It’s a sentiment we’ve all felt at times. And one we hear from clients from time to time, not to mention family and friends too(!). It’s underpinned by the feeling that they’ve been singled out for some special – and unwarranted – treatment. As though some higher force – whoever or whatever that may be – thinks they deserve particular punishment for some unspecified act or crime. 

 

Perhaps it’s another person’s behaviour, an illness, society as a whole, government or something else completely different. Whatever the source, the message coming over loud and clear is that IT’S NOT FAIR AND they feel powerless to do anything about it. Just imagine a small child sulking and you get the picture. 

Looking back over the nearly 150 blog posts we’ve written in the last three years, sugar has featured several times as the topic of the week. It’s also been mentioned numerous times as playing a part in many of the health issues we’ve discussed. In fact cutting down sugar, along with drinking more water (!), are two of the pieces of advice we most often give clients. 

 

One thing we find particularly interesting is how few people seem to realise that sugar is a relatively recent addition to our diets. It all started with sugar cane – a grass that only grows in tropical climates – and continued with sugar beet – a root crop found in more temperate climates. Today, over half of the world’s sugar comes from sugar beet. 

 

However, it isn’t the white – highly processed – sugar we’re familiar with that we wanted to focus on today but its predecessor. And the natural alternative to sugar. Honey. 

This week we thought we’d keep our blog post short and sweet and pose a question that, in most cases, has tricked everyone into giving the wrong answer. Ourselves included (!). 

 

So, without further ado, here it is: 

 

Five birds are sitting on a fence. Two decide to fly south. How many are left? 

If we’re completely honest we’d never come across the expression “Special Snowflake” until very recently. And “yes”, we know what some of you are probably thinking, there really is no hope for us! However synchronicity has played its part yet again, as it perfectly ties in with what we wanted to talk about today. 

 

So, for those of you who are equally behind the times (!), here’s what the online dictionary has to say about “Special Snowflakes”: 

 

“A person with supposedly unique characteristic or attributes that entitle them to privileged treatment or particular consideration.” 

As promised last week, this week we’re going to give you 50 ways to improve your energy levels and raise your spirits. These are among the many ideas we give clients and have stood the test of time. Some are quick and simple, others take a little longer, but all have benefits well beyond the issues we’re focusing on today. 

 

Our advice, as always, is to choose one to start with and practice it until it becomes an automatic part of your life. Then add another. And another. That’s how change happens, one small step at a time.  

 

So, without further ado, here we go: 

Over recent years the number of people diagnosed with Depression has rocketed, as have those taking antidepressant medication over the long term, particularly children. Earlier this year the World Health Organisation went so far as to label Depression as the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. It estimated that Depression now affects 322 million people worldwide, an increase of more than 18% over the decade to 2015. 

 

To us these were truly shocking figures. And a sign that something is seriously wrong. Not only with the conventional approach to treating Depression – which is failing to help those affected – but in the way we live our lives. 

 

So what on earth is going on? And, more importantly, what can be done to address it? 

There’s no doubt that the desire to help others is one of our most basic instincts. Done sensitively it’s one of those true “win win” situations. Providing assistance to the person concerned, while being incredibly satisfying for the one offering to help. 

 

However, as most people have found out from bitter experience, – regardless of whether they were the helper or one being helped – there are some fine lines it’s all too easy to cross. 

 

With the weather starting to warm up we’ve had the usual spate of calls from clients suffering from leg cramps. While they’re usually associated with the summer months, they can occur at any time of year and for several different reasons. 

 

However, the good news is that they’re easy to deal with. Even better they’re simple to prevent, with no prizes for guessing the number one cause. And, if you need a clue, it’s one of our pet subjects (!). More about this later. 

A few weeks ago we looked at our beloved comfort zones and gave you a new perspective on them.  

 

Explained why, if you’re wanting anything new, then your comfort zone can’t be quite as comfortable as you thought it was. After all, if it was, you wouldn’t be wanting anything new, would you? If you’re in any doubt, just go and think about it for a moment… 

 

Having exposed this great example of faulty logic – one that you’ve probably never thought to question before – let’s have a look at another one. And this one concerns risk. How we evaluate it. Or, more accurately, don’t evaluate it. 

With the annual fortnight in the sun beckoning for many people, it’s a good time to put the spotlight on one of the most pervasive summertime health myths. It’s repeated countless times every summer and goes like this: 

 

Sitting in the sun is dangerous; if you don’t use sunscreen your skin will burn and you’ll get skin cancer. 

 

Now if you stop and think about it for a minute, this message doesn’t make any sense at all.