MArCH
2021
EXCLuSIvE INTErvIEW
WITH JANy LE PEN THE WOMAN OF THE PEOPLE
IMMuCurA HAS EXPANdEd TO FrANCE!
WE vISIT IMMuCurA CEO, Mr. SCHuMACHEr, IN PArIS FOr AN uPdATE
TIME TO CHANGE THE SELF-TALK!
LEArN TO bE KINdEr TO yOurSELF ANd ACHIEvE SuCCESS
CONTENTS 3 World News Texas Outages 4 Feature Immacura makes Immunotherapy avaIlable to the French natIon 5 Cover Story Jany Le Pen 8 Feature Time to Change the Self-Talk 12 Health & Wellbeing The March Eating Healthy Challenge
Welcome to all of our readers!
Whether you’re here for the first time, or already had the pleasure of reading some of our previous issues, we want to give you a warm welcome and thank you for supporting us here at United British Expats. We believe in restoring hope, uplifting our readers and contributing to the positive energy of our planet. We’re here to remind you that no matter what challenges and obstacles you face, you are the creator of your own dreams, and you can achieve them by practising self-love, self-belief and trusting in yourself and your journey.
16 Feature Three Practices to Celebrate Your Day
We want to take the time to thank all of our wonderful contributors who are helping fulfill both your dreams, and ours. The stories we bring you are based on real life experience and struggles faced by our writers, to help you overcome yours.
19 Feature The Not Knowing of This Moment of Confronting Racism
As the storm comes, our employees and contributors work their magic to restore faith and bring hope into our lives again.
24 Food Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings
We hope you enjoy our February issue. United British Expats Team
26 Beauty Inhalable Beauty 28 Feature How to Improve Any Moment
COLOFON CEO and Founder:
Abdelhadi Rhiti Chief Editor:
Paula Rapsiewicz Art Direction and Lay-out:
Jacqueline Brugman
ubE-2
WORLD NEWS
TEXAS OuTAGES Picture this Millions of homes without power, gas or electricity. 18 degree Celsius weather, with no heating or hot water. Struggling to survive in your own home. This has been the reality for Texas over the last few days, following a winter storm which left millions without power, and taking at least 21 lives. The widespread blackouts occurred when the energy grid became overwhelmed by the increased usage since the extreme weather conditions began. Millions of people in the state of Texas, who rarely experience such drastic temperature drops, have struggled to cope with the lack of power and frosty conditions. Deaths caused by the storm have been recorded in Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Missouri. The National Weather Service (NWS) announced that the worst of the storm has already moved through Texas, and although the extreme weather conditions are said to improve by next week, more than 100 million Americans are still under a winter weather warning. Even some Northern and Central parts of Mexico have been impacted by the frigid weather conditions, where millions of homes have experienced days of intermittent power outages. "I'm in Houston, Texas freezing to death," one Twitter user, Chris Prince, wrote. "No power, no heat, no water. I have four young children. How is this happening right now?" Another user, Josh Morgerman, wrote that a friend in Texas had resorted to "burning furniture in the fireplace" to stay warm. The Senior Director of Ercot - the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, spoke to CNN on Wednesday, and confirmed that the outages can last a few days for Texans. Written by Paula Rapsiewicz ubE-3
FEATURE
Immucura
makes Immunotherapy avaIlable to the French natIon
Great news for cancer sufferers in France! United British Expats CEO and Founder, Abdelhadi Rhiti, is visiting the Immucura CEO Johannes Schumacher, as Immucura begins to establish presence of their Nobel-prize winning Immunotherapy treatment. Inspiring editor Abdelhadi Rhiti meeting Immucura in Paris
