Discover The Wisdom of Your Body

to create balance in all areas of your life.

Despite of all the efforts that have been made to help employees to manage stress at work statistics show that stress actually contributes to around half of all lost working days across Europe. 

Studies have shown that short periods of exposure to stress are associated with reactions such as sleep disturbance, changes in mood, fatigue, headaches and stomach irritability (1). Prolonged exposure to stress has been shown to be associated with a wide range of mental and physical health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, suicide attempts, sleep problems, back pain, chronic fatigue, digestive problems, autoimmune disease, poor immune function, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and peptic ulcers.  (2).

Other ‘human costs’ of stress at work include the emotional strain and reduction in quality of life experienced by family members.

Ultimately, stress will impose a significant financial burden on individuals, organisations and societies (3).

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2007) suggests that the overall cost to British employers of stress, anxiety and depression amounts to £1 035 per employee per year (€1 220). Of this total, £335 (€400) (32.4 %) is due to absenteeism, £605 (€710), or 58.4 %, to ‘presenteeism’ (Presenteeism is the reduction in an employees’ performance while present) and £95 to staff turnover (9.2 %).
We should not forget the cost of work related stress to stake holders either. For example, company reputation, brand and investor relations.

Parallel to this, as expected, prescription of antidepressants have been on the rise in the past decade. The consumption of antidepressants has increased by over 80% on average across EU member states in this period, among which Belgium is on the 5th place alongside Finland.

Antidepressants are not be the best choice to tackle stress related mental health problems as explained by Kelly Brogan, MD in bellow interview. She says that contrary to popular belief, depression is not typically the result of "low serotonin" levels, nor is it an imbalance that needs to be fixed with antidepressant drugs.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TEYOzCogM

There are no studies that show a better outcome in those prescribed antidepressants long term, while side effects are well documented; long term antidepressant treatment even compromises the known benefits of exercise! Studies show that long term use of antidepressants have side effects as suicide, violence, bleeds, or even suppressed libido and sexual dysfunction, indifference (or "medication spell-binding" as Dr. Peter Breggin calls it), or weight gain and dysglycemia. 
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WHAT SHALL WE DO, WHEN WE CAN'T AVOID STRESS?

Instead of treating stress with drugs, let's take a step back and listen to the body.
All of us have various signals to discover and understand.

Let's connect the two hemispheres of the brain,and create harmony within body and mind!

With the Discover the Wisdom workshop we offer the best support in this personal journey.

Come and join the next session on the 16 November, 10am-1pm, in the Tree of Life Tervuren;

contact: info@nonoage.com

References:
1.Beswick et al., 2006; Chandola, 2010
2.Bosma et al., 1998; Guglielmi and Tatrow, 1998; Belkic et al., 2000; Stansfeld et al., 2000; Beswick et al., 2006; Sobeih et al., 2006; Stansfeld and Candy, 2006; Cohen, 2012
3. European Commission, 2002; EU-OSHA, 2009

Which fish pregnant should eat

Fish is the primary dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that we can’t synthesize, we have to eat.  Because they are necessary for optimal fetal brain, eye development it’s recommended for pregnant women to consume a high amount of fish. However.

Most man-made emissions are released from burning coal laced with mercury.  Mercury moves through the air and is deposited in water and finds its way into fish, accumulating especially in fish that are higher up the food chain.

Mercury can cross the placenta to harm the rapidly developing nervous system, including the brain.  Studies (in Boston, New York, Krakow, Seychelles Islands, Granada, etc)  associated prenatal methylmercury exposure with impaired developments of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, resulting in learning difficulties, poor coordination and inability to concentrate.

Therefore pregnant women and nursing mothers should be aware of better and worst choices when it comes to seafood items, so they can choose wisely:  E.g.  low mercury choices include shrimp, salmon, sardines, tilapia, scallops, clams and mussels, pollock, crabs, catfish flounder and sole.

Generally high mercury levels were found in tuna, marlin, shark, barracuda and swordfish.

(Sources: Emily Oken, MD, MPH, Harvard Medical School – Perspective on potential benefits and harms of fish consumption; Edward Groth, PhD for Zero HG An Overview of Epidemiological Evidence on the Effects of Methylmercury on Brain Development, and a Rational for a Lower Definition of Tolerable Exposure;) 

Alkalizing Indian Vegetable dish - 15 minutes

Carrot with Beetroot Indian way

India is huge with lots of different kitchen just like Europe. The Indian restaurants here are offering us only a narrow slice of the otherwise large cake. My husband for instance is Marwadi Indian, and their traditional meals are absolutely unknown at this part of the world. Yet it’s so-so delicious and so-so healthy! Having finished a dish he prepared we often test their affect with pH indicator, and guess what, it’s always alkaline. It means their ingredients help the chemical lab of our body to maintain the required pH of our blood (always pH7.35-7.45).

