The amount of quality protein in our diet is the single most important factor in influencing fat loss and lean body mass. Quality protein also helps you sustain muscle during weight loss, improve muscle fitness, improve immunity and improve antioxidant function – all of which contribute towards optimal fitness levels over time.

Every month I create recipes that incorporate nutritional ingredients and try them out in the Evolution Organics Kitchen, tweaking as I go. I tried these pancakes last week for my breakfast and loved them – they made a nice change. It’s good for our bodies to alternate from where we obtain our protein plus not everyone has the time to make a substantial meal. With these pancakes at least you know your body is getting a good quality protein hit. I used Sun Warrior Blend Vanilla Protein but you could experiment with others.

Sun Warrior Blend Protein is a raw, plant-based protein – an easily-digestible, nutrient- dense superfood, perfect for those who want to be ultra-healthy and fit. It’s the perfect protein for managing weight, curbing appetite, raising metabolism and giving you lots of energy.

So here’s the recipe and I hope you like it:

Ingredients

• 1 scoop (30g) Sun Warrior Blend Protein
• 4 tbls oats
• ½ ripe banana
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Couple drops of vanilla extract
• 10 drops of stevia
• 150ml almond or oat milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• Coconut butter for frying

Method

Mix the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the mashed banana and the beaten egg. Then slowly add the almond or oat milk until you have a runny mixture. If it’s too thick add some more milk. Add 1 tbls of coconut butter to your frying pan, once hot add a large spoonful of your mixture to the pan. Cook for about 2mins on each side until lovely and golden. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest.

Serve hot with berries, sliced banana and a small drizzle of maple syrup!

So, in our Evolution Organics kitchen, we have created a delicious and quick way to get these life-changing nutrients inside our bodies. Who doesn’t love a smoothie? Especially when it tastes of creamy chocolate!

Let me explain why you should be using these superfoods regularly, and by the end I’m sure you’ll be reaching for your blender.

Hemp seeds

Hemp “seeds” are really not seeds at all, they are actually a fruit. Tiny and round they have a mild and slightly nutty flavor. They aren’t crunchy like nuts and slightly softer in texture, tasting a bit like pine nuts but with a milder flavour.  They are a perfect and natural blend of easily digestible vegan protein, containing lots of essential fats, vitamins and enzymes. And, all amino acids essential for optimum health are found in hemp seeds! They are perfect for increasing energy levels, improving recovery of muscles after exercise and lowering blood pressure.

Goji Berries

Goji berries grow on an evergreen shrub found in temperate and subtropical regions in China, Mongolia and in the Himalayas in Tibet. They are usually consumed dried and are shrivelled red berries that look like red raisins! Goji berries are extremely rich in antioxidants, amino acids and vitamin C. And are great for boosting your immune system,,improving circulation and promoting longevity.

Raw Cacao

Raw cacao beans contain possibly the world’s most concentrated source of antioxidants found in any food. Be sure to attain certified organic raw cacao in a powder, nib or whole bean form as the temperature will have never been allowed to exceed 40°C thus allowing all the heat-sensitive vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to remain intact. Raw Cacao is extremely high in magnesium which has been found to be the most common deficient major mineral in most, even following a balanced diet. Raw cacao beans have a very high antioxidant score which is 14 times more than red wine and 21 times more than green tea…so now you don’t need any excuse to eat chocolate!

Maca

Maca is a very special root vegetable grown high up in the mountains of Peru and is a nutrient packed food that contains an array of minerals, essential amino acids, vitamins and enzymes. Herbalists call it an Adaptogen which is the term used to describe a healthy product which works with the rhythms and needs of your body.  Maca can increase your energy levels, improve physical endurance and give you an overall feeling of wellbeing.

So you see I really had to tell you about these wonderful superfoods and give you a recipe where it’s easy to incorporate them into your daily diet.  I hope you like it!

 Ingredients

•  1 frozen banana (you don’t have to use frozen but I find it makes the drink a little creamier)
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp goji berries
• 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp maca powder
• 300ml almond or oat milk
• Couple of ice cubes

 Method

 Blend all ingredients on high in a blender until smooth

I see in the ‘main stream’ health world a perpetual bombardment and focus on products and activates that are all, to varying degrees, peripheral to the foundations of health, to the elements that in the long term become the determinate factors of your true health and wellbeing.

Discover The essential nature of your health.

Over the years I find that I spend more time discussing and debating with clients as to what the essential nature of health actually is. The point being that the deeper ones understand of health the clearer it is what a person really needs to do to be well and the more compelling it is to get straight to the point.  The apparent paradox that I see almost every day is that those people who have the most pain (either physical and or psychological) are the ones who will defend their position (all be it a very painful one) the hardest.  And who will not want to accept or believe in the actions they may need to take to become well or healthy even though that acceptance is evidentially in their best interest! It is the same mind set and emotional experience that both resists and causes the pain so there resistance is the evidence of the necessity to transcend it in order to heal.

Be like the water in a mighty river – hold no position, flow around the rocks and bends with ease always possessing the potential of incredible power!

As I have come to see holding and defending a position that is the cause of pain is the normal stance. For this reason I want to premise this discussion with the matter of ‘holding a position’ and why even in the scientific world this is not a sensible psychological bearing as it leads to looking to verify and reinforce ones view point whilst shutting out alternative ideas. This can lead to potentially dismissing concepts without giving consideration to either there potential validity generally and to the potential they may have in changing the very situation which is causing the problem, in this case less than optimal health.