Schumacher, who visited Mr Rhiti for last month's cover story, says "It's most astonishing for me, that such an advanced therapy is not practised yet in one of the leading European countries." Meeting leading scientists, political influencers and physicians in Paris, he was overwhelmed by the openness and the encouragement he was receiving. Immunotherapy with dendritic cells is a nature-identical way for a safe and strong curative cancer treatment. From a blood sample of the patient, a concentrate of the body 's own immune cells is produced to reinject in the body and create a high multiple of the cancer specific immune response. Clinical studies prove increased survival rates and lifespan with no unwanted side effects. Dendritic cell therapy is seen as the fourth column of cancer treatment besides chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Mireille, patient at Immucura: "An individually produced serum made the trick to my breast cancer. I wanted to escape chemotherapy and to me that was the right decision." United British Expats will continue to report about medical innovations for the benefit of mankind. Written by Paula Rapsiewicz
Enjoying great hospitality of amazing Jany Le Pen ubE-4
COVER STORY
exclusIve IntervIew
Jany le pen:
the woman oF the people
We’re in Paris, France; the weather is moody and rainy, but the energy of Janys’ home is warm and welcoming. I have just completed my second interview with Jany le Pen, and as usual it was a humbling and touching experience. I will never forget our first meeting… ubE-5
COVER STORY
I’ve always had a great interest in promoting equality, human rights and trying to help the less fortunate in this world, especially children, no matter what their race, religion or colour. Some years ago a good friend of mine, Souad Boudairi, invited me over for coffee. She said that she would like to introduce me to a very special lady; someone who is sincere, of great intelligence and possesses an even greater heart. I was intrigued but, before I agreed, I urged her to tell me more about this mystery person. Souad told me of the multiple missions of mercy and kindness that this woman had participated in and, in many cases, even organised herself. She said that she presides over a number of humanitarian organisations including ‘The Children of Iraq’, aimed at relieving the poverty bestowed on Arab children, due to the sanctions imposed on that country. She has published a book of the same name whose profits are donated to this desperately sad cause. Souad gave me an address in the suburbs of Paris and I headed over, intrigued and excited about meeting this special person. I could not have been more surprised when I entered the house to see Jany le Pen striding confidently towards me with a warm and welcoming smile. Surely, the wife of the right wing politician and activist, Jean Marie le Pen could not be the living, breathing Angel whom my friend had described? However, Jany has proved to be just that - and so much more. On this occasion, we spent much time talking about the amazing projects which she champions and also new projects planned for the future. ubE-6
MR RHITI Hi Jany! Thank you so much for welcoming us into your beautiful home, and giving us the chance to speak with you! We truly are honoured. Can you tell us a little bit about where your passion comes from and how you transmute that passion into action? How did it all begin? JANY LE PEN So nice to see you again Mr. Rhiti! It’s always a pleasure to speak with you, and now your readers! I guess I’ve always had it in me! I can’t stand to see the suffering of the innocent; in particular children. I believe everyone deserves a fair chance at life, and I’m here to create awareness for those who cannot speak up for themselves - almost like a voice for the voiceless. I just want to see fairness for all, and I took that passion within me to make at least a little bit of change, within a much more complex issue. This is an issue that must be dealt with on a global scale, but I know that if I can be one more person contributing to that change, it’s an extra strength on the team, you know? So that’s why I do what I do *Jany smiles warmly. MR RHITI It’s wonderful to hear there are still individuals who want to contribute to the greater good - it’s very inspiring! The world has made it difficult to care for others, when everyone is focused on their own struggles, so it’s amazing to see the work you do! JANY LE PEN Thank you! I do believe that people can change the way they look at things, and again that’s why I try to speak out, so others can find the path.
