Action For Wellness

Today we're talking about 9 of my favourite herbal teas, what health benefits they possess, and how to use them to elevate your well-being. To read the full description please click here for the full blog post! Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! We'd love to continue the conversation, so please follow us on social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/maya_naturopathy/ https://www.facebook.com/ActionForWellness And of course as usual the full information discussed on the blog is available on the websitemayanaturopathy.co.ukMaya x

I moved back to the UK from the middle east, where it's hot, and the food traditions are very different indeed! It's  been an interesting process to try and put my finger on some of the things that happened when I got here, in terms of what habits changed and what I had to do to regain my health equilibrium.To read the full comments please check out this blog post!   Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! We'd love to continue the conversation, so please follow us on social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/maya_naturopathy/ https://www.facebook.com/ActionForWellness And of course as usual the full information discussed on the blog is available on the websitemayanaturopathy.co.ukMaya x

In today's episode, we talk about heartburn! What is it, why does it happen, and how can we treat it? Naturopathy suggests that in situations of heartburn, we will always want to combine three main elements: diet, lifestyle, and stress management.So today we offer some tips on how to do exactly that! If you'd like to read the full text please click here :) Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! We'd love to continue the conversation, so please follow us on social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/maya_naturopathy/ https://www.facebook.com/ActionForWellness And of course as usual the full information discussed on the blog is available on the websitemayanaturopathy.co.ukMaya x

Snacking can be a great way to refuel and recharge during the day, but it's important to choose wisely to ensure that you are fuelling your body with the nutrients it needsWhat most of us struggle with, in my experience, is ideas!In this episode we look at 7 of my favourite snack optionsIf you'd like to read more, please visit my blog post here:https://www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk/lifestyle-advice/the-7-healthiest-snacks-for-optimal-nutrition/Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! We'd love to continue the conversation, so please follow us on social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/maya_naturopathy/ https://www.facebook.com/ActionForWellness And of course as usual the full information discussed on the blog is available on the websitemayanaturopathy.co.ukMaya x

Anti-nutrients are substances in food that reduce the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals.In this episode, we  discuss what anti-nutrients are, the effects of excessive consumption, and ways to reduce or neutralise their effects. What are Anti-Nutrients?We know that all foods contain nutrients - however what's less known is that some plant foods including grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes, contain compounds which are known as anti-nutrients. They are the compounds that act as a form of defence mechanism in the plant, helping to protect it from infections or consumption by animals and insects.Anti nutrients include phytate, lectins, tannins and oxalates (and there are a few more) For the full information head over to: mayanaturopathy.co.uk Maya x  Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! We'd love to continue the conversation, so please follow us on social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/maya_naturopathy/ https://www.facebook.com/ActionForWellness And of course as usual the full information discussed on the blog is available on the websitemayanaturopathy.co.ukMaya x

I know you've heard that you can boost your immune system through healthy lifestyle changes? Probably lots of times, right? But could it really be that easy? The answer might surprise you. As we head into winter and a potential new variant of Covid, booster shots are being recommended - but are there more proactive ways we can protect ourselves?A healthy lifestyle, including diet, exercise and sleeping habits, can boost your immunity and keep you healthy during the winter months—without even going to the doctor's office! Let's take a look at some of the research. A healthy diet boosts immunityLast January, the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a perspective article, offering the idea that there is a dietary change which can be made to help reduce risk of infection with covid-19, as well as significantly reducing risk of severe infection. A plant-based diet can have an impact on your immune systemWe discuss three studies which all suggest that a plant-based diet (which can be vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian, so long as they rely heavily on fruit and vegetables, whole grains and nuts, and plenty of legumes) can have a potentially large impact, significantly reducing risk of being infected with a severe form of covid. Why do these diets make a difference?We know that healthy plant-based diets are rich in nutrients, especially phytochemicals (polyphenols, carotenoids), vitamins and minerals, all of which are important for a healthy immune system, and fish are an important source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which have anti-inflammatory properties. So in increasing the volume of plant-based ingredients we can help ourselves get healthier (and if that helps reduce risk of severe covid infections- then that's even better news!)What can you do to help support your immune system?As we're approaching winter, it might be time to make some changes to your diet. Eating more grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes can help boost your immunity and keep you healthy during the coming months. Here's how to incorporate these foods into your diet: Add a variety grains such as rice, quinoa, pearl barley and buckwheat to your main meals, don't always go for the one you're used to. Add fruit whenever possible - as a snack, dessert, and whenever you're feeling peckish. Eat vegetables with lunch and dinner - it doesn't matter if they are raw, cooked, steamed or air-fried - however you enjoy eating them do thatKeep legumes such as beans in the pantry, but more importantly keep them in mind and add lentils alongside your grains, or beans into soups or casseroles. And of course there's lots more to do, including reducing your sugar intake, getting a good nights' sleep, getting enough exercise and spending time outside, drinking plenty of water, and using herbal medicine to support your body.As ever, if you feel you need extra support in incorporating these changes into your life, I'm here!Maya x 

Sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health and well-being, but many of us struggle to get enough rest at night. If you're having trouble getting quality sleep, there are steps you can take to get yourself into the best sleep habits possible, leading to a lifetime of better health and well-being as a result! Let's talk about the first line of solutions that can help you sleep better at night!What is the first line? You can probably guess... nutrition! Well, you already know that our food affects all our health...What is it important to eat in order to sleep well at night?Make sure you eat enough protein during the day - the high-quality protein found in ingredients such as legumes - lentils and beans - nuts and seeds provides us with a large amount of tryptophan. Tryptophan is converted in the body into the hormones serotonin and melatonin, which are essential for good sleep. Plant protein (such as the examples I gave) is rich not only in tryptophan, but also in vitamin B6 and zinc, two components that help convert tryptophan into melatonin. It is recommended not to eat the protein in the evening, as protein meals can be more difficult to digest, which can disturb sleep in itself.Make sure you consume enough magnesium - magnesium is found in pumpkin and sunflower seeds, leafy green vegetables, and dried fruits. Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for muscle relaxation, and it is also needed for GABA to function - a neurotransmitter with a relaxing action that helps to "turn off" the brain so that we can sleep peacefully.Complex carbohydrates - such as found in whole grains, among other things - help to balance blood sugar levels by breaking down slowly in the body. Even when we sleep, the body, and especially the brain, still consume sugars to continue their activity, and if the blood sugar levels are too low, the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released, which may wake us up from our sleep. A serving of whole grains at dinner can prevent this.Apart from nutrition, there are many habits that can affect our sleep, lets go over some of these...Here are a few habits to help improve your sleep (to read the full text go here) Creating a sleep scheduleUnwind before bedtimeExercise during the dayAvoid caffeine and alcohol at nightKeep your bedroom dark, quiet and coolIf you've tried these tips and they've not done enough to improve your sleep, I would say it's time for individual help, and you can schedule a free consult with me to see how I can help hereMaya x  

