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Month: November 2015

Is Compassion The Missing Ingredient In Optimal Health?

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Treat others how you’d like to be treated – I’m sure many of us would lose count of how many times we were reminded of this as children. Yet many adults seem to throw this saying out the window, in the name of urgency and efficiency, in the frantic pace of modern life.

We know that being kind and showing compassion is absolutely essential to humanity but what effect does it actually have an our health? Researchers from Stanford University have found that as little as two weeks of practicing compassion with intention has a positive physiological effect on the body. It can lower blood pressure, boost your immune response and increase your calmness. Essentially, if it was a pill we’d take it.

Not only does compassion have physiological effects, people who are actively practicing compassion are happier and live a better life. It also has a significant effect on others, motivating them to be kinder, thus creating the ripple effect about which I’m so passionate!

Encouraging people to sit silently for 20 minutes a day and contemplate kindness, or write in a gratitude journal may enhance production of the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is typically released at times of nurturing and eases anxiety and stress-related symptoms. It is also thought to increase our generosity.

But how do you practice compassion for the person that cut you off on the motorway this morning, your colleague who thinks blunt and abrupt is the only way to communicate or your partner who still hasn’t figured out that socks and underwear don’t actually magically fly to the washing machine?

5 ways to deepen your compassion

  1. Look for similarities, rather than differences when it comes to challenging relationships, this automatically calms your nervous system and assists with feelings of contentment.
  2. Listen – often when are listening to someone speak we are formulating a response, waiting for our opportunity to offer some advice. Instead just listen. Suspend your judgment and let them express themselves freely – respond to the emotion not just the words, as many people have trouble communicating their thoughts clearly.
  3. Drop the judgement. Remember that everyone is on a journey in life, just as you are on your own. Instead of judging other people’s decisions or opinions learn from them or bring curiosity to the situation. Curiosity keeps communication open. Judgement shuts it down.
  4. Look inward and question areas of your life where you lack compassion, trust, forgiveness or acceptance. Explore why this is the case, be patient and kind with yourself but actively work on these areas.
  5. Random acts of kindness – pick some flowers for a colleague, pay for a friend’s lunch, send someone a thank you card – just for being them, or compliment a stranger. You never know how far this simple gesture will reach in that person’s day. It might mean they don’t throw to anger, or that they think about how they can positively impact someone else’s day or that they simply walk away from your interaction with a smile on their face and warmth in their soul.

I leave you with this wonderful quote from the Dalai Lama – “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

5 Food Swaps To Help You Thrive

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Increasing the nourishment of your diet can be as simple as making small dietary tweaks. Here are a few ideas to incorporate into your diet and lifestyle to help you thrive, rather than just survive!

  1. Coffee for green tea: Green tea is not only a wonderful source of antioxidants it also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which has a calming effect on the nervous system. A far more nourishing way to start your day than with caffeine rich and sympathetic nervous system stimulating, coffee. Excess caffeine can decrease the absorption of minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron.
  2. Lettuce for spinach: Lettuce is actually quite low in nutrients, due to its high water content. Generally speaking the darker the vegetable the more nutrients you will obtain. Using spinach in place of lettuce means you will obtain more folic acid and more non-haem iron – an easy and nourishing swap.
  3. Canola or vegetable oil for avocado olive oil, or coconut oil: Avocado oil is a wonderful substitute due to its heart friendly monounsatured fat content and delicious flavour.Olive oil is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet and a dietary staple for some of the world’s healthiest populations. Research suggests that the fatty acids and antioxidants in olive oil have powerful health protective benefits – it helps that it’s also delicious! Coconut oil can be a good choice for cooking as it is stable at high temperatures.
  4. Mashed potato for cauliflower mash: While there is nothing wrong with potato – we all love it at Dr Libby HQ – an easy way to add additional nourishment to your diet is to swap potato for the superstar brassica vegetable, cauliflower. Or add some cauli to your spuds! Cooked cauliflower can make a beautiful puree/mash, which can easily be used in place of or added to mashed potato. Cauliflower contains sulphoraphane, a potent antioxidant – combine it with turmeric for an extra protective and delicious effect. Cauliflower also supports your livers detox pathways in a number of ways. It contains antioxidants that support Phase 1 detoxification along with sulphur-containing nutrients that support Phase 2 detox activity.
  5. Pasta for spiralised zucchini: This easy swap is even child friendly. If you don’t have a spiraliser you can buy a peeler that has a spiraliser function, or simply julienne the zucchini. Combine with a beautiful pesto and you have a nourishing super green pasta alternative. Even though zucchini have a high water content, they are a good source of potassium and fibre and a moderate source of folate – certainly a more nutrient dense alternative to wheat-based pastas.

3 tips to help you cut the sugar and resolve sugar cravings

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Struggling to cut out refined sugars? You know they don’t serve your health, yet many people find it a huge challenge to eat less or omit unhealthy sugars. Here are three tips to get you started.


1. Fuel yourself for longer.

For far too long people have been afraid to incorporate good fats in their diets, due to the belief that ‘fat makes you fat.’ Try adding more fat to your meals, particularly at lunch, in the form of avocado, nuts, organic butter, coconut, tahini, oily fish and observe if your desire for sweet foods mid-afternoon diminishes. Good fats slow down the release of glucose into your blood stream meaning you actually stay full for longer.