I have learnt to walk in the direction of holding a ‘positionless position’ as a therapist and healer this is the only integrous outlook to take. When assessing someone in any respect we need to simply look for the truth of what is occurring rather than to back up or confirm a theory or presumption of what we think may be arising. This must also be the same with learning whether that is science or philosophy, objective or subjective. To move forwards to grow and in this context to heal and be healthy we have to be prepared to change our thinking and to let it evolve… change is not defeat.

This in turn means that the wise must learn to trust the wiser. We need to be able to read the works of people that have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of understanding there subjects in the clear knowledge that they may know more than us. It’s then our undertaking to understand their work and to then either verify its accuracy and agree until proven otherwise or to develop our own theory and present that to the wider world in the hope that it might nudge things in the direction of greater understanding and truth.

What is it about a meditative or contemplative practice that connects to the essential nature of health?

So with all this in mind we can now look at why a meditative practice is so intimately linked to the experience of true health and vitality. Firstly we have to look at what it is to be healthy.

The oxford English dictionary states:

• The state of being free from illness or injury: he was restored to health
• A person’s mental or physical condition: bad health forced him to retire

So from these simple statements we can see that it is generally considered that health is both mental and physical. It can then be observed clinically very clearly that a disease in either aspect can negatively affect the other and then bounce off each other creating a negative spiral or decent in to a worse condition.

It is my observation that the primary source of disease and so ill health can start in either the physical of the psychological and then spread to the other. The point is that if the psychological state is good the physical can be overcome in a much quicker and more profound way and the problem can be resolved, however if the psychological state is bad then it can be very problematic to resolve the physical. This then demonstrates that the foundational issue is the psychological and emotional state. So if health is both physical and psychological and the psychological is the foundation then what is the psychological and emotional state that we would deem to be a ‘healthy state’?  I would say that the state would be one of happiness and contentment, if we are truly happy and content is there anything ells to add?

In this state of happiness the parasympathetic nervous system will be dominant which means increased muscular relaxation, improved digestion, improved cognitive function and decision making and much more, so we can see how the emotional state of happiness has direct physical health consequences.

So then happiness is the primary base connecting emotion to health as in this state not only are we happy and content (which is good!) but we are reflexively positively influencing the physical condition in an upward spiral of health and healing.

The essential practises of health and what they can offer

How then does a meditative or contemplative practice bring me to the healing and healthy state of happiness!

Consider it this way, we have thoughts and we experience emotions as a result of and as a consequence of the thoughts that we have. However are the thoughts we have actually real outside out own minds? No. our thoughts are things that pop up in our head as a result of things that have happened in the past and things that we think may happen in the future.

These thoughts will reflect different emotions in the body, if we think about something we perceive as devastating in our past what are the dominant emotions that we experience? Perhaps anger, regret, shame and if we then project in to the future allot of the time we may create the emotions of fear or anxiety.

Meditative practice then allows us to train the mind to take less if any notice of the thoughts that create the negative emotional states that lead to ill health and disease. In time and with practice slowly like the rising of the sun the emotion of happiness begins to take the place simply because the clouds of the negative emotions have gone. This then suggests that happiness and contentment are our foundational state and so in turn we can see that health is our foundational state… thinking just gets in the way!

So the key to health is a meditative practice. Simply sit in a quite calm and relaxing space. Breathe deeply and slowly in to you belly, spend some time inwardly observing your breath, following it up and down. When you feel ready observe your thoughts and practice letting them go rather than getting involved and jumping in to the paper chase of thought.

There are many texts on meditation, if your truly interested in your health why not begin the journey of exploration… I can assure you it’s a fascinating and rewarding exploration!

Good luck!

In health and happiness

Henry Maitland

Could one of these be your 'missing link'? Buy Dr Mercola core 5 supplements today!

There are clearly many assumptions made with regards to the products that we buy, assumptions about the quality of the products and so in turn the health benefits derived from them. There seems to be a general opinion that if it’s sold in the shops it must be safe and must have the health benefits that have been stated.

This is sadly far from the truth; I would say that many so called health products are still produced for profit and not with your best interest at heart. It is good that so many people are trusting as the basis of their nature; however this is of serious disadvantage if we assume that that all fish oils, vitamins, antioxidants and other such products are all of equal nutritional value.

This is why I like Dr Mercola’s products, he gets all his thinking and research on the table, he genuinely does take his own supplements and his whole business is based on his reputation for creating excellent quality products that are actually good for you.
So let’s find out from Dr Mercola which supplements he recommends as the most important ones to take every day to maintain optimum health and energy.

Dr Mercola’s Core 5 supplements for men and women

Here are Dr Mercola’s top supplement best-of-the-best recommendations — the ones he feels can best complement your smart diet and help optimize your health:

• Dr Mercola Krill Oil
• Dr Mercola Enhanced Bio Activity CoQ10 Ubiquinol
• Dr Mercola Complete Probiotics
• Dr Mercola Purple Defence
• Dr Mercola Multivitamin + Plus (with Vital Minerals)

You must be curious about why Dr Mercola has personally chosen these supplements. After all, we know that Dr Mercola is opposed to taking supplements that don’t truly complement your healthy diet.

Well, there’s no better place to start than at the top…

1. Why Krill is King
This pure marine oil has many benefits and the solid research behind its unique combination of antioxidants and omega-3 ingredients*.
New and Improved Krill Oil comes jam-packed with antioxidant power – including the antioxidant vitamins A and E, plus astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.

