Caring about our future

Depression, Dairy, and Artificial Sweeteners

Lead up: During WWII sugar was in short supply and sweets and chocolate were a luxury!!  You could only get these items with tokens from your Ration Book - when they were available.

Post WWII, the items that had been rationed became more plentiful, and we started to guzzle as much as we could grasp. 

Consequences: We started to give our children the things we had been deprived of, particularly sweet things, to the point that ortho-dontists became concerned at the state their teeth.

Rickets  was a common disorder amongst children lacking Vitamin D in their diets both before and during the war, to the extent that the government decreed that all schools should provide a daily third of a pint of milk for every primary school child (School Milk Act 1946).

Legacy: The messages 'sugar is bad for you' and 'milk is essential for your health' have become mantras in our food industries. 

The hidden combination of sugar and salt that makes food tastier is not something we are consciously aware of, neither do we recognise it as being unhealthy. 

The increase in obesity, and in our image-consciousness, with everyone wanting to be a celebrity and to fight the ageing process, has resulted in a massive industry for consumer goods that allegedly make us thin, beautiful, desirable, and successful.

In addition, our obsession with diets, as well as not wanting rotten teeth has resulted in a very lucrative  'sugar free' food industry.

So let's look at some of the facts that are just beginning to emerge:

1. Whilst we need vitamin D and Calcium, the Casein and Lactose in Cow dairy products can have an adverse effect on our emotional and physical well being.
2. Small amounts of raw cane sugar are good for us but artificial sweeteners are toxic.

Intolerance to dairy products is associated with

• Skin problems (soles of feet, dermatitis, spots, dry areas)
• IBS (irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• Depression
• Anxiety (Panic Attacks, Phobias, Palpitations)
• Mood swings (similar to Bi-Polar disorder)
• Behaviou problems in children (excess energy, lack of concentration, similar to ADHD)
• Confusion, saying the wrong words (similar to Alzheimer's symptoms0

Artificial Sweeteners are associated with:

• problems with vision
• confusion
• depression
• anxiety/ aggression / irritability
• bloating
• liver/kidney problems
• skin problems
• allergies
• chest pain
• hearing difficulties
• epilepsy
• and many more

The most common combination of sweeteners and milk is in coffee!

3. Caffeine is a stimulant - one cup of coffee means that caffeine is in your system for 12 hours. 

Caffeine is associated with:

• anxiety
• irritability
• aggression
• fatigue
• palpitations
• diarrhoea
• IBS
• skin problems

So what can you do?  Try a little test:

1. remove or reduce the amount of caffeine in your diet for 10 days
2. remove dairy products from your diet for 4 days (read labels carefully and check for: whey, lactose) - if necessary find an alternative source of vitamin D
3. remove all artificial sweeteners from your diet for 7 days and replace with raw cane sugar- check labels for E numbers
4. drink plenty - at least 2 - 3 litres (doesn't have to be water, but sugar free drinks are forbidden)

You may have some withdrawal effects, but after a week you should start to feel generally better - if not, then these ingredients may not be what is affecting you.

For more information contact: Dr Dawn Heather on dawn@dawnheather.com

NEW - Web Conference Training

As a provider (Honorary Lecturer for Peninsula Medical School, Consultant, Trainer and Therapist) situated in Cornwall (that long thin peninsula at the southern most end of the UK) I can appreciate the difficulty in getting to training venues, attending conferences etc, that are rarely located nearby.  I can really sympathise with those who have to travel, and possibly stay over - it's not just the time involved, it's the cost and the inconvenience.

However, all is not lost - with the emergence of new technologies, the world of business is becoming diverse. No longer are we restricted to operating in areas where our clients are located. Virtual offices are fast replacing the need for static geographical locations. 

The challenge of communication is met by web video and audio conferencing, with its myriad of applications not just in the world of business, but also in education and training, professional and social networking.  The versatility of this ubiquitous medium has facilitated communication between different continents and different time zones, at times which are convenient for each of us.  7pm for me is 1pm for Phoenix Arizona - I'm happy working evenings!

