Category: Health & Wellbeing

Anything related to health and wellbeing.

Let’s talk about periods

by JMReflex, posted in Acupuncture, Fertility, Menstrual Cycle

Did you know that a true menstrual period only comes if ovulation occurred. This means that if you are on the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and have “periods”, these are really withdrawal bleeds and not true menstrual periods. This is because the OCP prevents you from ovulating.

If you are trying to conceive then it is wise to give your body time to readjust from stopping OCP and get back to a normal cycle.

Period Flow

The flow of your period should be tracked on the day that menstrual blood starts flowing properly (this would be marked as day 1). Often light spotting can occur beforehand so only class day 1 of your period when it gets going properly.

A normal, healthy period would be 3-5 days of bleeding and have a clear end. A regular flow is normal.

Heavy flow and flooding are something to be flagged. This would be more than 5-7 days of bleeding, or if you are having to change sanitary products more than every 2-3 hours. These issues might indicate issues such as thyroid imbalances, fibroid, low iron.

Likewise, very light pink blood for less than 3 days is also something to be flagged. This might be a sign of low oestrogen levels.

Period Pain

Woman feeling emotional and in pain during menstruation.

Rate your pain levels on a scale of 0-10. Mild cramping when your period starts is normal. Anything more should be flagged. Does it stop you from going to work? Do you need to take pain killers? Do you need to use a hot water bottle? Anything more than a 1 on the scale indicates a red flag. Where is the pain in your body? e.g. headaches, abdominal pain, breast pain, lower-back pain? These can all be clues and could indicate imbalances that can be addressed.

Period Frequency

Cycle length (day 1 to the next day 1) should be 24-35 days in length. There should be a clear start and end to the period.

If you have spotting before or afterwards this is something to be noted. Similarly, the colour of the blood should be a healthy red colour with no clots. If it is pink, dark red, purple, or black, then these are all flags to be noted.

Acupuncture

After discussing all of the above in a consultation, acupuncture can help rebalance the body with certain point prescriptions based on your symptoms. Alongside regular acupuncture, lifestyle changes and wellbeing techniques can also be adopted to optimise health and chances of conception.

There are lots of things to think about and consider with fertility awareness. Education is key and having knowledgeable support from an acupuncturist or reflexologist can be invaluable.

If you are looking for fertility support in Lancashire please get in touch.

Discussing Fluoridated Water

by JMReflex, posted in Children, Nutrition, water
Map showing fluoride in UK.
Image credit: bfsweb.org

Did you know that if you live in the Midlands or the North East (UK) you might already be drinking artificially fluoridated water via your household drinking water?

It is believed that the UK government want to extend the fluoridation scheme to cover the whole country, so if you do not want to drink artificially fluoridated water on a daily basis then you will need to put a filtration and purification system in place.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride comes from Fluorine, which is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in rocks and soil. As water passed through it will naturally pick up trace minerals and this includes fluoride. Fluoride is artificially added to toothpaste and water, and is found in some foods, and in tea.

Pros

The argument to add fluoride to the water supply is due to studies showing that adding it in areas where fluoride levels in the water are low can reduce the prevalence of tooth decay in the local population.

Cons

According to Medical News Today, some of the potential health risks of long-term over-consumption of fluoridated water are:

  • Dental fluorosis, an aesthetic issue causing white specks or streaks on the tooth enamel. Especially common in young children under the age of six.
  • Skeletal fluorosis, causing bones to harden and lose their elasticity, becoming more prone to breaking, pain, and impaired joint mobility.
  • Neurological problems, including impaired development in children.
  • Thyroid problems, as a result of damage to the parathyroid gland, resulting in excess calcium levels in the blood.
  • An increased risk of bone cancer and osteoarthritis.
  • Acne and other skin issues.
  • Reproductive and fertility issues.

My opinion

I personally don’t want to drink fluoride on a daily basis. If I want to use it to prevent tooth decay then I would prefer to use a fluoride toothpaste (which I also don’t), rather than consuming the fluoride through my entire body via drinking water.

Although fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water, we don’t all live with access to fresh water springs where we can consume it direct from mother nature! The water we receive via our household taps and faucets has undergone chemical treatment and therefore I would prefer to filter at home.

