Obesity is, if you’ll forgive the pun, a growing problem in this country. Depending on which reports you read, up to 70% of us are clinically overweight, while more than 40% of us would be classified as obese.
There is a huge media-driven paradox about weight. On the one hand, everywhere you look, there is food – whole shelves of magazines dedicated to it, TV programmes and overnight celebrities and, of course, advertisements to tempt us to “treat yourselves” or “enjoy”. And on the other hand, there is an exaggerated obsession with being slim to the point of skeletal.
No wonder, then, that many people are confused about what they should eat, what is good and what isn’t. It is perfectly possible to read an article explaining why sugar and dairy products are bad for you, then switch on the TV and see people making meringues or cream-filled cakes!
We asked a couple of our therapists for their views on weight loss. First, our Herbalist Yaso Shan. Yaso is a Medical herbalist who also lectures in the Health & Biomedical Sciences, so she is ideally placed to comment on trends and fashion in the pharmaceutical “pop a pill” approach to slimming. You can find out more about Yaso and her work on her website: www.yaso-shan.co.uk .
Anyone wishing to lose weight really needs to do the maths before embarking on any “quick fix”, especially those that involve over-the-counter (OTC) pills. The science of weight loss is really simple. In short, output must equal input is weight gain is to be avoided. That is, the amount of food eaten (energy content) must equal the amount of calories burned through daily energy consumption and / or activity. This does not factor in the quality of the diet and any health practitioner will advise and focus on nutritional values as well as quantities. With age, the metabolic rate declines so more care is needed regarding quantity of food. The quality of our diet is really important, there is no “one size fits all”. Body shape also changes over the years, so exercise patterns need to change to reflect those changes. Exercise has many benefits, not least increasing the metabolic rate.
Yaso works with natural herbs and remedies, and can tailor-make remedies that are just right for you. You can call her on 01444 441 210 or 07817 420 118.
And second, our hypnotherapist Judy Sharp. Judy is an experienced hypnotherapist who combines hypnotherapy with past life and spirit release work, and also “fits” hypnotic gastric bands if appropriate. You can find out more about Judy and her work on her website: www.effective-hypnotherapy.co.uk .
My approach to weight loss is to help the client to uncover the emotional root causes – why are they holding on to excess weight? In my experience, it could be one of many reasons, from childhood abuse to bullying at school; from miscarriage or still-birth to a painful relationship split. The excess weight could be protection or comfort – but when it gets out of control, or when it is no longer needed or appropriate, then we need to let it go. It is quite common to find that people who have an obsession with food in this life have starved to death in a previous life, and have “carried forward” the thought “I will never go hungry again”.
I worked with a young lady last year who wanted to get rid of her excess weight. By her own admission, her diet was dreadful, but she could not stop thinking about food. In the first session we did some spirit release work after which she completely lost her craving for cakes, biscuits and sweets – she had been feeding a “passenger” with a sweet tooth! In a past life session, yes she had starved to death, so we resolved that too. By the time we had finished, her workmates were commenting on how well she looked – but most importantly, she had re-discovered her true self, and had taken back control of her life and her eating habits.
Another lady I worked with said she had tried every diet in the book and then some! She had gone through the menopause, that had only made things worse, the weight would not shift. We talked about her life and it emerged that she had lost two babies at birth. To me that was a key issue, and sure enough when we explored that at soul level, then was a huge amount of guilt and grief to be dealt with. After many tears and much deep healing, the change in the client was clearly visible. After several sessions, she too had re-connected with her true self, better placed to cope with current challenges – and without the excess weight that no longer served her.
I will fit a hypnotic gastric band if the client and I feel that it is necessary. Quite often, even those clients who arrive determined to have one decide that they don’t need it after all – and that’s fine by me too! You can find out more about hypnotic gastric banding on my website, or give me a call on 01444 459 433 or 07597 020 512.
Here at Vinings Natural Health Centre, our experienced therapists are ready, willing and able to help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be. Perhaps you’ve decided the time has come to lose weight or give up smoking. Maybe you are going to dedicate a bit more time to you with a regular massage. Could be that you feel your system is just a bit sluggish and needs to be re-balanced and given a boost.