Ischaemic heart disease is the amongst the leading causes of death in the United Kingdom in men and women.What exactly is a heart attack?The progression of heart disease is determined by the progression of atherosclerosis (or to put it plainly, how much plaque is built up in your blood vessels). Heart attacks result from the formation of atherosclerosis, and of sclerotic plaques which are liable to block the passage of blood in the blood vessels to the heart. Try picturing a pipe that's clogged up with muck: whilst there's just a little, water can flow through but the flow of water will get weaker and weaker as the muck gets clogged and eventually, unless we clean the pipe, no water will be flowing through. If you need a visual, watch this short video by the British Heart Foundation.When this happens, without the supply of oxygen from the blood, the heart tissue will die. This is a heart attack.To read more, please visit https://www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk/naturopathy/heart-attacks-reduce-risk/ 

Building and maintaining healthy bones is of course an issue that is important to all of us.I often see patients in my clinic who are in the early stages of osteoporosis, and who ask how the process can be slowed down or stopped...From the moment we begin to grow until we reach our mid-twenties, we build our bone strength. After this we must maintain the strength we have built up, and slow down as much as possible the rate of bone thinning. In postmenopausal women, the rate of bone depletion increases significantly, which increases the risk of women suffering from osteoporosis.So what can be done? Well, first keep in mind that it is essential to do weight-bearing exercise: such as walking, running, tennis, football, or any other activities that you can persevere with. Nutritionally, it is important to pay attention to eating a balanced diet that includes an abundance of bone-building components - throughout life. In childhood it helps to build bone strength, and in adulthood it helps us maintain bone health.What are these components? Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, zinc, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, and B vitamins. Vitamin D can be absorbed also through exposure to sunlight and not just through diet.The average adult should aim to eat about 700 mg of calcium a day. How do you get there? Let's see!Fruits and vegetablesWhole grainsNuts and seedsProteinIt is important to include the entire list above in your diet on a daily basis, depending on your needs and personal requirements of course. But that's not all. There are also things that are better to reduce or avoid:Processed foods and beverages (which contain a high amount of sugar, fat and salt)Oxalic acidSmoking and caffeine and alcohol consumption Other than that, you should know that there is controversy regarding the consumption of animal-based products. Some argue that these are good sources of calcium, but there are others who disagree, due to the fact that animal-based products often contain high amounts of phosphorus, which impairs calcium absorption, and that high amounts of protein can lead to loss of bone mass.For the full information, please head over to www.mayanaturopthy.co.uk! Maya x 

After talking a bit the other week about what a ketogenic diet is, opening the door to a pretty interesting discussion with some patients about the body's use of sugar, I thought this week it would be worth explaining about glycaemic responses.Basically, a glycaemic response is an increase in blood glucose levels that occurs after eating carbohydrates. When we digest our food, the carbohydrates in the food break down and become glucose, which passes from the digestive tract into the bloodstream.The glucose now present in the blood causes the secretion of insulin from the pancreas - in the amount needed to get the glucose from the blood into the cells in the body, where it is used to generate energy.This process - a glycaemic response - begins as soon as the food starts to be broken down, and then, usually about two hours after the meal, the glucose concentration drops back to a fasting level after being absorbed into the various tissue cells. The normal range of blood glucose levels during fasting is 70-100 mg per 100 cc.A strong response is when the blood glucose concentration rises rapidly and to a high level, while a weak response is when the blood glucose concentration rises slowly and to a relatively low level. A low glycaemic response means lower insulin secretion and better control of blood sugar levels over time.In the past, the common assumption was that simple sugars cause a stronger glycaemic response than complex sugars, but the truth is that a glycaemic response depends on many factors, including:Type of carbohydrateProcessing of the foodRipenessDietary combinationsDifferences between peopleSo a glycaemic response is an increase in blood sugar after eating. What is the glycaemic index?Every food that contains carbohydrates is examined by the glycaemic index according to how fast it raises our blood glucose levels while it is being digested, compared to consuming the same amount of pure glucose. For the purpose of creating the index, pure glucose is determined to have a glycaemic index of 100. When a person is given a certain amount of pure glucose and the blood glucose level is checked every half hour for two hours, a glycaemic response curve is obtained which is considered to be 100%.When the glycaemic index is high, food is digested quickly and raises the blood glucose level quickly and to a large degree, and the body is forced to secrete a lot of insulin to lower the sugar level. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, which have a low glycaemic index, release glucose into the bloodstream gradually.This is important because while we do need carbohydrates for energy, we need "the right kind" of carbohydrates. The carbohydrates we need are those with a low glycaemic index, which encourage slow and moderate insulin secretion. These carbohydrates contribute to a longer feeling of satiation. For the full show notes please head to www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk 