MR RHITI Your husband, Jean Marie le Pen, is a former right-wing politician and activist. Does that ever interfere with your mission? Is he supportive towards your cause? JANY LE PEN My husband 100% supports everything I do and all my work. There has been much speculation about my husbands’ views and beliefs when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Being in the political world is tough, you support your party and may say things that are controversial, but my father was a migrant from Greece, and my mother was of French-Dutch origin, so how could Jean be the racist that all his critics think he is? He is clearly a patriot, but that roots from an ageb bereft of confusing political correctness. He’s also a very direct man - he says things as he sees them, but this doesn’t make him racist. *Jany replies instantly, without any hesitation. Later on, after Jany prepared us some wonderful Greek food, I had a chance to speak with Jean Marie le Pen himself, as he confirmed how proud he is of Jany and the work she does. JEAN MARIE LE PEN I’m so proud of Jany! She puts in so much effort to help the oppressed - both abroad and here, in France! She’s a walking angel and I can’t phantom how one person can do so much. I support her all the way, and I’m humbled by her purity and great heart. In fact, many of Frances’ homeless are of all creeds, colours and nationalities, yet he gives his wife every encouragement
to alleviate their hunger. Even some of their staff are from Arab countries. I myself am an Anglo-Morocco, and can honestly say that I have never been treated with more kindness and grace than that shown to me by Jany, and Jean Marie le Pen. Next we spoke of a new reality show being produced for television by a talented Russian producer, Marie Liss. JANY LE PEN The concept is to film interviews and follow up the day-to-day life of major politicians’ wives, making a change in the world - starting with myself. What makes this new show unique is that, at the end of each episode, the person being interviewed nominates the next guest for the show. It is a revolutionary idea that keeps the audience, the cameraman, and even the producer guessing as to who will be interviewed next. We’re super excited for this new project! The time passed all too quickly; I could easily have chatted to Jany for hours. Regarding Jany’s infamous husband, it is true that some people of their generation can, on occasion, say things that can be misconstrued, or even appear insensitive. But actions speak louder than words. From the Children of Iraq, to the homeless in France, and many other oppressed people around the globe, I think I speak for us all when I say that the world would be a far better place if there were more people like Jany le Pen.
Written by Abdelhadi Rhiti ubE-7
tIme to change the As busy mums, we get very reliant on our natural responses. We often don’t even think about what we are doing. Be it packing lunches, vacuuming, putting washing away. It all becomes second nature.
What’s scary is when the same thing happens with our self talk. We very quickly become reliant on our “normal” responses. We stop thinking about what we are saying to ourselves. ubE-8
Here are some more examples, do any of these sound familiar? • I’m not good enough to do xyz • I can’t do that anymore • What if it doesn’t work? • What will people think of me? • I’m not worth it • There’s no use • Others are better than me
FEATURE
e selF talk
If when reading these examples, you felt a small moment of realisation. If any of these statements feel familiar, then I challenge you that now is the time to change your self talk. Why? Because 2021 didn’t start and suddenly all the craziness of 2020 ended. Because your family needs (and frankly they also want) you to be better than that. Because you owe it to yourself to stand up and speak ‘nicely’ to yourself.
But ultimately because self talk manifests. It becomes your belief system. It becomes your ‘normal’, and if you are not being kind to yourself, that my friend is unacceptable. The problem is that it’s all in your mind, and it’s subconscious. You need to bring it into your consciousness. This is important because your thoughts become your actions. ubE-9
so what can you do about It? Start by identifying your negative self talk. If you tell yourself “I’m not good enough” or “there’s no use” then write it down on a piece of paper, or in your journal. Or put it on a post it note, and stick it to your bathroom mirror. Take a good long look at yourself and ask yourself, “it is true”? I’m almost positive the answer you will get is “no”! Instead tell yourself the opposite. “I am good enough” or “I ubE-10
have the experience to do xyz” or “the reason I want this is xyz so I will do xyz”. Next I want you to make a plan for tomorrow. What will you say differently to yourself? Focus on catching yourself in the act and reflect on it. And at the end of the day, check in - were you kind to yourself? You need to start thinking like a friend, what would they say to you? Once you are conscious of your negative self talk, switch it to a positive. In addition, you need to be willing to be imperfect. We all make mistakes, we all slip, we all fall over. Take the tips above and pick yourself up again, turn it into a positive.
