FIRSTLY – thank you all for your involvment in our Rad-pads competition. It was great to read your comments and notice how much dialogue there is around the subject of women’s health and secret women’s business.  See our blog in May 23rd.

The winner was AM from Victoria – the names were pulled out of the ‘hat’ by Dr Patrice Braun.  YOu can check out Patrice’s fascinating blog at http://globalsalon.blogspot.com/2011_01_16_archive.html . Patrice documents her work with women in developing countries.

In response to some questions directed to me via email, here are 5 top tips to consider in the health and wellness  journey of life based on my clinical experience.   I hope these are helpful and as always I would be pleased to hear from you in the comments about this post and what you might like to add to the list.

1.  REMEMBER THIS IS YOUR BODY – it does not belong to anyone else.  It is up to you to protect and nurture your body and do your best to ensure you or no-one else abuses it.  In addition your body houses the seeds for the next generation.  By being kind to your body you are also being kind to generations to come.

2.  GIVE YOUR BODY A PAT ON THE BACK – it has helped you to arrive at where you are today – your body may not be perfect (who’s is?) but it has done you great service.  So quit narking at yourself and ENJOY your attributes.  It is amazing how much you miss your fully functioning body when a part of it is injured or ill. 

3.  TREATS –  Instead of rewarding yourself with extra food, what about taking time  out AND TREAT YOURSELF with  some exercise, relaxation, massage, spa treatment, fun, laughter, time in nature, meditation, rest.  We are not machines and we DO need periods of rest and relaxation in order to re-charge.  This is what ‘weekends’ are for – and sleep.  

4 .DIETS DON”T WORK IN THE LONG RUN.  Dietary considerations are never straight forward but I have found that one of the most common causes of inappropriate weight gain is the extreme amounts of calories that people often eat in western cultures as well as  large amount of refined carbohydrates (sugars, breads, pasta’s, packaged cereals, sweets ,alcohol, many diet foods and drinks etc).  At the same time there is often greatly reduced incidental and planned exercise and movement.

Try cutting your evening meal in half, ensuring the majority of the food on your plate is multi-coloured vegetables or salad with a small amount of protein.  In fact have a look at the size of all your meals.  Are they larger than a large soup bowl in size?  Do you really need to consume so much?  Judge your meal portions by your activity and circumstances – e.g. athletes in training need more complex carbohydrates, pregnant and lactating women need to monitor that they have enough food, not skimp on the basics or have too much.  Growing children need to have more complex carbohydrates than adults but coupled with moderate protein and omega 3 fats.  These are just a few dietary tips. 

5.WATER – it is amazing how many people have very little or NO additional water in their daily life. Tea and coffee, fizzy and diet drinks are not included in your water quota.  The hydration requirements of your body vary according to your size, activity and health circumstances so it is difficult to give a ‘one size fits all’ suggestion for water consumption.  Start with a large glass or cup of water or non-caffeinated herbal tea for every 2 hours you are awake with less sipped slowly and not gulped.  You might like to start your day with a glass of warm water with some lemon juiced squeezed in it.

Your hydration needs can vary but it is important to know that dehydration contributes all sorts of problems including but not limited to bowel problems, bladder and kidney problems, headaches, fuzzy thinking, difficulty with weight stabilisation.   

These are just a few tips and thoughts.  There is a lot more information in the Radiant Women Book at http://www.rad-pads.com (see e-books for print book part of the site).  

Wendy Dumaresq, Medical Herbalist, Natural Fertility Management Counsellor,

info@rad-pads.com    DIRECTOR: Natural Woman Network & Rad-Pads

AUTHOR:  Radiant Women, Women’s Wisdom, Enterprise with Soul Program

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