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Showing posts from June, 2014

Looking at psoriasis the nutritional medicine way

by Fleur Borrelli, nutritionist at The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy The skin and the brain are intricately linked. Both produce the same hormones and neurotransmitter substances. In the skin, serotonin should be converted to melatonin which acts as a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. It is no wonder, therefore, that the skin condition psoriasis is linked to both depression and anxiety disorders (1) . A lack of nutritional cofactors such as vitamins B6 and B12 may prevent this conversion in a biochemical process known as methylation. Geographical latitude may also influence incidence of psoriasis as beneficial sunlight is also needed to produce melatonin (2) . Overuse of sunscreens and lack of exposure to the sun will also inhibit the production of vitamin D, vitally important for the integrity of the barriers of the body which include the intestinal lining, the blood brain barrier, the synovial lining and of course the skin (3) . The function of the barriers is

Yoga and stress-related skin conditions

By Cherie Lathey, senior yoga teacher and director of Yoga Mama Many skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis can be triggered by or, indeed, made worse once an outbreak is present by stress. Some suffers will become self-conscious and even depressed which then causes a circular negative effect on the condition. Practising yoga and meditation can have a really positive effect on both the mind and body. We know helping to relieve stress can help to alleviate some of the symptoms or aggravating factors of skin conditions brought on by stress. While I am not suggesting yoga and meditation alone will cure psoriasis, it can definitely help. A gentle yoga practice and breathing techniques can have a profound effect on how we manage stress, and how we perceive ourselves in the world. Helping to balance moods and enabling a positive connection to the body by letting go of the negative feelings that might occur when a skin condition is present. Gentle poses

Rasa Vinyasa Prana Flow with Shiva Rea

Rasa Vinyasa Prana Flow with Shiva Rea Venue: Cecil Sharp House * Date: Sunday 21 to Wednesday 24 September 2014 Time: 8:30am to 5:45pm each day Cost: £485 About the workshop The word 'rasa' has many beautiful meanings: in the arts, rasa is the transforming “taste” that brings inner satisfaction to the beauty of dance, music or painting. Within yoga and Ayurveda, rasa is our “inner juice” associated with longevity, joy, devotion, and flexibility. Without rasa, it is said, our experience of yoga and life, becomes “dry, rigid, routine”. Experience a full-spectrum yoga practice intensive into the art of RasaVinyasa™- an approach to sequencing vinyasa yoga drawing from yogic arts, tantra, and ayurveda. In this four-day teacher training intensive, Shiva will offer the theory and practice of Rasa Vinyasa by exploring three consummate rasas: Vira (strength, potency), Sringara (divine love and sensuality) and Shanti (living peace). We will explore the power of alch

Why we need to help our detoxification systems

By Fleur Borrelli, nutritionist at The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy It is a relatively unknown fact that our body produces its own toxins as part of our normal metabolism. Our intestinal bacteria may also release by-products from metabolism that can be damaging to our health. This is before we even consider the toxins that come in from the environment. Fortunately we have evolved a complex network of systems to get rid of toxins that have been created internally. The antioxidant system cleverly destroys free radicals during chemical reactions in our cells before they can damage the cell itself. The liver, amongst its multitude of tasks, will take a toxic molecule which is generally fat soluble and transforms it into a water soluble molecule to be excreted out of the body in urine via the kidneys. Even fat soluble molecules can be shifted into bile which is then squirted into the intestine and ejected from the body in faeces. Sweating can lose any heavy metals lurking