Journeys

BUSINESS Journeys JOURNEYS: JOURNEYS:

Jo Hanby

My main challenges have been about overcoming physical setbacks.

Find out how Jo Hanby juggles a career in marketing, PR, Virtual Assistance, Spiritual Coaching and Reiki…

Ibecame self-employed almost 20 years ago, when a car accident halted my long-term career as a desktop publisher. I realised I was going to be physically unable to work for quite some time and jobs were scarce, so I slowly set up a Virtual Assistant business. After a few years this had expanded into a media agency and publishing house. Aside from editing magazines, I ran the marketing consultancy side and managed our team of 8. I also opened a day spa and beauty salon. At this point, I became more interested in holistic therapies. In 2015, I was drawn to learning reiki. I completed my Level I shortly after, then Level II. I had recently adopted a dog who had never been in a house or lived a normal dog’s life. She enjoyed reiki and it was helping her become more confident, so I trained in Animal Reiki, to Master Practitioner / Teacher level, before completing Master Practitioner / Teacher level in Reiki, for people. I love teaching reiki and showing people how it can make a difference to their lives, and how it can help pets too.

Reiki can often start you on a spiritual journey, so I trained as an NLP Master Practitioner to discover how people think and behave, and as a Happiness Life Coach, a Spiritual Coach and Law of Attraction Coach.

I like that I balance working with people on a practical level (using my NLP, life coaching and counselling training) but I can also pick up what is going on in their energy. I met some brilliant mediums who encouraged me to work with psychic energy and spirit, so I often incorporate this into my spiritual coaching sessions.

I also freelance in PR, plus I offer VA and marketing support, often for wellness businesses. I enjoy helping business owners, whether it is by getting them seen in the media, by writing copy for their marketing, bouncing strategy ideas, or providing support.

I have my masculine energy work and my feminine energy work. I love all the things I do but it is hard to balance. I enjoy the flexibility being self-employed gives – I can catch up on work at evenings or weekends if I want to have some “me” time during the day.

My main challenges have been about overcoming physical setbacks. I’ve had several accidents with serious back and neck injuries, leaving me unable to walk for long periods, spanning 25 years. This has affected every aspect of my life. I sometimes struggled with remembering to listen to my body, but I know how important it is to know when to stop, to spend more time “being” and less time “doing” and to trust my intuition.

I’d like to have a platform that empowers women to strive for what they want in life. There’s such a wonderful energy wherever women share their wisdom and experience – and if you power that with collaboration and a united passion for improving lives – well, I’d love to see how that could help people. For me personally, I hope to keep healthy and doing work that I love. n

You can find out more about Jo and i her work at www.essexreikihealing. co.uk and www.spirituallifecoachuk.co.uk

Vitamin D

APPEARS TO PROTECT AGAINST DEMENTIA

By increasing everyone to normal levels of vitamin D, as much as 17 percent of dementia cases could be prevented in some populations, according to a whole new study. The figures represent a major breakthrough in the battle against this dreaded condition.

MOST of us know someone with dementia; a condition that is normally associated with growing old, but nonetheless one of the major causes of disability and dependence in old age.

Now a first-of-its-kind study from the University of South Australia shows a direct link between dementia and lack of vitamin D.

The study – published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – has come up with several key findings. Besides mentioning that low vitamin D status is associated with lower brain volume and an increased risk of dementia and stroke, the study points to genetic analyses that support a causal effect of vitamin D deficiency and dementia.

Specifically, the researchers mention that in some populations, up to 17 percent of dementia cases could be prevented simply by raising people’s vitamin D in the blood to 50 nmol/L, which is considered to be the normal level.

Affects 55 million people globally

Dementia is a potentially devastating condition that affects over 55 million people worldwide. Every year, 10 million new cases are diagnosed.

The current study is based on data from 294,514 participants from the UK Biobank; a comprehensive biomedical database and research resource with in-depth genetic and health information about half a million UK participants.

The scientists underline that their study is the first to examine the impact of very low levels of vitamin D on the risks of dementia and stroke by using robust genetic analyses among a large study population. Specifically, in this UK population from the UK Biobank, they observed how 17 percent of dementia cases may have been avoided by boosting vitamin D levels so they reach their normal range.

Supplementation may be advisable

There is no official health claim for vitamin D and mental health. Still, science has found vitamin D receptors (VDR) in virtually all bodily tissues, including the brain, so there is reason to assume that good brain health depends on adequate amounts of the nutrient just like it is the case with bones, teeth, muscles, and other tissues.

However, sun awareness campaigns, indoor living, and other factors contribute to the low vitamin D status in many individuals.

More and more people have become aware of the importance of having adequate levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream, and therefore take a daily supplement to be on the safe side. It is always a good idea to choose a vitamin D supplement that is documented in published studies. Pharma Nord’s D-Pearls has been used in multiple studies in different countries, and has been shown to provide good bioavailability and a reliable effect. n

SOURCE:

Vitamin D and brain health: an observational and Mendelian randomization study, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022;DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac107

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