Bulletins

Why did you want to be a massage therapist? My decision to train as a therapist came about because of my own experience of treatment here at the Maris Practice. I found the treatment so helpful when I was struggling to have a second baby that I decided I wanted to train in something that would enable me to work in the same field and to help people. So actually being able to use these skills here at the Maris Practice is a special bonus for me! What do you enjoy about it? It was the smells that drew me [...]

Scary as it may seem it really is just around the corner… what are we talking about? The Christmas Season! In some shops its started weeks ago when the trees still had leaves! And for some, this is a wonderful time of year filled with fun, peace, joy, laughter, optimism, fellowship, family, friends, good food, giving, winter activities, cosy evenings, and fond memories. However it also often a time for stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, hurry, loneliness, disappointment, overworking, overeating, over drinking, and overspending. Many people find the expectations of Christmas to be very stressful. There is extra shopping, cooking, [...]

Older people often say they have trouble sleeping, and approximately 50% reporting sleep disturbance or have insomnia. Commonly two main difficulties are stated: falling asleep at the start of the night, waking up too early and finding it impossible to get back to sleep. Occasionally, medical conditions exacerbate sleep difficulties. However, many people find that even without any physical symptoms, sleep still eludes them for parts of the night. A lack of good quality sleep not only impacts on our sense of well-being but also affects our immune system, causes daytime sleepiness and increases our risk of accidents. While [...]

The number of vegans in the UK has risen dramatically, quadrupling* in the last 5 years and many others are adopting a largely meat-free diet. This sudden growth hasn’t come out of nowhere and is part of a steady progression towards a less animal-reliant regime. The transition to becoming a vegan can be challenging, and we often feel very restricted when we stop the consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs. We tend to fall back on the foods that we know and find convenient. BUT unfortunately, you can be vegan and still have a very poor diet. Your diet [...]

A study by Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry recently found that exercising outdoors can provide more mental health benefits than indoor exercise. The study was based on results of indoor and outdoor exercise trials. It did find that the wellbeing outcomes of both types of exercise showed an improvement. However, on average, the following benefits were reportedly even stronger after exercising outdoors than they were after indoor activities: Revitalisation, Increased energy, Positive engagement, Enjoyment and satisfaction. Similarly, it seems exercising outdoors decreased the following sensations even further than indoor exercise did: Tension, Confusion, Anger, Depression. The evidence suggests [...]

A healthy meal suggestion from our family nutritionalist, Sophie Crosswaite. I discovered this recipe recently and realised it was a winner because it includes everything my rather fussy 8 year-old loves: cucumber; edamame beans; noodles and salmon. It is a great nutritious back to school recipe and it is really quick and easy to make. As a nutritionist I feel I’m always telling people to eat more oily fish because of it’s many health benefits. It is needed for heart health, brain function and bone health and is therefore really beneficial for children who need to concentrate at school [...]

The concept of eating seasonally is actually really simple. It involves eating foods that are grown at the same time as you want, or need, to eat them. As most fruits and vegetables are being grown somewhere in the world at any one time, eating seasonally more specifically, concerns eating produce that’s being grown right now – locally. One of the biggest advantages is the health benefits that eating seasonally can bring but the taste is so much better too which has huge bonuses for your diet. Seasonal, local eating, includes eating fresh fruits and vegetables that haven't been processed [...]

We often hear it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and trying to put a healthy cereal in front of our children is something we invest our time and energy into achieving. But how easy is it to put a healthy (and appealing) breakfast in front of our children or even ourselves? Breakfast cereal manufacturers were called to action after a survey by Which! in 2009, that found there were excessive levels of sugar in the cereals marketed specifically towards children. Fast forward a decade and we find ourselves still having to decipher what [...]

Lactation consultants around the world have been extensively studying the process of muscle movement, (biomechanics) used during sucking, in babies from birth through to weaning. Lactation consultants are trained to assess difficulties, correct positioning, provide emotional support to the mothers, and help babies express their ‘behavioural sequence’ leading to breastfeeding from birth. These professionals however, often feel helpless when the sucking motion continues to produce difficulties in infants despite their advice being given and followed. Osteopathy has been used to help babies improve their sucking technique. In practice the approach appears to be promising and has led to a [...]

Courtesey of our nutritional therapist, Sophie Crosswaite. This is a recipe that I’ve adapted from one my Mum used to make as soon as it was warm enough to get the BBQ out. It is now a firm favourite with my three girls and a great summer recipe for getting the whole family round the table. This is especially crucial right now with my eldest revising hard for GCSEs. In fact as I’ve just read today, a study by the university of Michigan has concluded that the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores is frequency of and duration [...]