Mindfulness : Are We Doing it Right?

In just a few decades, Mindfulness Meditation has gone from being a specialist element of Buddhist teaching to the must have app for celebs, and corporate businesses use it to boost productivity and to reduce staff stress levels.  It's even prescribed on the NHS now for health purposes.  So why has this become so popular in such a relatively short space of time?  There's so so much to say about this, of which I will delve into in later posts.  In this edition, I'm simply going to explore how it is being received and used in Western Culture.  Let's explore this...

[I'd like you to just become aware of your breath and allow it to become deeper, counting up to 3 on the inhale, and 3 on the exhale...notice any sensations in your body...feel the support of the ground beneath you...and just give yourself some time to notice the sounds around you...notice the room around you.] 

This is effectively coming into the Present, and this is the essence of Mindfulness Meditation.  It's really about awareness! Being aware of yourself.  It's likely you'll feel more grounded and calm in this moment.  A brief release from the stress of our everyday life.  When was the last time you actually did this?  Do you think you could benefit from doing this more often.  

I know what you're thinking...

1. I'm too busy for this.  What if I miss a deadline?
2. What if I become boring?  What if I become too relaxed?
3. How can I slow down my mind? Even if during these periods of Mindfulness, my mind becomes quieter and I feel more clarity, what about when I'm finished.  My mind speeds up again and I'm back where I started!
4. What if I become obsessed with it, give up all my belongings, and move to Thailand to become a Buddhist monk? (YES I'VE REALLY BEEN ASKED THIS!)

These are all really valid questions!  When I first started learning about Mindfulness, these were questions I was constantly asking myself.  I had this constant battle (known in Psychology as 'Mental Tennis') in my mind about how this could work for me.  My mind ran so fast, how could I slow it down safely without losing something important?

However, in my scenario, with the condition I was going through, Mindfulness Meditation was the only thing that could lessen my symptoms initially. I'm still not sure exactly how...but studies have shown that it calms down the nervous system and the stress response, and as a result, it probably released the anxiety and fear I was feeling about my relentless symptoms that had become my world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

The most important thing I learnt was to not be scared of what was happening in my body, and that it was an ally in healing, not an enemy!  On hearing the body's messages,  it was simply trying to give me useful feedback i.e. you've overdone it today, you need to rest and take it easy this afternoon.

Anyway, I digress! Let me come back to the 4 questions above, in particular Q3.  This seems to be the most common problem associated with Mindfulness Meditation.  This seems to be the way it is taught in many large Corporate Businesses like Google, Starcom MediaVest (I know this one from experience!), and the big City banks.  They use the format of getting employees to sit down on a mat for 20 minutes at lunchtime once a week, focus on their breath, observe their thoughts, and just become aware of themselves in the room. Great!!

HOWEVER! This doesn't really address the core issue here...these employees are still being burdened with ever increasing workloads that are often beyond their capabilities, and are being subjected to 12-14 hour days.  If we're being honest, the old 9-5 working day paradigm simply doesn't exist anymore!  Therefore, what I'm advocating here, is not just being Mindful for those 20 minute sessions here and there, but being more mindful in life in general on a daily basis.  This is the REAL essence of Mindfulness 

This doesn't mean you need to sit and meditate all day every day.  By all means, have a daily connection practice of meditation for 10-20 minutes per day (perhaps just closing your eyes on the train to work), but how about going through your day simply....

• being mindful of what is happening in your environment
• being mindful of your thoughts but not attaching yourself to them
• being mindful of your reactions or emotions around other people (you're likely to notice different emotional feedback from different people)
• being mindful of your breath, your body, and its stillness (this is the best and easiest way to become Present)

That's all it takes! It's not easy at first, and takes practice, but it's likely that you'll find you have more energy freed up in your body, more clarity, and more detachment from intense situations.  The best thing is that anyone can learn this, it's the act of simply tuning into your body and your breathing.  At it's very core, it's an extremely calming, relieving, and satisfying feeling to experience!

Below is a short Mindfulness taster, led by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  It's quite amazing how simple, yet powerful this modality is!

An additional resource for us secular folk is by P Mark Williams, Professor of Psychiatry at Oxford University. Click here

Mindfulness isn't for everyone, and it certainly takes discipline, but I suppose the question to ask is : what have you got to lose?

Now breath deeply and relax my friends, because this particular journey through Mindfulness has come to an end :-)

'If we as a society are willing to have a preference for organic food, the farmer can pass on the savings.'

