Endometriosis is on the increase, 1 in 10 women now suffer with this painful condition in the UK. It is difficult for women to get a diagnosis because symptoms can appear to be coming from elsewhere, women's pain can be normalised by practitioners and there is no test for diagnosing endo. The current treatment for endometriosis involves using synthetic contraceptives and surgery to try and remove the endometrial tissue. This is a...
A year ago I went carnivore. Initially I went hardcore - full on meat and suet only for 3 months. One of my drivers was weight loss but also wanted to boost my energy and continue to reduce inflammation in my body. I didn’t lose weight on that first 3 months but eating an 8oz steak for breakfast changed my life.. It literally sets me up for the day and I adore...
MASSIVE RANT ALERT (with some useful tips at the end) Today I am fuming and I am devasted for the millions of women that will suffer because of the information I just found out. As many of you know I don’t get on with the body identical hormones that the NHS can prescribe so I get them privately. These hormones cost me about £100. I’ve been struggling a bit with spotting every few...
We get asked this question A LOT. There is so much in the media about fasting and it’s benefits and, the research is pretty undeniable, most people either do the 5:2 fast or the 16/8 fast. But, whilst so many people feel amazing when they fast, many of our clients find that they are not losing weight or really struggle with symptoms like being “hangry” or have exacerbated brain fog. So why is...
These days it is rare to speak to a woman who hasn’t been prescribed a hormonal contraceptive of one sort or another. According to the World Health Organisation, over 100 million women are prescribed it at any point in time. That is a staggering amount. Let’s be honest, hormonal contraceptives are convenient and they have been part of the sexual liberation of women since their invention in the 1960’s. Whilst they are...
I often see clients who have been to see specialist menopause doctors in private practice, usually at great expense. Most of the time they have been recommended the body identical progesterone and oestrogen and sometimes even given testosterone. Now, all of that is FABULOUS (check out some of my other posts where I’ve talked about how horrendous the synthetic progesterone is for women’s bodies), but they are still feeling rubbish. Here’s why… In...
Claire Snowdon-Darling explains how to balance your hormones in this insightful video. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7-nhys4xbw[/embed]...
For decades we have been told that saturated fats and red meats are bad for us, too many eggs will cause high cholesterol or constipation and the best way to keep our weight healthy is to be sparing with cheese and butter. As for suet, dripping and tallow – well, that’s a heart attack waiting to happen. The emerging research in nutritional science shows us how wrong we are and how...
I’ve just recovered from Covid-19. It was a pretty grim and boring two weeks and, to be honest I was surprised that it took me that long to recover but I’m here and thankfully I have no signs of “Long Covid”. Although I’d hope I wouldn’t after thirteen years of looking after my adrenal glands (Post viral syndrome such as Long Covid can involve an adrenal response that causes symptoms of...
Navigating menopause can be a minefield. Many women are determined to go the “natural” route but end up with such life limiting symptoms they find themselves in front of their GP being given HRT. Here we discuss the main 5 signs that your HRT isn’t working for you. For some, HRT is a life saver. For others however it is just a continuation of the misery that led them to taking...
Soapbox rant (and some science nerdiness) Utrogestan is a body identical #progesterone (made from plants including yams) and is available on the NHS. It is a form of natural HRT. Progesterone is essential for women, it stabilises weight, keeps us calm, helps us sleep and in fertile women, helps thicken the womb for pregnancy. It’s the first hormone to drop off in Peri-menopause and the lack of progesterone in relation to oestrogen...
Menopause is a natural process where a womans menstrual cycle stops. The hormonal fall out of this “change” is far reaching, especially in todays society where women are stressed and exhausted going into peri-menopause. Symptoms of Peri Menopause can start mildly up to ten years before the menopause itself happens. Premature menopause is when this process is initiated before a woman is forty....
Many people find they struggle to lose weight. As such obesity has become a major cause of diabetes and is reaching epidemic proportions...
Competition details are at the end of this post! Balanced Wellness is 7 years old today. We wouldn’t be here without you so thank you to all our customers for all your support over the last 7 years. In numerology the number 7 is a biggy. According to numerology.com It is the number of the truth seeker it is always trying to understand the underlying, hidden truths. In the teachings of Kundalini Yoga...
