Could 5 simple Yoga exercises really provide a thorough and challenging workout to maintain or health and wellbeing?  Well the famous Five Tibetan Rites of Yoga claim to.

The 5 Tibetan Rites are a form of Tibetan yoga said to be more than 2,500 years old, which were first published as “The Eye of Revelation” in 1939.  The author Peter Kelder claimed this 5 Yoga exercises were more than 2500 years old and had been developed by Tibetan monks in the Himalayas to develop mental and physical strength.

Kelder claims he was told of these exercises by a British Army colonel who had lived with Tibetan lamas and had been initiated into their practices – one of which are the 5 Rites.

Many benefits are postulated including – including weight loss, better memory, improved physical strength, enhanced sense of wellbeing, even a reduction in the speed of the aging process – for this reason, these exercises are seen as a Foundation of Youth.

Want to give them a go?  Providing you are reasonably fit they should present no major problems and can be completed in about 10 to 20 minutes.

To download the programme click here – happy practicing!  Remember  to listen to your body and you will make progress.

The Difference Between Allergies and Intolerances

The symptoms of both conditions may be very similar and can even confuse the experts, as both cause unpleasant symptoms and inflammation!

Generally food allergies are triggered by a protein and cause the body’s immune system to over react – with serious systemic symptoms (maybe life threatening).

Food intolerances generally only affect the digestive tract and are less severe than allergies. They are caused by –

1. absence of an enzyme
2. psychological stress
3. IBS
4. Sensitivity to food additives
5. Inflammation of gut when exposed to gluten

Common Foods Causing Allergies

• Milk (and dairy produce) – mainly seen in children
• Peanuts
• Tree Nuts
• Soy
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish

Common Foods Causing Intolerances

• Dairy – usually caused by a sugar called lactose
• Gluten – a protein found in many grains, especially wheat, barley. Gluten intolerance may present as Coeliac Disease or the less severe Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerance.
• Caffeine
• Alcohol

Dealing with Allergies and Intolerances

Allergies –

• Total avoidance of allergen
• Desensitisation via oral immunotherapy
• Anti histamines (mild to moderate reactions)
• Adrenaline injections (severe reactions)

Intolerances –

• Remove or reduce consumption of foods causing symptoms – an exclusion diet may be required to identify the culprits
• Improve gut health generally via dietary changes and improving gut flora
• Treat chronic gut infections eg H Pylori or candida
• Add supplements to diet – especially Glutamine, N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG), Quercetin, Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

We all think “fat is fat”, wherever it is in the body and the thus all fat is the “enemy”! Well that is just not true, the real villain of the peace in terms of our health is the deep fat that wraps around our organs.

There are two types of body fat –

1. Subcutaneous fat – the fat we can pinch/wobble, generally not dangerous to health.
2. Visceral fat – generally deep, covering the organs. THIS FAT IS LINKED TO METABOLIC DISTURBANCES – including cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, breast cancer and gallbladder problems.

Fats found below the navel are subcutaneous fats, whilst those found above the navel are visceral fats. This can be seen in the “apple shape” (caused by an accumulation of visceral fats) and the “pear shape” (chiefly caused by subcutaneous fats).

Why We Develop Visceral Fats

Cortisol is produced by the body as a stress hormone when we are physically and psychologically stressed as part of our “flight or fight” mechanism.

Research shows that high levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) are linked to the development of visceral fats. It should also be remembered that the abdominal fat cells are metabolically active, producing chemicals called cytokines (interleukins and tumour necrosis factor) – these affect our endocrine system (the hormones) by stimulating the production of cortisol as the body identifies us as being under stress.

Thus over time the arteries become more “furred up” and the body develops insulin resistance (the precursor to diabetes). The body sensing all is not right, then secretes even more of the stress hormone – CORTISOL.

Cortisol then –

• Suppresses the immune system
• Heightens memory and attention
• Increases blood pressure
• Decreases pain awareness
• Increases blood sugar (due to raising insulin resistance)
• Decreases serotonin levels
• Increased HDL (bad cholesterol)
• Decreases testosterone
• Interferes with sleep

However unlike adrenaline and noradrenaline (hormones also produced by stress), cortisol takes a long time to get metabolised from the system and IS ITSELF A STRESSOR!

All this leads to significant inflammation in the body. Inflammation stresses the body and stimulates the release of glucose from the liver and muscle into the blood – the response to this is then to increase insulin levels, leading to fat deposition around the abdomen. We then also crave high energy foods in this state. HIGH CIRCULATING LEVELS OF INSULIN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK OF MANY DISEASES!

How to Reduce Cortisol Levels
1. Remove processed foods from your diet
2. Increase omega 3 consumption
3. Reduce caffeine consumption
4. Practice good sleep hygiene
5. Increase lean protein and complex carbohydrates
6. Increase plant oils in diet
7. Increase exercise levels, especially cardiovascular exercise
8. Learn to relax and practice meditation