Dr Mercola Core 5 Krill oil

Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid-type antioxidant even more powerful than beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, lycopene, and lutein.

New and Improved Krill Oil is king of the Core 5 Supplement formula – packed with antioxidant power and omega-3 fatty acids.

New and Improved Krill Oil carries omega-3s in the form of phospholipids – liposomes or little packages that deliver fatty acids directly to your body’s cells.*

Scientific evidence to date has shown that the safest and most effective carriers of EPA and DHA (two essential omega-3 fats) are these phospholipids.*

Unfortunately, inferior fish oil and krill oil brands lack this phospholipid complex. Instead they contain omega-3 fatty acids in the less-beneficial form of free triglycerides.

Here are all the potential ways that krill oil can help you by:

• Promoting your healthy heart*
• Supporting your concentration, memory, and learning*
• Helping you maintain blood sugar levels within the normal range*
• Promoting healthy joints, with an increase in your joint comfort*
• Helping you neutralize the normal signs of aging*
• Supporting your nervous system function and development*
• Protecting your cell membranes*
• Helping you maintain normal cholesterol levels*
• Promoting your healthy liver function*
• Providing you relief of normal PMS symptoms*
• Bolstering your immune system*
• Providing healthy mood support*
• Boosting your skin health*

Today’s diets lack adequate antioxidant nutrients. And many traditional food sources for omega-3s (certain fish and salmon) are not necessarily free of contamination by mercury, PCBs, and other toxins.

So, that’s why New and Improved Krill Oil is king on this supplement list and should be taken on a daily basis.

Of course, if you’re a female, you’ll probably benefit more from Krill for Women with Evening Primrose Oil – because it was formulated especially for your optimal female health.*

Exclusively for Women

The evening primrose lends some of its beauty to women in the form of oil from its seeds… rich in an essential fatty acid profile of 65% linoleic acid and 8-10% gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).

Dr Mercola Core 5 Krill oil for Women

GLA supports the normal function and growth of cells, nerves, muscles and organs throughout your body – including skin and hair growth, bone health, metabolic control, and reproductive health – making it particularly valuable for women.*

Of the few available sources of GLAs, evening primrose oil (EPO) seems to deliver the best results, and is thought to support your female health and vitality in many ways*:

• May relieve normal symptoms of PMS*
• May reduce breast tenderness*
• Provides support for your healthy mood*
• Supports healthy skin and hair*
• Encourages optimal metabolic levels*
• Supports healthy blood pressure levels*
• Enhances calcium absorption, leading to strong bones*

Next up on the top supplement formula list is…

2. Ubiquitous Ubiquinol… Everywhere in Your Life

One of the key elements in the aging process is free radical production. These free radicals are oxygen atoms deficient in electrons that become highly reactive. The reactions in turn cause potential damage to your tissues and DNA…

If there was something you could do to limit free radical production, then you could potentially affect the aging process.*

One nutrient that can help you do just that is Co Q10.* The problem is your body requires the reduced form of Co Q10 (ubiquinol) to help you limit free radical production. And as you age, your body becomes more and more challenged to convert the oxidized Co Q10 to ubiquinol.

Dr Mercola Core 5 Ubiquinol

Another very important reason for using a Co Q10 supplement is to help boost your body’s cellular energy production.*
Co Q10 helps facilitate the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy “currency” for all your cells.* But if you’re over 25, you need the reduced form of Co Q10, ubiquinol, to efficiently do this.

So even if you do your best to eat wholesome unprocessed foods, your body’s capability to produce Co Q10 and convert it to ubiquinol declines over time.*

The good news is with the Mercola Premium Select Ubiquinol supplement, you now can have the ubiquinol formula direct… the active form of the Co Q10 nutrient*.

Your added benefits from the ubiquinol formula can be significant, as you:

• Potentially absorb more Co Q10 — as shown in studies by enhanced blood plasma levels*
• Become less dependent on your body to convert Co Q10 to ubiquinol… In the plasma of healthy humans, more than 90% of Co Q10 exists in the reduced form (ubiquinol)*
• Absorb Co Q10 that’s already in the active state your body needs*
• Receive the reduced (unoxidized) form of Co Q10 for added cellular energy*
• Get a strong first stage defence against oxygen free radicals to help you reduce the typical signs of aging — and optimize your health*

3. How a Healthy Gut Can Help YOU Enhance Your Overall Health*

Complete Probiotics helps guard the health of your entire digestive tract.*

That’s one of many reasons it’s part of the Core 5 supplement formula.

Maintaining great intestinal health is akin to maintaining your great overall health.* And that’s why Dr Mercola’s third supplement is a formula that helps you promote your intestinal health – Dr Mercola Complete Probiotics.

Dr Mercola Core 5 Probiotics

One of the key formulation factors in a probiotic supplement is it must contain effective bacterial strains.* Now, this is a rather complex issue. But of all the strains produced over the years, there is one that exceeds all others… and if the probiotic formula does not contain this strain you’re not getting the best bang for your buck.*

Lactobacillus acidophilus DDSÒ-1 is the name of this highly effective strain of beneficial bacteria*… and the ‘DDS-1’ is really important. There are other strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus out there, but without the DDS-1 specificity, your potential health benefits could some up short.*

Research and studies suggest DDS-1 can be effective toward enhancing human health because it…

• Adapts well to the human body because of its human origin
• Is acid and bile resistant for intestinal survival
• Helps promote your digestive health*
• Aids in supporting your immune system*
• Contributes to the good balance of your intestinal flora*
• Produces significant quantities of lactase to potentially aid in lactose intolerance challenges*

Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 is one of the important and necessary strains in an effective probiotic supplement.* Without it, I believe you’re not maximizing the potential of this type of supplement.
Complete Probiotics not only contains DDS-1, it also contains a guaranteed 70 billion ‘good’ bacteria (CFU) per capsule. Up to 90 billion CFU may be packed into each capsule to compensate for storage temperature variances.

