my pantry and my life (and the stomachs of our children!). Chicken nuggets were on the menu at least weekly, takeaways became common and few rides to town were completed without an icecream on the way home. My body started to let me know that something was amiss. I became more and more intolerant to cleaning chemicals, some foods (especially icecream) and I found out I was allergic to paracetamol. I started looking at greener cleaning products and reignited my interest in natural alternatives to drugs (I had been using essential oils since my 20s but had only a limited knowledge and supply).

Now in my late 30s, I started taking BandFit classes for Better Bods and the founder, Rachel, taught me an incredible amount about healthy eating and how to read ingredient labels on both food and skincare products. Thanks to her dietary advise and support I am now able to live symptom free from both Hayfever and Bronchitis, which I had previously considered a life sentence! And do you know what…the adjustments I made to the way I ate were not difficult at all. The biggest change I made was preparing and cooking our meals from scratch – using food as close to its natural state as possible. No more packet pasta meals or meals in a jar for us. I swapped margarine for butter and cooked in dripping rather than cooking oil (which I still can’t tolerate). We still had baking and pasta and bread – but these changes were enough to make an incredible difference. Interestingly, if we went away for a few days and I started eating out and grabbing convenience foods, the old familiar gasping for oxygen returned. Away at an airshow one year my symptoms got so severe that I had to borrow someone’s inhaler to get through the weekend.

The best part about making these adjustments to our diet…I had control and it was also improving the health of my family. One of our daughters had an allergy to strawberries and can now eat them again! I have become really good at making mental notes on which foods have a negative affect on my body – a skill that I think it is important for us to all develop. Everyone’s body and chemical makeup is unique – so there is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution for everyone.

Now, I am no saint when it comes to my nutrition. I still occasionally drink alcohol and if potato chips or chocolate enter our house, then I will partake (and often uncharacteristically will take more than my share!). My body keeps me in check – if I care enough to listen. As I have aged more symptoms (warning signs) have crept into my reality. In addition to the respiratory evidence, gout, candida/thrush, athletes foot and mouth ulcers are early indicators for me that I need to take stock of my choices.

I am still hungry for knowledge on how I can improve my physical reality. And now after so many years of “practise” and together with my study and learning of essential oils and emotional wellbeing that I use to help my friends and family, I am qualified to help anyone who feels ready to make positive change. If you are ready for positive transformation, then I would love to guide you towards a healthier, happier life – one baby step at a time.