Before my health nose-dived at the end of 2009, I don't think I'd ever had organic food.  In fact, food as a whole didn't interest me in the slightest. It was simply a means to keep me going through my day.  Sometimes I didn't even bother with breakfast, or lunch..I just didn't believe there was enough time in the day for it.  My shopping list was this : microwaveable Iceland meals, rigorously sticking to my self-imposed £15 budget. Alcohol and nights out at Uni came first for me at that time. Toad in the Hole was a favourite of mine:

Little did I know how much my physical and mental performance was being hindered.  I suppose I learnt the hard way. I was grumpy and on edge in the mornings, and I'd get very sleepy around late afternoon.  My blood sugar was often low, meaning I'd usually go for the coca cola pick-me-up, or even a Red Bull.  I'd get a quick buzz, and then it would be back to feeling somewhat tired again and unfocused.  

It was only once I got diagnosed and referred to a Nutritionist who specialised in my condition, that I realised, firstly, how important a good balanced diet is in the function of a healthy human being (it's basically more important than everything except oxygen and water!), and secondly, the importance of keeping to as many clean fruits and vegetables as possible whilst in recovery.  Fast food went out of the window, and along with that, alcohol (most of the time!)  In through the window came good quality fruit, veg, and meat (as much organic as I could find!)  

Of course, the importance of diet is magnified when going through ME/CFS. To get better can often mean cutting out anything that could be a burden on your body i.e. gluten, wheat, sugar, dairy etc.  It's really tough, but it encourages you to get creative, make your stuff from scratch, and be as clean as possible with your food.  

It's not always possible to get organic, but if you prioritise what would be really helpful to your body in organic form, and what may not, it makes things much easier.  In today's mass consumer society, all our meat is pumped full of anti-biotics to stop them from getting sick. Remember, what goes into them, goes into you once you consume it. And people wonder why we're becoming immune to anti-biotics! The food the livestock consume is also low grade and usually full of pesticides. Again this goes into use and makes our bodies weaker as a result. As a rule of thumb, therefore, I go as organic as I possibly can with meat.  Vegetables aren't quite as important, as you can wash off the pesticides with water, a veggie brush, or veggie soap : http://bit.ly/1uxlLK5

Despite this, there are certain vegetables which are intensely sprayed with pesticides throughout the growth process, and are worth getting organic if possible.  They're known as the Dirty Dozen (diagram below). The Clean Fifteen signify those lowest in pesticide content. 

So...where to buy?

• OCADO - the best range of organic produce I'm aware of AND cheaper than Tesco!
• TESCO/SAINSBURY'S - both have a good quality organic fruit & vegetable range.
• ASDA - lower quality organic, but still organic and cheaper than most other supermarkets.
• WAITROSE - great selection but burns a hole in your wallet!
• PLANET ORGANIC - (if based in London) this is a great chain of purely organic supermarkets across London. Click here for details
• WHOLEFOODS - organic fruit, veg and snack market. Click here to see if there's one near you
• ABEL & COLE - explained in my Vlog below.... All organic fruit, veg, and great quality meat, at a fairly reasonable cost all delivered to your door. You even get a free fruit and veg box with every 4th order Click here for their website

Nutribullet - worth its weight in gold?

'What on earth is a Nutribullet?' That was the first question that came into my head when this fairly recent contraption was mentioned and recommended to me by a friend. The name itself makes it sound like it contains a round of live ammo.  


After being told about it, I checked out the adverts on Youtube, and to be honest, they were all really Americanised with quotes like, "You got all that from one orange???" and so on... Furthermore, the way it did what it did seemed too good to be true, and perhaps even staged. Oh wait, I haven't explained what this Nutribullet gadget is yet. Here goes....

'The NutriBullet is effectively a very powerful blender. It completely breaks down your food, liquefying and mixing together all the essential nutrition. It literally pulverises fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, giving you all the nutrition.'

Sounds cool huh? But wait, there's a catch...most retailers price this product at £99.99, which let's be honest, is expensive for a blender.  However, given that Christmas was round the corner at the time of me discovering this, and the fact my juicer was on it's last legs/dead, I put it on the Christmas/Birthday wish-list. That's what I like about Christmas..if you don't like it, at least you didn't lose money over it, and if you can get your mitts on the receipt, you can swap it for something else! Anyway, I digress..

Once I got it home, I wasn't really sure how I'd fit what I'd normally juice into this fairly small blender on steroids.  So instead I just used about half the amount of fruit and veg I'd normally use (recipes at the bottom of this page).  

Taken From Here

I must say I was really impressed by the flavour and texture. It's a fair amount denser than a juice, but it has the huge advantage of keeping all the nutritional value, along with loads of fibre, which you don't get with a juice.  There was also a noticeable change in my energy levels and strength, which was a wee added bonus.  In addition to this, it's much easier to clean than any smoothie maker or juicer I've ever come across. Takes about 30 seconds. Simples...

