Olwen Anderson's Blog

Natural Remedies for Acute Sports Injuries

Saturday, May 16, 2009

When you're fully focussed on your fitness training, working hard towards completing those goals, its so frustrating when you injure yourself. Seems that 'weekend warriors' who play sport only on the weekend are even more prone to injury!

Standard first aid of R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression and elevation) is of course important, and you should visit your doctor if your symptoms are serious or don't resolve within a reasonable period.

However there are a multitude of natural remedies available to speed your recovery, so you can get back into training sooner. For most of these you will need to visit your local nutritionist-naturopath (or see me if you live in the Murwillumbah area). Your nutritionist-naturopath will be able to not only assess what remedies you need to heal, but also supply natural supplements that will strengthen your body, making you less prone to injury and more resilient.

• Essential Fatty Acids such as omega-3 oils are actually powerful anti-inflammatories. Make sure you get the right strength of DHA & EPA fatty acids by buying from your clinical nutritionist-naturopath. Most over-the-counter fish oils are only 50% of full strength. Look for at least 200mg of DHA and 300mg of EPA in each capsule. The minimum therapeutic dose of full strength fish oils is 3g (3 capsules) per day; if you're injured you will need more than that.

• Celloid tablets (made by Blackmores in Australia) use natural minerals that your body needs in larger amounts to heal injuries. A qualified Celloid practitioner may prescribe one to six different minerals at higher than normal dose frequency to help resolve an acute injury such as a sprain or soft tissue swelling. Ask your practitioner if they use Celloids; most naturopaths in Australia do.

• Homoeopathic blends have an amazing effect on reducing inflammation. Different practitioners will use different homoeopathic remedies and dosages. I use mostly Heel brand homoeopathic blends from Germany.

• Herbal creams such as comfrey ointment will help heal sprains and strains in the long term.

Its also a good idea to see your local osteopath, who can help your body gently re-align itself, and prevent chronic 'compensation' of the injury by another part of your body. Expect to be given some 'homework' in the form of gentle exercises to do at home!

Massage with a qualified remedial masseuse will help resolve the injury faster too.

Now you don't have to just lie on the couch waiting for the pain of your injury to subside; make an appointment with your local nutritionist-naturopath and get back into training faster! (The only downside, if you're a weekend warrior, is that you won't have such a stunning injury to show off in the office Monday morning!)

Here it is - the ultimate natural remedy for health

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Would you like to know of a natural remedy that will reduce your stress levels, give you more energy to really enjoy your day, and help you develop a glowing youthful healthy look? Even better, it will help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, build strong bones, and maintain attractive muscle tone.

Sounds great, doesn't it! Even better, its available to everyone at virtually no cost. Curiously, this is one natural remedy that some people are particularly resistant to taking, although it doesn't come in a pill or potion.

If you're already fit, you've probably been nodding your head all along, knowing what I'm about to say because you're already reaping the benefits. The natural remedy is …being fit!

Before you read on, stand up, step away from the table and head out for a brisk walk around the block. Then come back and I'll tell you all the great things that were happening in your body while you were away.

Your lymphatic circulation, which clears waste materials thrown off by your cells, was pumped by the movement of your skeletal muscles. Now you have less toxins in your body.

The amount of good cholesterol (HDL) circulating in your bloodstream automatically started to increase as soon as you started moving, in response to your body's need for extra energy. Now you're less likely to develop high cholesterol, which can lead to a heart attack.

Your cells all displayed extra receptors for 'glucose please' as their existing energy stores diminished while you exercised. This lowered your blood sugar level and made you less prone to developing adult onset diabetes.

Your muscles were stimulated by use to maintain and build on existing muscle, promoting better muscle tone and a sexy shape. The impact of walking stimulated your bones to build a stronger bone structure. Now you're less likely to develop osteoporosis.

Your cells received more oxygen as you breathed deeper, including your brain cells. What's more, your exercise helped your brain produce more 'happiness' neurotransmitters, combating stress and depression.

All this just from a simple walk around the block, and its all natural. Imagine what you could achieve with your health if you exercised regularly, joined the gym, engaged a personal trainer or took part in a fun team sport? Its enough to inspire you to head out for another walk around the block…….bye!

Energy levels: Its all about what feels right to you now

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Today's blog is a rather personal note from me to you, so forgive me if I waffle on a little.

I got a taste today of what many of my new clients complain about - a lack of energy. Usually I have enough energy to power a small substation - its hard for me to slow down and relax. But several things have happened that you might be able to identify with, that have contributed to a low energy day for me today:

- A couple of weeks ago I injured my foot running, which left me unable to train at all for a week. It was astounding to see how much just one week off training affected me, both physically and mentally. Fortunately my metabolism now runs at such a pace that I don't start gaining weight again, but my lack of exercise brought on a very low mood. To top it off, returning to training has been about as easy as getting a heavy steam train moving. The motto? If you're training, and feeling great for it, don't stop!