You have showered, soaped up, sprayed yourself with perfume, put your make-up on, and you feel as clean as possible ...You may look wonderful, but what's going on inside your body? You have just covered yourselves with an unknown number of chemicals (whose effect is not always clear).Every day our body is exposed to between dozens and hundreds of different chemicals and pollutants from various sources. The list of hazardous or potentially hazardous ingredients in our home cleaning and grooming products is pretty insane, and unfortunately there is no requirement for cosmetics companies to check the ingredients for long-term safety before marketing.Keeping in mind that our skin can absorb up to 60% of the chemicals present in the common cosmetics we use on a daily basis - this means that widespread use of traditional cosmetics can lead to a serious chemical buildup in our body. This accumulation can produce severe side effects and eventually cause many health problems.It is true that not all exposure, and not all components will damage our health, but there are some that are really worth avoiding!What are these substances and what can they cause? Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives:Apart from preserving dead bodies, unfortunately formaldehyde is found in a number of substances used by living bodies ... nail polishes, adhesives, hair gels and straighteners among others, as well as baby shampoos, soaps and body washes. You can find these materials under the names:quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea1,4-dioxaneThis is considered by the EPA to be a "probable human carcinogen" and is found in almost a quarter of existing products. If you want to avoid this substance, you must use organic products.ParabensToday, there is more awareness of parabens and it's getting easier and easier to find soaps that have "paraben-free" labels on them. Parabens are chemicals that have a particular antimicrobial activity, which prolong the shelf life of the products. A link has been demonstrated between the use of parabens and cancer, hormonal disorders, infertility disorders, immune system disorders, neurotoxicity and skin problems.AluminiumAluminium is one of the basic components in almost every deodorant. For years I have been going out of my way to find natural deodorants, not only because of the aluminium (which is linked to diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's, among others), but also because the synthetic deodorants on the market are almost all antiperspirant, meaning they prevent sweating. True, no one wants to be caught with sweat marks outside the gym, but the truth is that when we sweat we allow our body to excrete toxins that we really do not want inside the body (among other things, toxic metals like aluminium), and when we prevent this process we trap the toxins inside the body.Look for the "paraben-free" label on the products you choose. Avoid those that contain SLS and 1,4-dioxane. If you really want to invest, buy products from companies that boast of only natural materials or are handmade.I cannot say that exposure to chemicals can be avoided one hundred percent. This is completely unrealistic in the world we live in. However, I prefer to know what I am exposed to and in what quantities, and to adjust my lifestyle accordingly.And if you really want to know what each ingredient does, take your shampoo for a test on this site:http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/If you've got any questions please contact me at www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk

In recent years I have heard more and more people talking about a ketogenic diet, and more and more patients are asking if this is the right diet for them.You know, of course, that I will not give you an unequivocal answer here, because each of us is different. But I will explain what a ketogenic diet means and when it is more or less appropriate.In principle, our body receives energy from three main sources:Carbohydrates (grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables ...), fats (various oils, butter ...) and proteins (animal products, legumes ...).When carbohydrates are broken down in the body, they are digested as sugars which are burned in the processes of energy production in the body. The body usually has a sufficient supply of carbohydrates for about 24 hours, after which the body begins to break down fats to generate energy. Once this process of burning fats for energy production begins, another process occurs. The fat is converted in the liver to fatty acids and ketones. When the levels of ketones in the blood rise (ketosis, or acidosis), the heart, muscles and brain use the ketones as an alternative energy source for sugar.This process occurs naturally in the body when it is on a fast lasting over a day - day and a half.A ketogenic diet mimics the effect of fasting, without avoiding food - by using a high-fat diet, a sufficient amount of protein, and about 2-4% carbohydrates. This avoidance of carbohydrates "tricks" our body, and causes a change in the body's biochemical mechanisms. We are actually forcing our body into a state of ketosis and burning fat as the main fuel source in the body instead of sugar.The traditional ketogenic diet includes a menu that contains about 75% fat, 20% protein and about 5% carbohydrates - usually without calorie restriction. In order to reach a state of ketosis, carbohydrate intake should be reduced to 30-50 grams per day – depending, of course, on height, weight, sex and the degree of physical activity (the more extreme the avoidance of carbohydrates, the faster a state of ketosis is reached). At the beginning of the process, you may see the appearance of headaches, brain fog, fatigue, and excessive urination (think about the symptoms you are familiar with before the end of a fast...). Adaptation to ketosis varies from person to person, and can take up to 6 weeks.Possible benefits include weight loss, improved epileptic conditions, improved diabetes indices, and, according to recent studies, a ketogenic diet may have a positive effect in cancer and neurological diseases. If you suffer from epilepsy and have iron willpower - this diet may suit you like a glove.Possible disadvantages include constipation (very low fibre intake!), hypoglycemia, excess cholesterol, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and possibly also pancreatitis. Long-term use of a ketogenic diet in children can lead to developmental delays. In addition, it is not possible to be on a ketogenic diet without having to take supplements in order to cover nutritional deficiencies.In short, as usual, I do not have an unequivocal answer to the question of whether or not you should try the diet. What I can say is that a diet with which you cannot survive without taking nutritional supplements requires real consideration, and should not be embarked on without a really good reason, and without thinking ahead about how you want your life to look.Beyond that, reducing the consumption of simple carbohydrates (like sugar, bread and pastas) is an excellent idea, but in my personal opinion if you are interested in your health it is better just to replace them with complex carbohydrates (vegetables and fruits, for example).Of course, if you are still undecided I am happy to provide personal advice depending on your precise situation.Maya x

When should I take supplements? How long? How do I know if the supplement is working?In my first meeting with new patients, I always ask for a list of all the supplements they are taking. I am often surprised by the length of these lists ...We are all familiar with a situation where something is wrong with us, and we hear a recommendation from friends, or read a recommendation on a website for a supplement, and think to ourselves - what do we have to lose?Today there are a lot of supplements whose action is so familiar that no one thinks twice about them, like vitamin C in the winter, or probiotics combined with antibiotics. There are indeed situations where it is not a problem to take a dietary supplement by yourself, but this is not always the case. So how do you know when you should seek professional advice before taking supplements?Let's try to make some order.First of all - what are nutritional supplements?Nutritional supplements are products that contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, plant components, or other nutrients, their purpose is to provide essential elements that we do not get enough of in our diet.When do we need them?There are situations in life when, for one reason or another, we have an increased need for a particular element, or we are unable to consume it in sufficient quantities. When this happens, taking a dietary supplement is definitely a simple and convenient "crutch" - as long as we do not forget that the goal is to return to a balanced state in which we do not need the supplement forever.Taking supplements wiselyWhen considering whether there is a benefit to a particular supplement, I always think about a few things:What is the patient's state of health - are there any background diseases or things that are worth knowing about? Background diseases can affect our need for various supplements. Are you taking any medication? This also includes over-the-counter medications! There are often reciprocal reactions between dietary supplements and herbs, and medications. When the supplements are taken can have an impact in cases where several supplements are being taken, if they are combined with medications, or simply in order to ensure effective absorption of the supplement. Situations in which the supplement has different derivatives or parts - often different supplements have different derivatives of the same substance, or are simply different types. Dosage - I always try to start with the lowest effective dose, both to give the body time to adjust and avoid side effects, and also because many times the supplement packaging recommends a higher dose than is really necessary Another thing that is important is to pay attention to the effect of the supplements - positive or negative.It is true that we cannot always know, and most of us will not notice any immediate effect when taking a supplement. I do not know anyone who has noticed the effect of taking vitamin C, for example, unless they are taking a dose high enough to suffer from side-effects (over 2 grams per day). What I really mean by paying attention to the effect of the supplement is that we want to know if the supplement is helping, or not. If you have started taking a supplement and you feel unwell, stop taking it and ask your therapist immediately whether the side-effect you are suffering from is known and will go away on its own, or whether maybe it is not a suitable supplement for you.In the end, I always think it is best to consult a therapist you trust, who will tailor the most appropriate supplement for you personally!If you have any questions, I am always happy to help, just pop me a message at www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk Maya x