FEATURE
One of the most common negative self-talk is “I just don’t have the time”. There may be something you want: • Rediscovering a hobby • Volunteering • Exploring your new home • Learning a new skill • Starting part time work • Starting your own business Whatever it is you want, if you feel like you don’t have the time. then download my “Time and Energy Cheat Sheet” and discover how you can carve out a little time for yourself.
>> www.expatparentingabroad.com/time << And finally, I want to share something I read by Oprah recently “Ask yourself, what do I believe? Do you believe that you are worthy of happiness, success, abundance, fulfillment, peace, joy and love? What I know for sure is you become what you believe!” You my friend are worthy, very worthy! Written by Emily Rogers www.expatparentingabroad.com ubE-11
H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G
the march eatIng h
There are very few people among us who don't want their diet to get healthier. And so, I’m issuing a challenge for March: the Healthy Eating Challenge! This challenge is meant to be doable and promote small, gradual change … but also help push us a little out of our comfort zone so that we can have a powerful change within a month. It’s not going to change your entire diet all at once, but it can help you move to a healthier diet. Here’s how it works: 1 Each week, pick one mini-challenge from the list of minichallenges. See the list below. You pick one mini-challenge for the week that would be an easy, positive change for you. Don’t choose anything you won’t be able to stick to. Pick one to start today! ubE-12
2 Commit to doing that mini-challenge for the next week. If you don’t want to do it on your own, commit to a group of friends, family or colleagues on social media or via email. 3 Report back after a week, and choose a new challenge. Each Monday, report how you did to your group. Report your successes, where you fell short, what you learned and what you’d like to do differently going forward. Then commit to a new mini-challenge (or stick to the same one for another week). It’s that simple. Choose from the mini-challenges and commit to it for the week, picking a new one each week. One small change at a time. Gradual change is the most powerful change, and this challenge is the perfect way to do that.
healthy challenge
the weekly mInI-challenges Here are the mini-challenges (you do not have to do all of these, just pick one per week): 1. • • • • • • • • • • •
Adding healthy things: Eat one vegetable at lunch/dinner (pick one meal) Add one more vegetable to lunch/dinner (pick one meal) Eat fruit for breakfast Eat fruit and raw nuts for a snack Eat veggie with hummus for a snack Eat a healthy protein for dinner/lunch Eat a fiber-filled breakfast Have a tofu scramble with veggies for breakfast Drink green tea in the morning or afternoon (pick one) Add whole grains to your meals. Eat a hearty salad for lunch every day.
2. Changing your approach: • Learn a couple new recipes this week • Eat at home more (add a couple of nights to whatever amount you normally eat at home)
• Decide on healthy items to order before you go out to eat with friends. • Bring healthy food to a pot-luck party or work gathering. • Cook your healthy food in big batches and eat during the week. • Eat slowly and stop before you’re full. • Don’t eat after 8 p.m. • Set portion sizes and try sticking to them. • Don’t eat if you’re not actually hungry. • Try for high-volume, lower-calorie foods: vegetables, beans, fruits rather than white starches, meats, and fried foods. 3. Cutting out unhealthy things (look at what you do now, and set a target that’s lower): • Eat fruit instead of one of the sweets you normally eat. • Drink tea instead of soda. • Cut out sugar. • Cut back on the number of alcoholic drinks you have each day by one. • Eat less pastries, bread and other white flour. ubE-13
H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G
• • • • • •
Eat less fried foods. Switch from white rice to brown rice. Eat less fast food. Bring a healthy lunch to work instead of eating fast food. Try Ezekiel flourless cereal instead of sweet cereal. Switch from processed meats (sausages, bacon, etc.) to real meat, or fish.
• Reduce dairy or egg intake (use soymilk or almond milk on your cereal, for example). • Try cooking with tofu, tempeh, or seitan. • Try some awesome lentil recipes. • If it sounds easy and you’re already used to vegan food, try the 7-Day Vegan Challenge Not every change listed above for everyone.