I know this only too well I have a condition which causes me to feel fatigued most of the time. If you experience chronic fatigue or low energy issues its so important to be really hot on feeding your body right. Reaching for the quick fixes cause more instability and leads to feeling really low or depressed. It's all about the #emotionhealthconnection It's so easy to reach for caffeine or sugar...
I have recently been given a "probable diagnosis" of a a rare condition called Sheehan's Syndrome It is "probable" because the actual tests for it are so awful I'm choosing not to put my body through the mill to have them, what I can say is that after 11 years of feeling mostly like I've been hit by a truck, this diagnosis really resonated and drew a painful line through everything...
[caption id="attachment_4502" align="aligncenter" width="461"] It's scary in that dark cave![/caption] In 2013 Ariana Huffington called for an additional Third Metric of wellness to be added to the existing metrics of money and power as a means to measure success. As a health practitioner I applauded this bold campaign and was so excited I wrote a blog about it. As a business owner I know too well how easy it is to put...
At Balanced Wellness we are reclaiming the original festivals of our ancestors, the ancient rites and rituals where our forbears were so dependant on the gifts of Mother Nature that the worshipping of the cycles of the Goddess of Nature was a logical and practical path. Within this Goddess Cycle we are now entering the time of the Midwinter Solstice, the shortest day where the dark is equal to the light....
Balanced Wellness are not just health experts. Our clients experience profound and deep transformation supported by our exceptional practitioners. Our clients are women who are ready to change their lives, their relationships, their health and their future. Our practitioners guide, support and encourage their clients to make deep lasting and profound change.At the core of what we do is Kinesiology - a fusion of bodywork techniques, emotional support and nutritional recommendations that...
IBS. It is a big problem with a little name, and it is hideous. I know, I had first hand experience of this horrendous condition for over 20 years and I’m far from being alone. The current NHS statistics tell us that 1 in 5 people in the UK experience it at some point in their life with half that being diagnosed as “having IBS” That’s six million people. Despite the prevalence,...
[caption id="attachment_4208" align="aligncenter" width="560"] is this good for you?[/caption] It is a commonly held belief in the “health world” that eating our food, live and raw is the best way to get all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes we need. The raw food movement is at the forefront of great nutritional discoveries and is leading the way in challenging the standard western diet. The food can be amazing, we have some incredible...
As a nutritionist I have been strictly following a clean, organic, wholefood and alkaline diet for the past few years, lots of vegetables, chlorophyll and leafy greens. We know after all that dis-ease forms in acidic environments and most people’s internal environments are very acidic.
This is due to a variety of sources from food, to outlook, to chemical load but reducing acid forming foods and alkalising the body is all the rage, and I reiterate, in many cases very, very important.
But interestingly not in my case. It turns out that my internal environment is too alkaline and it’s been causing me some big problems. 
[caption id="attachment_3633" align="alignleft" width="300"]"Do you enjoy what you do? If not just stop, don't stand there and rot! " Ah the enlightened lyrics of Wham! For the next six days I get to be immersed in my favourite subject whilst teaching a Kinesiology intensive course with The Academy of Systematic Kinesiology. I am incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to teach this incredible therapy at the highest level and often need to pinch myself that this is my career.A career in Kinesiology can make you do this[/caption]
who am I again?[/caption]
Arianna Huffington has called for a 3rd women's revolution. Women need to reclaim their lives because burn out is no longer an option. Success is no longer just about the money and power, it now includes wellbeing to
As an alternative health expert the wellbeing thing I know about, I work with it, I teach it, and I believe I am pretty hot on walking my talk. But here's the problem. A year ago my business partner Laura and I expanded our business. We franchised out our brand and are in the process of opening a wellness centre so time has been a luxury I haven't had for the past 12 months and I have literally run myself ragged.
Ingredients 2 large tomatoes (carb) 1 desert spoon sun dried tomatoes (fat) Handful basil, coriander or parsley (whichever is your favourite) Pinch of Himalayan pink salt 2 soaked dates (carb) Pinch of cumin Handful of cashews (fat) A mugful of water Blend all the above in a powerful food blender - add more water if it needs to be thinner or more cashews if you prefer it creamier. Blend until its really...
