One of the most influential factors in maintaining a healthy immune system is relaxation, particularly if you are the sort of person that runs on high stress or anxiety.

Being able to manage stress is an important factor in keeping your immune system functioning well. 

It is often beyond our control to influence the factors that contribute to stress (work, finances, redundancy etc) but what we can do, is manage ourselves well, to reduce the impact.

It has been known for a long time that stress affects the immune system and our ability to fend off invading infections such as the Swine Flu bug.

Psychological stress such as anxiety has been shown to increase susceptibility to viral infection. Subjects exposed to stress showed increases in infection rates from 74% to 90%, and clinical colds rose from 27% to 47%. (McEwen & Stellar, 1993)

Relaxation techniques are known to be immune-enhancers and one of the most effective of these is a deep hypnotic relaxation, particularly when geared specifically to strengthening the individual’s immune function. The use of hypnosis not only teaches the body to relax and restore, but also contributes to a positive mental attitude and an optimistic outlook. These factors make a big difference in how the body fights disease. 

At certain times of year, seasonal changes often bring an increased vulnerability to infections and illness, so as summer draws into autumn, I am making a special offer of a one off session to boost your immunity and increase your ability to regularly relax.  This session will be geared to your specific needs.  You will come away with a personal CD recording that you can use as often as you want to, at no extra cost. Call me to arrange an appointment to suit you.

 Here are some other tips that will help you to stay healthy.

• Make sure that you eat well, by including natural whole-foods in your diet, particularly lots of dark green vegetables and brightly coloured fruits & veg. These will give your body the nutrition and antioxidants needed for optimal health. Also include grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and the essential omega fats that are found in fish oil or flax oil.
• Take pro-biotic supplements and eat foods that encourage good gut flora, such as live yogurt, miso, sauerkraut.  Approximately 70% of your immune function relies on having healthy levels of good bacteria in your gut. 
• Make sure that you are drinking enough water, particularly in the hotter weather.  If you want your body to be fighting fit, it needs to be hydrated.  Water is also excellent for helping the body to rid itself of toxins.
• Reduce or eliminate alcohol, caffeine and refined sugars
• Make sure you get enough good quality sleep.  If this is a difficult issue for you, hypnotherapy can help you to get restful nights sleep.
• Get regular exercise
• Do something nice for yourself on a regular basis.

Stay healthy this winter – take time to relax.

Two weeks ago, I noticed that one of my many amalgam fillings had a crack the size of the San Andreas Fault so, supported by my smug awareness that ‘I can do the dentist’, I headed off for the emergency dental appointment. With all my phobia management techniques firmly in place, I sat in the chair taking deep, relaxing breaths while the dentist selected his sharpest (it seemed to me) instrument to assess the depth of the crack. Once he’d established that the fissure was not actually causing me any physical discomfort, he told me that it was not an emergency so I should make another appointment and come back.

So now, here’s a mixture of relief and concern, as I recalled a colleague once telling me of the dangers of amalgam fillings and potential mercury poisoning. My dentist seemed unconcerned, though I couldn’t get the thought from my mind.

When I got home, I booted up the google engine and did some checking. What I found is that, as always with the internet, there is a whole raft of information and misinformation out there. However, my attention was caught by this:

I guess that until there is a unified position from all the so-called health watchdogs, it’s up to us to make our own minds up based on how we feel. In my personal case, I’d become aware of a general malaise that’d been around me for a couple of weeks and it seemed plausible that I could be becoming toxic. I was getting headaches and nausea and I also felt as though my eyesight was weaker. Eventually, after much searching, I found a dentist who would safely remove the offending filling and replace it with a clean, safe alternative. Since the treatment, my headaches have stopped. The nausea has lessened and is continuing to do so. The amalgam replacement cost me £200 and, despite being a national health dental patient, I want to tell you that it’s just about the best £200 I’ve ever spent.

If dental amalgam is of concern to you, find out as much as you can about it and search for a dentist that can safely remove it. I was prepared to travel to Portsmouth to Cathedral Dental Practice as they came highly recommended.

I also found this to be very interesting http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/images/stories/neurotoxin/NeurotoxinProtocol_Jan06.pdf