Happy new year to you!

I’d like to pose a question to you…..how is the health of your heart?

At this time of the year (Summer in Australia) there is often a big focus on digestive health. People want to start the new year feeling healthy and vibrant. It’s also a great time to remember that the health of your heart is just as important.

After nine years working as a herbalist and naturopath, I am now specialising in the following areas:

• Cardiovascular health: cholesterol management, blood pressure management, stress management.
• Nervous system health : anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, low energy, stress management.
• Becoming well again after illness: glandular fever, respiratory and immune system complaints, fatigue syndromes.

Cardiovascular health issues, and nervous system concerns such as anxiety and depression are on the rise in Australia.  Early management of these conditions means that people have an increased chance of living a healthier life.

According to my trusty medical dictionary, adults normally have a total blood volume of 70ml/kg of body weight for men and about 65ml/kg for women. Your heart pumps this large volume of blood around your body at a speed of about 30cm/second, with a complete circulation time of 20 seconds! And this all happens without us even thinking about it.  Incredible really.

Keeping your heart healthy doesn’t have to be a mammoth and difficult task. You can incorporate these practical and easy tips into your daily routine….starting today!

Berries
Red, blue and purple fruits are in abundance in our markets. They are a sure sign that Summer is here. From a nutritional perspective they are excellent sources of fibre, flavonoids, Vitamin C and anti-oxidants. The bright colour pigment we see in fruits such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries comes from anthocyanin, one of the flavonoids.

Salad tip: Add fresh raspberries to salads for a flavonoid and flavour fix! Be creative and play around with food flavours.
I recently combined spinach leaves, lightly toasted walnuts, avocado and raspberries. I then added a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Delicious!

Magnesium
Every organ in the body, especially the heart and kidneys need magnesium. Our muscles and nerves depend on it too. Magnesium plays a role in energy production, and also helps to regulate levels of calcium, zinc, copper, potassium and Vitamin D. When we are under pressure our requirement for magnesium increases. Be aware that alcohol, coffee, tea, cola and diuretic drugs increase the body’s need for magnesium.

Magnesium rich foods: 
Spinach, broccoli, avocado, green peas, sesame seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cocoa powder.

Healthy heart activities
Regular exercise, meditation and deep breathing exercises are excellent for heart health. Other ideas include laughing, enjoying time in nature, and spending time with people who make you feel happy and relaxed.

Heart friendly herbal infusion
Hawthorn berry (Crataegus monogyna) and Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Traditionally known as “the nurse of the old heart”, Hawthorn is a wonderful cardiac tonic, and is rich in procyanidins, flavonoids including rutin and quercitin.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has gorgeous heart shaped leaves and is a delicious tasting nervous system relaxant, which also calms and relaxes the cardiovascular system.

To discover more, you can contact me at herbaceoushampton@gmail.com or call or email our friendly receptionists on 03 9502 0650

E:  info@contagiousenthusiasm.com.au

Have an enjoyable summer.

Warm wishes,

Gabriella

Whether you are behind a desk, behind the wheel or just wake up in the fetal position, our posture is likely to suffer as we round through the shoulders and tighten through the chest. With poor posture often comes a myriad of other issues such as muscle imbalances, headaches, pain and acheyness, neural impingement, shallow breathing and disc degeneration just to name a few. Aesthetically a hunch back and forward head posture doesn’t do much for our physique so with a new year beginning why not stand up tall and put more energy into correcting our posture!

Myotherapy can address the muscle tissue that typically tightens with poor posture; this is usually seen through the front of the chest in the pectoral muscles. There are also lots of nerves that run through this space and down the arms, if you experience any numbness, tingling or loss of grip strength your posture may be contributing to your symptoms.

Similarly the muscles right at the base of the skull can become tight and tilt the chin upwards and forwards causing a forward head carriage position. The further your head comes forward from your C7/T1 vertebrae the more weight is placed on that joint. When more and more weight is placed on this joint the body responds by laying down extra layers of fascia (connective tissue) on top of the joint causing that hunch back look. Through using Myotherapy techniques it is possible to gradually break down this tissue as long as corrective strengthening exercises are done regularly to support a new and more sound posture.

Myotherapy can release the tightness in the muscles causing the issues mentioned above but it can also work to activate muscles that may not be functioning at their optimum level. Often active trigger points can prevent a muscle from functioning at its best particularly if the muscle is not switching on when it is supposed to. By releasing the tight muscles inhibiting good posture and deactivating active trigger points in muscles that are not switching on, the body is given its best chance to correct dysfunction found in poor posture.

There are posture braces on the market and although the may provide some benefit, unfortunately they can make the body lazy as we need not only to stretch but also to strengthen i.e. muscle engagement is imperative to improve posture.

If you are concerned about your posture and/or feel like you need some advice with some take home strengthening and stretching exercises, speak to one of our knowledgeable Myotherapists to get your back standing tall and feeling great!

By Claire Adamson- Myotherapist