This is such a tasty warming drink. Get a big mug to put in for maximum cuddling. Ingredients Almond Milk Vanilla Pod Raw Agave Nectar or Honey Cinnamon or Nutmeg Warm some almond milk and a vanilla pod in a pan with a Add in either raw agave nectar or raw honey once temp has been reached (to your taste). Remove the vanilla pod Sprinkle over a small amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. Delicious!...
Crunch away at these delicious posh crisp alternatives guilt free! Ingredients 1 bag of kale well washed (carb) 1.5 cups cashews (fat) Juice of half lemon (carb) Large pinch Himalayan salt Desert spoon of nutritional yeast In a food processor mix the yeast, salt, lemon juice and cashews until it makes a paste - add a little water if necessary. Coat your kale in the mixture. Pop your kale on a baking sheet and pop...
summer is coming and I shall be busy![/caption]
I have become obsessed with my menstrual cycle. Not just in that usual way where we log the dates in our diary and maybe check the consistency (which lets be honest is enough). I mean totally, deeply and utterly engrossed in it. Clearly my interest was piqued a year ago when I wrote about difficult periods but this interest has deepened to become a way of really identifying with myself.
Merry Christmas with a good log[/caption]
As a trainee Kinesiologist you quickly get used to discussing poo. It becomes a standard topic of conversation, frequency, style colour, texture.
These are all hot topics in the life of a practitioner. We aren't quite at the Gillian McKeith stage of actually examining a clients stools but we do like talking about a good loggy poo.
When busy ensure you have a good outfit[/caption]
There is a famous adage "if you want something doing, ask a busy person". That's me, busy and always doing stuff. I'm a doer - always have been, always will be, I've always got a stack of projects on the go and a few more waiting on the sideline
Not everyone is this way. I had a friend who had to stop her dance class when she was buying a house because it was too overwhelming.
I'm the opposite. A while ago we knocked down our house and I project managed the rebuild whilst running my clinic. At the same time I was teaching, participating in a a massive self development course, kept my network marketing business moving forward, fitted in 3 holidays and a nutrition diploma and found time for my family and a bit of retail therapy. This is not to say "I'm better than my friend - actually it's taken an awful lot of work for me to realise that my body has an overwhelm level and I have to listen carefully to it to make sure I'm not going to crash. What I want to do with this blog is give some guidelines to help those who don't stop.
Could this be the best chocolate cake ever? We think so. Dark, moist and delicious with no wheat or dairy. Ingredients 2 Aubergines 300g Dark Organic Chocolate 50g Cocoa Powder 60g Ground Almonds 200g Clear Honey 2tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Salt 3 Eggs Method Boil aubergines for 5 minutes, skin them and puree Add chocolate, stir until melted In a large bowl whisk together all the other ingredients until slightly bubbly Fold in the melted chocolate and aubergine in the large bowl with...
This incredible shake is perfect to women suffering with low oestrogen thanks to the mix of protein, soya and omega oils. If you are suffering with period problems, fertility issues or menopause difficulty that is specifically linked with low oestrogen, give this a go for 3 months, you will be amazed at the results. Start on the first day after your period finishes (or chose a day if your periods have...
This is SO delicious and simple to make! one pack of soft silken tofu 6 tbspns of xylitol 1/2 cup of carob powder 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (use raw cacao if you have it for extra goodness) 1/2 cup soya milk Blend all the ingredients together, put in a bowl and chill.. thats IT easy!! As a variation add in a desert spoon of peppermint essence or layer crushed rasperries on top..mmmm!!!...
We LOVE this, its like a gorgeous comforting veg stew mmmm For the soup: – please note this is the basic recipe you can add in ANY extra green veg that you fancy. Be creative and seasonal! 1 courgette cut in half lengthways and sliced into semi circles (carb) 1 leek cut in half lengthways and sliced into semi circles (carb) 1 brocolli de stemmed and cut into florets (carb) 1 pack of green...
Really easy! 2 apples 1 carrot Handful strawberries 1 orange Add this to a blender with a handful of strawberries and blend to your preference of smoothness and enjoy!...
