Overcoming the pressures Christmas brings

The Christmas season can be an emotional rollercoaster, with festive cheer mixed with much stress and worry. Many of us can feel the pressure in relation to decorating the house, buying presents, attending all the pre-Christmas get-togethers, managing any family tensions, and so on. The joy of the moment and watching happy memories being created can help override any negativity where it might exist, but not always.

Christmas can be a painful time for a variety of reasons, with increased feelings of isolation for some, stress of the in-laws coming to visit or feeling anxious about socialising. Medical Herbalist, Lara Jonasdottir of Dr. Clare’s Apothecary & Clinic in Galway explains how the right lifestyle and the help of relaxing herbs can come to the rescue. “As a medical herbalist these are the things that crop up in clinical practice as individuals have a full hour to discuss their concerns during their first appointment. A distinct pattern seen is that existing medical conditions including chronic stress and anxiety can flare up during the Christmas season.”

Buy the Dr Clare Relax Time Hamper (pictured above)

“It is therefore helpful in the approach to Christmas to manage expectations all round and to focus on the smaller positive things that do not involve major commitments. Time invested in oneself at this point including regular exercise, eating healthily, having relaxing baths, and getting more sleep can help to build up the energy needed to face the world and navigate through any expected or unexpected choppy waters.”

“Herbal medicine can also be helpful with many relaxing herbs available such as chamomile (Matricaria recutita), passion flower (Passiflora incarnata), linden flowers (Tilia europea), lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). These can be taken as teas or tinctures.” (links go to Dr Clare's Shop product offer)

Many of us have a laundry list of symptoms and a central role of the medical herbalist is to take the time to listen and help to make sense of these with a view to providing a beneficial course of action. For some this might involve a combination of more straightforward lifestyle changes and useful additions like herbal teas, creams, or other off-the-shelf products. For others this might involve an individualised herbal therapeutic plan in combination with a comprehensive review of potential contributing factors to ill health and any follow-on referrals. The aim in all cases is to find an appropriate level of intervention that delivers sustained improvement without causing any additional problems. 

So when approaching the stresses that unfold this Christmas think about yourself first, without looking after you, you cannot look after anyone else.

For more information on stress free Christmas go to drclare.ie or call Lara on 091 583260.

Mindful Eating for Health and Wellbeing

Mindful eating for busy families.    

Mindfulness is the current buzzword that is the supposed answer to everything but what does it mean?

My definition includes thoughtful eating that bears in mind all the things we want our food to nourish. This includes nourishing our bodies, giving and experiencing pleasure, being sociable and even calming our souls.

It includes the blessings of gratitude in being so fortunate to have such abundance.

Above all else it is paying attention to the experience of eating. Tasting, chewing and swallowing food is an experience to be savoured.

We do this best by sitting down, choosing good food, switching off all distractions and ignoring everything that beeps, rings and disturbs our awareness.

Unfortunately we can’t switch off the children, so we need to teach them to pay attention too. Set time for regular meals, put everything you need on the table and sit down. Imaginary glue sticking you to the chair means you do not move from the table for anything short of medical emergencies!

For mums who eat left overs remember you have eaten your meal so step back from the leavings on others plates. They are not yours.

Before you eat check out how hungry you are, repeat this question before you reach for seconds.

Family meals where mother is up and down like a jack in the box or when meals are rushed increases your adrenal stress and leads to poor digestive function with too much stomach acid and speedy digestion with poor assimilation of nutrients (symptoms common with Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Pay attention to the quality of the food, the welfare of animals you eat, the chemicals in the food chain and added chemicals in processed food and make the best choices you can within family budget constraints.

Include 7 fruit and vegetable portions per day on a regular basis and oily fish, a few nuts and seeds and avocado for Essential Fatty Acids (link to the leaflet on my website if you like)

The benefits of eating mindfully include more satisfaction, quality family time, better behaved children and a calmer household.

Herbs for calm and happy digestion include Chamomile, Fennel, marshmallow, Meadowsweet and Peppermint. These are in the Digestion Blend of Tea available online.

Open access , online series of talks including herbs for digestion and stress available via the website healthandherbs.ie

Clinics in Dublin, Sligo and Galway.

Preventing Spina Bifida by supplementing with Folic Acid.

Can I remind women to take care of themselves and their families with a reminder regarding preventing Spina Bifida. We had a major public health campaign a few years ago but recent study shows that a reminder might be helpful. Mention it to friends, daughters, daughters-in-law and nieces where appropriate.

Eating steamed greens is good for all ages so

Steam those Greens.

Three out of four women in Dublin do not have enough folic acid to prevent Spina Bifida in their babies according to a recent University College Dublin Study at the Coombe Maternity Hospital.

Eighty families each year in Ireland cope with the distress of dealing with this condition affecting one of their own. Spina Bifida affects the spinal cord and can cause paralysis.

Ireland has a particularly high incidence of Spina Bifida. Many cases can be prevented by supplementing with Folic Acid for at least 3 months before you try to conceive and while you are trying to get pregnant. Continue the supplement throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

‘Fol’ in folic acid is the Latin for ‘leaf’ and this vitamin is high in green leaves. Folic acid (known as folate in its natural form) is one of the B-group vitamins.

There is more folic acid remaining in steamed leaves rather than boiled leaves.

It can be hard to get all the folic acid consistently in your diet so it is recommended to take 400 micrograms per day continuously if you are not using relatively foolproof contraception.

A lack of folic acid could lead to anaemia.

What does Folic Acid do?

•         It works together with vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells

•         It helps to reduce the risk of central nervous system defects, such as spina bifida, in unborn babies

Herb sources of Folic Acid.

Nettle leaf is loaded with folic acid and calcium, lots of minerals, and tons of vitamins, including E. It strengthens hair, blood vessels, and the kidney/adrenal complex. It is considered as safe as kale.

Food sources of Folic acid

Folate is found in small amounts in many foods including:

•         broccoli

•         brussels sprouts

•         kale

•         liver

•         spinach

•         asparagus

•         peas

•         chickpeas

•         fortified breakfast cereals.

Folic acid cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.