Kids can be ridiculously stubborn when it comes to eating vegetables, and when they are allowed to choose what to eat - cakes and cookies will win most of the time. Getting children to eat more vegetable can seem like an endless battle. There are advertisements for processed foods everywhere, often using children's stars and role models to promote the products. It is not so surprising that diabetes and obesity are becoming so prevalent.But fear not: there are some effective ways how to get your kids to eat more vegetables, given a degree of persistence and perseverance.Set an example - children learn by imitating their parents. If you want them to eat vegetables, you have to eat them too. Increase food rich in nutrients, plant-based food, vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, nuts, and so on in your diet. You cannot teach your kids to eat vegetables while you sneak in fries or burgers on the side. The kids will follow your behaviour because, although it may not always seem to be the case, parents are the biggest role model in their lives.Talk to them - communication is key. Talk to your children about why they should eat more and different vegetables. Explain to them that the nutrients in vegetables and fruits help to keep them well, grow stronger bone, and make the brain work better. You should also tell them that eating unhealthy food has direct consequences such as overweight, acne, and other problems.Get them involved - children have more interest in the meal if they are involved in its preparation. You can take them to the local market or grocery store, and also let them pick one or two vegetables to cook for the next dinner. Even better, you can also involve them in planting vegetables in the garden. Let them clean the vegetables, tear the salad leaves, mix the dressing. Helping to set the table will also encourage their cooperation at mealtime.Do not make them eat - if your child will only eat a few bites, leave him or her be and do not force them to finish up. Coercion, arguments and punishments only deliver a negative experience. If they have five bites today, maybe tomorrow they will have six bites. The aim is to have steady progress, and to encourage the children to try many different vegetables and fruits.Arrange the food to attract the kids' attention - You can cook a variety of vegetables and arrange them on the plate. Raw vegetables can be arranged to form a face, or a flower. Fruit can be cut into a fruit salad and served in cups. Food that looks attractive always goes down better!And just one last tip: if there are fresh, washed, cut up and nicely arranged fruits and vegetables on the table when the kids are home, they are more than likely to just go ahead and nosh on them by themselves without needing any special encouragement from you. 

I love grounding. It's a simple, easy, fun, and  free method everyone can use literally right now to improve their health. What is it? Grounding, also known as earthing, is literally reconnecting to the earth: i.e. walking on the earth. It requires direct skin contact with the surface of the Earth, such as with bare feet or hands, or with various grounding systems. In this connection, we are reconnecting the conductive human body to the Earth's natural and subtle surface electric charge. Some research has referred to this as electric nutrition. This electric connection to the earth has been lost with our modern lifestyle, which causes what has been dubbed by researchers “electron deficiency syndrome”, which is supposed to be a significant cause of multiple health disorders. The lost contact with the Earth may contribute to electrical imbalances, a build-up of disruptive static electricity (positive charges), and an unrecognized electron deficiency in the body, and with it, vulnerability to dysfunction, disorder, and disease.The earths' surface is affected electrically by lightning strikes, solar radiation, atmospheric dynamics, all of which endow earths' surface (as well as bodies of water) with a continuous renewed supply of free electrons, which give earth a natural negative electric charge. When we sleep, walk, touch the earth it is hypothesized that we transfer these free electrons into the body, which results in physiological changes. Sounds simple enough, right? It is! So what are the effects of said grounding? Reconnection with the Earth's electrons has been found to promote intriguing physiological changes and subjective reports of well-being. Grounding helps stabilize the physiology of the body, reducing inflammation, pain and stress improving blood flow, lymphatic return to the heart, improved sleep and improved wellbeing. The research on grounding spans from improving autonomic nervous system functions in premature infants, to improved inflammation following injury, improved sleep, normalized cortisol rhythm (and shifting the nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic activation), reduced blood viscosity and so much more!So really, there's very little downside to applying this technique. Walk outside on the grass, sand or stone barefoot. Do your gardening while barefoot. Play with your kids outside on the grass barefoot. Lay down on the beach. Have fun! PS:If you've given it a go and want to share your experiences, please contact me at: http://www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk

 You've heard the saying: “you are what you eat” right? A more accurate sentiment though, is “you are what your microbiome eats”! The lining of our gut is covered in organisms which create a micro-ecosystem called the microbiome. You may or may not know that this little ecosystem within us has a huge role to play in our mood, our behaviours and our health. A few examples of what our gut microbes do include:1. Help in maintaining a healthy weight2. Help with healthy immune responses3. Help protect against metabolic disorders4. Help produce short-chain fatty acids5. Production of vitamins 6. Production of about 95% of the serotonin in our bodyThe way we eat affects our microbiome, and has a huge impact on its health, which then impacts our health. There are hundreds of different species of bacteria in our gut, and keeping that balance is key! When you are healthy, you can trust that your gut is in balance and will do all that it should. However, most of us find that either through deficient diets, chronic health conditions, use of medication, lack of sleep or other lifestyle issues, our gut bacteria and therefore health are at a degree of imbalance.This balance can be maintained either through helping the ones we have grow by providing them the foods they like (these are pre-biotic foods) or by adding more good live bacteria to the mix (these are probiotics). Synbiotics refers to a supplement which combines both the bacteria (probiotic) and the food it needs (prebiotic), but we'll get to that later. PrebioticsPrebiotics are plant fibres, they help feed and stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, as well as enhance their activity. These fibres aren't digestible by the body and so they pass through out digestive system to become food for bacteria and other microbes. They can be found in plant-based sources you're probably already consuming such as flax, hemp and chia seeds, oats and legumes, fruits and vegetables like bananas, asparagus, kiwis and Jerusalem artichokes. They can also be found in fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and tempeh.ProbioticsProbiotics are live bacteria which we may ingest in order to directly add to the population of healthy microbes in our gut. A single dose may include a particular strain of microbe or blend of microbes.Research into the use of probiotic supplementation has found benefits not only in digestive issues, but a very wide range of conditions, from blood pressure to mental health. Each persons' microbiome is completely unique, and that's why there's no fool proof way of knowing which would work best for you aside from taking a microbiome test, however working with a naturopath means you can use their knowledge of research and clinical experience to help you find the best solution. Prebiotics and probiotics are vital for the health of your gut and your body in general and consuming more of them is easily achieved! Incorporate live culture foods on a daily or weekly basis, ensure plenty of fibre and you're there!  If you have any questions, come start the conversation at www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk 