Makes 3 pizza’s 640gs Spelt flour 435mls water (warm) 6s Salt 6s Dried yeast Pinch of Sugar 60gs Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 pinches Oregano Method Dissolve dried yeast in a little of the warm water, add all the sugar and a small amount of the spelt flour until it resembles a wet batter. Cover and leave for 5-10 mins for the yeast to activate. Knead the mixture thoroughly til it is dough like leave for 30 minutes to rise Roll into...
These are DELICIOUS, you will not know they are free from 140g/5oz cold butter or Pure vegan spread, diced 225g/8oz plain spelt flour 50g/2oz ground almonds 50g/2oz golden caster sugar 1 orange, zest only pinch of salt 1 egg yolk 1-2 tsp cold water 280g/10oz good quality mincemeat (suet free if you are veggie) 1 egg, beaten icing sugar for dusting Preparation method Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Rub the butter into the flour and add the almonds, caster sugar, orange rind and salt...
This is the recipe for our famous “wheat, dairy and syrup but NOT taste free vegan gingerbread”. They are delicious and make GREAT gifts! Preparation time : 20 minutes Cooking time : 10 minutes Total time : 30 minutes Makes: 25 gingerbread people Ingredients 125g butter (or soya spread if you are vegan) 100g dark muscovado sugar 3 tbsp maple syrup 325g spelt flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp ground ginger 1 inch grated...
I'm having a really good day, actually I'm having a really good few weeks.
We all have highs and then of course we all have lows but I'm pretty certain my good mood isn't just a cyclical thing. I have recently rediscovered some soul enriching activities that are really helping me align to my core truth.
Its the end of the world as we know it but with less CGI[/caption]
"When the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with mars. This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius"
The hippies been singing about it since the 60's but so many people are still asking me what 2012 is all about so here we go..
On December 21 2012 The Mayan Calendar comes to an end and astrologically we move into the Age of Aquarius. 
Home is not where the computer is[/caption]
I've had bloggers block. In fact both Laura and I have. How wonderful for both of us to have it at the same time.
Its not just a small case of "I don't have time to write and don't know what to write about" I mean full on, absolute non inspired totality of nothingness. This is an unusual situation for me as anyone who knows me will tell you I can talk for Britain and have an opionion about everything. But a block I have had. There have been many good ideas just nothing that I've been motivated enough to write about. 
Led Zeppelin serving humanity[/caption]
Husband is changing career. For too long now his response to my daily question "how was your day dear?" was "boring". He is an IT manager so his regular hours and nice income have served us well particularly as being self employed my income can be sporadic. He loved his job, we used to say his pc should be the best man at our wedding so great was the bond between them, but after thirteen years his skills need updating and he realised his heart wasn't in it anymore. As my business took off and I got busier following my passion, his boredom became more obvious. 
The Grange Hill cast knew how to say no[/caption]
No. It's a tiny word with huge meaning. It can be the key to your liberation, it can improve your health, transform your sex life, revitalise relationships and help you regain control in your life. All this from two little letters. And yet we struggle to use it. 
Wham knew it. Fun and sunshine, enough for everyone[/caption]
I was verbally attacked by a woman at my Bootcamp class. The reason for this tirade of insult and anger is because I don't wear sun cream. She felt that because I lecture about health it was hypocritical of me not to wear sun cream.
There are many reasons for this choice. Firstly I am fifth generation Indian and am blessed with skin that goes brown just by looking at the sun - of course I would burn if I was to lie out in it but I learnt my lesson a long time ago after a particularly nasty incident when I was 15 involving baby oil and a really hot day followed by sunstroke and needing to sit on a cold slide in a kids play park just to cope with the searing agony on the backs of my thighs. So these days I listen to my body, I sunbathe in 10 minute slots and alternate between sitting under parasols and having a nice siesta during a hot afternoon.
Another reason is that I loathe, loathe, loathe most sun creams. If I use normal ones I end up with horrific prickly heat as my poor skin can't breathe under all that petroleum and paraffin. They use chemicals to stop the sun and as you may have heard me go on about before, chemicals cause us alot of problems.
The Daily Mail actually ran an exposé about how sun creams are causing cancers because of the Endocrine disruptor chemicals in them.
