WELLNESS WITH CHIA

Maintaining good health and wellbeing is something I am always striving for.

This can seem like an overwhelming, ongoing task, but any step in the right direction, no matter how small, is progress. In order for the body to work towards establishing equilibrium, I use a holistic, integrative approach which involves looking at current lifestyle, stress, sleep quality, diet, exercise and toxicity within the body. To kickstart your wellness journey, I strongly recommend a Functional Medicine Detox. I have found this to be a necessary step to quickly reduce the toxic load within the body.

A Functional Medicine Detox is an incredible way to allow for full body detoxification. This helps to restore key vitamins and nutrients and to help re-balance the body systems.

In our modern world, we are constantly being exposed knowingly and unknowingly to thousands of chemicals, toxins and pollutants on a daily basis through our environment, food, cosmetics, cleaning solutions, as well as day-to-day stress.

This exposure is too much for our body to handle and process. This means we end up with symptoms of disease. These symptoms present themselves as weight gain/loss, skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, food sensitivities, insomnia, imbalanced hormones, muscle weakness/stiffness, low mood and so much more.

The Functional Medicine Detox I use with my clients has been successfully used with over 100,000 people around the world. It gently eliminates harmful toxins while rebalancing the body at an underlying root cause level.

When people think about the word ‘detox’, weight loss is a common word that springs to mind. However, there are many more benefits to be aware of. Not only is a Functional

Medicine detox a powerful weight loss tool, it also…

· helps as an anti-aging and wellness solution

· helps to restore nutrient deficiencies while safely removing toxins provides complete nutritional support throughout includes Functional Medicine and Ayurvedic herbs which support Phase 1 & 2 liver detoxification.

We are using a subtractive method to lighten and reduce the toxic load within our body. This enables the body to then detoxify the blood through our liver at a faster degree.

We all deserve good health, energy, vitality and our ideal body. In my ideal world, I would want everyone to experience a Functional Medicine Detox as it is an incredible way to reset and rebalance your body and mind. Once you experience the positive effects that occur in a short space of time, you will want to implement a seasonal detox into your life just like I do. Think of this detox like a service for your car; you regularly service your car to prevent a breakdown and to maintain longevity of your vehicle. The same should be applied to our bodies!

Chia is a certified Integrative Health Practitioner and wellness coach. Her specialty is in helping her clients discover the underlying root cause of their symptoms. Chia provides the appropriate support to enable the body to re-balance and to help you achieve your wellness goals. This is done through a combination of Functional Lab Testing, Ayurvedic & Bioregulatory Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Eastern Philosophy, Traditional Naturopathy & Supplementation, Diet and Nutrition.

Contact information: T: 021 830 089, hello@wellnesswithchia.com, www.wellnesswithchia.com, @wellnesswithchia

WILLIAM GREIG: 2023 – FOR A HEALTHY MIND, BODY, AND SOUL

Active lifestyles for older adults.

Older people face a number of unique challengesbereavement, retirement, loss of independence, and the development of physical and mental conditions, all of which can increase the risk of later-life depression and physical aches and pains. But, as the Blow Monkeys sing, “It doesn’t have to be that way”.

We all know that exercise can benefit both our physical and mental health and that the levels of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, stress hormones and endorphins, change when we exercise. Not only can regular exercise help us sleep better and manage our mood, it can also distract us from depressing negative thoughts and provide opportunities to try new experiences.

While a good percentage of popular mainstream workouts are well-suited for younger adults looking to bulk up or shed weight in a hurry, such workouts are not ideal for older adults and may put an unhealthy strain on those of us with joint pain, atrophied muscles, posture problems or issues with balance.

Here are just three routines older adults can incorporate into having a healthier 2023 lifestyle.

Swimming: ‘You’re never a fish out of water’. The Tepid Baths 100 Customs St West. (Concessions for Seniors)

Swimming is a low impact and fun way to exercise; it has often been called the perfect exercise because it has several health benefits, including increased longevity.

It’s a great form of aerobic exercise/cardio without much impact on the joints, reducing the risk of joint damage and preventing worsening of damaged joints in conditions like arthritis. Swimming is an effective exercise for any age group. In one study of sedentary middle-aged men and women who did swim training for 12 weeks, maximal oxygen consumption improved 10% and stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped with each beat which indicates heart strength) improved as much as 18%. It improves endurance. And because it’s low impact, it can be continued for a lifetime.

Yoga: ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. Laughter Yoga, The Homestead, 92 Pt Chevalier RoadSaturday mornings 10:00am

“In Laughter Yoga, we don’t laugh because we are happy; we are happy because we laugh.” – Dr Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga.

When my elder sister, then in her late sixties, and I first went to the Ponsonby session (now held in Pt Chev) some time ago, forcing laughter seemed a little strange, and as we all pranced around the room chanting, “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha,” it did begin to feel we had entered a lunatic asylum. But very quickly as our muscles relaxed and our inhibitions left us, our mood changed and we began to laugh at everything!

Laughter yoga is not a comedy. “We don’t need to rely on jokes or humour to laugh. We initiate laughter as a form of exercise – and it turns into a form of genuine laughter when you practise,” says Dr Kataria, “we start just faking laughter and then people started laughing for real.”

Strength Training

According to my friend the gym trainer, muscle atrophy as we age doesn’t only happen because we age, but also happens because we stop exercising. Strengthening our muscles by doing regular dumbbell exercises for example has also been shown to alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, osteoporosis, back pain, and depression. Strength training also contributes to a higher metabolism and enhanced glucose control.

Dumbbell exercises are some of the best ways for seniors to strength train, as long as they are performed with the proper precautions. Dumbbells allow us to isolate muscle groups to strengthen, while improving balance and flexibility.

There are of course numerous other options to feed our mind, body, and soul in and around Ponsonby:

· ‘Regular’ Yoga: 2 classes for seniors are held at Grey Lynn Community Centre on Wednesday and Friday at 1pm - the classes are free for the over 65s. greylynn.org.nz

Pilates: www.peakpilates.co.nz/grey-lynn/

Meditation: 381 Richmond Rd. aucklandbuddhistcentre.org

· U3A or Probus www.u3a.nz - these groups are a great idea for networking and keeping the mind active.

Enquiries: Ian Smith, M: 021 130 2330

· Dancing - www.swingoutcentral.co.nz

Not to mention the good old fashion no-cost walk or bicycle ride.

So, older friends, we may be in for a bumpy ride this year in other ways, but whatever your current condition, taking control over your health can only smoothen the ride, and believe me, it isn’t as difficult as you at first might think.

Just do it! (WILLIAM GREIG)  PN