- I've been pondering a big business decision for over a week. You know, the sort of big decision that keeps you awake at night, wondering if you're doing the right thing. I have been waking up with a tight jaw, a sure sign that my stress levels are too high. I couldn't exercise either, one of my chief stress-busting activities. If I was one of my clients I would have been hustled off for a massage, or a day at the beach. (us therapists don't always recognise when we have a problem!). The take-away message for you? If you're feeling stretched or stressed, access all the stress-busting activities you can, and if at all possible disappear to a luxurious resort for a couple of days to gain a whole new perspective.

So there I was, around lunchtime, feeling this really weird feeling - TIRED!!! Of course, my mind immediately explored new depths of the ridiculous, as you do. Am I dying? Quick! I need more energy - where's the rocket fuel?

Then it occurred to me. Oh. Tired. This is the feeling that so many of my new clients tell me about. Its been so long since I've felt under par that I didn't recognise it at first. Now I do. So, in the spirit of getting myself back to 110% energy levels, I'm going to stop writing now, enjoy a glass of wine, light the candles and truly relax.

How do YOU return to 100% energy when you're feeling low? Your comments are welcome (and might just help your correspondent get back on track!!)

Two Ways To Stick To Your New Year Fitness Resolutions

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

How are you progressing with your fitness resolutions for 2009? Still succeeding and enjoying your progress towards your goals, or have you given up?

If you’re having trouble sticking to your resolutions, here are some techniques to help you return to steady progress towards your goals.

1. Review Your Goals

Look at your list that you created a few weeks ago. Are your goals measurable? (e.g "be fit enough to enter 5km fun run" is a measureable goal. When you cross the finish line at your first 5km fun run you'll know you've reached it. But a goal like "get fit" is a bit vague, you won't really know when you've got there.) If you already have a measurable goal, is it reasonably achievable? If you were a couch potato last year, it's going to take several months of consistent effort to reach a goal like "enter a triathlon this year".

The best way to find out whether your fitness goals are reasonable is to check in with a personal trainer for a session. He or she will assess where you are now and give you advice on the most effective way to get to where you want to be.

Once you know that your goals are measurable and reasonable, paste them up in a prominent position, and look at them regularly. How will you feel when you reach that goal? Elated? Proud? Spend some time imagining the feeling whenever you think of your goal.

2. Flick the exercise gremlin off your shoulder

If you've been training consistently, you’ve probably already had a visit from the exercise gremlin. You're likely to meet this annoying creature two or three weeks into your new fitness regime. It will land on your shoulder and whisper soft, reassuring phrases into your ear like "you don't really need to work out today – you can do it tomorrow instead"; "you're too busy to exercise"; "its too cold/too hot/too rainy".

The exercise gremlin actually reflects your level of discomfort with change; the more uncomfortable you are with moving outside your comfort zone, the louder and more persistent the gremlin's visits will be.

We all have our personal 'comfort zone' where we know our place in the world and our relationship to others. We feel safe when we're functioning within our comfort zone. Change, whether planned or forced upon you, challenges your sense of yourself and automatically brings on feelings of resistance and discomfort.

There is really only one way to get rid of the annoying exercise gremlin, and overcome your natural resistance to change: Flick the gremlin off your shoulder and slip on those exercise shoes. Until you start seeing tangible results, the best way to get through is to just do it, no matter how you're feeling. Expect that you're going to have days when you just don't feel like exercising, but exercise anyway. Soon the irritating visits of the exercise gremlin will fade away, and you'll be feeling the benefits of a fitter you.

Becoming fitter is a gradual process. Be understanding with yourself, but keep moving forward!

How The Right Support Can Help You Achieve Your New Years Resolutions

Monday, January 05, 2009

Have you ever set a resolution on 31^st Decemberfor the coming year? Maybe you planned to stop eating donuts, start working outregularly at the gym, or even stop smoking. And yet only a few days into thenew year you’ve broken that carefully thought out resolution, and you’re backto your bad old ways. Your self esteem plummets again. How can you make sure you’llkeep your promise to yourself this time?

To start us off, I’ll let you in on my goal for 2009: I’vealways wanted to participate in a triathlon, so my fitness goal is to be at alevel at which I can participate by the end of the year. By telling you aboutthis goal I’ve already increased the chances I’ll get there. Why? Lettingothers know what I’m going to do will hold me accountable to whoever I’ve told.And I know they’ll call me on it – accountability makes me want to win, to not loseface.

How accountability can work foryou: Choose one or more people that you feelsafe with, and reveal your health and fitness goals to them. Even better, writethem down, hand over the piece of paper, and ask them to check in with you onthe due date. If you really want to add some spice to this process, offer tobuy them an expensive lunch if you don’t do what you say you’re going to!

Now, the next part of the process for you: To achieve mytriathlon goal, I have to take my fitness up to the next level. I’m alreadyreasonably fit, already working out six hours aweek with walking, weight training and boxing; but triathlon training requirestwice as much time, 13 hours of training a week, including running, cycling and swimming.Clearly, well outside my comfort zone. It would be all too easy to start training and give up again when thepain and the extra time gets inconvenient. But I’ve got support in the form of my personal trainer, Sandra Colvin. Sandracomes to some training sessions with me and for the other sessions I report inon my progress (there’s that accountability element again). She cheers me onwhen I’m going well, and encourages me when I’m running out of steam. (Thanks Sandra!)

How support can work for you:Choose a professional in the field whocan give you expert advice, encouragement and support. It’s like having yourown personal cheer squad. A professional knows just what you need to do, andwill identify your wobbly feelings about reaching your goals even before you do.

When choosing your support person, I highly recommend youchoose a professional. Friends and family relationship dynamics may get in theway of providing you with effective support.

ACTION THIS:

1. 1. Add your health andfitness goals to the comments below. I’ll remind you about them at the end ofthis year

2. 2. Engage a professional tohelp you get there – a personal trainer, nutritionist, counsellor, naturopath,hypnotist, whichever professional field best matches your goals. Do it now! (Ifyou’re not sure which could be the best professional for you, add your commentbelow and I’ll reply.)

How To Achieve Your Health Goals in 2009

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Have you noticed that some people who set health goals in the new year actually go out and complete them, while others have a go, get discouraged, and have given up within weeks? In my years of clinical practice treating hundreds of people, I've noticed that those who succeed use different techniques, and I'd like to share those techniques so you too can succeed with your health goals this year.

1. The first major difference is between 'commitment' and 'interest'. If you're 'committed' to achieving your health goal, you'll do whatever it takes to get there. (You'll feel pretty good about yourself when you succeed too.) If you're 'interested', you'll do what's convenient and give up at the first hurdle. (Guess how you'll feel then?)

2. Be specific about what you would like to achieve. Rather than just 'get fitter', write statements like 'work out three times a week' or 'learn to run five kilometres'. Rather than 'eat healthier' write specific targets like 'replace red meat with seafood four times a week'.

3. Beside each goal, write the first actions that take you in that direction. For example, if your goal is to work out three times a week, your first action is to join the gym or to engage a personal trainer. If your goal is to eat seafood four times a week, visit the seafood shop and buy that week's seafood meals.

4. Display your goals in a place where you'll be reminded often. Fridge doors are ideal, as are bathroom mirrors.

5. Enlist support of your friends and family wherever possible. When someone else knows your goals and what you've committed to doing, it makes it easier to keep your own promises to yourself! Enlisting the support of a trusted health professional can help you stay on track too, as you'll be required to 'report in' regularly!

6. Celebrate and reward yourself every time you reach a goal.

7. Finally, recognise that you won't do it perfectly the first time around. Everyone wanders off the path towards their goals from time to time. The ones who get to the finishing line of success are the ones who got back on track as soon as possible and kept heading in the direction of their dreams.

Good luck!

What is 'lymphatic drainage'?

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Ever heard the term ‘lymphatic drainage’? Our blood circulation is not the only circulatory system in the body. All cells in the body are bathed in fluid, and a system exists for circulating and cleaning this fluid. This is the lymph system, and its health can make a big difference in how energetic we feel from day to day.

Each cell ejects waste products, proteins or worn out materials. Because of the size of the waste particles, they cannot be re-absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The fluid surrounding the cell starts to move the waste towards the nearest lymph vessel, one of a whole system of blind-ended tubes through the body.

Once inside the tube, lymphatic fluid is propelled toward towards a lymph node. Although there are valves in the vessels to prevent backflow, and a small amount of muscle in the walls of the larger tubes, it’s mostly muscle movement that keeps the fluid moving toward the lymph nodes.

A lymph node is a collection of cells enclosing immune cells, ready to effectively engulf and destroy any foreign materials or waste. They can be as small as a pin head or as big as an almond. Some people can develop swollen lymph nodes during an infection – when there’s a lot more immune activity going on than usual.

Fluid may pass through many lymph nodes for cleaning. It is then returned to the bloodstream through a duct in the chest area. There are two major lymph channels, one for each side of the body, although they are not evenly distributed. Your lymphatic system processes about three litres of fluid every day.

Why is it called ‘drainage?’ The blood circulatory system has its own pump, the heart, which keeps blood moving through the body. The lymphatic system has no pump, and looks more like a series of pipes with regular ‘cleaning stations’ at certain points, before ‘draining’ the fluid back into the bloodstream.

How does this affect how you feel? Movement of lymphatic fluid around the body relies almost totally on muscle movement, because there is no pump. If you don’t move around much, waste materials tend to stay where they are. If your cells are bathed in waste materials rather than clean fresh fluid, you can feel very lethargic, as though you are carrying a lot of waste inside you – which you are!

Naturopaths can identify clogged lymphatics through an iris analysis.

The key to keeping your lymphatic system healthy is to exercise. Regular massage can really help too. So keep moving!

Don't feel like exercising today? Meet the exercise gremlin!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The decision has been made. You are going to get fit, feel terrific, boost your energy and improve your health. You might be planning to walk briskly 60 minutes every day, as a first step to regaining your fitness. You buy a new pair of walking shoes and a great outfit, and head out the first few mornings. Exercising feels great. You can feel your mood improving with each passing day, and your energy levels through the day are rising.

And then something odd happens. You wake up one morning with the exercise gremlin perched on your shoulder. This creature appears for most of us 2 to 3 days or 2 to 3 weeks into a new exercise regime. His mission is to deter you from training, so he offers a range of plausible reasons why you should not bother to train today: Its too cold, too hot, its raining, you are tired, you are too busy, the reasoning goes on and on. He sounds persuasive, and it can be easy to give in, pull the blankets back over your head and stay in bed.

After a couple of days like this your training program is in tatters, and you are back to your unfit, unmotivated self. How do you stop this gremlin from wrecking your best intentions? And why does he appear in the first place?

It's all about change. We are psychologically programmed to take actions which keep us feeling safe and secure. Change, whether forced on us or of our own choosing, is uncomfortable because it takes us out of that safe comfort zone. With change, its natural to feel challenged. The exercise gremlin is just your subconscious, urging you to stay safe: Stay the same as you always have; that way you will stay secure.
How soon the exercise gremlin appears depends on your personal level of comfort with change; if you usually find it difficult to change, the gremlin is likely to appear within the first day or two of training; if you are comfortable with change, he might not appear for a couple of weeks.

There is really only one effective way to outwit the exercise gremlin, and that is to ignore him. When he lands on your shoulder the moment you think about training, remind yourself of your goals. Recognise the gremlin for who he is, resistance to change, and head out to training anyway. It takes about six weeks for him to disappear. By then you will feel so much better that he will be easy to ignore when he does appear.
By the way, its easier to ignore the exercise gremlin when you can see and feel results from your efforts: So do not be afraid to enlist support from a professional trainer, individually or part of a group, to find the right level of training for you. You will get faster results this way, making it easier to say goodbye to regular visits from the exercise gremlin.

How To Create New Health Habits

Friday, November 14, 2008

Spring is a wonderful time of year, isn't it. I notice more people out and about in the mornings – training on bikes, or out jogging, or on their way to the gym for a class. Clearly many more of us are keen to get healthier now that the weather is warmer.

It made me ponder what it is that makes some people pick up a new health habit and just get on with it, while others give up trying after the first couple of days. Which category do you fit into? If you find it difficult to establish new health habits, like regular exercising, here are some tips to help you make the change successfully this time.

Our existing habits and routines add comfort and security to our lives. Its known as 'the comfort zone' for a good reason – it really is easier to keep doing what you've been doing, and your subconscious will cause you to feel uncomfortable if you try to step outside your comfort zone. To get past it, ignore the feelings of discomfort until your new habit is well established. Soon you'll be feeling so much better you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Let's say you decide that you're going to exercise every day, perhaps a 30 minute walk around your neighbourhood, or attending an aerobics class at the gym. Both these activities require commitment to get a result, and yet no-one will punish you if you don't do them either.

Your first step is to decide what your new health habit is going to be. Make it achievable, write it down and display it in a place where you will see it often. The first day or two will be fairly easy, but soon the exercise gremlin will land on your shoulder. This sneaky creature will whisper in your ear, explaining why you don't need to exercise (you did it yesterday, you're too tired, you can start again tomorrow…etc). This gremlin is actually your subconscious getting uncomfortable because you're moving outside your comfort zone. Flick the gremlin off your shoulder, slip on your exercise shoes and "just do it".

After a few weeks of successfully keeping your commitment to yourself, you'll feel so much better that its easy to flick the exercise gremlin off your shoulder on the rare occasions he visits you. Well done!

After a few months of carrying out your new health habit, you'll realise that it actually feels odd not to keep to your usual routine of daily exercise.

You can help yourself develop this new habit even more effectively by exercising at the same time every day. It will automatically become part of your routine. As we're all human, you might "fall off the wagon" a few times, but don't give up – just visualise how great you'll feel when you realise you've successfully established a new, healthy habit that's helping you enjoy life more.