Editor's Letter
Sitting in an early grave?
Do you sit for hours every day? You don't have to be at a desk working to fall in the category of those leading a sedentary life. A study of the habits of nearly 8 000 adults has shown a direct relationship with risk of early death for people who sit for excessively long periods of time. Not only people who are totally sedentary are at greater risk – the length of time spent sitting without movement has a harmful effect, even if people exercise at other times.
When sitting time was measured, participants’ risk of death grew in tandem with total sitting time and sitting stretch duration – irrespective of their age, sex, race, body mass index or exercise habits.
The good news is that people who sat for no longer than 30 minutes at a time had the lowest risk of early death. The study did not investigate why sitting for long periods should have had this effect – this will be the subject of future research, but the important message is to get up and move around every half-hour if you can.
April is IBS month. IBS or Irritable bowel syndrome, is the most common gastrointestinal condition worldwide. In this issue we look at the short term use of GAPS and low FODMAP diets that are not intended as life-long solutions. Once healing has taken place and there has been a resolution in symptoms, the hope is to move onto a less restrictive and nutrient-dense diet. See this very helpful article by nutritional therapist Hannah Kaye. In our next issue, will focus on IBS itself as a debilitating functional disorder, which includes widely varied symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation and/or diarrhoea.
THANK YOU TO OUR EXPERTS
Our authors receive no payment or any other form of remuneration from us or from the industry. They take time out from their busy schedules to write articles to inspire and educate. Here’s to all of them! May their tireless and tremendous efforts bring them well-deserved rewards.
Yours in Healthy Living
Fodmaps & Gaps in the Management of IBS
Table of Contents ↑|While dietary changes may be the most difficult to make and implement, the benefit is that they may ultimately offer a long-term solution to a very difficult and debilitating condition. Neither GAPS nor low FODMAP are intended as life-long diets. Once healing has taken place and there has been a resolution in symptoms, the hope is to move onto a less restrictive and nutrient-dense diet. If implemented correctly, they certainly won’t cause any harm and may offer a sustainable solution in a difficult economic climate.
Constipation Conundrum
Table of Contents ↑|I have not ‘gone’ (again) for four days. And this is happening more and more regularly. I feel uncomfortable and worried. When I do go, its like small pellets that I pass with difficulty. What can I take that is natural? I don’t want to walk into a pharmacy and ask for laxatives. This is all so embarrassing. K.A
Bach Flower Essences and Tissue Salts relate to Astrology
Table of Contents ↑|The ‘Treasury of the Invisible’ in the quotation refers to the ‘Divine Order’ where the archetypes of all manifestation are to be found. It also refers to the vertical causes in contrast to the horizontal causes with which the ordinary physician is concerned. As we know, natural medicine, just like astrology, is concerned with the vertical causes – ‘the inter relation between the domains of the spirit, the soul and the body’.
Spotlight on Fertility
Table of Contents ↑|I am concerned that my husband and I will not be able to have children. We have been trying for some time. Are we possibly infertile? Infertility should be a concern to those who have been unable to successfully fall pregnant after trying for more than one year.
The Trunk of the Family Tree
Table of Contents ↑|As a parent, therapist and teacher, I love to watch people blossom. I honour each child as I do each parent, for without each other no learning can take place. Parenting is a highly dynamic job and requires a variety of different skills – however, every parent is rewarded with opportunities for awareness and transformation.
Thin is Fit – or is it?
Table of Contents ↑|Yes, it is possible to be thin but unfit! To maintain or increase lean body mass, you need to look at both diet and a comprehensive exercise programme. You’ll not only lose fat, but experience considerable health benefits.
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