2. Slow Down.

If you amp yourself up on caffeine, live on adrenalin due to your perception of pressure and urgency, or push your body intensely during cardiovascular exercise, your body will predominantly burn glucose and you will crave sugar to replenish your stores. Slow down! I cannot emphasise enough the importance of activating the rest and repair arm of the nervous system – known as the parasympathetic nervous system – using breath-focused movement, which allows your body to use body fat as a fuel. Not only will you feel a greater sense of calm, you are also far less likely to experience hunger that results in you eating the entire contents of the pantry.


3. Explore the emotional connections to sweetness.

Often our craving for sugar has more to do with an emotional need that isn’t being met. “Something sweet” is often perceived as a symbol of joy and we become conditioned to need something sweet to feel complete or satisfied. Identify other non-food related activities that give you a feeling of sweetness and joy and incorporate more of these into your life. Watch your children sleep and notice how precious they are, get up and watch the sunrise every morning for a week, or book a getaway with friends – whatever spins your tyres – and notice if having things to look forward to, diminishes your sugar cravings

10 Tips To Improve Your Health Now

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As the weather warms up, you may notice your mood naturally starts to lift, you feel more optimistic and more willing to become involved in activities. The summer months provide the ideal time to revitalise your health. Naturally you’re drawn to a way of life that promotes health, however some of us may need a little bit of extra care as we transition into summer. You may decide to incorporate just one of these tips, or try all of them – simply do what works for you. Whatever you choose to do your health will thank you for it. Remember success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and out.

  1. Movement in the morning
    Begin each morning with some sort of gentle stretching, yoga, Pilates or a brisk walk. Walk without sunglasses early in the morning so the sunlight can assist the production of serotonin our feel good, happy, calm and content hormone. Regular walking has been shown to help prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. This week give yourself a target of walking briskly for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
  2. Bounce
    Get a mini-trampoline and do some rebounding in your living room. Listen to uplifting music while you do so. Bouncing on a trampoline is like a gentle massage for your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system clears toxins, waste and excess fluid from the body and rebounding can help you to experience more energy across your day.
  3. Get a professional massage
    Certain trigger points or areas of tension in musculoskeletal tissue can cause back pain. Ask your therapist or body worker to focus on particular points of tension for therapeutic benefit or simply enjoy the restorative and relaxing qualities of massage. A great way to give your body some extra love.
  4. Make a commitment to view food as nourishment
    Many people have a love hate relationship with food, which is often exacerbated by years of dieting or calorie counting. When you look at a food instead of looking at the caloric value consider what nutrients it supplies you with and how it will make you feel. Ask yourself the question ‘will this nourish me?’ before you eat.
  5. Turn off the television.
    Are you still watching TV late into the night? Although some television programmes can be educational generally television is better switched off. Read more books and set yourself a target that instead of one hour of television watching you’ll read a book. Reducing your exposure to bright light at night can also help you improve your sleep quantity and quality.
  6. Prepare your own food.
    Many people eat a nourishing evening meal as they dedicate the time to prepare one. The trick to looking after your diet is to be prepared. Take Sunday afternoons to set your week up and freeze any leftovers for easy lunches. This way you control the quality of oil, salt and produce you use and as an added bonus you save money too. Another helpful tip to improving the nutritive quality of your diet is to find a way to get an extra serving of greens in everyday.
  7. Take the stairs.
    Do a little bit extra when it comes to movement. Take the stairs, walk to the grocery store if possible, or park a distance away and walk to an appointment. You won’t consciously feel like you’re trying to increase your movement but by default you’ll be getting some extra time in the fresh air.
  8. Switch to eco friendly cleaning products.
    Certain chemicals commonly found in conventional cleaning products present known or suspected problems for the people that use them and the environment once washed down the drain. Volatile organic compounds, used to enhance the performance of a product, can impair neurological functions, while other problematic chemicals can act as respiratory irritants, carcinogens or reproductive toxins, depending upon the extent of exposure, according to the National Environmental Trust and other environmental groups. It’s a common misconception that eco-friendly or green products aren’t as effective as their conventional counterparts and recent research has proven that green products can certainly achieve your desired results.
  9. Manage your energy, not your time.
    If you take a moment to think about it, you’ll probably realise that you are better at doing certain tasks at certain times. For example, some people find that their creative energy is highest in the morning, so that may be a great time do creative tasks such as writing. By comparison, you may decide to block out afternoons for phone calls and emails or admin related tasks. You don’t necessarily need your creative energy to be high for admin tasks, so that may be the best time to get them done. The same goes for exercise despite the fact many people feel great exercising in the morning, you may not. If you prefer late afternoon or early evening as your exercise time, organise your day around this. Start to keep a diary of when your energy is high, low and whether or not it’s your creative time. What type of energy do you have in the morning? What task is that energy best suited for?
  10. Restorative rituals.
    Take a relaxing hot bath with Epsom salts and soothing herbs like lavender. It will do wonders for your mind and your muscles. Play soothing music while you bathe to unwind further. If having a bath isn’t your thing light a candle and let the fragrance and gentle light signal it’s time for you to unwind and facilitate that transition from work to leisure.
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