4. Vegan stuff (a few people asked for some suggestions): • Try eating one meal a day with no meat. ubE-14
Find changes that feel right to you, as I know not everyone agrees with everything I’ve listed.
What is healthy for you will be different than what is healthy for me. I believe in a vegan diet (out of compassion for animals) and try to eat whole foods as much as I can (but not religiously). That doesn’t mean you have to do that. The one thing I believe is in trying to get foods that are full of nutrients — vegetables, fruits, beans (and legumes), nuts, seeds, whole grains — and eat less of the foods that are mostly empty of nutrients (processed foods, white bread and sugar, fried foods). Again, you don’t have to be religious about it — I eat cookies and French fries just like most normals!
Are you ready to start the challenge? Written by Leo Babauta. ubE-15
FEATURE
three practIces to celebrate your day
We tend to go through our days with our noses to the grindstone, doing tasks, getting distracted, jumping from one thing to the next. Go to sleep tired, repeat the next day. Our days become an endless cycle of getting stuff done and getting through to the next day (especially during this pandemic!). What would it be like if today were special? I’m going to share a few simple practices that will elevate every day, into something to celebrate.
practIce 1: wIn the day Instead of starting the day with a list of tasks to get done … what if we identified 1-3 things that ubE-16
would make this day an absolute victory, if we were to do them? So the practice is to start the day with a simple entry in your notebook or on a simple text document: what could I do to make this day a victory? I like to title it, “Win the Day: Saturday Feb. 6” (or whatever date it is, obviously), then I list 2-3 potential victories. (For today , writing this blog post is one of mine!) I have other tasks and meetings on my list, obviously, but these are the 2-3 I focus on. Sometimes it’s just one. If I can get that single task
done, or those 2-3 tasks, done, it will be a big victory for my goals for this month or year, or for my mission. Or it would just feel fantastic! I keep this list front and center, and refer back to it multiple times a day. It helps bring me back to what I want to accomplish. And then I look back on it at the end of the day (more on this in the next section), and celebrate what I can. Sometimes I don’t get them all done, which is not a cause for disappointment but for learning. But most days I do at least 1-2 of them, and any progress is a huge cause for celebration.
practIce 2: a brIeF revIew At the end of each day, it can be powerful to take a brief pause and review how the day went. And celebrate anything you can!
Here’s what I like to review: How did I do with my Win the Day list? Celebrate any progress at all. How did I do with my practices for the day? Again, any practice at all is a cause for celebration. Where did I see the divine today ? (You can word it as “God” or “the Sacred” or “Magic” or whatever feels powerful for you.) For me, I often find divinity in nature, in people all around me, even in a quiet moment like the one I’m experiencing as I write this post. I find this a powerful question that helps me celebrate life. This only has to take a few minutes. Set a reminder. I often will take a few more minutes to set my intentions/Win the Day items for tomorrow. ubE-17
FEATURE
practIce 3: endIng rItual For tasks We don’t have to wait for the end of the day to celebrate. We can do it after anything we do. The practice is a simple ritual: pause when you’re done with something, before you move on to the next thing. And reflect. And celebrate. For example, when I’m done writing this, I will have the urge to open up a browser tab and start tackling other tasks. Instead, I will try to ubE-18
remember to pause, and reflect how the writing went. What did I find sacred in the writing process? What can I celebrate and be grateful for? Then I’ll ask what my next intention is. It takes seconds, but it means that throughout the day, we are finding moments of deep appreciation for life. Written by Leo Babauta
FEATURE
THE NOT KNOWING OF THIS MOMENT OF CONFrONTING rACISM Last week, I spent some time trying to write an article inviting all of us to examine the root of our own racism. I struggled. I didn’t know exactly what to say, didn’t have any good solutions to offer, didn’t feel I had a grasp of the situation we’re in. I realized that’s because I don’t know — and it took me awhile to realize that maybe that not knowing is OK. Many of us want a simple solution to the systemic racism we’ve allowed to happen — but there isn’t one. When we don’t have a simple solution, our first reaction is to get
discouraged and frustrated and give up. But we can’t just give up. We have to let ourselves stay in the place of not knowing. We have to stay with the questions, and explore with curiosity. We have to listen. Listen to those who are most impacted, listen to their stories, listen to their anger and exhaustion and pain. Listen as if we don’t know anything, because we really don’t. ubE-19
FEATURE
examInIng the roots In the article I tried to write last week, I wanted to look at the root of our racism. We all have this racism in us, inherited from parents and teachers and textbooks and society, and unexamined and allowed to continue. I wanted to write about how we view people as Other. There’s me, and there’s Other. Not the same, not connected, not unified as one. Other. ubE-20
Then I realized I don’t know much about this. If you’re interested in examining this, I recommend reading Radical Dharma and Rev. angel Kyodo williams. When I let myself not know, I leave room for people who know so much more than I do. I don’t really know where my own racism comes from, or how to start breaking it up. I know I want to, and I’m committed to owning it and working with it. Making myself whole again.
