Review – Original Shakti Mat

Posted by Nettie in Popular, Reviews, Stress Management

The Shakti Mat is a portable bed of nails used to relieve pain, promote relaxation and help with a range of health problems including insomnia, pain relief and recovery from injury. It is very popular in Sweden where it is used by an estimated 10% of the population. So we thought it was worth trying – we were so impressed we now use it in clinic. Why? Because we have seen this simple self help option make a difference to many common problems that western medicine does not offer sustainable solutions to. It helps us help ourselves – with no harmful side effects.

What is it?

Originally, a bed of nails was constructed out of wood and metal nails. Today the mat is available in a portable user friendly design. The metal nails have been replaced with plastic spiked discs and instead of a wooden base there is a comfy Styrofoam padded insert within a 100% cotton material ‘pillowcase’. Each mat has 230 plastic discs and each disc has 27 points. This results in potentially 6000 points of contact with your skin which surpasses traditional models.

How the mat works:

“From a physical viewpoint the points on the discs stimulate the body to release endorphins – a family of neuropeptides concentrated in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus involved with pain relief. These endorphins are the body’s response to stress and help determine mood. Membrane receptors for endorphins are found in large quantities in the pain pathways of the nervous system. The release of endorphins triggers a self-healing mechanism in the body and blocks pain. The result is a sense of deep relaxation and well-being, even high levels of happiness.” Use of the Shakti mat also prompts the body to release a range of other calming hormones and it increases the circulation of blood and lymph. This too has a detoxifying, stimulating and healing effect.

Alkaline your water with Berry Tree

Posted by Gez in Anti-aging, Health

‘Why Alkaline my water?’ you ask. Well, take just five minutes and write down EVERYTHING you ate and drank over the past week and you will probably discover you have ingested way more acid than alkaline substances. Over the short term that does not matter. But! Our love of the 21st century western diet (fast food/processed/cereals/colourings etc) and lifestyle means most of us live that imbalance over our entire lifetime. So what? WELL, increasing research is linking high acid levels in our blood to chronic disease; many people are choosing to alkalize their diets and lifestyles.

So like we were saying, an acid imbalance for prolonged periods results in over acidity (or acidosis) weakens all the body’s systems making it vulnerable to diseases; it is very common today. In 1933 the New York doctor William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book “A New Health Era” in which he maintains that all disease is caused by auto-toxication (or “self-poisoning”) due to acidosis in the body.

Coca Is Not Cocaine

Posted by Gez in Health, Natural Medicine, Popular

Last year our family spent 10 months living in Bolivia where the altitude of the cities we stayed can reach as high as 4,500m above sea level (approx 15,000 ft).  Although we lived in Cochabamba we often traveled to the (de facto) capital La Paz which is approx 3,640 m (or 11,942 ft) above sea level; as you might have guessed the oxygen is a bit thin. For those who have no experience of high altitudes it means that when you walk, go up stairs or do any form of physical exertion there is not enough oxygen being passed into your body. The effects of altitude, otherwise known as Altitude sickness, can result in a variety of symptoms including being light headed, headaches, excessive tiredness, vomiting and in extreme cases it can be fatal. The airport international airport Bolivia has a oxygen room for those people adversely affected ed by altitude. Even the locals from Cochabamba (which isn’t exactly low…) complain about the altitude in La Paz.

The locals, who chew coca for a variety of reasons, advise you to drink mate (tea) of Coca to fix altitude sickness but our experience is that it takes a fair amount of tea and to tell you the truth my bladder cannot take it, between the altitude and then need to run to the toilet – it’s not a good combination. My partner a Homeopath suggested a Homoeopathic medicine for altitude, which is, surprise surprise, made from coca. It worked a treat and saved my bladder – phew!!!