Talking about hydration!The truth is that you don't need to make a big “effort” to be dehydrated. A lot of us live that way constantly throughout our lives.  If your body lost only 1.5-2% of the water that it usually contains (note that our body normally has 60-70% water), you will reach the critical point of mild dehydration. “When dehydration reduces body mass by more than 2%, it has been consistently reported that mood is influenced, fatigue is greater, and alertness is lower.”A recent NIH publication found that good hydration may reduce long-term risks for heart failure. In this episode we talk about what proper hydration means, and what are some great tips and suggestions for avoiding dehydration are... 

It's spring time! The days get longer, the weather is warming up, spring is approaching and everyone starts spring cleaning the house and refreshing their wardrobe. And what else happens in the spring? Along with the spring come seductive articles that appear everywhere on detox diets.Why? There are a number of reasons. The obvious reason is that these are usually diets that contribute to weight loss, and before the summer almost all of us have thoughts about this. But the truth is, bikinis are not the only reason. According to Chinese medicine, in the spring the body starts natural detoxification processes. In the winter our body hoards, because fat means more body heat, but when the weather warms up we need less padding. Notice that in the summer we tend to eat a little less than in winter, and this change begins in the spring.Despite the positive publicity given to these spring cleanses, it is important to remember that detoxification is not for everyone. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people who suffer from an illness or an eating disorder - should not do detoxification. If you are unsure, contact a therapist who understands about the subject. Opponents of cleansing diets argue that the body eliminates what it needs to naturally, and there is no need to help it. In general it can be said that they are right, detoxification processes are indeed always occurring in our body. However, in some situations where an excess of toxins can interfere with the optimal functioning of the body. Excessive toxicity in the body can cause a wide range of symptoms: headaches, abdominal pain and bloating, skin problems, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, a weak immune system, chronic fatigue, and more.What are these toxins? There are environmental toxins such as air pollution, spraying of pesticides, eating  the wrong things, and more; there are internal toxins like chronic constipation, and excess blood lipids; and there are also emotional toxins (the Chinese will say that what makes it hardest on the liver, for example, is anger).What is a detox diet? By and large, this refers to a dietary change that includes avoiding environmental toxins, and eating a "clean" diet that allows the body a little rest that will encourage it to eliminate toxins more effectively, often by combining foods and medicinal herbs that also encourage the body's natural detoxification action.Here are ten things you really need to know about detoxification, and you can start doing it on your own, right now:1.    Avoid the following foods: alcohol, caffeine, meat, dairy products, sugar, and processed foods.2.    Eat lots of organic fruits and vegetables. Eat salads, soups and stir-fries. Use fresh herbs rather than dry and processed spices.3.    Prefer vegetable protein such as legumes (preferably sprouted), nuts and seeds that are not roasted or salted.4.    Drink only water and herbal infusions, but drink a lot of them! Try to drink 2-3 litres of water a day.5.    You can start the morning with a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon.6.    Brush your body with a dry brush before showering, from the feet up, and from the arms and head down.7.    Moderate exercise is recommended during a cleanse (and always).8.    Listen to your body: eat only when you are hungry and until you are full, but no more than you need.9.    It is highly recommended to do some mental cleansing, such as a short daily meditation.10. Try to sleep 8 hours a night.

There is an old formula that says: If I want to lose weight, I need to eat fewer calories than I expend. If I take in more calories than I expend (through my regular daily activities) then I will gain weight, and if I take in less, I will lose weight. This equation is not only old, it is outdated.It is an old approach that we know today to be inaccurate. There are a lot of factors that affect weight loss.There are actually 4 things that are important in the weight loss process, and if we do not pay attention to them, no matter how well we think we are doing, the weight will stay on:1. Nutrition: It matters less how many calories you eat, and more what these calories containMy point is that the real question is quality and not quantity. When I talk about food, what needs to be paid attention to is eating real food. What is real food? Real food is packed with nutrients. This means that it contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, fibre and more. In a relatively small amount of food, we get a wide range of good things.Here is an example: One medium banana (118 grams) has 105 calories.What else is in the banana? Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, pantothenic acid, choline, betaine, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and fluoride.Stop counting calories, start counting nutrients.2. Physical exercise: The more you do the better you will feelSeriously, you know that. How good do you feel after a short walk on a Saturday morning, with the sunshine and the birds and the clean air? We all know that sport causes the secretion of endorphins, and makes us feel better.To keep ourselves healthy we need to make sure that what goes into our body is good, but we also need to make sure that we help with the cleansing activity of our body. You may have heard of all kinds of liver cleanses? So I'm talking about daily maintenance of the body's excretory systems. There are three main ones: kidney, liver, and skin. If you eat less processed food, you are helping your liver. If you drink enough water you are helping your kidneys. If you exercise and sweat, you are helping your skin.Sweat a little every day.3. Screen time: The less time you spend in front of a screen the more time you will spend being creativeWell, there are plenty of reasons for this.First of all, the more time we spend sitting in front of the TV, computer, tablet or phone, the less time we spend on the move. Movement is life. More than that, the more time we spend in front of screens the less time we spend interacting with friends and family, and doing things that really make us happy.But it's not just that! These screens all emit blue light. This light can cause hormonal disruption (note that the latest versions of the phones almost all have a red light app in order to reduce the damage), and cause sleep disturbances due to the disruption in melatonin activity.4. Sleep: Good sleep leads to better decisionsSeriously. Did you know that even one night without sleep will lead to a change in the decision-making process? How? When we don't sleep enough, instead of a more developed part of the brain being responsible for making decisions, responsibility is transferred to a more primitive part of the brain. This does not happen consciously, we have no control over it, but that is what happens. So how do we feel? We're more irritable, we're more likely to lash out at someone who annoys us (the boss, or our partner, for example), and not only that, but when it comes to decision about food, we will probably make less good choices and go for things that are processed and high in sugar content. There are quite fascinating studies on this.

