Here’s to a healthy year for us all. Have you kick started any specific regime, or planning it? According to experts, February, not January, is THE best month to kick start a new healthy new you, as Jan is just too long to commit. However, having put on over 10kg during 2021 myself - it’s time to turn it back!

CURB THE INTAKE OF CARB CRAP

Right now, I am on Day 8 of a 21-day health fast with my husband Jim. Abstaining from food becomes easier after Day 3, when the hunger pangs disappear. But I won’t deny the smell of toast gets me every time! And today - steamed broccoli.

The reasons to Fast For Health are multiple, especially if you have an autoimmune disorder (I have MS). Scientists believe cellular damage can be helped by entering Autophagy (a state when the body naturally removes bad cells & cellular debris - we always remove bad cells first) and Ketosis (a natural stage when your body burns its own fat).

And, it’s the best way I know to help curb a sweet tooth and GET THE SUGAR OUT of your system.

FAB FOR FASTING …

• INCREASES STEM CELLS Stem cell based regeneration of new immune cells and the healing of old injuries.

• RESETS DNA Fasting turns off bad genes and resets good genes.

• TRIGGERS MICROBIOME Fasting fixes the gut barrier and influences our genetic expression.

• BOOSTS HORMONE OPTIMIZATION Cells become more sensitive to hormones and insulin, controlling insulin and glucose.

• HELPS ENERGY DIVERSION Inflammation and oxidative stress are regulated during a fast as energy is diverted from digesting and assimilating food.

• KICKS OFF KETOSIS Ketones produces during fasting burn fat cells for energy. Ketones here the brain, gut, and turn off bad genes.

NB: Please always consult a health professional prior to any strict regime. Jo has fasted many times, often under strict medical supervision, so she recognises her body’s response. Do not embark on a strict regime for the first time alone.

MOVE IT

Having MS (Multiple Sclerosis - a degenerative nerve disorder of the brain and spinal column) means my legs don’t move as well as they could or should. Exercise is hard and painful, but essential. Every time I commit to a water fast, I walk better by the end of it, but moving for any health scenario, is key.

How do I exercise when I’m at home, and physically restricted?

If you can’t move, all the body’s natural functions are affected, so it’s simply the most positive thing to do in life. It’s easy to think ‘I can’t’, but there is always a way to move more.
A Vibration Machine has been my saviour. I bought a Vibrapower exercise machine via Amazon in first Lockdown 2020, on my elder sister’s advice: she’s a senior nurse in Australia. For fun, my family & I call it “the wobble board” - it’s awesome and very effective. The idea is that, especially if one has nerve damage that links to the brain - think MS, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s - vibration exercise tricks the brain into creating new neural pathways that can help boost the nerves in your feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips … and every nerve in your body to move!

How does a Vibration Platform work?

A Vibration Platform works on many levels: different speeds, and different movements such as side to side, rotating. The key is - even if you have a back neck, tummy or leg injury - you can sit or stand on a wobble board and the movement triggers the brain to think “ooh those muscles down there are moving”, and then reroute new neural pathways to help stimulate the muscles, and nerves, to exercise and function better. Clever eh? That was my sister urging me - not any manufacturer.

I started slow - just 3 minutes a day, seated on a low speed and standard setting as it’s active and actively stimulating the brain needs to be built up. One day, early on, I did overdo it - thinking “oh it’s quite mild really” … for 24 hours I felt sick and couldn’t balance at all, as if my brain was in a spin. Now I have built it up to 10 minutes a day on a higher speed and standing. It feels good.

Manufacturers say: ”Though a vibration platform may not appear to be doing much as first, there is a science behind its design. The vibration plate has been designed to produce high frequencies in vibration. These vibrations create and cause the individual to experience certain reflexes within the body. The muscles in the body begin to contract voluntarily while the vibration machine is in use. This movement helps the body to not only improve circulation, and strengthen weak, underused muscles, but to also lose fat in the process.”

Easy for kids and adults alike:

Beginners will find a vibration platform very user-friendly. The vibration machine does the movement for you. All the user has to do is step on to the vibration plate and start the vibration plate exercises. You can tailor exercises to sit your needs and your body issues. The key is to MOVE.

Whole body vibration exercises: are recommended for those who want to lose weight and improve their overall fitness. With this type of exercise, the user will stand, sit or lie on the machine vibrating platform. As this machine begins to vibrate, it also transmits energy throughout the body, forcing muscles to contract at a rate of dozens of times per second.

Cardio Vibration Exercises: Some vibration machines have been designed specifically for aerobic capabilities. These are normally done by using the vibration machine’s magic mat in order to perform a variety of different exercises including high knees, stutter steps, and squats. Each of which have been designed to get the heart rate up.

Reduces the appearance of cellulite: Some women have a hard time getting rid of cellulite on the legs and thighs. When you use the vibration machine to pinpoint these areas (different sets that focus on the lower body), you can expect the skin to look smoother after consistent training for a month or two.

• Increases the user’s muscle strength

• Improve the users’s circulation

• Improve general health and fitness

• Help the user to combat problems with cellulite

• Help those that suffer from problems with joint pain and heart condition

NB: Before adding the vibration platform to any health regimen, the makers do recommend that people seek medical advice

For further reading on the benefits of exercise and neuroplasticity.

Do share your lockdown fitness regime with us here & stay well, warm & cosy xx Jo