I know I keep harping on about the relationship between our health, our emotions and stress levels, but it’s a point that has really hit home to me lately because I’ve been in the middle of experiencing it.

There’s nothing like learning something really well by going through it yourself, and because I had a bit of stress earlier this year, I noticed a direct relationship between it, and a decline in my usually quite good health.

I do have a bit of a tricky adrenal and thyroid system that needs lots of support - but even with doing that AND eating really well and exercising regularly  - during the times I felt the most challenged, I had quite a number of negative physical changes.

My skin broke out a bit, I gained a few kilos, my hair was falling out, I was tired, and had lots of aches and pains.  It wasn’t until I resolved the emotional component and got back on track, that my physical health then naturally improved.

It just goes to show what a huge impact how we feel has on our physical health - and I am beginning to count this area as being just as important as what we eat, and maybe even more so.  I don’t believe that we can eat well and do everything else right - but leave our emotional garbage unresolved, and still be healthy. 

Our mind / feelings / emotions live in every cell in our body and we cannot separate them.  To be really healthy we need to heal the body and the mind, not just one or the other.  I see my best results in clinic, when someone embraces the physical side of healing, and also works on resolving their emotional issues as well.

With the launch of my Embracing Life! Six Day Detox, Healing and Renewal Retreats, I’ve found a new passion and have become very excited and enthusiastic about it all - and these feelings have resulted physically in a new-found energy, clear skin, healthy hair, a few kilos dropping off and a brighter outlook.

We never stop learning, and the best lessons are the ones that we experience ourselves. The power of observation in our own lives can be a powerful tool for significant insights and healing experiences.

One of the most common dairy foods that a lot of people like to eat is yoghurt. Even if they have eliminated a lot of dairy from their diet in the way of milk, cheese and ice-cream - yoghurt still has the perception of being a “health” food.

If you are sensitive to dairy then it doesn’t make sense to eat it, and with most yoghurt’s being made from pasteurised milk, with sugar, colours and flavours added, it is far from being “healthy”. There is often little to no good bacteria to speak of in many common supermarket yoghurts, in direct contrast to their marketing pitch.

Just recently I found out how to make a superb alternative to yoghurt that took about 1 minute in my blender - and is so healthy you can eat as much of it as you like!

There were three ingredients in my fruit “yoghurt” and that was paw paw, banana and handful of frozen raspberries, with a small amount of water so that it blended together into a creamy mousse like texture.

I poured mine over some strawberries and it was absolutely delightful!

Of course this type of yoghurt is not fermented and doesn’t contain any good bacteria - so we would need to look to other fermented products for that - such as sauerkraut or non-dairy kefir - but more about those another day!

Here is a great article from the Food Matters newsletter:

“Why superfoods?

Superfoods are a category of foods found in nature, they are superior sources of essential nutrients - nutrients we need but can’t make ourselves. We all may be adding more salads and vegetables to our diets, but concern for the quality of foods grown on mineral depleted soils makes superfoods popular.

They are nutritionally more potent then regular foods and are wonderful food sources of anti-oxidants for healthy healing. Superfoods are nutrient dense and calorie sparse.

Superfoods can be divided into 5 main groups:

Green Superfoods
Bees Superfoods
Seaweed Superfoods
Herb Superfoods
Fruit and Nut Superfoods”

Superfoods are a very important part of any diet, raw or otherwise. To find out more and to continue reading about the numerous benefits of these different types of superfoods you can go to the full article here: 

http://www.foodmatters.tv/superfoods.html#Green

One of the most amazing results I witnessed when working as the Naturopath at Hippocrates Health Centre, was the resolution of arthritic pain in less than a week.

I would see people come in on heavy pain medication, stiff, with limited mobility, often with swollen inflamed joints - and after going through a juice fast and detoxification process, they left the retreat with less or no pain, no medication, greater mobility and a reverence for the power of raw food in the healing process.

In arthritis we often find a ‘hot” or acidic condition with inorganic calcium deposits solidifying cartilage and ligaments, restricting movement and causing pain and inflammation.

Juice fasting for a period of time, and then incorporating juices into the diet on a daily basis, can help to break down the accumulation of waste deposits and regenerate the cartilage and joints.

Watermelon is a beautiful alkalising and cleansing juice, and can be of great benefit to hot conditions that need cooling.  Watermelon is a natural diuretic and kidney tonic and after just a few days on watermelon juice, many arthritic patients report an amazing amount of pain relief.

Celery juice is another healing remedy, very high in natural sodium which helps to maintain calcium balance and can facilitate waste excretion.

Carrot juice is highly nutritious and helps in the regeneration process of the cartilage and joints, while green juices such as wheatgrass or barley grass provide essential nutrients and chlorophyll.

Of course correcting the factors that led to the arthritic condition in the first place are important, such as a processed food diet, consumption of inorganic calcium, lack of movement and exercise, stress and poor digestion resulting in a low amount of mineral absorption.

A good detox can put you on the path to recovery and give you fast intial results that inspire you to continue the lifestyle and dietary changes that bring you relief.

You can find out more about detoxification in my July / August newsletter, or you can come to the Embracing Life! Retreat  and experience the benefits of it for yourself!

I am very happy to be announcing the launch of my fantastic health retreat experience, the Embracing Life!
Six Day Detox, Healing and Renewal Retreat.  My passion in life is to spend time with people dedicated to
learning about health and healing, and there is nothing better that doing that with a group of like-minded people in a beautiful luxury setting.
 
You can read more about this exceptional retreat experience below, and you will find more detailed information, and how to book in for the retreat, at my website: www.EmbracingHealth.com.au/retreat
 
The first of these retreats is being held on the Sunshine Coast of QLD in September, and if you are quick, there is an early-bird special for 6 lucky people who book and pay for the retreat in July.

I’ve put the retreat blurb below for you to have a bit of a read of - and you can also register your interest to have a retreat held in your area at the website.  I look forward to many of you joining me for a great week of detoxing, fun, relaxation, laughter and fantastic food!

Leisa Wheeler, founder of Embracing Health, is proud to announce the creation of a fresh, innovative style of luxury health retreat.  Departing from the rigid ways of “right” and “wrong” that have pervaded the older mind-sets of healing, Leisa has brought to life a new approach to the concept of a healing retreat - designing a program that empowers participants with knowledge that opens them to a higher awareness of what healing really means.

Not bound by any one strict doctrine, Leisa has woven together the best of the natural medicine world, blending the fields of detoxification, the secrets of superfoods,  the art of raw vegan gourmet cuisine, and the healing power of whole foods, into a delightful six day living experience of food as medicine.

Healing with whole food is only one part of the Embracing Life! Retreat, where as much emphasis is placed on feeding the mind,  understanding the emotions, and nurturing the soul, as in supporting the body.

Daily lectures on a range of health subjects cut through the confusion; yoga and meditative walks centre the mind; healing massage soothes the body; discussions on the role of emotional healing provides sustenance for the soul; and plenty of personal time gives you the space to really rest…

With dedicated attention to every detail of your six day renewal retreat, you will find the information, the luxury settings in exclusive boutique resorts around Australia, the food, the support, the whole experience – will surpass every expectation you ever had about what a week in a healing space should be.

You deserve to take some time out, to experience the divine combination of pampering, detoxification, education, rest and inspiration that a week with Leisa and her team will bring.

We look forward to seeing you there…