Welcome to the February 2011 issue of the LaVida Health Newsletter.

LaVida Health Services

- Naturopathy
- Herbal Medicine
- Nutrition
- Myotherapy
- Massage Therapy
- Hypnotherapy
- Homoeopathy

In this Issue

	Introduction
	To Detox or not...that is the question!
	How's your posture?
	What's new on our website...
	Tweet, tweet...
	We love hearing from you....
	Disclaimer...

Website Articles

Click here to visit the News and Views articles section of the LaVida Health website, where you will find comments on items appearing in the media, information about specific health issues, and other titbits.

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Introduction

Hello and welcome to the first LaVida Newsletter for 2011.  I hope you have had a good start to the year but if you've been affected by all that Mother Nature has thrown at us recently I hope that things are on the improve.

Welcome to those of you who are receiving our newsletter for the first time. I hope you find the information contained within interesting. This newsletter is published every two months and contains information on different topics related to health and wellbeing.

In this newsletter, I thought I would discuss the reasons for "detoxing" and our myotherapist, Eri Yoshida, has some tips for you to help maintain good posture.

Until next time, you can keep up to date with us on Twitter.

Yours in good health,

Kaye Wright
Naturopath and owner

To Detox or not...that is the question!

There seems to be dozens of "Detox Programmes" floating around.  You can even buy them in the supermarket.  But a lot of people say they are a waste of time and money and all you need to do is eat well.

I certainly agree that adopting a  healthy diet and lifestyle is the best, and most cost effective way (in the long term), of achieving and maintaining good health as you age, however it is easier said than done for most of us. 

Work pressures, family commitments, pre-existing health issues, lack of education about food and cooking, city living and even living in the 21st century can all get in the way of achieving and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.  Yes, it is true that if you get the necessary nutrients out of your diet, your liver, kidneys and other pathways of elimination will have what they need to perform their functions.  But what if you don't get the necessary nutrients, or what if your body is being asked to do more than it can cope with (a bit like being permanently short staffed).  At some point (either now or later) your health may suffer. 

So, a review of your current diet and lifestyle, combined with a "detox" if necessary and some practical dietary advice can help to prevent problems arising down the track.  You can either choose an "off the shelf package" (if so, study it carefully to ensure it matches your needs and can actually deliver the results you are looking for) or you can work with a naturopath to tailor a plan to suit your needs within the context of your daily lifestyle.

Think of a Detox for your body as being a bit like a service for your car.  You don't usually wait until your car actually breaks down before you get it serviced.  You have it serviced at appropriate intervals to ensure it is working efficiently.  It's the same with a Detox.  Another way to look at a Detox is to consider it like a "holiday for your liver". It's a good idea to give it a rest occassionally. 

Clues that your body might be in need of a "detox" include but are not limited to:

• history of exposure to chemicals,
• high intake of coffee, alcohol, cigarette smoke, drugs and other stimulants,
• poor or limited diet,
• lack of sleep,
• unusually high levels of physical or emotional stress
• lack of exercise/exposure to fresh, unpolluted air.

So, if you are driving your body hard it's wise to give it a bit of TLC every now and then to help it do everything you ask of it.

How's your posture?

Here is some advice from Eri, our resident myotherapist:

For many of us, holding a sustained posture may be unavoidable for work, recreational or social activities, but it can also be a stress on the body.  Poor posture increases strain on our spine and the lower limbs and bad habits such as slouching, crossing your legs or inactivity only contributes to tension, weakness and soreness.  Furthermore, those who are under stress or are easily stressed are more likely to develop poor posture.

Good posture maintains the natural curve of the spine, improves breathing and circulation, allows minimum stress to each joint and requires minimal muscle activity in order to maintain the position.  Unfortunately, the postural muscles are often prone to tightness but this can be corrected (as long as you do not have a pre-existing structural problem).

Some signs and symptoms of poor posture include:

• Rounded shoulders (resulting from tight "Pecs" and shoulder muscles, weak neck or back muscles)
• Back, shoulders or neck pain
• Gluteal pain
• Muscular weakness
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Head position is not neutrally aligned (leans forward, backward or to the side)
• Forward tilting of the hips
• Increased curve in the lumbar spine
• Potbelly
• Bent knees when standing or walking

So, if you think some of these things might apply to you, here are some tips for maintaining good posture:

• When seated make sure your hips are far back in the chair as you can, your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are slightly lower than your hips. Recline the back of the chair in an angle between 100°-110°.  Place a lumbar roll or a cushion to support the lower back in order to maintain the curvature.  Try not to cross your legs at the knees.
• When working on the computer, centre the screen and keyboard directly in front of you. Position the screen 10cm-15cm above your eye level and sit at least an arm's length away from the screen.
• Stretch your neck and back muscles periodically for 1-2mins, and move as much as possible.
• Exercise regularly to improve muscle strength and tone, especially your abdominal muscles.
• When standing your feet should be shoulder width apart.
• Avoid carrying heavy things to one side, and always bend at the knees.
• Avoid carrying bags on one shoulder.
• Avoid high heels
• Use a pillow that supports your neck and is not too high.

And don't forget an occassional myotherapy session can be very beneficial for treating all those sore and aching muscles and joints and helping you to maintain good posture (especially as you get older). 

(Note from Kaye: if you don't know what myotherapy is, check out our website for more information).

What's new on our website...

Since the last newsletter, I have posted the following articles in the News and Views section of our website:

• The challenges of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
• Achieving your New Year's Resolutions
• A book review on The Essence of Health by Dr Craig Hassed
• Information about 2009 Victorian Bushfires Wellness Vouchers
• New research on the use of zinc for treatment of the common cold.

You can catch up with these articles by clicking on the link under Website Articles in the lefthand column of this newsletter.

Tweet, tweet...

I have recently become a convert to Twitter and I am enjoying the challenge of finding relevant and interesting health and wellbeing tips to share with my followers.  Sometimes I link back to the News and Views articles on our website but often I will simply post a link to other sites or online articles if I feel they have something credible and useful to say. 

If you want to learn more about how to improve and maintain your health and vitality, why not follow me on Twitter.  Just click on the link in the lefthand column of this newsletter and I'll see you there!

We love hearing from you....

If you have any questions relating to any of the above or suggestions for topics you would like covered in subsequent newsletters, please feel free to email me at info@lavidahealth.com.au or call LaVida Health on 9620 9503.

Disclaimer...

Naturally, the advice in this newsletter is of a general nature for educational purposes and should not be taken as a substitute for personalised advice from your healthcare professional. It is provided in good faith without any express or implied warranty. If you have, or suspect you have, a medical condition you should seek expert advice prior to taking any supplements or treatments.

Self-diagnosis and treatment may be ineffective, costly and possibly even harmful in some circumstances.