Clearly experiencing a period drama[/caption]
Period Drama. No I'm not talking Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs. Im talking about downstairs downstairs.
Periods, menses, on the blob, having the decorators in, moon cycle. It has many names and usually causes the same reaction in us - that "here we go again" feeling. 
Beauty in the good old days[/caption]
In 1986 Morrissey wisely professed "some girls are bigger than others, some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers". Sounds obvious but we seem to have forgotten this fact. You may have noticed I'm interested by society stereotyping of how women (and men) "should" be. This is mostly because I (like millions of others) will never fit the parameters of what is considered "gorgeous" by the media. At my healthiest I am a size 14, but for the majority of my life I was a 16/18 or sometimes even a 20. 
Opening the door to communication will open the door to the bedroom[/caption]
There is a phenomenon sweeping through society, its affecting thousands of people (that's a conservative estimate) but it's unlikely you will hear about it because in general we are still stuck in the dark age of "keeping up appearances".
This phenomenon is that people aren't having sex. I'm not talking about people in 25 year marriages or single people I'm talking about 30+ year olds in committed relationships or newly weds not being sexually active with their partner for months or even years.
There are many possible reasons for this. The extreme view from one of my friend's is that its a natural wave of evolution, a way of limiting over population. Not sure if Darwin would agree but according to spiritual sexuality author David Deida men and women have three stages of evolution. 
Oh I simply LOVE the farmers market![/caption]
I have a favourite morning. It's every first and third Friday of the month. I do the school run and then spend a blissful hour walking around my local farmers market. I love it, whatever the weather I'm there because I believe it's truly the best way to buy food.
Farmers market food is fresh, its local and it tastes delicious. I now know the stall holders and have a chat with them whilst buying the Bream they caught yesterday or the tomatoes picked today and discussing all the things you can do with artichokes (ooh err). Yes you pay a little bit more but it's sustainable for the people putting in the extreme hard work.
The food available means we are eating seasonally which is so much better for health. Asparagus doesn't grow here in February so it's not a good idea to eat it. We have lots of beetroot and squashes around, combined with dark leafy greens which means the large amount of folates, iron and beta carotene that's naturally occurring is what we need through the cold winter. 
seeing differently[/caption]
It's January and I really want to start the New Year feeling good so for 60 days husband and I are doing a totally holistic cleanse. I like to do the odd fast and cleanse from juice fasts at the spring equinox to eating mung beans for 40 days on the yoga teacher training so this is nothing new for me but my motives are. 
My daughter turns 8 in January.
Like millions of other parents I am dutifully arranging her party and making sure she feels special on her birthday whilst trying not to spend the GDP of a small country in the process. This year is different however, this year I'm excited about the day and I'm also sad because I cannot believe how quickly my beautiful little girl is growing up. This sounds really normal and you are probably wondering why I'd bother blogging about it except for me it's not. It's a brand new feeling. The last seven years have passed in a blur of "going through the motions" and plastering a big fake smile on my face as I carry in her cake.
This time eight years ago I was thirty eight weeks pregnant and had that slightly desperate and fed up look of a woman about to give birth. I'd sailed through pregnancy which is an appropriate phrase as I was the size of an ocean liner but I was excited and ready for the big event. When my labour finally started I was two weeks overdue and I thought I was ready but nothing could prepare me for what lay ahead. 
Laura and I were in a shoe shop (we are natural women with killer shoe collections) and a teenage girl entered the shop with her boyfriend. We smelt her before we saw her. She smelt of fake strawberries and other sweet childish stuff. She was actually orange and had obvious hair extensions, fake nails and more make-up than Madame Jojo's and it got us thinking. Is this what sexy is now?
I asked husband for his opinion. Always an interesting place to start. He blames low grade mainstream porn mags like Nuts and Zoo magazine for telling guys that's what's sexy. But these guys are missing a trick too. It takes courage to stand out and say "that's not what I want" when society deems it to beautiful and without that on your arm you are apparently a loser. We are being told what's sexy but actually sex appeal is a transient often intangible force combined of many different qualities. I've done my research and it seems to be a combination of talent, personality, presence, style, poise, intelligence, humour and lifestyle choices not just body shape or facial attributes. Certainly no one mentioned fake tan and nails. 