4. Resveratrol – A Potent Polyphenol Antioxidant*

Many folks believe that a good way to promote your health is to drink a glass of red wine on a regular basis. Certainly there’s the “French Paradox” theory… the observation that French people with poor diets who drink wine have better cardiovascular health than you might expect.

This opinion happens to be based on a potent polyphenol found in red wine and grape skins called resveratrol.

This powerful antioxidant potentially:

• Helps improve the overall health of your cells as a component of your cardio and neuro protection*
• Aids you in protection against age-related health disorders*
• Provides therapeutic support for your immune system against abnormal cell activity*

Plus, resveratrol benefits you by how it…

• Protects your cells from free radical damage*
• Helps you keep your blood pressure within the normal range*
• Keeps your heart healthy and helps improve blood vessel elasticity*
• Boosts your protection against the spread of abnormal cell activity*
• Helps you better control the aging process*

You, of course, know that wine contains alcohol. And too much alcohol isn’t a healthy choice for anyone. It may outweigh the benefits of the resveratrol content.
But, with all this said, resveratrol is such a powerful antioxidant there must be a way you can benefit from it without taking undo risks.

One of your best sources of resveratrol is from grapes themselves.

The skin and seeds of the grapes provide you with the most potent supplies of resveratrol… not the fruit itself. The meat of the fruit contains sugary fructose which could raise your insulin levels.

Dr Mercola Core 5 Purple defense

Eating the skins is not a problem. But most people don’t like to eat the seeds as they tend to be tough and have a somewhat bitter taste.

And some grape processing actually removes the seeds prior to distribution at your local store… so, you could lose out on the resveratrol potency.

So, now what can you do?
Well, if you cannot find a good source of grapes with the seeds still intact, or even if you do locate a source but you don’t want to eat the seeds, I have another convenient alternative for you.

It’s called Dr Mercola Purple Defence

5. How This Multivitamin Stands Out from the ‘Crowd’

Dr mercola Core 5 whole food multivitamin plus

A number of carefully controlled studies provide startling evidence that by the time processed food reaches your table, serious nutrient content could already be lost.

Some estimates report the nutrient value lost at over 50%!

Realizing you may not always obtain the unprocessed preferably organic foods you need — and knowing how easy it is for valuable nutrients to be destroyed — you can understand why adding a good multivitamin to complement your diet is a sound move.

With this unique Multi +Plus formula, you’ll benefit from many specially selected minerals… including these 3 essential ones:

• Calcium – A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that people should consume 741 mg per day of calcium to maintain neutral calcium balance to promote healthy bones.*
• Magnesium — Scientific studies have reported that magnesium is helpful in supporting your lungs and overall pulmonary system.* But some lower-potency multivitamins don’t include this ingredient.
• Potassium — Research has shown that potassium is another important element in your bone density health.* As you age, bone density becomes an important element in your overall health.*

These minerals may be worth their weight in gold. They’re part of the added bonus that clearly makes Multivitamin +Plus Vital Minerals stand apart from the rest.

It provides you a highly concentrated daily supplement containing more than 50 nutritional ingredients… all in a special herbal food base.

To help balance the effects of free radicals, Multivitamin +Plus Vital Minerals provides you with high-potency amounts of an exclusive antioxidant formula that includes:*

• Natural beta-carotene — healthy vision and immune system support*
• Vitamin C — promotes tissue growth and repair, and healthy gums*
• Vitamin D3 — supports heart, bone, vascular and immune system health*
• Vitamin E — helps support your muscular system*
• Selenium — bolsters your healthy immune system*
• L-cysteine — supports your immune and respiratory systems*
• Lutein — helps promote your healthy vision*
• Lycopene —  supports your immune system*
• Red wine proanthocyanidins — provides cardiovascular support*
• And select extracts and powders from over 25 fruits, vegetables, and herbs

In addition to these outstanding nutrients, the Multivitamin +Plus Vital Minerals formula also includes a health-promoting blend of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and green foods…from natural sources.

An additional 700 mg of a proprietary vegetable and fruit base further promotes your optimal health, including:

• Kale — provides healthy prostate support*
• Spinach — helps support your cardiovascular and immune systems*
• Carrot — assists optimal vision and cholesterol level*
• Radish — supports your digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems*
• Celery — provides you with skeletal and nervous system support*
• Apricot — promotes your respiratory and immune systems*
• Blackberry — helps support your digestive and immune systems*
• Cranberry — supports your urinary tract and cardiovascular system*
• Grape — promotes healthy circulation and cholesterol level*
• Pineapple — provides healthy respiratory and digestive support*

So, you can see why Dr Mercoal has chosen to include Multivitamin +Plus Vital Minerals to round out the core supplements he recommend you take every day…it’s certainly part of his daily supplement routine.