remaInIng In the not knowIng Most of us really don’t like to not know. We seek out certainty, looking for books and articles and systems and tools to give us the certainty we want. That’s normal, and there’s nothing wrong with this instinct to get solid ground under our shaky feet. But there’s so much more possibility when we let ourselves
stay in the not knowing. Let ourselves wonder how things came to be, without needing a definite answer. Let ourselves wonder how to work with all of this, without needing a definite plan or path. Let ourselves be open to the stories of other people, to discovering our own story, without needing to know all of that already. ubE-21
FEATURE Let ourselves stay in the uncertainty that is fundamental to this moment, without needing to run. This is where I find myself, in the not knowing. It’s a place at the center of pain and outrage, and I am trying to let myself be more open to moving closer to that center, rather than moving away.
I’ll leave you with some words from Rev. angel Kyodo williams that impacted me:
Let the folks that can’t know how this lands in and on our bodies do the work of reclaiming their humanity until they realize this pain lays violence on our bodies, but ignored and unchecked, whiteness consumes their spirit, their wholeness, and integrity as human beings. . until white folks feel their guts wrench them out of pervasive confusion and into their bodies to show up beyond the obsession with personal safety and getting it right that is whiteness personified, they are the bulwark to white supremacy that got this man and every black brown
love letter to belo + heart InstructIo choose to re
ubE-22
indigenous devalued body killed. . white folks, you might not know what to “do” about it, but you can start by feeling which is where all wisdom of what to do when you don’t know what to do comes from. . if you don’t have access to that, now you have a place to start your work from. get comfortable with that discomfort. . in the meantime, give a shit. feel helpless outrage. take a risk.
listen. learn. get it wrong. offend someone. .
make beloved all black bodIes. —Rev. angel Kyodo williams Written by Leo Babauta
oved black bodIes ons For those who eceIve them.
ubE-23
FOOD
With Chinese New Year this month, I thought it would be fun to show you my take on a popular Chinese flavour.
sweet & sour chIcken wIngs I love trying different foods from different cultures. Traditionally sweet and sour sauce is made with sugar but I've substituted that for honey and pineapple juice which naturally add the sweet to this homemade sweet and sour sauce, making this recipe toddler friendly too. Healthier being baked (instead of fried) but still perfectly crispy wings, meaning all the pleasure without the guilt. ubE-24
IngredIents: • 16 chicken drumsticks/wings • • • • • • • • •
with skin 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tbsp sesame oil 100ml apple cider vinegar 125ml honey 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 125ml pineapple juice • Cornstarch slurry ( 2 tbsp corn
flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water)
For garnIsh (optIonal): • Handful of sesame seeds • Handful of spring onions
method: 1. Wash then thoroughly pat dry
s
the wings using kitchen paper towels. 2. Mix the baking powder, salt and ground black pepper together and add to the wings. Mix well making sure all wings are fully coated. 3. On a lined tray/oiled wire rack, space out the wings. Bake at 120c on the lower rack of your oven for 30 minutes, being sure to turn them half way through. This step doesn't cook them, but renders down the fat to ensure nice crispy wings.
