Can we stay fit, healthy and oh so relaxed?
There is alot of anxiety and worry in the news at the moment which is leading to feelings of feeling unsafe, under threat and vulnerable. Our brain's natural default setting of apprehensiveness is being fed by the constant feeling of worry, its no way to enjoy life. So what can we do? Basically we can retrain our thoughts to say "right now, I'm okay, my family are okay". Mindfulness helps you to stay in the moment, make sure your breathing is slow and deep, enjoy being quiet. This allows your body to get on with everyday tasks whilst your brain sends chemical messages which help to calm and soothe your thoughts. Your wellbeing will improve, your anxiety will lessen and you will begin to realise when your feelings of worry are real or not.
Inspirational Quote - “we are like snowflakes, all different in our own beautiful way”
November is the month to make pickles, chutneys and jams. Generally stock up your larder and freezer for the months ahead. There’s nothing nicer than enjoying homemade chutneys with a fresh salad in the darkest of months. Make nutritious soups and casseroles for the freezer. Fruit crumbles! Have you considered making a sour dough starter? Sour dough bread is packed full of goodness, brilliant for your digestive system as it has natural good bacteria. If you have a good strong digestive system, your food is digested quicker making nutrients available for your body to use thus improving your immune system.
The benefits of eating a plant-based diet are well-known. Rich in vitamins and minerals, vegetables supply a wide range of nutrients, are low fat and low sugar. Add them to quinoa for protein and you have a well balanced meal which is planet and animal friendly. I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years and I feel very healthy.
November is also the time of year for bonfires, obviously there's Bonfire Night on the 5th. Hedgehogs love piles of leaves and twigs and will snuggle down to sleep, if you must have a bonfire, please move them just before you light, carefully check for wildlife and light one side to allow hedgehogs to leave. But this year, why not leave the leaves for nature. Leaf mould is so beneficial for your soil, the best fertiliser going, the worms will pull the leaves underground which improves the structure if your soil. Your plants will love you. Plus hedgehogs really needs us to be less tidy, they re having a tough time. You can read about how you can help nature by leaving leaves and twigs in your garden here. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/what-do-if-you-find-wild-animal/help-hedgehog Don't cut back your shrubs too, bees and other insects will use the flower heads as a winter home. Finally leave your grass longer to allow beetles to get through winter. If we want to repair our planet, it starts in our gardens. There is nothing more glorious than a spiders web on a frosty morning.
November highlights a number of health campaigns. Movember is to highlight mens health, your lovely man must take care of himself and this is the month to start the conversation. On the 19th November, we celebrate the men in our lives on International Mens Day. As I was brought up by my dad and have a partner who puts up with me, I think its important that we give them a big hug and say thanks.
November is the first of the winter months if you struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), being proactive now is crucial to keeping you feeling positive
Get outside in the natural light as much as possible.
Spend time with nature boosts our serotonin levels
Reduce sugar
Meditate daily to allow your thoughts to soothe and balance
Use aromatherapy in your home. Sweet Orange has powerful uplifting properties
Add houseplants as they inhale toxins and exhale oxygen during the night
Get moving. Walking, dancing and doing a YouTube workout keeps your mind and body active
Sing. Singing releases "feel-good" hormones
“help me have a mindful of calm” Reed Diffuser
create a peaceful place to be calm and breathe
The week of the 2nd to the 8th is International Stress Awareness Month. This year has been extremely difficult to stay positive so let's take a look at how we can improve our well-being. I am a holistic therapist so I know how stress can affect you. The effects on your body can be severe. It can reduce your immune system, make your breathing poor, cause digestive, menstrual and skin problems. Stress can make you gain or lose weight so its vital we get control and learn to adapt our daily lives. If we have learnt one thing this year, its how important a life balance is.
Mindfulness must be a daily practise. It is spending time quietly considering how you are feeling, where your stress is and how your breathing feels without trying to change. By concentrating on your breath, your mind is allowed to calm, slow. Its an amazing form of meditation. Try using "help me have a mindful if calm" collection to create a soothing haven test the whole can use. A space jn your home to retreat to when things can too pressured. Young and old need a safe space to enjoy being quiet.
With many people working from home, its too easy to work long after the office would have closed. We have to keep our work/life balance to have any chance. Try writing a weekly timetable, nothing work, rest, exercise, family, sleep, movie time, story time, bath time, walking the dog time. And keep to it.
Practise deep breathing exercises everyday, here's one to try ….