How the Core Top 5 Team Together to Complement Your Diet

At this point, you’ve discovered why New and Improved Krill Oil, Mercola Premium Select Ubiquinol, Complete Probiotics, Purple Defence, and Multivitamin +Plus Vital Minerals are the top 5 core supplements in the Core 5 healthy formula.

If you choose these 5 you’ll be making a smart decision in taking better control of your health. Taking krill oil, ubiquinol, probiotics, purple defence, and a high-quality multivitamin on a daily basis can help enhance your quality of life.*

Final thoughts from Henry

As a final point from me on the matter of getting the perfect supplement routine for you and your family I think it’s always important to amplify the point (and I am sure Dr Mercola would agree) that its critical to have a great diet alongside your high quality organic supplements.

Taking great supplements and eating a poor diet is bad on many levels, it’s not good psychologically as you are not learning to care for yourself, it’s not good financially as you may not be able to absorb the supplements adequately leading to increased volume of vitamin and mineral secretion from your body and so all round it’s not good for your health.

If you find it hard to get the right foods all the time, well, welcome to the modern world! However you really do need to be working at it.

In health and happiness

Do you feel the pain? Is yoga going to break your body?!

The reason for writing this newsletter is that health cannot just be about supplements, as there name clearly suggests they are supplemental and therefore are only a part of a healthy life, diet and philosophy of being. To maintain integrity whilst selling even the highest quality supplements I feel there should be a responsibility to our education as to the other aspects of health that need to be addressed to reveal a balanced and a truly vibrant and happy life.

I try to cover a broad range of topics throughout the year so that we address all the foundational principles of what it is to be healthy. Through the year we will be looking at food and diet, sleeping, exercise, breathing, thinking or philosophical outlook, and hydration amongst other topics. Please feel free to send me any suggestions for topics you would like covered. (link)

So what’s all this about yoga breaking my body I hear you ask!

I was relaxing on Sunday with a few of the papers (which I don’t read often for reasons that are perhaps beyond the scope of this post) and was interested to see the title ‘Do you feel the pain?’ with the article being on the dangers of yoga.

Now the article itself was actually very balanced and came to the sensible and logical assumption that it comes down to the appropriateness of the individuals readiness to do yoga, their degree of physical injury, the type of yoga they choose to do and the teacher they have, all in all very well considered. There were however many crazy and very poorly thought out arguments from ‘top media health professionals’ as to why yoga might break you. These arguments clearly demonstrate why we keep missing the point when it comes to our physical health and what is actually required to be healthy.

I have spent the last 17 years working in the field of health and healing and in the last 10 years have come to some important realisations as to what exercise is good for people and what is not and why this is the case. I have also clinically proven my finding many times.

How to build a healthy body for life

So how do we go about building a healthy body for life when there are so many different things that can be done, so many directions that could be taken? Well as with anything if we do not understand the context to which the situation exists in we cannot come to any logical solution, we can only judge from the limited perspective that we have.

If we look at exercise and physical health logically we can see that there has to be a foundation, a base that no matter what the type of exercise is done this foundation supports it. As with all systems, if the foundation is no good the rest of the system is flawed.

The physical foundation for humans is our ability to move correctly and to be able to stabilise that movement limiting wear and tear on the body and reducing the chance of injury. So to build the foundation from which all other physical health related activities can be done we need to achieve a balanced strong and stable foundation. This comes from postural correction, corrective stretching and stability and movement training.

It appears that the majority of people are born with a pattern of skeletal imbalance observable by age 4-5. We don’t really feel the effects of this until were in our 20s and the degree of the effects that we feel come down to a large list of genetic, learnt and environmental factors. By age 30 we have imbedded the pattern and by age 40ish after a few kids and some serious stress we’re usually ready to start ‘getting fit’

Most peoples who have pain are experiencing this pain as a result of the underlying primary imbalance. Now add yoga, or going to the gym or lifting weights, or going jogging, or pump class, or being pushed to the max by a personal trainer or any of the other numerous choices that can be made and see what happens. In most cases if you’re doing enough to make a difference you’re doing enough to cause pain and injury. There are of course exceptions as an excellent teacher in something like yoga or Pilates can help correct posture and rebalance the body incorporating the necessary rehabilitation. I am of course making some generalizations to make this slightly shorter!

The point being that if we do not address the foundations of our physical health before trying to build on it we will end up in most cases injured. And this is how it is for the majority of us! Surely we have to stop looking at what the media tells us healthy is and start looking at this logically. I can guarantee and demonstrate to you that the vast majority of the information in the mainstream media is only there to sell a product and has no connection at all to your long term health.

Out of the many wide spread approaches to building physical health available I would say that an appropriate type of yoga taught by a great instructor would be a very beneficial place for many people to begin their health journey. The right kind of yoga provides the opportunity to gently bring the body back to balance whist addressing breathing and an increased awareness of ones deeper Self. When people such as those in last week ends newspaper say that practices such as yoga are quote “a waste of time” or “the reason everyone likes yoga is because it’s not very hard” or the classic “you might feel that you’re getting fit doing this once a week but you’re not” is clear self-evidence of their lack of understanding of human health. These quotes come from a celebrity trainer who advises the media on health matters… and so we can see how promotion of false teachings is propagated.

I would however say that if you are in pain, have suffered from pain or are very out of shape I would start off working with a C.H.E.K practitioner. The CHEK institute in California is the only place of its type and has teachers all over the world. Due to numerous physiological and mechanical laws the body needs specific training to address the underlying cause of dysfunction fully and there needs to be assessment to figure out the full pattern before it can be corrected. This correction is to build a foundation that can set you up for life.

