Cenacle Treatment Centre

What is Thai Massage

This form of massage is based on Yoga positions for both the giver and receiver. It is slightly different from a "tradtional" or Swedish Body Massage in that it takes the muscle off the bone, rather than compressing the muscle against the bone. It has been called "Yoga for the Lazy".

The meridians of the body are followed using a rhythmic pressure to release any blockage. Starting at the feet and working up towards the head. The muscle is then moved away from the bone and the joints manipulated to allow the energy or Chi to move freely through joints and meridians.

Like Cures Like

If you are familiar with the Gaurdian you will have seen the newspapers Bad Science column. This often focuses on alternative medicine, especially homeopathy, accusing homeopath's of being flaky and unscientific. This is ironic since homeopathy is founded on just about the most rigorous scientific research and experimentation you can imagine, thanks to Samual Hahnemann, the doctor who first discovered  the homeopathic principle of "like cures like" in the eighteenth century.

The basis of the scientific method is to formulate is to formulate an hypothesis, i.e a testable conjecture, and then perform experiments which will etheir confirm or disprove it. Only after repeated conformation of the hypothesis do you have a scientific theory. That is exactly what Hahnemann did back in 1790. Whilst translating a book by physician William Cullen, Hahnemann read that Cullen attributed bitter taste or astringency. Doubting that things were this simple, Hahnmann stated dosing himself up with cinchona. He was surprised to discover that he soon developed the symptoms of an intermittent fever - the kind of alternating high temperature, chills and shivering that you get with malaria.

Tai chi Benefits ADHD

During and after five weeks of Tai Chi lessons, adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) showed less anxiety, daydreaming, inappropriate emotions and hyperactivity, according to a study by the Touch (TRI).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: benefits from Tai Chi was conducted by Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., Tiffany Feild., and Eric Thimas.

ADHD, often treated by drugs such as Ritalin, is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. A 1998 TRI study showed that massage was effective in increasing focus, improving mood, reducing fidgeting and lowering hyperactivity in adolescents with ADHD.This study examined whether tai

chi, the Chinese martial art of slow moving, meditative exercise, would have similar effects.
Thirteen adolescents with an average age of fourteen and a half years and diagnosis of ADHD participated in the study. They were taught tai chi postures for thirty minutes, twice a week for five weeks.

acupuncture

 Acupuncture is a system of healing which has been practised in china and other eastern countries for thousands of years. Although often described as a means of pain relief, it is in fact used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses.Its focus is on improving the overall well being of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms.

According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependant on the body's motivating energy- known as Qi, moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. Qi consists of equal and opposite qualities, Yin and Yang and when these become unbalanced which can result in illness.

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is based on the principle of 'like cures like' for example in cases of insomnia, a drug would be prescribed to induce an artificial sleep, sometimes causing unwanted side effects such as daytime somnolence or addiction. In homeopathy a minute dose of a substance, such as coffee may be prescribed, which in large doses causes insomnia in a healthy person. Homeopathically this substance has been known to alleviate the symptoms of insomnia for example in cases of jetlag.

Is concentration all in the mind

Concentration or attention issues can affect a large number of people. Sometimes poor concentration is categorised as attention deficit disorder depending on the degree of severity. When people are affected by an under-performing cerebellum they generally experience overload in the brain’s processing capacity, which makes it very difficult for them to maintain focus and very often they become easily distracted.

Poor concentration is a common symptom of learning and attention disorders and this can lead to self-esteem issues as those affected are often labelled as

lazy.

Many of those affected actually have to work harder than anyone else just to maintain concentration.

Many of these problems can be helped by the power of suggestion also known as hypnotherapywhich can be used to increase learning ability and self esteem issues.

Reducing diabetes risk with pulses

A new study from the American Journal of Nutrition examined over 64,000 women and found that those who regularly ate pulses could reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 40%.
In particular they found lentils to be the pulse of choice – a serving at one meal can halve the rise in blood sugar at the next meal.

Pulses include all varieties of peas, beans and lentils and should be eaten 3-4 times a week.

They also have the following benefits:
• High in fibre
• Low in cholesterol and fat
• Release energy slowly
• Good source of protein

Five tips for raising healthy, intelligent children

Be strict with sugar

Give complex carbohydrates e.g. wholegrains, vegetables, pulses, beans, apples
Avoid simple sugars e.g. white bread, biscuits, and sweets
Limit fruits such as bananas, grapes, dried fruits
Uneven blood sugar levels can cause irritability, tantrums, lower IQ

Daily multivitamin and mineral
Choose one suitable for child’s age
Helps increase non-verbal IQ

How can I lower my cholesterol

• Eat a diet of low in saturated fat and replace with mono and polyunsaturated fats
• If over weight- aim to lose weight to reach a BMI of 20-25
• Exercise for 30minutes 5 times/week
• Eat Omega 3 fatty acids daily from oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel herring pilchards) nuts, seeds, olives and omega 3 supplements
• Increase fibre rich foods – whole-grains, fruit, vegetables, pulses, oats, oat-bran
• Avoid excess alcohol
• Grill, steam, boil and brake foods instead of frying and roasting
• Avoid smoking
• Reduce stress levels
Read food labels : high in saturated fat if >5g/100g
Low in saturated fat if <1g/100g

Cholesterol and the menopause

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the main causes of death worldwide. This condition is usually viewed as a predominantly male problem. However high cholesterol and blood pressure are significant contributing factors to heart disease and stroke amongst post-menopausal women. Cholesterol tends to increase at the menopause due to hormonal changes, mainly the decrease in oestrogen production.
During the menopause the distribution of body fat shifts from the lower body (pear shape) to the upper body (apple shape) which associated with an increase in CVD. Not only is there an increase in total cholesterol but levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) increase by 10-20%