In addition to fluoride in water, it is also found in our tea. Truth About Fluoride states “some tea has two, three or even six times the amount of fluoride when compared to tap water! Easily putting millions of people around the world over the safe amount of daily fluoride intake.” If we are already consuming fluoride via other sources then why do we need it in our regular tap water also?

What can you do?

As always, we have a choice. It might not seem that way if the government decide to fluoridate the entire water supply. But it is up to us to take personal responsibility, and put measures in place to protect our own health and wellbeing, and that of our family.

This is why I installed an undersink water filtration system back in 2021, and am now promoting this system to help others do the same.

The Energy Plus Undersink Filter System I use gives extremely efficient removal of fluoride, as well as heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides, hormones and pharmaceutical residues. It also filters out debris, bacteria and microplastics, down to 0.1 micron.

It then goes on to restructure the water to make is highly bio-available to the cells, (see the work of Dr. Catherine Clinton and Gerard Pollack for more on structured water), and releases Molecular Hydrogen to give it exceptional antioxidant properties (something that a water ioniser would do). This system is very reasonably priced.

Alternatively there is also a biocera water jug which carries out a similar process but just on a smaller scale.

If you would like to know more click my links or reach out to me directly via my contact details or on social media.

How to Manage a Stye

by JMReflex, posted in aromatherapy, essential oils, Health & Wellbeing

We have had quite a few styes in our household this year. Bathe with a warm chamomile compress for rapid healing. We put 1-2 drops of chamomile essential oil in a small bowl of warm water and then soaked cotton wool in the water to make the compress. Then relax back and place over the eye for a few minutes. We repeated this daily for a few days and the stye disappeared.

Don’t forget the mental/emotional aspect of styes which might suggest looking at the world through angry eyes. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) view, anger manifests in the Liver which opens out into the eyes, so this all ties in.

Spend time checking into yourself.

Chamomile is gentle and calming. This same eye compress can be used for itchy eyes, red and sore eyes, hay fever.

It’s always handy to have Roman Chamomile and Lavender essential oils in your cabinet for first aid/little emergencies.

Chamomile essential oil from Neal’s Yard Remedies, next to bowl of warm water and cotton wool pads.

Molecular Hydrogen

by JMReflex, posted in Children, Eco-friendly, Environment, Fertility, Fibromyalgia, headache, Health & Wellbeing, hydration, mental health, Nutrition, Pain management, Reflexology, Skincare, Stress

Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the universe. It has only 2 atoms, and binds with oxygen to give us water – H2+0.

Molecular hydrogen is the name given to hydrogen that is released into water to give it highly antioxidant properties. There are over 1000 published studies now providing evidence that hydrogen-rich water has many health-giving and therapeutic effects.

Why is water good for you?

If we consider that, as humans, we are made up of approximately 70% water, we should really make clean, living, health-giving water and hydration our number one priority when it comes to health and nutrition.

Tap water is not the same as filtered water

Tap water is drinkable but it is full of various extras such as the growing concern around micro-plastics, chlorine, fluoride, pharmaceutical residues and hormones. Because of these, as well as poor water structure, the tap water consumed does not effectively hydrate the body and penetrate deep into the cells where it is needed. It is a bit like watering a dried up pot plant: most of the water runs straight through into the saucer.

By releasing molecular hydrogen into clean, filtered and restructured water, we are left with water that is highly bioavailable and hydrates the body much quicker and effectively that regular tap water.

How do I get molecular hydrogen into my water?

There are various ways you can get molecular hydrogen into your water. The system I use at home (and have done so since 2021 – I never promote anything I do not use myself) is the Energy Plus Undersink Filter System from Water for Health.

This is a 4 stage filtration process which sits neatly under the sink. The first two filters remove debris and particulate, and other contaminants such as chlorine and fluoride. The third filter uses bioceramics to mineralise the water to give it good structure. It then finally passes through the fourth filter which uses a magnesium substrate to release molecular hydrogen into the water.

Which water filter is best?

A water filter of this nature is my preferred way to filter water, over reverse osmosis (ro) and distilling. This is mainly down to the fact that both of these methods remove absolutely everything from the water, including the good stuff – the minerals – which not only provide all the trace elements your body needs, but also provide a basic structure to the water. So if you do choose “ro” or distilling then make sure you re-mineralise the water before drinking.