Emotional Eating: From Slavery to FreedomHow do our emotions relate to and influence our dietary choices? How does the food we eat change our mood?Emotional eating is a hot topic right now, probably because after trying all the possible diets, going from one extreme to another, from paleo to vegan, what we have found is that nutrition is one part of the picture, but the other part is our feelings and their impact on quantity and quality of what we eat. How can emotions be separated from dietary choices? There are four steps to this:1. Are we emotional eaters? Awareness has a huge impact, it is important that we distinguish between eating out of hunger, and emotional eating. Emotional eating happens quickly: something occurs that evokes an emotion in us (it could be something at work, certain behaviour by another person, anything at all...) and immediately afterwards we feel the urge to eat. 2. Developing alternatives to extricate ourselves from the situation. As soon as you understand that your urge to eat right now is not related to hunger but is related to certain emotions, you should take a step back, and think of an alternative to food. It could be going for a walk to clear your head for ten minutes, calling a friend, writing in your diary, doing sports, doing anything else that will distract you. It takes the brain on average 15 minutes to readjust, so if you can distance yourself from the situation even just for quarter of an hour your brain can recalculate. 3. Looking at the deeper implications of dietary choices. First of all, the basic tendency of most of us is to ask ourselves questions before, and not after. Two minutes before eating it, we think "how much do I want this chocolate now?", instead of asking ourselves thirty minutes after we have finished eating it, "Did it make me feel better?" 4. Balancing blood sugar levels: As we make our diet healthier, blood sugar levels stabilise. Studies have found that among people with stable blood sugar levels, the tendency to have food cravings is just 15%, but when blood sugar levels are unstable, this percentage rises to 65%. So maintaining stable sugar levels may prevent food cravings ... in short, the chicken and the egg in the best way possible: eat well, feel better, feel better, eat better!

Am I eating enough protein?If I eat less meat, won't I have a protein deficiency?Maybe I should add protein powder to my daily diet?Should I switch to a paleo diet?I can say myself that one of the questions I was asked most frequently after choosing tobecome vegetarian at age 11 was: Where do you get protein from? (It did not take long forthose who saw me to see that my growth was not really harmed ...)There is a very common (although incorrect) idea that vegetarians and vegans will not getenough protein in their diet because they do not eat meat. More than that, there are moreand more people today who support the claim that we should all eat very high amounts ofprotein in order to lose weight.So how do you know how much is too little protein? Too much protein? How much proteindo you need at all?That's what today is all about!Protein is essential for the body, it is necessary, among other things, to build and repair cellsin the body, and in the production of enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Apart from that,eating protein contributes to a feeling of satiation - which can reduce the feeling of hungerand prevent us from craving the less healthy kind of snacks.The average person needs at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and thiscan go up to about 2 grams per kilogram if you exercise regularly, or try to reduce fat levelswithout losing muscle mass. Pregnant women and nursing mothers also need more protein.On average it can be said that the recommendations for protein intake are about 56 gramsper day for a man and 46 grams per day for a woman, but it is quite easy to calculate thispersonally according to your weight ...In general: this means 48 grams of protein per day for a person weighing 60 kg, 56 grams ofprotein for a weight of 70 kg, 64 grams of protein per day for a weight of 80 kg.So, who still needs to worry about protein deficiency?Most foods contain a certain amount of protein, and true protein deficiency is extremelyrare in developed countries. Protein deficiency rates are highest in Central African andSoutheast Asian countries, and can reach up to about 30%.However, vegetarians and vegans whose diet is unbalanced may suffer from proteindeficiency, and the same is true of people who are hospitalized for long periods. In addition,people with anorexia may have a lack of protein.Symptoms of protein deficiency:Protein deficiency can lead to symptoms of fatigue, developmental impairment (physical ormental), hair loss or loss of hair pigmentation, loss of muscle mass, low body temperature,insulin resistance, decreased production of enzymes and hormones – and thus hormonalirregularity and damage to fertility, loss of elasticity of the skin, and, of course, damage tothe immune system.Protein deficiency, in its most severe form which is known mainly in populations sufferingfrom significant and long-term starvation, can become a Kwashiorkor syndrome, meaningprotein malnutrition, and can be fatal.What about too much protein?Yes, that can happen too! Especially for those who follow the Atkins diet, the zone diet, orthe paleo diet (the ancient human diet) - diets that support extensive protein intake, toreduce weight and build muscle mass.Most studies today show that consuming over 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight (for normal people, not athletes) can lead to significant health hazards.Symptoms of excessive protein intake include: digestive issues - nausea, diarrhoea orconstipation, dehydration, unexplained fatigue, irritability, headaches, weight gain,unpleasant mouth odour, loss of calcium.If you have any questions you can email me at mayanatuoprathy@gmail.comOr visit: www.mayanaturopathy.co.uk