TIP: I prefer to use baking paper instead of foil as I find the wings stick less. 4. After 30 minutes, I like to change the baking paper to get rid of the fat water and place the wings back in the oven at 200c for another 3040mins or until golden and crispy. Remember to turn them again halfway through. 5. In the last 10 minutes, put a wok over medium heat and add sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, minced garlic and pineapple juice and stir
well. Make the cornstarch slurry in a separate bowl making sure there are no clumps. Pour this into the sauce and quickly stir until the sauce thickens. 6. Add the baked wings to the sauce and coat well. Then transfer to a plate and pour remaining sauce on top. Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions if desired. Follow me on Instagram @taz.daud for more fun flavoured recipes for all ages. Written by Tasneem Daud ubE-25
Inhalable beauty We know there's a connection between our mind and our skin; in fact, there's a whole offshoot of dermatology known as psychodermatology devoted to it. The beauty industry is being stripped back to back to Mother Nature.
When you think of the word skincare, what comes to mind? Is it a gleaming aisle of products at the store? Is it the collection of cleansers, scrubs, and serums that sits on your bathroom shelf? What if I told you that skin-care encompasses more than that—much more than that!!
It encompasses things like sleep and exercise, stress management, and even something as simple as spending time in nature. In other words, skincare goes beyond the products ubE-26
you use. It also means cultivating healthy lifestyle habits and maintaining your physical and mental health. Your choice in skincare products can have a either negative or positive affect on your health, emotions and skin! That’s where psychodermatology comes in. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re definitely not alone. It’s a small and relatively NEW field of study that’s as interesting as it is important! The beauty industry is flooded with chemicals, synthetics and fillers to bulk out and preserve ingredients. You may have heard me talking before on how our skin is a mirror of what’s going on inside your body. Strong emotions such as anxiety, anger, stress can massively affect the skin. For proof, just think of back to a time when you felt particularly embarrassed by something. It’s likely your cheeks flushed pink at the very memory. Sure, this is a rather simplistic example, but it demonstrates how the mind can influence a reaction in the skin, even on a basic level.
BEAUTY The mind and the skin are connected via multiple pathways in our vascular, nervous, and endocrine systems which constantly communicate with each other. So YES your skincare regime could be making you sick! YES, you can support your emotions through plant based products. Inhalable beauty is often discussed in relation to psychodermatology. The theory goes like this: by inhaling (and absorbing) certain ingredients, especially those certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils, we can target our nervous system directly, thereby encouraging a calmer mental state, and through that, better skin, too. Ingredients that have fast-track access to our nervous system have the twin capacity of working on our skin and our minds simultaneously! CPTG products can do just that. Frankincense Touch oil - Powerful anti aging skin oil with the ability to calm the mind, help lift mood and balance hormones. Also an excellent oil for managing depression and chronic anxiety. When pure essential oils are applied to the skin, these compounds are recognized by the skin and absorbed which then travel around the body via the bloodstream. In this way they are able to deliver a range of benefits to the body's systems and organs. When inhaled, the scent molecules reach the olfactory epithelium, which consists of millions of receptor cells located at the top of the nostrils, just below and between the eyes. Odors are then converted to messages, which are converted and relayed to the brain for processing. Inhalation provides the most direct route to the brain! So with every breath, the scent molecules inescapably travel to the lungs. Some molecules are absorbed by the mucous lining of the respiratory pathway. Other molecules reach the alveoli and are transferred into the bloodstream. Psychodermatology is all about caring for our skin through caring for our minds, and being mindful of what our skin is actually absorbing. Self wellbeing and stress management are important pieces of the puzzle for glowing skin. That’s especially true, today, when we’re coping with the consequences of a global pandemic on top of all of our other daily stressors. That means that habits and rituals that help you manage stress, whether that’s yoga, meditation, exercise, or journaling, become effective preventative skin-care measures. That’s right, because less stress can mean less breakouts, dullness, dryness,sensitivity and premature aging!!