Of course, video web conferencing offers an obvious advantage over audio technology conferencing. With video web conferencing non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, gestures etc are not lost.

I can see if you're nodding appreciatively or raising your eyes to the heavens. In addition, it lets me pace the interaction, gauging more effectively when listeners are getting tired or in need of a comfort break.

AND travel cost, time and inconvenience are no longer issues!!

To this end I am now making my courses available online, thus avoiding disappointing individuals in far flung corners:

COURSES AVAILABLE:

1. Asperger Personalities and Counselling

Counselling, Psychotherapy and other language-based therapeutic approaches can have adverse effects on the AS personality if the therapist is unaware of the particular way in which these individuals function.

·         When someone communicates through verbal language alone, 93% of communication is lost to her/him.

·         When someone perseverates on specific topics that are emotionally charged, then encouraging them to talk about these may serve only to escalate the anxieties.

Course Ref: AC001 

2. Offenders and Asperger Personalities

Many young people with AS personalities fall foul of the law. This can be extremely distressing for their families and friends, but understanding how the AS personality operates can help prevent these activities and their consequences.

• When someone has no real understanding of consequences, punitive or rehabilitative measures will have no effect. For instance, saying 'if you do that then this will happen to you' will not necessarily have the desired result.
• when a person views things from his/her own perspective, each desire becomes a compulsive act without pausing for thought.

Course Ref: CH003

3. Clinical Hypnosis and the Autism Spectrum

The self empowerment inherent in hypnotherapy has the potential to enable people with ASD, particularly those with Higher Functioning Autism or Asperger’s syndrome, to manage their own stress levels sufficiently well to avoid anxieties escalating, thereby improving social functioning.

Our courses encompass the following issues:

1.   the nature of the Autism spectrum – social construct, inheritance, impairment;

2.   the advantages of an individualised approach for these individuals vs standardised delivery of generic services;

3.   the contra-indications of using a language based therapy with individuals whose interpretation may be different from the majority – alternatives to language;

4.   facilitation of self-empowerment – autonomy and Rights.

This course can be broken down into smaller modules, suitable for trainees, if desired.

Prices negotiated according to:

·         Length of course

·         Numbers attending

·         Level of qualification

Course Ref: CSM004

Courses can be tailored to suit your needs, so if none of the above are suitable then please contact me and let's discuss what course content would be valuable for you.

Price guide: 6 hrs is the minimum and costs £350.00.  If a group is accessing this training please add an additional £10.00 for each additional Professional Career Development Certificate required.

The Advantages of Web-conference Training:

1.   Both Video and Audio web conference are time efficient and cost effective ways of delivering training to individuals or groups powerfully.

2.   Sessions are comparatively short and intensive without dominating your normal routine or interfering with existing commitments.

3.   We learn more in ‘small chunks’, so shorter training sessions mean that participants learn more effectively.

4.   Online access allows additional visual material to be incorporated eg PowerPoint presentations, images etc.

5.   Short tele-classes over time ensure that participants can complete additional assignments and practice in between class, which further embeds their learning.

The applications of video and audio web conference training are endless.  For instance, recording studios, audio production control rooms, and editing suites support distance learning in hundreds of multimedia classrooms around the world.  But you can also study in the comfort of your own home!

Another consequence of this technology is that groups of medical students can witness a new surgical procedure without setting foot into the operating room, and a single specialist can address groups of students, scattered throughout the world, simultaneously.

All you need is a pc, internet access, a webcam (optional), a mic (essential), either Skype (free download), or Messenger (free download), and you're all set.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Dr Dawn Heather DCHyp, Chartered Scientist

Tel:+ 44 (0)1209 613 653  Mob: +44 (0)7887 602 508

Email: dawn@dawnheather.com