In health and happiness

Henry Maitland

Ground Almonds – are loaded with vitamin E, magnesium and potassium. They are also high in fiber and a small serving has more protein than an egg.

Coconut Flour – the coconut flour and almonds in this recipe replace the flour in other cake recipes and their flavours compliment each other really well. Coconut flour is gluten free and has the highest percentage of dietary fiber found in any flour which can help support a healthy weight. http://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk/omega-nutrition-virgin-coconut-flour/product

Coconut Sugar – is definitely the healthier choice of sweeteners nutritionally as it offers a rich supply of mineral salts, B vitamins and amino acids. And it doesn’t have the crash and burn effect of refined sweeteners, plus coconut sugar has a delicious caramel flavour! http://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk/the-raw-chocolate-co-organic-coconut-sugar-250gr/product

Chia Seeds – are one of Nature’s perfect foods, containing essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3), protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
http://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk/the-raw-chocolate-co-chia-seeds-250gr/product

Now for the recipe…

Ingredients – opt for organic where possible

• 165g blanched ground almonds
• 70g coconut flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking powder (aluminium free)
• ¼ tsp Himalayan sea salt
• 115g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g coconut sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 5 eggs
• 75g chia seeds
• Freshly squeezed juice of 2 large oranges
• 1tbsp grated orange zest – try to use organic as non organic oranges are routinely covered with wax that contains pesticides

Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line a 22cm loose bottom cake tin with baking parchment and grease lightly with butter.

Method

• In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter and coconut sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until blended.
• In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the orange juice to the egg and butter mixture and mix until you can no longer see the pockets of dry ingredients throughout the batter. Add the orange zest and chia seeds and mix until evenly distributed.
• Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly in the prepared cake tin.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a sharp knife comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack before turning the cake out of the pan and serving.

In Health and Happiness

Melissa Sharp

In last month’s article entitled ‘is yoga breaking your body!?’ I mentioned that I don’t often read the papers and make a general point of not watching the news on a day to day basis. I consider this an important aspect of being vibrant and healthy so thought today I could share my thoughts on why this is the case and why is it that you may benefit from a ‘media detox and diet’

Could the news be giving you a stomach ulcer!

There seems to be so many challenges to our health from so many different directions. There is the steady increase in airborne toxins that we can inhale. Then the steady increase of toxins in our water from industry, from chemical farming, from pharmaceutical products and from our homes. Then there are the potential toxins we add into our bodies directly from the food that we eat and the products that we put on our skin! thats a lot of potential toxicity.

Could the news be as toxic to me as a pesticide covered cabbage!?

The positive in this is of course that we can take simple easy and decisive action to make changes that will help both to detox our bodies form the ingested chemicals and to prevent us taking in too much more thus preventing and reducing the chance of serious illness due to chemical toxicity. However it’s also important to recognise that information we take in from the media can be toxic too and that we can also take simple steps that can transform our lives for the better by removing this powerful potential negative influence.

I would suggest that the effect the media has on our health is equally comparable to the toxic effects of our physical environment on both our long term physical health and certainly our day to day happiness.

Is it really important to watch the news and read the papers? And what is it they have chosen to show us as news?

To decide whether its importent to watch the news and read the papers really comes down to deciding if the information in the papers is really important or relevant to our lives, do we really need to know the majority of what they are talking about? Is what they’re talking about actually of any use or true relevance? And does knowing this have more benefit to our lives greater than the downside of absorbing all that negativity?

It’s evident what humans generally focus on for the majority of the time. It’s self-evident because the physical world can only be a reflection of the thoughts that we have. We have thoughts and ideas, we talk about them and discuss them, in turn this becomes some sort of action either considered or unconscious and this in turn becomes the physical world and society that we live in. This means that the physical world we have is a clear and exact representation of the level at which we think and in turn our thoughts are governed by the dominant emotions that we experience.

This is important for a number of reasons. Firstly if you want to sell a paper and make it profitable you need to write headlines and produce stories that people will want to read. The majority of society is not focused on health. This can be seen because the majority of the way in which society works does not support being healthy. Thoughts, words, actions – this means that the majority are focused on and interested in a level of story which is in tune with and supports their dominant emotions and thoughts. So the stories that sell are about scandal, gossip, hatred, war, violence, murder, rape, divorce, collapse and general failure and things going wrong.

This is not a bad thing or indeed a judgement of any one; it’s just an observable fact of society. For example what are the most popular subjects on the internet? It’s not love, health and happiness that I can assure you!

So you want to be healthy? Then why focus on the mind set of those that are unhealthy?

To understand why a ‘media detox’ is so important to our health we need to take a look at what health is. Basically to be healthy is to be happy, to be truly happy is to be healthy. This is without doubt the central attainment of health. Happiness is to live in a high emotional field. To be happy the dominant emotions will be things such as contentment, joy, optimism, forgiveness and willingness whist the papers sell at the level of despair, greed, anger, vengefulness, wanting, perhaps pride and certainly fear amongst others.

Can you see that the papers are just energetically and psychologically not at a level that harmonises with health. If they were they would make no money as the percentage of people that would read them would be too small!! For a magazine such as Glamour to be successful they have to make you desire and want by feeling lack and of who you are and what you have. If they just had articles that supported statements like ‘your beautiful as you are’ and ‘there is nothing you can add to yourself to make you happy’ they would go bankrupt in one edition!!

Has my paper given me a stomach ulcer!?

If you’re interested in true health, if you’re interested in happiness, in contentment and joy it can be seen that the majority of the news is not going to help you. If you’re taking in information that is coming in at a ‘low level’ it will influence your thoughts and so your feelings about the world and your life.  This will then influence the creation of your external physical world but of course more directly your physical body. Stress is very powerful and a potentially negative condition if the pattern continues for a long time causing degenerative damage to all the major systems of the body, and so this is how the papers can give you a stomach ulcer!

So take a little time to think about whether you really need all this media BS in your life, take time to decide if glossy magazines, the weekend / weekly newspaper or even the news on the TV is really doing anything for you. Is the news they are deciding is news really something that you need to know?

Why not try at least 30 days with no news and papers and just concentrate on your own health and wellbeing as in time this is the greatest gift you can give yourself, others and in the greater context, the world.

In health and happiness

Henry Maitland

Buy Dr Bronners Almond bar soap today!

Dr Bronner’s Soaps are unlike any other soap you have ever used. They contain coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, combined with essential oils that create a soap that cleans without being aggressive and produces a lather that leaves the skin feeling clean, refreshed, soft and smooth.

Finding products that offer great results and that are truly good for us can be a challenge, however in Dr. Bronners soaps we have just such a product range. Well worth a try and the labels make for some quite interesting and bizarre reading. I get what he’s saying on the labels, it’s a great philosophy to promote… have a read some time… it’s written in a very honest, upfront and open manner, you won’t find many labels on anything that are quite like Dr.Bronners!

The Dr.Bronners story

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps are synonymous with Old-World quality and time honoured simplicity, which can be traced back to the family’s German-Jewish soap making tradition. Born in 1908 to a Jewish family that had been making soap since 1858, Emanuel Bronner was the third generation certified as a master-soap maker under the guild system of the time. In 1929, he brought his formulas for high-quality liquid and bar soaps to America, starting Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps in its current form in 1948.

Renowned for their quality, versatility and eco-friendliness, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps enjoyed a small but loyal following in the early years. In the late 1960s, however, soap sales started to explode, due to the unsurpassed ecological quality combined with Dr. Bronner’s urgent message to realize our transcendent unity across religious and ethnic divides. Word-of-mouth soon made Dr. Bronner’s the iconic soap of that era, and in the decades that followed the soaps spread into every health food store in the U.S. and then into the mainstream as well — winning over fans from all walks of life on the way to becoming the number-one-selling natural brand of soap in North America.

The 4th and 5th generations of the Bronner family who run the company today continue to make our unsurpassed soaps with care and integrity. 2008 marks both the 60th anniversary of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps in America and the 150th anniversary of our family’s first soap making activity in southern Germany. We strive to honour our heritage with progressive business practices, while devoting profits to worthwhile causes and charities worldwide.

Why not try Dr.Bronners magic soap today?!

Valentine’s Day is another occasion when we are driven towards over indulgence. Our ethos at Evolution Organics isn’t to stop you enjoying yourself but to help you maintain some balance in your life. We blog about relaxation and whilst romance in itself is a very healthy emotional state, the over indulgence that comes with Valentine’s day is a good opportunity to think about starting a healthy regime together. Resolve to be as healthy as you can but without spoiling the fun. A shared journey is fun!

Our recipe is a soup that’s great for those days where you feel like you might have over indulged and your body needs a lunch or light supper packed with nutrients.

Ingredients

• 225g carrots
• 225g celeriac
• 225g leeks
• 225g swede
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 140C

Method

Peel and chop the vegetables and place them in a large casserole pot with the hot stock, whole garlic cloves (skin removed) and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and place in the lowest part of the oven and cook for 3 hours. Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup in batches.

Delicious served with organic sourdough and as the soup doesn’t have any fat in it a little butter on the bread will do you no harm at all… We really hope you enjoy it!

And here’s a reminder of why we should be eating more root vegetables… organic ones if possible please!

Root vegetables grow underneath the ground where they are able to absorb high amounts of minerals and other nutrients from the soil.

Most root vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates which gives your body energy and the ability to function properly. They not only improve your physical well being but improve your mental health as well. This is due to their high amounts of antioxidants which help to remove harmful free radicals and toxins from the body. Free radicals and toxins can leave you feeling sick–physically, emotionally and mentally.

Vegetables such as carrots and swede contain significant amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which help to clean the blood and can help prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes. The beta-carotene converts into vitamin A, which is essential for the eyes helping them adjust from bright to dimmer light and vice versa.

Onions and garlic are very good for the heart. They prevent blood from clotting, and help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, they can also help build up your immune system which will help fight the common cold or flu.

In health and happiness

Melissa Sharp

Aloe Vera is one of those products that has been extensively researched and written about. There are a massive number of potential health benefits whether it’s taken as a drink or used topically on the skin.

Add Dr Mercola Aloe Vera gel to your skin care routine today!

As it has been so extensively researched and has been used for centuries we can be in no doubt that it has significant health benefits. If you are like me and are interested in your overall health and wellness I would highly recommend that you have a bottle of this wonder extract in your home. It can be used for insect bites, cuts grazes, sun burn (not so much of a problem at the moment in the UK) and general skin health and healing.

Personally I have found that it makes a very good shaving gel. Not only does it provide the perfect medium for shaving but it soothes and nourishes the skin at the same time with the assurance that there is nothing harmful being absorbed by the skin. Not only that but a bottle will  last many months making it very cost effective… perfect.

Aloe Vera… treasured for centuries for its 75 nutrients. Now you can do the same, and receive all these benefits….

• Soothing. Aloe vera enhances fibroblast function. Fibroblasts are remarkable little cells responsible for collagen formation. They also assist in the soothing of minor burns, cuts, scrapes and skin irritations.
• Immune support and function. Aloe vera provides natural support for your immune system. Since your skin is the first exterior line of defence and your immune system works around the clock protecting you, aloe vera’s natural immune enhancers give you an arsenal from which to draw.
• Helps produce collagen and elastin. Your skin replenishes itself every 21 to 28 days. Aloe vera adds a rich supply of building materials to produce and maintain healthy skin to support a youthful appearance! A daily dose of aloe veracould be just what your skin is thirsting for.
• Minerals. Minerals found in aloe vera include calcium, sodium, iron, potassium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc. What a powerful storehouse! Since your skin absorbs anything you apply to it, using products with naturally occurring vitamins and minerals can contribute to your overall health.
• Vitamins. Aloe vera includes vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E, folic acid and niacin. Your body simply cannot store some of these vitamins. Using aloe vera contributes to building your defense system against oxidative stress!
• Amino acid body-building blocks. Amino acids are your body’s own building blocks. Eight are essential and cannot be produced by your body, but seven of those eight are found in the aloe plant. Aloe vera comes closer than any other known plant to the duplication of essential amino acids.

More about aloe vera – how to have a glowing complexion and youthful skin

The health benefits of aloe vera are extensive and we all know if we are healthy we have the opportunity for wonderful radiant skin! Using the motivation of looking youthful to get healthy is no bad thing, as it is said form follows function. Functional insides = beautiful form.

Optimal skin health can be achieved from addressing the two primary areas of internal health and external or skin health. There is little point smearing our skin with a high

quality organic aloe vera gel expecting great results if we have a toxic liver, constipation and a terrible diet! So we need to address the various aspects of health that are relevant to the skin, these include optimal nutrition on a daily basis (you’re in the right place for that) drinking enough fresh filtered water daily, optimizing digestion, liver and immune function. These we will review briefly below as they are the foundations for optimal health. The Aloe Vera plant can contribute powerfully to the regenerative process both through drinking it and its influence on improving digestion and in turn absorption of nutrients and also through soothing and nurturing the skin directly.

Food and Digestion

Getting not only the right food but well sourced food is critical to the health of your skin. Buy either locally grown organic foods or organic foods from a trusted source. This should ensure the greatest nutritional value whilst minimizing toxic intake.

Try to especially include lots of dark green leafy vegetables on a daily basis, they’re packed full of vitamins and minerals that will boost your health and so the health of your skin. If you find it hard to eat greens every day you can always try adding wheatgrass shots or a greens product such as Living Fuel Super Greens, personally I maximise my vegetable intake and top it up with Living Fuel Super Greens.. Nothing quite like Swiss chard and spinach for breakfast and a Living Fuel shake for a snack!

Many people have problems digesting their food fully, this usually occurs in those over 60 or perhaps those with illness related to the gut. This ineffective digestion can lead to a lack of vitamins and minerals for the body which can in turn lead to less than optimal skin health.

To make sure you get the best digestion you can ensure that you eat your food in a relaxed environment avoiding obvious stressors. Make sure you chew your food properly; it’s generally considered that you should chew food until its liquid before swallowing and yes, that does include meat. Take a high quality whole leaf Aloe Vera Juice (such as Pukka Aloe Vera Juice – 500ml or NutriGold’s Aloe Vera Juice – 1L) concentrate before meals to stimulate digestive juices.

Water

Water is essential to most if not all functions of the human body particularly for the process of digestion and eliminating of toxins. You will also find that once optimally hydrated (usually this takes about 3 months) you will have more energy, your skin will look more plump and hydrated and you will also notice more quickly if you are not drinking enough.

To work out how much water you need to drink multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.022. I weigh 90kg so need 1.98 litres of water a day at a base level. I actually drink more like 3 litres as when I am teaching I might be talking for up to 7 hours a day which is surprisingly dehydrating!

Exercise

Exercise is not just about getting the body balanced, functional, toned and lean it’s also about getting moving, getting warmed up and releasing those feel good hormones. When we’re training the cellular gel warms up and becomes more liquid allowing free movement of both nutrients going into the cell and toxins out of the cells so is a vital part of the detox process. Sweating out those toxins is a powerful way to increase skin health. Personally I am not great a doing cardio training (it’s hard to fit in all the elements it takes to be perfectly healthy) but I do go in to a steam room once a week which helps in a similar way.

A final note on robust health and vibrant skin

Dr Mercola Aloe Vera Gel is a powerful addition to any skin treatment routine – you will find that a high quality natural organic Aloe Vera is the best option and Dr Mercola has provided us with such a product.

Remember that health is a journey and we should not expect instantaneous results from the majority of health changes that we make. It takes time for the body to rejuvenate and become well and so if you make the suggested changes you should expect to see a very different looking you in about 3-6 months and for full recovery from worse skin conditions it may take 1-2 years depending on where your starting from. This is also the same for other supplements. Healing takes as much time as it needs.

In  health and happiness

Henry Maitland