For further information please see my affiliate link here. There are currently over 1000 published studies available on the benefits of molecular hydrogen.

Water droplets suspended in mid air.

Salts explained

by JMReflex, posted in Health & Wellbeing, Skincare, Sleep, Stress, Stress, supplements
Salt with a wooden spoon.

Sea salt is really good for soaking in a bath. It is believed to stimulate circulation, help ease muscle cramps, help relieve stiff joints, and soothe the skin.

Sea salt isn’t generally processed that much, it is simply evaporated off the water. So its very rich in trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron.

Himalayan salts are very similar to sea salt in composition and trace minerals. However, because Himalayan salt is mined near the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, from some really ancient sea beds which were covered over with ice, lava and snow for millions of years, its thought that Himalayan salts are much purer than our regular sea salt because they are not full of our modern day pollutants.

Epsom salts aren’t actually a salt. They are magnesium, sulphur and oxygen. So when you use Epsom salts you are really using them for their magnesium content. Magnesium is needed in the body for all sorts of daily functions at a cellular level, and it is thought that in this day and age we are all lacking in magnesium due to the erosion of soil quality. Magnesium is very easily absorbed through the skin so soaking in a bath of Epsom salts is a great way to boost your magnesium levels.

Although we do need magnesium to support a whole host of bodily functions, one of the main things we all need it for is stress-management and improved sleep.

So these are the different types of salt explained, so you can now make an informed choice as to which type you would like to bathe in. Happy soaking!

View the bath salts from Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic.

Stress is a thief

by JMReflex, posted in Acupuncture, Fertility, Health & Wellbeing, Journalling, Meditation, Menstrual Cycle, Mindfulness, Pregnancy, Reflexology, Spirituality, Stress
Woman feeling stressed.

Stress is bandied about a lot across the internet and social media. But lets cut to the chase.

When you are chronically stressed (and this can be any type of stress, worry or fear because the body treats it all the same; as a threat) then your adrenal glands will secrete more of the hormone cortisol in order to keep you safe.

However, cortisol is made up of various ingredients, one of which is pregnenolone. This is where the steal happens. Pregnenolone is a key building block for the sex hormones: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. When the body is stressed, it believes it is under threat, and the priority is survival. So of course, the body will prioritise using the ingredients to create cortisol, the stress hormone, over using it to create our sex hormones. Because if your cycle is irregular, or you have unusual mid-cycle bleeding for example, these are not life-threatening. But the body will interpret any stress as life threatening, so other processes of less importance will be “put on the back-burner”.

So if you are having fertility issues of any kind, identifying areas of stress in your life can be a pivotal starting point. Really take some time reviewing your daily activities and routines and see where things could be improved. Spend some time sitting quietly and try not to think about anything. If this is difficult, write down the thoughts or worries that keep reappearing. Other things to consider:

  • Meditation or some sort of spiritual connection
  • Reflexology and/or acupuncture, massage
  • Gentle exercise allowing time for recovery afterwards
  • Setting time aside to do the things you love to do

If you are looking for fertility support in Lancashire please call/email me directly to have a chat and book in.

Buns won’t bake in a cold oven

by JMReflex, posted in Acupuncture, Fertility
Pregnant woman, happily holding her womb.

We’ve all heard the old saying “she’s got a bun in the oven”; a simple analogy of stating that someone is pregnant. But actually, this saying is true more than you might think. If you want to bake a bun, the oven must be warm right? The warmth gives all the ingredients the energy to transform together to create the desired outcome: a well-formed bun. This is all true for making babies. The environment in which the baby is conceived and implanted, and then subsequently grown and developed, needs to be one of which is warm.

One of the main areas I look at when seeing fertility clients is their tummy. I look at what they are wearing and whether they feel warm enough. Many women will wear cropped tops, or short tops that sit on the waist. Underwear may also be low sitting, which means the abdominal and lower back area where the uterus sits is not kept layered up and is prone to invasion of cold. Do you remember your mum or your gran telling you to wear a vest and tuck it into your knickers? This is absolutely sound advice for getting and staying pregnant!