4-7-8 breathing technique by Dr Weil
1..empty your lungs of air
2..breathe in quietly for a count of 4 seconds
3.. hold for a count of 7 seconds
4.. exhale thoroughly for a count of 8 seconds
5.. repeat up to 4 times
For the first few times, please try this seated or lying down comfortably, just in case you feel light-headed. If you struggle to hold your breath for a count of 7, try holding for 4 seconds and build up. We would recommend practising this exercise twice per day to see results
Spend time with family playing board games
Cooking good food is so relaxing, eating it is even better!
How to make your home Christmassy
There's no nicer way to create a comforting, safe home than to welcome the scent of Christmas. Ginger and Clove bud embraces comfort whilst sweet orange and lemon lifts your mood and creates a fresh scent. Do you remember pushing cloves into an orange or lemon to hang around your home, we ve done it for you!
This year we have produced products to help fill your home with Christmas which will carry on throughout Winter.
Reed diffuser £32
Soy candle £17
And now we have added a room spray to give that instant burst of festive fragrance £9
For that instant burst of Christmas Fragrance
Room Spray 50ml £9
They come gift wrapped and make wonderful gifts
“help me say hello to winter”
organic essential oils of Fir needle, Orange, Clove Bud, Lemon and Ginger will fill your home with a comforting scent all winter long
Stay healthy during winter
Elderberries and rosehip are rich with vitamin C and have antibacterial properties which help cleanse a congested throat (pineapple is often used to "unsticky" your throat) ,
Benefits of elderberries and rosehip
As well as vitamin C, rosehips are a great source of vitamin A, D and E. They contain an anti-inflammatory and have been shown to help relieve the symptoms of arthritis.
The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. They could help tame inflammation, lessen stress, and help protect your heart, too. Some experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms.
try making your own….
The recipes can be found on the woodland Trust www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Fill bowls of water and add our protective blend "im feeling under the weather", made with powerful antibacterial organic essential oils of Eucalyptus, Teatree, Lavender, Pepoermint and Tangerine to help clear sinuses, ease headaches and combat winters coughs and colds.
“help me, i’m feeling under the weather”
Made from powerful antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial and antiseptic organic essential oils
Dates of interest:
1st - World Vegan Day
1st - All Saints Day
3rd - National Sandwich Day
4th - 8th is National Spa Day ( why not treat yourself to a spa day at home)
10th - Remembrance Sunday
11th - Armistice Day
13th - World Kindness Day
20th - World Children's Day21st - World COPD Awareness Day
27th - Green Friday is the alternative to Black Friday. A time to shop ethically and to support your local highstreet
Scent of the Month
“help me be fragrance free”
Not quite a scent but we wanted to talk about this collection. Currently only available in a massage oil but we have plans for other products to be scent free.
In the massage oil, we have blended organic carrier oils of Apricot Kernel, Grapeseed and Jojoba to produce a body oil or base oil which is perfect for sensitive skins, pregnant tums and for people who love using an oil but dont like a strong fragrance.
The massage oil is perfect for massage, it has a wonderful “slip” which makes massage even more wonderful to give and receive, we believe that you should apply oil to your skin every day, your skin will feel soft and silky. As a holistic therapist, i know the benefits of massage. The power of touch is well known and one that at the moment is vital. Your friendly holistic therapist is safe to visit, highly beneficial to reduce your stress, will help you to relax, sleep better, feel better . If you are still nervous, try massaging at home.
Our base oil is ideal to add your own essential oils to, we say 2 drops in 10ml of carrier oils to begin with and the normal rule is a 2% dilution for adults. Our massage oil is perfect to massage your children too, they are feeling so stressed at the moment, how lovely would it be to massage their feet whilst you watch something lovely on TV. A perfect moment to get them talking about things too.
“help me be fragrance free”
perfect for sensitive skins, pregnant tums. Made from organic carrier oils to hydrate your skin.
An ideal base oil to blend your own body oil!
Places we will be this month! - (all online sadly)
7th November is the Christmas Online Bazaar Market www.pedddle.com/online-market/
28th & 29th November we are taking part with the Handmade Hayfield Christmas market
14th to the 29th November is the 2 week Festive Online Market with The Rossendale Trust https://rossendaletrust.org/events/virtual-christmas-market/
5th & 6th December we join forces with Folksy and Small Business Saturday for a weekend of Christmas Shopping and a Celebration of Small Business. Being a smallbiz100 alumni, we are passionate about supporting your local small businesses this year more than ever. Every pound you spend with a small business means the World so instead of ordering from Amazon or other global businesses, have a look at all the British creative on Folksy. You will make our day if you would ( www.pedddle.com/online-market/ )
“Leave the leaves on the ground as they make home for hedgehogs, frogs and insects. During winter the worms will make you rich golden soil for spring”
