Production of melatonin and serotonin are controlled by a structure within the brain called the hypothalamus. The function of the hypothalamus is associated with levels of sunlight absorbed by the body. An imbalance in the production of these hormones can cause mood changes which are closely linked with the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Serotonin is commonly known as the ‘happy hormone’, it is also responsible for controlling our appetite and sleep patterns. SAD sufferers commonly have a reduced amount of this hormone in their body, especially during winter months. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for controlling how sleepy we feel. It is believed that a lack of sunlight causes over-production of melatonin leaving us feeling more tired than usual and requiring more sleep.
New technology such as ‘wake up lights’ are a fantastic way to make early mornings a little less difficult too. Lifestyle measures such as maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and taking plenty of exercise are essential to promote optimal function of our bodies. Good vitamin and mineral absorption from nutrient rich foods will ensure a healthy digestive system. There is a close relationship between the digestive system and hormones such as serotonin involved in Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Serotonin is commonly known as the ‘happy hormone’, it is also responsible for controlling our appetite and sleep patterns. SAD sufferers commonly have a reduced amount of this hormone in their body, especially during winter months. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for controlling how sleepy we feel. It is believed that a lack of sunlight causes over-production of melatonin leaving us feeling more tired than usual and requiring more sleep.
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If you too thought that Pho was one of the Teletubbies and should not appear on the dinner table, you were wrong! In essence this Vietnamese dish from Anna Jones – A Modern Way to Cook is made up of, noodles, herbs, and a delicious broth. If you are really hungry then you could try adding prawns, shredded poached chicken or some pan-fried tofu, tossed in maple and soy at the end of cooking.
Fill and boil a kettle and get all your ingredients together. Heat a large saucepan over a high heat.
Peel and quarter the onions and halve the bulb of garlic, bash the ginger until it almost starts to break up. Add the onion, ginger and garlic to the dry pan and toast until blackened and charred all over. This will take 4-5 minutes. Next, add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves and coriander seeds and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time. Now add 2 litres of hot water from the kettle, the stock powder or cube, the mushrooms and the soy or tamari and bring to a simmer. Chop the carrots into 2cm chunks and add these too. Cook for 25 minutes, until all the flavours have infused. While the stock is simmering, put the noodles into a bowl, cover with boiling water from the kettle and put to one side. Drain after 8 minutes or following the packet instructions. Pick the leaves from the stalks of all your herbs, quarter your Pak choi and halve your sugar snap peas, lengthways. Once the stock has had its time, sieve it into a large bowl and pour it back into the pan. Add the juice of 3-4 limes, depending on how juicy they are. Taste and adjust, make sure the lime, soy and spices come through, then add the sugar snaps and Pak choi or greens and simmer for a couple of minutes, until the leaves have wilted a little. Divide the drained noodles between four bowls and ladle over the stock and vegetables. Serve with beansprouts, herbs and the remaining lime cut into wedges, with some chilli oil for everyone to add as they choose. In this short article PB Chiropractor Kelly Nicol poses the question, is sitting really the new smoking? As we move into yet another lockdown, we are sitting more than ever before. But is it really that bad for us? The simple answer is, yes!! Sitting at your desk or at the kitchen table for prolonged periods can affect your body in many different ways. We as humans are built to stand in an up right posture. The functioning of our bodies is at its optimum when we are standing. Recent research has linked a high number of sedentary behaviours with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Sitting down for long periods of time makes digestion less efficient, we store what we eat as sugars and fat. When we are moving our muscles, this helps our body to digest the fats and sugars we have consumed. With these fats and sugars being stored in our bodies the risk of weight gain, diabetes and heart disease begins to skyrocket. It is so important to move throughout the day, not only for your vital organs but also for your muscles. Sitting can lead to weakening and wasting of the quads and gluteal muscles. These muscles allow us to walk and if they aren’t functioning properly, we can be vulnerable to back pain, knee pain and a poor pelvic alignment. We need the glutes in particular to help stabilise us and to work a bit harder to take some of the pressure off our low back. Most of us suffer with a bad low back (the main reason you come to see us Chiropractors). Sitting increases the compression and load that is placed on discs and the stabilising back muscles. This increased compression can also lead to premature degeneration.
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This is quite a good recipe to make mid-week as most of the ingredients can be stored in your cupboard. I used a crunchy peanut butter to add more texture to the sauce and you can also add a pinch of chilli flakes for a slight kick. I had some soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) at home, but you could use any type you like. This is adapted from the Chinese recipe that is normally with pork, but I have kept this veggie.
Set two large saucepans to boil and salt one of them. Add the green beans to the salted pan and blanch for 3-4 minutes before draining and running over cold water.