need help choosIng your Inhalable skIncare range? Let’s chat for a Well-being Overview Email: Classbeauty1985@hotmail.com Instagram: s.jbrown_ https://www.instagram.com/s.jbrown_/?hl=en Or Shop Now for Certified Pure Therapeutic Graded Products (CPTG) http://mydoterra.com/sarahbrown71 Written by Sarah Brown ubE-27
How to Improve Any The title of this article is a bit misleading, because every moment is already perfect and doesn’t need to be improved. But our experience of the moment can be fraught with difficulty, and we have the power to create a new experience in each moment.
The problems we face stem from our narrative about the moment: we are constantly interpreting things in a certain way, so that we don’t even notice that we have this interpretation or narrative.
In any moment, we have a narrative about that moment. A story, an interpretation, an evaluation. And that story will determine our experience. Here’s the powerful thing we can practice:
For example:
1
•
2
• •
ubE-28
If someone hasn’t returned my text message, I might interpret it as meaning that they’re upset with me in some way, and feel hurt. When someone asks a question, I can interpret that as a criticism of me, and get bothered by it. When I haven’t done all the things on my task list, I can interpret that as another sign that I’m doing things wrong, and feel discouraged and guilty about that.
We can drop the story and just experience the moment, exactly as it is; and We can create a more powerful story.
Let’s take each of those in turn.
Experiencing the Moment As Is Right now, take a look around — you are surrounded by air, light, sound, objects, life. This is the moment, just as it is. Now, you’ll immediately begin to interpret all of that, and
FEATURE
Moment
create a narrative about it: it’s messy, that person is irritating, you haven’t done certain things, etc. But what would it be like to just drop that story and see the moment just as it is, without interpretation? See it with a beginner's mind. With the eyes of a child seeing a cloud or tasting an orange for the first time. As if it were a completely new experience. You can practice this by going for a walk — on the walk, see if you can experience it afresh, without a narrative or evaluations. Just see the moment. Just experience the world directly, without a layer of interpretation. Bring curiosity to all of it. The effect of this is to drop the story that creates struggle and suffering. It gives a directness to your experience.
Create a New, Powerful Story It’s hard to go through life with no story — but there are ones we can bring into our experience that are helpful, even powerful. Once we’ve dropped our old story, and just experienced life directly, here are some interpretations that I’ve found to be powerful: •
•
•
•
Wonder & awe: We can see everything around us as a miracle. As wondrous and awe-inspiring. This is an appreciation for the incredible nature of life. It’s a practice of loving what is. Gratitude: Similar to finding awe in everything, can we be grateful for what’s here in this moment? For ourselves and others? This is not just appreciating what is there, but feeling grateful that you have it. Compassion: When you notice suffering in others or yourself, you can generate a wish for that suffering to come to an end, for the person to find peace and even happiness. Send this compassion outward to others. This generates a loving feeling in the heart that adds something wonderful to the experience of this moment. We are all interconnected: This is an appreciation that we are not isolated, but instead we are all supporting each other. Everything we have is supported by many others. Everything we do affects others, and can be a positive influence on others. An appreciation of this interconnection is a way to not take it for granted, and to do what we can to positively influence other people.
You might have other stories that help you — stories of empowerment, of love, of generosity. After dropping old stories and experiencing the moment directly, try these stories on and see how they affect your experience. With this kind of practice, you can create a beautiful experience of any moment. Written by Leo Babauta https://zenhabits.net/lovely-moment/ ubE-29
United British Expats 571 London Road, Hadleigh, Essex, SS7 2EA Avenida de Mijas, 2, Benalmádena, Spain 29630 28 Carrer de Casanova Barcelona 08011, Spain M +34 626 307 629
Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page:
unitedbritishexpats