Invasion of cold can also come from things like going outside with wet hair, no scarf, no coat, or sitting on cold surfaces. I’m not talking about doing it once, but repeatedly as a habit. Exposing our bodies regularly to cold exposure without warming up properly afterwards can lead to a manifestation of cold in the body. It is well known that going out in the autumn and winter with wet hair and no scarf can lead to us “catching a chill”, and this is the same for the abdominal area, which can lead to (or be a contributing factor of) fertility issues.

When the body is cold, the flow of Qi and Blood slows down. Our bodily fluids need energy from warmth to keep flowing freely and smoothly throughout the body. If the abdomen is on the cold side, this means that Qi and Blood are not flowing freely to and from the uterus, creating stagnation and leading to stasis.

Losing some weight around the middle can help a lot to increase warmth and disperse cold from this area. If you are looking at IVF you will know that there is usually advice as to the recommended BMI they recommend before starting your IVF journey. Lots of studies have also been done around obesity and pregnancy rates, indicating that a smaller waist can contribute to higher pregnancy rates.

When fertility clients come into see me, I will often ask to look at their tongue as well as palpate their tummy. The colour of the tongue can tell us a lot about what might be going on in the body from an acupuncture point of view. If the tongue shows me a blueish tinge then cold will be contributing factor to address.

Other signs of cold, or of Blood Stasis can be seen in menstrual blood, so if you are wanting to get pregnant then it is worth taking a note of your menstrual blood as well as monitoring your cycles. Look at the colour of the menstrual blood; it is bright red, or pink/orange, or dark red or purplish? What are the size of clots (if any) and the colour of those clots? Do you experience any cramping, bloating and pain before and during your period?

General things you can do to help dispel cold and warm up the abdominal area are:

  • Use a hot water bottle on your tummy or lower back regularly – if you’re sitting at your desk for a while use one then, or when relaxing on the sofa, or in bed at night.
  • Moxa patches are a great way to penetrate warmth and dispel cold. These are available in clinic. They simply attach to your tummy or lower back and will stay warm for 12-16 hours.
  • Incorporate herbs and spices into your diet. Things like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, mint, turmeric are all great for dispelling and dispersing stasis in the body and getting things warmed up and moving. Ginger & Turmeric Tea is a good way of doing this.
  • Get regular acupuncture to support your fertility journey.

If you are looking for fertility support in Lancashire please call/email me directly to have a chat and book in.

A Sensible Switch

by JMReflex, posted in Health & Wellbeing, Healthy eating, Healthy Snacks
Cup of coffee made from a coffee alternative.

I thought I would write a short blog about a sensible switch that I have made over the past year. Firstly, its my daily coffee. Now although I do sometimes drink real coffee, particularly if I’m out at a meeting or with a friend and we’re in a lovely cafe, I have managed to steer away from real coffee at home. And this is because I came across the product Barley Cup while in my local health food shop back in February.

If you want to try Barley Cup I would recommend the organic version over the others, not just because it is organic, but because it tastes more like real coffee. It also looks and feels like real coffee. It forms a lovely creamy foam when you pour the hot water on (I drink my coffee black but I’m sure it would be the same for those who take milk).

Barley Cup is an instant cereal drink, made of barley, chicory and rye. It has a wonderful aroma and really does provide a substantial coffee fix without the coffee!

Adrenal Health and Support

by JMReflex, posted in aromatherapy, Health & Wellbeing, Menopause, Reflexology, Stress

Adrenal health is of importance particularly going through perimenopausal years as well as menopause and beyond. So what are our adrenals and what do they do?

Artistic expression of a human kidney and adrenal gland.

Our adrenals are small glands that sit on top of our kidneys, and are responsible for making and releasing adrenalin and cortisol; hormones produced as part of our stress response, and our sleep/wake cycle.

Imagine you are crossing a road and suddenly seemingly out of nowhere a lorry is approaching at high speed. Immediately your adrenals create a stress response which causes your body to put all of its reserves into your limbs so that you can run fast to safety. Once safely across the road, your body is then flooded with a sense of relief and you will need to rest and recover from the experience. This would be a normal, healthy example of how our adrenals are supposed to work for us.