Claire fighting her MS beast in really good knickers[/caption]
The highlight of my week: "I can put my knickers on easily" says my client whilst standing up and doing me a demo.
It was funny, but it actually made me cry with joy.
This client is called Claire and is a pretty, bubbly, lovely young woman who was recently diagnosed with MS, not the one that comes and goes but the one that doesn't stop until it's taken everything you hold dear in your life and ravaged your body. I trained in physical disability so know only too well the effects this condition can cause.
When Claire contacted me, it wasn't for an "out there" cure for MS, she wanted some food sensitivity testing as she had put herself on a radical diet that can possibly halt the progression of the disease. I explained that the work I do could also support her body nutritionally and emotionally and give her body the tools it needs to fight back and give the disease no reason to progress.
This of course comes with no guarantee but it's better than waiting for the inevitable.
Claire had a leg that was dragging a bit and stopped her running. It would have probably gone undiagnosed had a brilliant Physio not spotted it. By the time I met her she couldn't run, had some instability in the leg, tingly arms and a diagnosis. But she decided that wasn't going to define her. She is throwing herself into the jaws of the beast, determined to keep her life.
Claire radically altered her life, she researched and requested an almost unknown drug, she works on positive thought programming, she is eating food which supports her body not depleting it, she is taking a lot of nutrition to give her poor nervous system the tools it needs to repair itself and more importantly we are working together as a team. 
nice bush you have there[/caption]
My friend recently returned from travelling the world. He pops over for a chat and mentions he is seeing a new woman who apparently I'll love because she does "fillers and laser hair removal". I laughed and told him he had been away a long long time and things had changed in the world.
For a while modern grooming hadn't been making sense to me. Waxing was really painful, shaving left me prickly and with spotty ingrown hairs and Immac (sorry Veet if you are under 30) stopped being on my shopping list when John Major was PM so it became obvious that I needed to find another way. And then I found her. An absolute goddess I met on a retreat. Sexy, funny, wise, talented. And hairy. Oh the fullness of her lady garden and armpit hair were quite inspiring and her courage and confidence was staggering. I wanted to be her and as a bonus think of all the money I'd save on grooming. 
oh my, you're bigger than my head![/caption]
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet ingesting her non-whey protein shake. Along came a spider and bit her on the boob.
I am Miss Muffet and this is my story...
So apparently we have biting spiders in the UK. They are stowing away on bananas and grapes from far off isles and then falling in love with our English spiders and making mean biting love child baby spiders with poor dental hygiene.
In August I unfortunately got bitten by said spider and ended up with a septic walnut sized abscess and flu like symptoms. I dealt with it the same way any sane hardcore "natural medicine" guru would and went running to the doctors for some nuclear strength antibiotics to stop my boob going gangrenous.
Two types of strong antibiotics and a few weeks later my abscess had gone and I was filled with joy but quickly noticed I wasn't feeling much better.
I haven't had antibiotics for 4 years so I had taken necessary precautions I'd taken zinc, vitamin C, bifidophilus and antioxidants combined with green juicing but the Hiroshima-style effect of the drugs was far reaching.
My stomach and small intestine have been in knots ever since and I've had headaches, low energy, poor immunity and felt rundown. A friend of mine sent me an email this morning "have you seen Kerry Katona in Heat magazine, she has put on so much weight!" I, like the rest of Britain, have been following the chaotic soap opera that is the ex-Atomic Kittens life and I logged on to take a look. Six months ago Kerry had a whopping £15,000 worth of surgery to loose 6 stone only to put...
As someone who makes her living as a "healer" I've always been a bit negative about the word "cure". When I mentioned this to my friend she replied "why don't you like the concept of curing? Surely if you are healed you are cured, the objectives are the same." Well this got me to thinking so I thought id do some digging. Given that I am a self confessed geek I...
News about wheat being bad for you is everywhere. These days all the big supermarkets stock wheat free this and gluten that but the truth is that most of us mere mortals aren't sure why it's so bad or what to eat instead. So here is a few facts. I often hear "people didn't have these problems years ago" that's true, here's why. Prior to the 1970's wheat was grown in relatively...