Let’s see how we can make this Carrot Beetroot dish in 15 minutes:

For 2 portions: 2 carrots, 1 beetroot, 1 teaspoon of Roman cumin seed, 1 chili, 3 table spoon grinded dry coconut, 1 onion, salt, 1/5 coffee spoon turmeric, olive oil.

Heat up the oil in a pan and throw the chili and the cumin. Before it got burnt add the carrot chopped to cubes, and about 5 minutes later the similarly chopped beet root. We sate them until they get relatively soft. Never over cook the vegetables!

In the meantime we heat up the oil in another pan for the finely chopped onion. Before we got it off the fire we add the turmeric and salt. When the vegetables are half soft, we add the onion and the coconut, and we are done.

Serve it with chapatti or with brown rice, and enjoy.

Reverse early menopause, slow down menopause

Those with menopause or early menopause, if you want to reverse or slow down the process, it's absolutely possible! Lot of "Avi Ladies" managed to do so.

Please, along the exercises take your entire lifestyle under radar. Diet is pivotal!

1.GRAINS - The types cultivated today are easier to process than digest. They suppress 7-12 different hormones that play important role in aging. Avoid pastas, pizzas, bread and go for rice, rice based pasta, corn, gluten free bread. Delicious gluten free recipes you can find here: Alkalizing Thai Curry , Alkalizing Aphrodiziac, Poha -and more to come.

2. ALCOHOL- according to the studies of Dr Hertogh even 1 glass of alcohol/day decreases your HGH (Human Growth Hormone, one of the most important hormone in aging) with 70-75%. He says we need to stay away from it at least 5 days a week, if 2 days off he closes his eyes above...

3. SWEETS - we talked a lot about sugar from other point of view, it also impairs the secretion of those hormones that keep us young, so as reproductive hormones!!!

4. which FOOD can INCREASE REPRODUCTIVE HORMONE levels -part I. - focus on progesterone: see former article

5. Lower FSH: eat more Chickpeas, Cinnamon and Salmon.

SLOW DOWN AGING -I. Ladies, Increase Progesterone

Progesterone helps preventing breast cysts, ovarian cysts, and uteral fibroids.

The better a woman ovulates the more progesterone she produces.

 

TWO NATURAL WAYS to STIMULATE PROGESTERONE

 1. Aviva Progesterone or Ovulation Stimulating Exercises:
These exercises are so different from any other sort of exercises I ever tried! They really focus on the area of the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, you feel how they are twisting and stretching or folding into two.
As a trainer I'm very impressed by their affect!


In my Endo-Gym groups currently 4 of the girls are pregnant. Medically all 4 of them had slight or even 0 chance foreseen to conceive. The surprising thing is, that 2 of the pregnant girls conceived just right after these exercises. As we tested several times, generally about two-three days after exercising ovulation happens. (Sometimes even out of the cycle.)

Aviva, developer of the method, sais that  you can optimize your reproductive hormone levels and energize your system by practicing the AvivaBasicSteps. If in half year time you still don't have a good estrogen/progesterone balance, you need to start the AvivaOvu exercises.
They are fantastic I have to say.
When ever I just show them while teaching I feel my ovaries.

They not only stimulate circulation  in and around the inner organs of the lower abdomen, but they twist, fold and pull the Fallopian Tubes and the entire surrounding area. When practicing them we feel more heat than after the Basic Steps and a sense of static accumulation around the reproductive organs. It's very important to maintain this heat and energy by drinking hot tea or covering the belly with warm cloths afterwards. And right after it's to avoid hot bath or shower though.

We hold Enod-Gym sessions in the Eu Committee on Rue Belliard/Brussels, in the Eu Commission in Beualieu, in Yoga House Tervuren, and in Vossem. For Timetable click here.
HORMONE WORKSHOPS we hold once a month in Tervuren/Belgiumand in several times NewYork in August. Time table see here.
Get in touch: info@nonoage.com or +32 4999 85091

2. Diet
When it comes to diet, high-quality protein from organic meat and fish, Indian lentils, as well as healthy fats such as egg yolk, coconut oil and butter, will improve progesterone levels. An unprocessed, nutrient-rich (organic) diet is fundamental.
Progesterone can also be increased by several nutritional supplements, including vitamin A. Some sources warn though, that as a supplement Beta-carotene is the safest in order to avoid overdose.