However, our busy and hectic modern day lives leave us stresed more than ever. Rushing from appointment to appointment, too many things on our to-do list, worries over children, finances, constant attention to our mobile phones, balancing and juggling parenting with careers, all impact our adrenals. As far as our adrenal glands are concerned, this is stress and they will be creating a stress response. A continued stress response, without the physical release or the recovery time.

Clues that your adrenals may need support include:

  • Poor sleep;
  • Changes in the way you’re able to cope with stress;
  • Blood sugar spikes;
  • Fatigue;
  • Mood swings and low mood;
  • Brain fog.

In addition to this, as we approach menopause (perimenopause can be as much as 10 years leading into menopause) our reproductive hormone levels begin to decline as the ovaries gradually stop producing oestrogen and progestrone. As this happens, our adrenals respond. They answer by making a hormone estradiol (a type of oestrogen) which plays a role in bone health, heart health and protection of the nervous system through and beyond menopause.

As we have already discussed, our adrenals create a stress response within the body in order to keep us safe and away from danger. The additional role they take on (on behalf of the ovaries) during menopause and beyond will not be prioritised over their main function. So it is hugely important to find ways of managing stress. I think we are all guilty of saying “oh, its just stress” or “I am just stressed”: stress has huge implications on our health, particularly continued stress that isn’t acknowledged or managed.

Ideas to help create balance in your life and to carve out some me-time include:

  • Booking in for a regular reflexology session,
  • Run yourself a candlelit bath with expertly blended aromatherapy products;
  • Switch to herbal teas particularly in the afternoon and evenings (liquorice is a great choice);
  • Turn your phone off for an hour;
  • Go for a walk in nature near trees or open water;
  • Add more plants to your living space;
  • Declutter.

If you are looking for fertility support in Lancashire please get in touch.

When East Meets West

by JMReflex, posted in Acupuncture, Large Intestine, Liver, Pain management, Reflexology, TCM

I often find myself pondering on the little nuances of my practice. Those little subtleties that signal you to the next revelation or lead you onto another level of awareness.

My recent pondering takes me down both the reflexology and the acupuncture avenues and meets to bring another level or dimension to my understanding.

Acupuncture needle at acupuncture point Liver 3 on the foot.

I have been using the Reflexology Lymph Drainage (RLD) technique a lot lately, and really focussing a lot of attention on this sequence; looking at the particular reflexes and how the areas of the body represented by these points actually function. One of the key points of the RLD sequence is the reflex point for the Subclavian Vein (SV). This point is on the dorsal of both feet and is situated exactly at the same acupoint Liver 3.

The SV is an important point for the RLD sequence, as this is where the lymphatic system, once finished cleaning and transporting lymph through the body, will return it back into the cardiovascular system i.e. the blood. This point gets used A LOT during the RLD sequence; after every sweep and general movement, we ask the body to deposit the lymph back to the cardiovascular system via the techniques of reflexology. It is gently stimulated a minimum of 18 times on each foot, plus additional linking at the end.

From an acupuncture point of view, this point is known as Liver 3. The energy of the Liver is to govern “spreading and draining”. By this we mean that it is responsible for maintaining the free flow of Qi (energy). Liver Qi can be restricted emotionally by anger, and physically by damp-heat. “When Liver Qi stagnates, it gives rise to sensations of pressure, distention and pain”. So these are the same symptoms that we are addressing in the RLD sequence; pressure and distention from oedema, and subsequent pain that this causes. Oedema is a “damp” symptom; fluid starts to stagnate and that is what is known as “damp”. If it stagnates for long enough it can start to warm up which is known as “damp-heat”.

On each acupuncture meridian, there is a principal or “source” point which is known as the most powerful point of that particular channel. Liver 3 is the source point for the Liver channel and it is the main point we would chose to promote free-flowing Qi. In addition, this point (or points if we are thinking bilaterally) combined with Large Intestine 4 (Li4) on the hands, make up the “four gates” which are used for the relief of pain. What is interesting to me is that Li4 is the exact same point we would use for the SV in RLD on the hands!

We might ask what this all means? It just consolidates for me that what we do from either angle, whether its from a western medical viewpoint or whether it is from a Traditional Chinese Medicine viewpoint, it all slots together. The two approaches fit neatly together side by side. They both make sense.