Skin Deep

Hi folks,

Our skin is our largest organ & therefore is hugely influential. It helps stop bacteria, control temperature, & give us the sensation of touch. No wonder that when something is wrong on our insides, that it can show up in our skin. Below are a few signs that appear when your body is trying to tell you something.

•         Yellow / orangey skin (inc soles of hands & feet) may indicate an underactive thyroid as it isn’t processing beta–carotene properly.

•         Long dark lines on your palms suggest an issue with the adrenal gland, part of the endocrine system.

•         Tingly feeling followed by a rash on one side of the body may be a symptom of shingles, a virus that can be stimulated by stress or infection.

•         People with over 400 moles on their body may have a higher risk of skin cancer but their internal organs age slightly slower due to the length of the telomere in their cells!

Now that I’ve made you all super paranoid about your tongue, feet, eyes, & skin, remember not to go looking for these signs – just be aware of them. If you’re worried, as always consult your doctor. Most of all I hope this recent blog theme has shown just how amazing your body is, so eat clean, exercise regularly & look after it!

James 

Eye-eye, whats up?

Hi Folks,

One of the first things we notice about a person or when looking in the mirror are our eyes. Think how ill or ‘hangover eyes’ differ from excited or sparkly eyes. The eyes are often known as the window to your health as we can directly see veins, arteries a nerve without performing any surgery. Give your eyes a break form the screen & perform a health check with the info below.

1. Outside edge of your eyebrows disappearing? This could indicate a thyroid (metabolism) problem.

2. Small yellow bumpy patches on the eyelids? Fatty deposits that may be a sign of high cholesterol.

3. Yellow whites of the eyes? Possible indication of liver, gallbladder or bile duct problems as the body can’t remove waste products.

4. Constant blood-shot eyes?  May be a sign of high blood pressure or diabetes.

Of course, we all occasionally experience most of the above but if any of these symptoms become regular then ask the doctor to take a look. We often forget to book eye exams so try treat these as appointments like your dentist check-up.

Next weeks topic will conclude this blog theme & focuses on your biggest organ – your skin!  

James.

Uncover your feet

Hi folks,

As promised last week, here is my blog on how your feet can relay information about your internal health. My regular followers may remember a previous blog explaining the structural importance of our feet to the whole body (If you want to read this one click here.

The soles of our feet have a high concentration of nerve endings that travel up deep inside the body. Reflexology is based on the principle that a map of these nerves & reflexes correspond with internal organs & glands. A reflexology session consists of a type of foot massage where any discomfort or tenderness felt in a certain area of the foot is believed to indicate a corresponding internal problem. Despite limited scientific backing this treatment has been around for thousands of years & is still going strong today.

A more evidence-based foot assessment may reveal that:

•         Sunken or spoon shaped toes nails are a sign of iron deficiency.

•         Regular foot cramps may be a sign of low calcium, potassium, or magnesium.

•         Un-healing sores on the underneath of the foot may indicate diabetes.

•         Toes that turn upwards at the tips may suggest a form of lung disease.         

However, we all know that the best way to make sure our guts are healthy in the first place is to eat a varied & balanced nutrition, right? So if you or your workforce would like any nutritional guidance on how to not only to say healthy on the inside but to perform at your best while at work, then enquire about our nutrition Workforce Workshop. It covers everything from how to use food to give you energy at certain points in the day, help you sleep, help you stay awake, as well as super-foods.

I am away on holiday shortly so the next blog will be on eye health indicators in two weeks time.

James.

Watch your tongue!

Hi folks,

How do we know if we’re in good health or not? – most of us probably presume we are until we feel ill then go to a doctor for medical advice right? As you know, I’m all about pro-active prevention so the next few weeks’ blogs are all about recognising the signs when the body is trying to tell you something. This week’s topic is your tongue!

Brushing our tongue is great for removing bacteria but our tongue also gives us an insight in to our internal health. Some acupuncture & Chinese medicine practitioners also inspect the tongue as any redness, swelling, sores, or dryness can represent nutritional deficiencies, digestive organ problems, infection elsewhere in the body, & even caners. 

Each major organ is represented on the tongue. The heart is at the tip of the tongue; just behind that is the lung area. The broad middle section shows the stomach and spleen, at the back are your kidneys and bladder, and liver is on the left side with gallbladder on the right side. So if you stick your tongue out in the mirror, you can practically see the condition of these organs. Your tongue should be pink, smooth, supple, slightly moist and fit perfectly in your mouth. If it has bumps, blemishes, spots, cuts then it maybe worth getting a medical opinion.

Its all quite obvious really, how do you know if you’re dogs healthy? Bright eyes, healthy teeth & gums, good quality coat (hair), these all apply to us. However if you have the wet nose to match then maybe you should see the doc!

Next weeks topic…Your feet!

James.