 Artificial SweetenersWelcome back to another episode of naturopath's corner. I'm Maya, as you know, and today I want to talk about one of the questions that I get asked the most often in clinic and that is, what about artificial sweeteners? Why should we avoid them? Do we need to avoid them? On the surface Artificial Sweeteners have great potential, right? Because instead of 140 calories in our can of drink we get zero. Yay! It's like the perfect diet food. Right? If you ask me the answer is probably not. The first thing is for me, it's in the name, it's an artificial sweetener, it isn't known in nature. As a general rule, we want to limit the intake of artificial foods, you can refer to them as ultra processed, and most of us already know that these are the kinds of foods that we should be avoiding. Artificial sweeteners are a lot sweeter than sugar. They can be about 600 times sweeter than sugar. That's why the diet version of a drink  is sweeter than the actual version of the drink. If you're drinking these artificial sweeteners on a regular basis, what's actually happening is that you are creating a new threshold for sweetness. And in this new threshold, fruit  just doesn't measure up. So we just want to have more and more and more sweet things. A weird animal study found that sweeteners are potentially highly addictive. And when rats get the choice between saccharin and cocaine, they went for this saccharin. So this isn't great news. When it comes to the safety of these sweeteners, studies are inconclusive. But what I can say is that we really don't know what the effect of large amounts of these chemicals have over many years. I'm also concerned by the fact that some trials have shown that consumption of diet drinks can put you at a far higher risk of developing conditions like metabolic syndrome and type two diabetes, and mostly we choose the artificially sweetened drink because we want to reduce our risk of these things. Artificial Sweeteners appear to change the host microbiome, basically what it means is that it's affecting your gut bacteria which is basically in charge of everything in your body. So that's got the potential to not be great news. Another thing that it can do is it can lead to decreased satiation which means that you you require more food in order to feel full. Another thing is it can alter glucose homeostasis, which can be the cause for insulin resistance, which is associated with increased caloric consumption and weight gain. So even if the research isn't conclusively against it, I suggest to err the side of caution, so I don't recommend people use artificial sweeteners, I do recommend avoiding them whenever possible. And if you would like to find other alternatives, personally, I would say drink more water. If you don't like water, you can add fruit to your water, actual literal fruit, not fruit flavoured waters. Those just include either sugar or artificial sweeteners. Drink herbal tea, that's what I do. I drink herbal tea, it works. It's delicious. And it's sugar free. I have found that a knowing all of this really does make you drink less, another option is to go from one to half, to quarter to none, usually works better than trying to go from hero to zero. So these were few reasons why in my mind, artificial sweeteners don't live up to the hype and why we should try and avoid them when possible. Good. Hope you have a great day. Always delightful to chat with you. And as ever, if you have any questions, you know, just email me at mayanaturopathy@gmail.com and I will answer them for you. Hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you next time! 

Today we're going to be talking about how much fruit is too much fruit. Spoiler alert: for the most of us - it's not a thing. Too much fruit is not a problem most of us will struggle with. This is a question that I genuinely get asked so many times, because I say eat more fruit and my patients are saying: but it's full of sugar. First is that 75% of the population does not eat enough fruit. The recommendations are for five different pieces of fruit and vegetables per day, which translates to one to two pieces of fruit a day. And 75% of the population are not hitting one or two pieces of fruit a day! This is  astounding because fruit is delicious, and colourful and beautiful and lovely. So why why are we not having any part of the reason that we're not having any, is because we're terrified of how much sugar is in it. But in reality, is it the same? Let's talk banana versus chocolate bar: the banana has fewer calories, less sugar than a chocolate bar and has the fibre has the vitamins has the minerals which no offence chocolate bar, but they don't have it. And what we've seen from the research is that when you increase your intake from two fruits a day to five fruits today, we see a  13% reduction in risk for general mortality, 30% less risk of death from any cause. We see lowered risk for heart disease we see lower risk for cancer we see lowered risk for respiratory disease. Basically better health. Why is this? It's because of the fibre. If you pick up an apple or a banana or a pear or a kiwi and you eat it as is, then you're getting all of that fibre. And what does this do? Okay, so the first thing is that we're increasing tremendously the amount of vitamins and the amount of minerals and the amount of antioxidants that we're having. What are these do? First of all, they make us happy because they're colourful. So we eat through our eyes, right? We see this colourful food and it makes us happy but it genuinely also makes us happy because of a biochemical response. So the more fruit we eat, the happier we feel. It helps relieve anxiety it helps relieve depression, it helps reduce stress levels in our lives. It also makes us look better and feel better physically, not just mentally although it does work mentally as well. When we look and we feel better everything else just seems that much nicer in life. But also we're adding all of the fibre what is the fibre do well of fibre makes you poop properly? We're adding the water as well because fruit contains water and fibre so we're making better poop. What does that do that literally getting rid of the crap in our body. It's the best form of detoxification, it replenishes our body with all the things that needs. So like I said, if you're a diabetic, and we're counting how many carbs you're having, then this does not apply for you. But if you're generally healthy person when you add all of the fruit, what we found is that your blood sugar levels don't rise, they go down. And we're lowering all of the other things that we want to be lowering like your cholesterol and your blood pressure, which generally helps with health in all directions, it lowers your risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. And like I said before cancer and pulmonary disease and respiratory disease. So eat more fruit, eat more fruit, because it is delicious. But if you're thinking, Oh, I shouldn't eat. I shouldn't eat more than an apple a day. I say eat an apple, and a pear and a kiwi and a banana and some raspberries and blueberries and whatever else you can think of and have all of those every day because it will help you feel better. So if you're worried about it, if you need specific consultation, then you know where to find me. 

Today we're discussing fad diets – we're all used to hearing about all the different new and fantastic, life changing, diets and detoxes. But do these things have downsides to them? What might they be? We all want to be a part of the latest and greatest weight-losing life-improving fad diet, but at what cost…The post Fad Diets appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Today's episode is more emotional than usual. Emotional but so important! Today Maya will share the story of her friend, Flori, who was killed while crossing the road on her way to pick up her son from kindergarten. We decided to dedicate this episode to discussing the importance of being mindful of what we're doing,…The post A Personal Story appeared first on Action For Wellness.

In this episode we're summing up 2018, discussing our failures and success! How are we going to improve and become more focused in 2019, what did we learn about ourselves and about life? Which fears have we overcome? To help you get your goals sorted, organised and to get started with a proper plan and…The post Welcome 2019! appeared first on Action For Wellness.

It's time to pull out your notes from January, and take a moment to seriously consider your progress when it comes to achieving your dreams! Before you set out to do this though, keep in mind one important fact: the goals you set for yourself – they are yous and yours alone. No one else…The post 032 | Quarter year check-in! appeared first on Action For Wellness.