There's no doubt it's the best blender out there, but as I mentioned earlier, it comes at a price!  On the flip side, it's cheaper than buying your smoothies and juices retail.  If this is something that interests you, feel free to comment in the box below. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal, so if one comes up for a Nutribullet, I'll post it up on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/adam.lomax.73)

Below I've listed a few tasty recipes you can try with Nutribullet, but which can easily be used in any juicer/blender/smoothie maker : 

Spiced Oatmeal Blast

Ingredients  :
1 Handful Kale
1 Ripe Banana
½ Cup Oats
½ Apples
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
2 Dates
1 Teaspoon Maca
½ Teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
To Max Line Almond Milk

Directions
Add all ingredients to your Tall Cup and extract for 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Orange Beet Blast

Ingredients :
1 Handful Kale
½ Beet
4 Chunks Pineapple
½ Orange
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
To Max Line Coconut Water

Directions
Add all solid ingredients into tall cup
Fill to MAX line with water/Coconut Water
Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds


Power Gulp

Ingredients : 
1 Handful Kale

1 Handful Green Grapes

1 Cucumber

1 Green Apple

Directions
Add all solid ingredients into tall cup
Fill to MAX line with water/Coconut Water
Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds



NOTE 1 : If you're interested in buying a Nutribullet, the best thing is to buy from source. In that way you know you're getting guaranteed quality and are likely to get some form of warranty for free. Here's the site : http://bit.ly/1xMm0LN

NOTE 2 : Give organic a chance, it really does make a difference, and it usually tastes better too.

Magnesium - the miracle mineral.

Magnesium is probably the most over-looked mineral of all, and perhaps the most important.  It's incredible that 80% of Americans are deficient in this (I couldn't get British figures unfortunately, but I suspect they are similar...)  Given how vital Magnesium is to our everyday function, the fact that around 80% of the population are deficient in it is indicative of the health crisis we are currently facing today in Western society.  After being constantly exposed to dangerous pesticides in our vegetables, anti-biotics which our meat is pumped full of to avoid infection, and the chronic stress we experience in our lives, this is perhaps no wonder... It also offers a partial explanation as to why we're becoming immune to anti-biotics.

Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, headache, nausea, fatigue, and weakness. An ongoing magnesium deficiency can lead to more serious symptoms, including:

Numbness and tingling	Muscle contractions and cramps	Seizures
Personality changes	Abnormal heart rhythms	Coronary spasms

In her book, The Magnesium Miracle, (a very easy-to-read book for the lay man) Dr. Dean lists 100 factors that will help you decide whether or not you might be deficient.

I had to have blood tests taken about a year ago at the clinic where I'm being treated for health reasons.  I was stunned to find how deficient in Magnesium I was....no wonder I had no energy! (At this point walking to the end of my road could be a struggle at times.)  In hindsight however, looking over the years I had abused my body with a very poor diet and high levels of stress (along with a potential genetic predisposition) this was perhaps no surprise.

Conditions linked to Magnesium deficiency include (but are not limited to) to following: 

Pain:
Headaches
Muscles Spasms/Cramps
Fibromyalgia
M.E./CFS

Mental Health & Sleep:
Anxiety
Depression
Autism and ADD
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
Insomnia
Tics

Other Conditions:
Psoriasis, Acne, & Eczema
Asthma
Blood Pressure
Diabetes
Osteoporosis

Below I'm going to list a series of reasons why magnesium is so crucial for good health.

Magnesium:

• Creating energy in your body by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
• Is an important factor in muscle relaxation and heart health
• Allows nerves to send messages in the brain and nervous system
• Aids and regulates the body’s use of calcium and other minerals
• Assists in bone and teeth formation
• Regulates the metabolism of nutrients such as protein, nucleic acids, fats and carbohydrates
• Regulates cholesterol production and helps modulate insulin sensitivity
• Assists in energy production, DNA transcription and protein synthesis
• Maintains the structural health of cell membranes throughout the body

You can see here just how important this mineral is for our bodies, and how critical it is to our on-going health.  I didn't even know what magnesium was until 18 months ago..if I'd only have known what it was and it's importance sooner, I may have taken earlier action!

Magnesium is available in a wide variety of foods.  The following contain a high source of Magnesium :

Fish like mackerel, wild salmon, halibut, and tuna will add more magnesium to your menu

Avocado
Bananas
Chard (a green leafy vegetable - goes great in smoothies)
Nuts & Seeds - particularly pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds
Dark Chocolate

You can also get Magnesium by supplementation - this is the one I use : 

What else can I try...? 

Epsom Salts Baths are a bit old fashioned, but it's an easy way of getting a Magnesium boost.  It will aid muscle relaxation and a general sense of calm. Try here if interested : http://bit.ly/1xX0AAv

Thanks for Reading, 


Adam

Kale - The Ultimate Superfood!

The word 'superfoods' is being used a bit too liberally today (I once found it as an optional topping at an ice cream stand..) However, if there were just one Superfood, it would have to be Kale, hands down! Pound for pound, Kale is the undisputed champion when it comes to nutritional value, and is a perfect place to start for those looking to incorporate a healthy diet into their lifestyle, or to simply improve their health further.     

I first started having kale in a daily juice (recipes below) and noticed an immediate improvement in my condition.  I just felt a bit stronger, and had a bit more of a spring in my step in the morning. As an additional side effect, it seemed to help clear up my acne! Amazingly, I found I got even more out of it when I started blending it with other fruits and veg!

Buzzing with vitamin A, C, and K, it is also plentiful in manganese, copper and phytochemicals, which are believed to help against certain types of cancer.  Because it's so packed full of all these nutrients, if you're consuming this on a daily basis (or even 3-4 times a week), you're getting a large amount of your nutritional needs from this single green.  I like to think of it as nature's multi-vitamin.  Below are some facts about this powerhouse superfood : 

Why eat Kale?

• 1 portion (80g) of cooked kale contains 120mg of calcium, which makes it a useful source of this important mineral, especially for vegans and people on dairy free diets
• Kale is an excellent source of folate with 69µg in every 80g of cooked curly kale. Folate is the form of folic acid occurring naturally in food. Folic acid is a B vitamin and is important because it: supports the growth of a mother’s tissues during pregnancy; plays a role in normal formation of blood, and supports the immune system to function normally
• Kale is rich in lutein – an anti-oxidant which helps keep the eyes healthy. Kale contains 76mg lutein per kg, compared to broccoli which has 17mg. Experts recommend we should eat 6-10mg of lutein each day
• A portion (80g) of cooked kale contains 448µg Vitamin A which plays a supporting role in maintaining normal skin and vision, and helps the immune system to function normally
• Gram for gram kale contains 17 times more vitamin C than carrots. A portion (80g) of cooked kale contains 57mg of vitamin C which is important because it plays a role in the formation of collagen for blood vessels, bone, cartilage, gums, skin and teeth; supports the immune system to work normally; increases iron absorption and plays a role in protecting the cells from oxidative damage
• Raw kale is an excellent source of vitamin K containing 704.8µg per 100g.Vitamin K plays a role in normal blood clotting and plays a role in maintaining normal bones
• Kale is virtually fat free and low in calories.
• IT GROWS THROUGHOUT WINTER, meaning you can get started on it as soon as you like (this post was written in January for anyone reading this in Summer.) It's also available in the supermarkets in Summer
• Kale has a definite role to play in support of the body's detoxification processes. The isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from kale's glucosinolates have been shown to help regulate detox activities in our cells.
• Kale is a incredible source of vitamin K (one cup of kale provides far more micrograms of vitamin K than any of our world's healthiest foods) and we also know that vitamin K is a key nutrient for helping regulate our body's inflammatory process.

One word of warning

Aim to always buy organic with Kale.  I say this because farmers can often lace Kale with pesticides to keep bugs off of the produce.  The last thing you want is to increase the toxicity load in your body!  Give this helpful link a quick browse - it identifies the 12 most sprayed fruit and vegetables : http://bit.ly/1d0UaTJ

But..would Kale taste a bit bland on its own..?

Yes, but fear not, I've listed some recipes for incorporating Kale into everyday dishes (remember, you can put it in literally anything!) : 

RECIPES : 

Prawn & Kale Stir Fry 

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500g pack kale
• 3 nests egg noodles (200g)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 onion, sliced (200g)
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks (200g)
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 400g frozen cooked tiger prawns, defrosted
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 75g plum sauce
• 1 tbsp chilli sauce

Method

Cook the kale in boiling water for 8 minutes, adding the noodles half way through, drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir fry the onion, carrot and ginger for 4-5 minutes. Add the prawns, kale and noodles.

Stir in the soy, plum and chilli sauces and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Lentil & Kale Soup 

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 150g Puy lentils
• 2 x 200g packs kale
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 195g can sweetcorn, drained
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 400g can chopped tomatoes

Method:

Cook the lentils in boiling water for 15 minutes, drain and return to the pan, add the kale, stock and the remaining ingredients. Simmer covered for 8 minutes then season to taste before serving.

PINEAPPLE, KALE, & APPLE DETOX SMOOTHIE 

Serves 1

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¼ fresh medium pineapple, cored and diced
• ½ red apple, cored and diced
• 50g kale
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 200ml probiotic pouring yogurt

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Pour into a tall glass.

P.S. If you want more information on Kale, this is a great site : http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/Articles/kale.php

P.P.S. If you have time, here's a great video on Kale and how to use it : 

Any questions or comments, feel free to leave in the box below. I love post : )

Thanks for reading,

Adam