Eating dairy products or fish can supply vitamin A. Some fruits and vegetables, especially those that are orange or dark green, like carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, dark green leafy vegetables and apricots,  contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.

 As a general rule fat-soluble vitamins have a beneficial effect on sex hormones.

Fat-soluble vitamins are the A, D, E and K.
They are not heat sensitive, don't loose value by cooking.
On the contrary of water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins get stored in the liver and fatty tissues, and are eliminated much more slowly than water-soluble vitamins. It's often said that overdose of these vitamins may cause toxicity. Yet, lately the required daily dose is going through lot of reevaluation and still there is no clear conclusion across the different medical sources.
 


********Sources: Aviva Gabriella Steiner, Livia Toth, Dr Thierry  Hertoghe, Dr Joseph Mercola,

Episiotomy and Perineal Tearings

HOW TO PREVENT EPISIOTOMY or ANY PERINEAL TEARINGS DURING CHILDBIRTH

While preparing for my sun’s delivery 2 year ago, one of the most important points I was focusing on was how to avoid episiotomy. (Episiotomy is a surgical cut made in the lower opening of the vagina to enlarge it prior to birth) I can’t tell you exactly why it was so important to me…  One never thinks she would be that uniquely tragic case when the cut happens to be far too long which irreparably goes all the way to the anus and this way puts an end on lot of good things in life… I certainly heard from a midwife that there is a good research to show that episiotomy may precipitate more extensive tearing at the perineum.  Anyways, I thought if it’s possible to deliver without any cuts, I’d like to do it that way.

First of all I talked to other moms in my neighborhood. As a result I chose an obstetrician, who was the obstetrician of one of those moms who managed to deliver without episiotomy.  (Van Dijck Roland / Heilig Hart / Leuven, Belgium).

Secondly when we met for the first time, I asked him, how he relates to episiotomy; whether he’s ready to work with me on avoiding it. Some obstetricians –I would say from the old school- administer episiotomy automatically… According to my experience at first delivery in Colombo, Sri Lanka, delivering without it requires a team work. Meaning that the obstetrician takes the new mom and all her reaction into consideration.  At one point my doctor in Colombo asked me to push slowly, gently, so no sudden tearings would occur-he said. With my second pregnancy I was in Belgium, and I asked  Dr Van Dijck’s opinion. His response was satisfying. Even cooperative obstetricians would not say, “oh no, I would never do that horrible thing!”, just keeping the door slightly open they would say  “If it’s possible I would not administer episiotomy”.  So I went ahead with him. 

Later on during my pregnancy I met the wonderful Dr. Francesca Spada, mother of 3. She explained me how to do the perineum massage, which helps to prevent episiotomy.  Here you can see: perineum massage on you tube

I also knew that prevention starts with good nutrition, because tissue that is exposed to a good diet will have more elasticity. My diet is super good, and it made me quite self-confident despite of my age (above 40), and despite of the way doctors looked at me during my pregnancy due to my age... 

I brought warm compresses to the delivery room, that we did apply for a bit right before the pushing phase, but eventually didn’t have the energy to deal with it seriously.  

One of my nurses recommended the side position as well. It’s said to be one of the best ones in avoiding any unwanted tearings. Because of some reason eventually I delivered in the classical position laying on the back… this carries the highest risk.

Next day after delivery the kinesiologue asked if I can sit on a chair, “of course”- I said proudly.  “So you did the perineum massage?” - She smiled. –“I’ve never met anyone who needed episiotomy after applying perineum massage.” Working at the delivery department in a city hospital she’s met thousands of new moms, she knows what she sais I reckon!

GIRLS in my AVIVA CLASSES found FURTHER GYNEACOLOGS and Midwifes, whom they had good experience with:

Dr Francesca Spada / St Luc and Medicis / is very opened with regards to alternative approaches. She's knowledgeable in pregnancy diabetes diet and perineum massage as well, with which you can avoid episiotomy during delivery. She herself is a mother of three, her last kid was 5kg whom she delivered without episiotomy. Expect a long waiting list, she's busy!

http://www.medicis.be

http://www.saintluc.be

Dr Frederic Buxant is very considerate when it comes to the client as a person. http://www.cmce.be/.