They say the average millionaire has 7 different income streams. I think those who are rich in happiness also have many income streams. The post 031 | Deadlines appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Sasha broke up with her boyfriend at the time and found inspiration.She decided to use her dark sense of humor, and make herself a break-up card to cheer herself up. Guess what? Since that breakup, she's sold over 30,000 cards!The post 030 | Laughter is the best medicine! appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Want to know first about our next episode? Want to get special bonuses and free content? Subscribe Here Sometimes everyone needs a little break from life. Be it a short getaway overseas or to a local hotel, be it having a drink and letting go. It's there, whether we choose to ignore it or not.…The post 029 | Blowing Off Steam appeared first on Action For Wellness.

You need to find a way to do things that inspire you every single day. Seriously. Look for flowers, play with your kids, watch the sunset, listen to music, cook, knit, dance... whatever it is that allows all the crazy ideas questions and thoughts to pop into your mind. It's what feeds your soul.The post 028| Get inspired! appeared first on Action For Wellness.

We have so many things in our life to be thankful for and happy about =) In today's episode we discuss our circles of influence, which are always around us and for better or worse, have a substantial effect on how we see ourselves, our lives, our achievements… We discuss the two types of people…The post 027 | Circles of influence appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Sometimes in life you are forced to make a choice- are you going to survive this or are you going to try your best to thrive with this. That's what we're talking about in this interview with Gemma Boak, from www.thisscientistsays.com with you. Gemma was diagnosed at six years old with psoriasis and spent her life getting…The post 026 | Thriving over surviving appeared first on Action For Wellness.

In this episode, we talk about how decluttering can help you get more than just your possessions under control, but also how to turn that process of refining your life into a journey of self-acceptance and love. The post 025 |The simple joy of decluttering appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Today we're discussing how we can make the most out of things in our lives, invest more of ourselves into the things we're doing and pushing up the glass ceiling. So often we, unconsciously, set our own limits at a place where we feel comfortable although we can easily break these and go so much…The post 024 | Going all-in appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Are you hoping that 2018 will be the year you finally stick to your goals and make your dreams come true? To get this year started in the best possible way, Maya and I have decided to start a free challenge, with a month of positive affirmations!! We will publish a new positive affirmation every single…The post 023: Positive affirmations appeared first on Action For Wellness.

As we said, this podcast idea came after listening to this Ted talk by Mariano Sigman and Dan Ariely, who were talking about how groups can make better decisions. It got me thinking that we can only arrive at a group decision if we talk to one another, something we seem to be doing less and…The post 022: Having better conversations appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Towards the end of the year, it's time to stop for a moment and take a look at the year we're about to finish. Have we accomplished what we'd hoped to? What was it that worked and what didn't, how can we use this to our advantage? In today's episode we review all this and…The post 021: learning from the past year appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Eidetics is easier to experience than to explain, don't worry- Wendy does take us through this journey in the episode! But here's what we can say: an eidetic image is a type of vivid mental image, not necessarily derived from an actual event or memory, which is used as a vision, as a source of new thought and feeling. Eidetics allows us access to what's beneath the surface.The post 020: Eidetic imagery appeared first on Action For Wellness.

We all know that goal setting is important, but how can we set goals that motivate us instead of sending chills down our spine and making us feel unworthy? Well, we've all encountered both goals. When I started out my Master's degree I was terrified and was experiencing a whole heap of "I'm not good enough"…The post 019: Creating goals and expectations that work for you appeared first on Action For Wellness.

So what does it mean to give thanks for what we have? How does being appreciative make things change? What is it in our mindset that can be so easily changed and have such a huge impact on our lives?In today's episode, we discuss how impactful it can be to stop and give thanks for ALL the things in our lives, whether they feel good or not! The post 018: Gratitude appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Today we interview Jamie Michaels, author (Canoe Boys, Christie Pits – click the links to back the project today!!), cage-fighter and helicopter firefighter, located in Winnipeg Canada and who also happens to be our cousin

Preparing yourself for winter – making sure that now the days are shorter and you're getting tired earlier, you're still actually making sure that you are eating properly, that you're doing what you can to avoid the winter blues (well, some of us may think that's not really possible- but at least make it more…The post 016: Preparing Yourself For Winter appeared first on Action For Wellness.

We all come across different types and scales of conflicts, on a daily basis. In this episode we will discuss different techniques and ways of dealing with conflicts - although we may not be able to resolve or stop all conflict (not quite world peace yet (: ), but will certainly help you handle and try…The post 015: Conflict resolution appeared first on Action For Wellness.

I think we all know the horrible feeling we get every once in a while, the feeling of just being stuck. We all meet times when we feel the burden is too much to carry, no matter which way we look all we see are closed doors. That's what we're talking about in this episode:…The post 014: Getting unstuck appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Every once in a while, having a good clean up is the best thing to uplift your spirit. Sometimes, out possessions can weigh us down like long to-do lists that never get done. It's too easy to get bogged down by possessions! Be it the pile of unread magazines (you still intend to read someday,…The post 013: Out with the old and in with the new… appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Last week we discussed planning... but what happens when you've done all the planning and still don't get the outcome you were hoping for? Today we discuss rolling with the punches, re-framing failure and how to learn from it towards our next success, and most importantly - finding joy regardless of the outcome. We all…The post 012: Re-framing failure, how to learn from it towards our next success! appeared first on Action For Wellness.

What has organisation got to do with inspiration? Why should you get organised and what does "getting organised" even mean? What we've come to understand is, that if you don't have order in your days, you don't have order in your weeks and months, and that means you're likely unable to ensure you're prioritising the things…The post 011: Organising your life as a key to inspiration appeared first on Action For Wellness.

The summer holidays are coming to an end, and while you may be reading that with a sigh of relief, there's still that one small matter of getting the kids settled back into school/pre-school/nursery... What are the things we should be thinking of in advance? Is it possible to get through this with ease and…The post 010: End of the summer holidays appeared first on Action For Wellness.

Today is a very special episode, as Nava is away on holiday with her family so Maya invited a very special guest to the show, who is not only a good friend and colleague but also a specialist with a unique depth of knowledge when it comes to female fertility: Sandro Graca. Sandro is a…The post 009- Health and fertility appeared first on Action For Wellness.

What does Self Care really mean? In this episode, we discuss what self-care is, how to separate real self-care from merely "keeping up appearances" and why we really must make the effort to put ourselves first. It's all too easy to confuse taking care of ourselves with looking like we've got our lives together. We…The post 008: What does Self Care really mean? appeared first on Action For Wellness.