In the second pan add the soba noodles and cook according to the packet’s instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the noodles from sticking. Put to one side. Use a peeler to create long strips with the cucumber. In a small bowl add all the ingredients together for the sauce and whisk together. Taste to check the seasoning is to your taste. Add cold water to loosen the sauce if desired. Toss together with the noodles, beans, cucumber and top with the coriander leaves, spring onion and sesame seeds. With the studio unfortunately having to close its doors again for a while, do not fear! Online classes will start up again. See below for what you can get stuck in to. onday 7pm HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUT
30 MINUTE WORKOUT FOR THE WHOLE BODY, NO EQUIPMENT, NO SPACE, NO EXCUSE! These classes are suitable for those with a good base level of fitness. The focus of the class is to work the whole body, raising your heart rate, improve your strength and stamina whilst increasing your range of movement. Tuesday 6pm STRETCH CLASS - MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE Stretch, balance, mobility and coordination work to improve your overall health and wellbeing A 30 minute session, working from the feet up. Each class works through movement sequences that flow together, mobilising all the major joints, whilst stretching and strengthening the muscles that support them. These classes are suitable for all ages and abilities as the focus is to work the whole body, making sure that each joint is shown the range of movements they should experience on a daily basis, thus improving the mobility of each participant. If you move better, you will move more! Wednesday 12 STRETCH CLASS - MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE Thursday 7pm DYNAMIC STRETCH AND CORE CLASS* A more dynamic stretch class incorporating whole body exercise. A 30 minute session, working from the feet up. Each class works through movement sequences that flow together, mobilising all the major joints, whilst stretching and strengthening the muscles that support them. These classes are suitable for all ages and abilities as the focus is to work the whole body, making sure that each joint is shown the range of movements they should experience on a daily basis, thus improving the mobility of each participant. If you move better, you will move more! Friday 1pm STRETCH CLASS - MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE Saturday 9.30am HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUT 30 MINUTE WORKOUT FOR THE WHOLE BODY, NO EQUIPMENT, NO SPACE, NO EXCUSE! *This class will incorporate exercises performed in a plank position. Those with shoulder, elbow or wrist conditions may be wise to opt for our regular stretch class. Here is a workout we recorded during lockdown 1 https://youtu.be/orpAnDTvzUU Plenty more like this on our membership site! This year try to do something different. Instead of writing a list of resolutions that burden rather than motivate you, focus on these 5 key areas to improve many aspects of your life and wellbeing. 1. Sleep well ![]() Poor sleep is linked to lack of concentration, weight gain, depression, suppressed immune system and inflammation. Whereas those who sleep well, have higher levels of concentration, perform better and overall consume fewer calories. Sleep, along with nutrition and exercise, form the foundation of optimal health. If you fail to take care of your sleep that optimum becomes significantly harder to achieve. 2. Exercise
Your body will thank you and consequently your performance will improve! With two long dark winter months ahead, getting outdoors for exercise can be difficult, but most experts agree that it is a great way to boost your mood. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins into the bloodstream, relieving pain and producing a feeling of well-being. Make the most of the daylight hours, get outside and enjoy the elements. As all Norwegians wilt el you, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing! 3. Healthy food choices What you eat has a significant impact in your energy levels and your ability to perform, fight off illness and infection and stay vibrant. You truly are what you eat. See our delicious recipe below and don’t forget the 100 or so recipes on our membership site! https://carlb1381c.clickfunnels.com/membership-area/ad7030de4f2 4. Just say NO
5. Invest in your relationships
more selfless than selfish, more supportive than undermining and have great sympathetic and empathetic traits. But finding wonderful, high quality people to be friends with and working at the friendship and keeping the connection will be one of the best investments you make. Friendships can bring great joy, inspiration, wisdom, emotional support, adventure, love and be that ‘safe space’ when needed most of all.
I discovered this recipe in the summer of Lockdown and cooked it a couple of times for friends, (socially distanced, outside) on a couple of occasions. Tempted to do this again at New Year. And you can get all of the beautiful fish ingredients just down the road from Woodchester at The Fine Fish Company https://www.thefinefishcompany.co.uk/
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With a year full of fears, uncertainties, and disappointments it might be difficult to find any positives in this year. But as I create our annual photo album, (Kristine’s Christmas Gift) it is plain to see that the year has had its plus highlights, creating memories that will stay with us for a very long time.
As a family we have encountered loss, experienced grief, closed the doors to our business, home schooled, and at times have faced too many challenges and too many uncertainties, that projecting the positive and optimistic has been challenging. However, we have made a point of finding things to be thankful for. We have discovered walks, admired scenery, slowed down, spent quality time, and learnt to appreciate our surroundings. Having time for ourselves has meant more exercise and not taking our health for granted. We feel blessed with the friendships we have and have been overwhelmed with the support that you and our team have given. Sometimes it is so easy to get so caught up in negative media and the day-to-day activities of our lives that we forget to notice the amazing things. Our 5 top tips to help you through this festive season:
This delicious recipe is adapted from Gjelina ‘Cooking from Venice Beach’ and although I was initially put off by the brining of the chicken, it’s certainly worth the effort. The braised kale makes a great accompaniment to this dish but could easily be eaten on its own!
PREPARATION
Place a large, heavy-bottomed, high-sided sauté pan or casserole dish over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they soften and begin to turn translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and smoked paprika, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste begins to caramelize, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add stock and vinegar, and allow to come to a boil. Add half the kale, cover, and cook for a minute or two, until it wilts. Repeat with remaining kale. Stir to incorporate the onion mixture into the soft kale and simmer until tender, 20 to 30 minutes, partly covered. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside in preparation for the chicken. Pre heat the oven to 260C. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt and pepper Heat a large oven proof frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add enough olive oil to coat the chicken. Place the breasts skin side down into the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, basting the chicken with the oil, fat and juices until the skin is well seared, about 3 minutes. Without flipping the chicken, move the pan to the hot oven and roast until crisp and golden, approx. 10 minutes Remove the chicken from the pan and discard some of the cooking fat. Add the braised kale, with enough of its cooking sauce to keep it moist. Nestle the chicken breasts skin side up and return to the oven. Cook until the chickens are cooked, 2-5 minutes approx. Remove the chicken and stir some more red wine vinegar into the pan. Spread the kale onto a serving plate and pour the juices over it and top with the chicken. Serve hot. Enjoy! |
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