Dr. Soto, finds it a failure if he has to administer episiotomy. He's got a busy schedule, quickest to get appointment to him at Louise Medical Center

Cavell: 02 340 4340 (http://chirec.be/en/)

Centre O+ Medical, Saint-Gilles: 02 537 9092 (http://oplusmedical.be/)

Louise Medical Center, Ixelles: 02 534 2999 (http://www.louise-medicalcenter.be/)

HORMONE WORKSHOPS in Tervuren / Belgium once a month and several times in New York in the course of August. Timetable see here.

Practice Classes in Eu Commission Brussels, Eu Committee Brussels, Vossem, Tree Yoga Tervuren; Timetable see here.

get in touch: info@nonoage.com. 

register: +32 / 04999 85091

My Shape after half year of Aviva Practice

It's really fun to practice the Aviva Method in groups. The sessions we start with gland stimulating exercises to warm up the body all over, especially glands like hypophyisis, thyroid, ovaries, etc. These exercises are followed by the Aviva 18 basic steps.  This takes 30 minutes.

The Aviva Basics do a great job on the back, buttocks and pelvic muscles apart from all the other benefits.
 
Yet, we thought with the girls, that we can enhance the affect on our visible parts: abdomen and buttocks. Half year ago we started to add an extra 5-7 minutes of focused work on this area. *Those who practice the Aviva  Method to fix infertility problems do stretching in this 5-7 minutes.

Looking at the mirror the other day, I realized that the result of the past half year is quite visible. I can go back to my two peace suit on the beach :) Would you tell that I've got 2 kids and I am above 40?

AVIVA METHOD!!!

Upcoming Initiations: once a month in Tervuren / Belgium.
Timetable see here.
Practice classses in the Eu Commission, Brussels, Eu Committee Brussels, Vossem, Tree Yoga House Tervuren;
TimeTable see here.
Information: nonoage.com
Registration: +32 4999 85091

Getting Back To My Favorite Skirt -after the break

I gained some extra kilos during the holidays… It’s not that I became fat, but on one hand it made me feel clumsy, on the other hand my new skirt, that I’d bought before the break,…well, it didn’t fit me anymore. Awkward, isn’t? And, if it wasn’t all over, I couldn’t even talk about it. It was so, so annoying!

The Intermittent Fasting saved me and my skirt.

Intermittent Fasting means that twice a week we eat the last meal of the day till 7pm, and the day next we start eating only at 11am. Or the last meal is finished by 6pm and the day next we can start at 10am.

It sounds so much easier for me just skip one meal twice a week than restrict the variety of my choices throughout the entire week.

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING? 

Dr M. Mosely (The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting)explains:

It takes most people eight to 12 hours for their body to burn the sugar stored as glycogen. Now, most people eat three or more meals a day consequently they never deplete their glycogen stores. This way you teach your body to burn sugar as your primary fuel and effectively shuts off your ability to use fat as a fuel.

Therefore, in order to burn fat naturally, without spending hours in the GYM, the length between the two meals must be at least eight hours, ideally 16! For instance  you could restrict your eating to the hours of 11am and 7pm. This equates to a daily fasting of 16 hours—twice a week the minimum required to deplete your glycogen stores and start shifting into fat burning mode. 

WHY IS IT SO BENEFICIAL?

One of the primary mechanisms that makes intermittent fasting so beneficial for health is related to its impact on your insulin sensitivity. While sugar is a source of energy for your body, it also promotes insulin resistance when consumed in the amounts found in our modern processed food diets. Insulin resistance, in turn, is a primary driver of chronic disease—from heart disease to cancer. Mounting research confirms that when your body becomes accustomed to burning FAT instead of sugar as its primary fuel, you rather dramatically reduce your risk of chronic disease. Becoming fat adapted may even be a key strategy for both cancer prevention and treatment, as cancer cells cannot utilize fat for fuel—they need sugar to thrive.

In short, fasting increases insulin sensitivity along with mitochondrial energy efficiency, thereby retarding aging and disease, which are typically associated with loss of insulin sensitivity and declined mitochondrial energy. Two additional mechanisms by which fasting benefits your body include:

1. Reducing oxidative stress – Fasting decreases the accumulation of oxidative radicals in the cell, and thereby prevents oxidative damage to cellular proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids associated with aging and disease.
2. Increasing capacity to resist stress, disease and aging – Fasting induces a cellular stress response (similar to that induced by exercise) in which cells up-regulate the expression of genes that increase the capacity to cope with stress and resist disease and aging. 

HOW WILL I LOOK in 2 WEEKS: