Health Notes, May 11th 2008, by Sarah Stacey

Dealing with stress the Ayurvedic way

With the exam season approaching, I asked Ayurvedic practitioner Sebastian Pole for advice on coping with this stressful time. ‘Because we have to remember more details, we are under more stress and need more nourishment’ he says. ‘So – we need more looking after!’  Here’s Sebastian’s advice, which is of course helpful for anyone anxiously trying to complete projects at home or work.

Manage stress: tension triggers the release of stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) into our bloodstream.  While these helped our ancestors flee from sabre-toothed tigers, with today’s sedentary lifestyle they can build up in our bodies to cause problems with digestion, sleep, energy, memory and concentration. The herb ashwagandha is proven to help us calm down, have more energy and get better sleep.  Also, Sebastian recommends keeping organic Chywanaprash on your desk (it’s on mine): this delicious treacly herbal ‘jam’ is packed with antioxidants for energy and to help fight off infections.

Ashwagandha, £14.25 for 90 capsules: two capsules, three times daily during revision and exams. 
Chywanaprash, £9.95 for 250g : one teaspoonful twice a day when you need a boost.

Support your memory: increasing blood flow to the brain and nourishing the pathways may help this complex function. Brahmi Plus combines organic herbs including gotu kola and bacopa monnieri, which increase memory and enhance concentration; it also lowers anxiety, clears your mind and revitalises your intellect.  Eating more omega-3 fatty acids also aids brain function; consume lots of oily fish and add hemp seed oil to vegetables, soups and salads (even stirred into baked beans…).

Brahmi Plus, £14.45 for 90 capsules: two capsules three time daily, as per label
Hemp Seed Oil, £7.25 for 250ml: three to four tbsp daily as a tonic. 

Relax and meditate: this simple (free) technique, which Sebastian calls ‘the perfect tension tamer’, is amazingly effective at inducing inner calm and helping your brain work clearly (as well as improving conditions such as high blood pressure).  If you’re tired, or short on sleep, remember that 30 minutes of deep relaxation is the equivalent of four hours sleep.  Aim for ten minutes to start with.  If you’d like a little help to get started, try the CD ‘3 Easy Steps to Deep Relaxation’ £10.95.

• Sit comfortably in a chair, feet firmly on the floor, hands loosely in your lap. Or lie on the floor or your bed, hands by your sides. Make sure your spine is straight and your shoulder blades down.
• Close your eyes.
• Breathing naturally, take your mind from your toes to your crown, not forgetting hands and arms, progressively softening each little bit and letting go tension.
• Breathe deeply into your belly for a count of four; feel your tummy expand.  Do this six to ten times.
• Now breathe into your belly and then your chest, filling up each area, then exhale very slowly.  See it as a wave rolling up the shore, hovering – then ebbing away gradually.
• Do this at least ten times; see if you can inhale for a count of four, hold it for seven, then exhale for eight.
• The more you practise, the easier it becomes to slip into; try it at night if you can’t sleep.

If you are pregnant, or have a medical condition, please check with your doctor before taking any remedies.  All products available from Victoria Health, www.victoriahealth.com, or Pukka Herbs, tel: 0117 964 0944, www.pukkaherbs.com.

Help Type 2 diabetes with tai chi

Tai chi, the traditional Chinese martial art combining deep diaphragmatic breathing,  relaxation and gentle movement, helps control type 2 diabetes, according to research. Tai Chi boosts cardiovascular and respiratory function, supports the immune system, improves flexibility and relieves stress.  To find a local group, www.taichifinder.co.uk.

Book of the Week: Top Tips for Breast-feeding by Clare Byam-Cook

About half of mums give up breast-feeding their babies in the first six weeks, despite all advice.  This quick-start guide gives parents easy to follow wisdom from Clare Byam-Cook’s decades of experience, which I know from readers  and colleagues has helped many.  The companion volume Top Tips for Bottle-feeding gives essential information for mothers who can’t breast-feed for some reason. 

To order a copy of Top Tips for Breast-feeding by Clare Byam-Cook for £5.24 from Amazon, just click here.