2024 October Articles Archives

Eat the Rainbow for Better Health

Did you know that the colours of the fruits and vegetables you eat can have a profound impact on your health? It’s not just about making your plate look beautiful—each colour offers its own unique benefits, and eating a variety of them can support your body in different ways. That’s why the concept of “Eating the Rainbow” has become such a popular approach to healthy eating.

One of the best ways to maximise the nutrients in these foods is to eat them as raw as possible. Over-cooking can sometimes reduce the amount of essential vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables, so enjoying them raw or steamed ensures you get the most out of their natural goodness.

Let’s break it down!

White foods like garlic, cauliflower, mushrooms and onions contain powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that help your immune system fight infections. Try adding raw garlic to your salad dressings or finely chop onions for a fresh kick in your salsa.
Orange and yellow foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and oranges are rich in nutrients that enhance vision. Snack on raw carrot sticks or add orange slices to your water for a citrusy burst. Also, try cutting corn raw into your salad for extra crunch and sweetness
Red foods like tomatoes, strawberries, and peppers are your heart’s best friend. Slice up some fresh red peppers for a crunchy snack or mix strawberries into a morning smoothie.
Blue and purple foods such as blueberries, plums, and aubergines are brain-boosting superheroes, rich in antioxidants that support memory and slow ageing. Enjoy blueberries in a fresh fruit salad or try eating raw purple cabbage in slaws for a crisp texture and vibrant colour.
Green foods like spinach, broccoli, and kale are known for their detoxifying properties, and helping your body absorb more vitamins like folate and iron. Create a raw spinach salad with avocado, or blend kale into smoothies for a refreshing green boost.

To create the healthiest plates, aim for a mix of these colours and focus on incorporating raw or lightly steamed foods where possible. Salads, fruit bowls, and veggie platters are easy, nutrient-packed meals. Don’t forget to add a variety of seeds, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil or avocado to enhance flavour and texture.

Remember, the more natural and colourful your plate, the better your body will feel! You have FREE access to LifeAssist dieticians for a personalised eating plan to suit your needs. Kickstart your summer with a healthy boost!

zara2024-09-26T11:26:15+00:00

Pick your Battles for improved Mental Health… and Relationships

The concept of “picking your battles” is key to managing stress and improving mental health, especially during Mental Health Awareness Month. Remember, you don’t need to be right about everything!

Before reacting to a situation, take a moment to pause and ask yourself three key questions:

Is this issue important enough to impact my long-term wellbeing?
Will addressing it lead to a positive outcome, or is it a waste of energy?
How will this affect my relationships or mental state if I engage?

By pausing and evaluating, you gain clarity on whether the issue is worth your time and emotional investment. This process helps you determine what truly matters and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Here’s how picking your battles contributes to better mental health:

Reducing unnecessary stress Constantly addressing every minor issue can lead to emotional burnout. By choosing which issues are worth your energy, you conserve it for more important matters. This helps maintain balance and prevents mental exhaustion.
Improving relationships Disagreements are inevitable in both personal and professional relationships. Letting go of smaller conflicts can develop healthier relationships, build respect, and reduce unnecessary tension. This leads to better communication and deeper connections.
Boosting emotional resilience Choosing your battles wisely helps build emotional resilience. By being selective about which challenges to engage with, you allow yourself to reflect, grow, and become stronger in handling future stressors.
Enhancing problem-solving skills Deciding when to act and when to step back helps improve problem-solving abilities. You become more strategic, focusing on finding solutions to significant problems instead of getting caught up in every minor issue.
Promoting a healthier mindset Letting go of trivial concerns reduces feelings of anger, frustration, and anxiety. This mindset shift allows you to focus on positivity and wellbeing, significantly improving your overall mental health.
Encouraging boundaries Setting boundaries by choosing which battles to fight reinforces the idea that it’s okay to say “no” to situations that aren’t worth your energy. This strengthens personal boundaries and promotes self-care.

In some instances, engaging with someone who consistently seeks control or demands to be right can be emotionally draining and unproductive. Instead of confronting every issue, focus on what truly impacts your wellbeing and long-term peace. Recognising when to stand your ground and when to let go helps you maintain your emotional energy and prevent unnecessary power struggles.

Please reach out to a counsellor at LifeAssist who can support you with strategies to protect your mental health and reinforce healthy boundaries.

zara2024-09-26T11:22:04+00:00

Different Types of Rest

We often associate rest with simply getting enough sleep. While sleep is very important, true rest goes far beyond catching some zzz’s. Rest is about restoring the body, mind, and spirit, ensuring we function at our best.

Understanding the different types of rest and incorporating them into our lives is key to maintaining overall wellbeing. Let’s dive into the seven types of rest that can help us feel rejuvenated and balanced.

1. Physical rest is the most obvious type of rest that comes to mind. It involves giving your body the necessary downtime to repair, recharge, and refuel. There are two types of physical rest:

Passive physical rest, is the rest we get through sleep or taking a nap.
Active physical rest, such as gentle activities like yoga, stretching, or taking a leisurely walk. This type of rest allows the body to release tension and increase circulation, promoting overall relaxation.

Why it’s important: Without proper physical rest, you may feel fatigued, experience muscle soreness, and struggle with basic tasks due to a lack of energy.

2. Mental Rest requirement arises when we lie awake at night, unable to switch off our racing mind? We often experience mental clutter and cognitive overload due to our busy work schedules, constant decision-making, and overthinking.

Simple ways to take mental breaks throughout the day include taking short breaks between tasks, practising mindfulness, or setting boundaries with your work hours to avoid burnout.

Why it’s important: Mental rest helps to restore clarity, creativity, and focus, which in turn improves productivity and problem-solving abilities.

3. Sensory Rest in this digital era means we’re constantly bombarded with sensory stimuli—screens, notifications, noise, and bright lights all add up to sensory overload. Sensory rest involves reducing these inputs and giving your senses time to recover. Taking time to unplug, dimming the lights in the evening, and spending quiet moments away from technology are examples of how you can achieve this type of rest.

Why it’s important: Continuous sensory overload can lead to irritability, stress, and difficulty concentrating. Sensory rest can significantly benefit our nervous system and overall mental state.

4. Emotional Rest Whether it’s stress, sadness, anger, or even joy, carrying unprocessed emotions can be exhausting. Emotional rest involves finding safe spaces to express and share your true feelings without fear of judgement.

Speaking to a trusted friend, or counsellor, or journalising your thoughts can help offload emotional burdens.

Why it’s important: Emotional rest helps maintain emotional balance and supports mental health, preventing feelings of overwhelm and burnout. It allows us to process and release the feelings we often suppress throughout the day.

5. Social Rest Peopled out? Social rest is about taking a break from too many social engagements or interactions or people who drain your energy and surrounding yourself with individuals who uplift and support you. It’s about finding the right balance between socialising and spending time alone to recharge. Recognising when you need solitude or the company of nourishing people is key to achieving social rest.

Why it’s important: Without social rest, you may feel emotionally depleted and disconnected from meaningful relationships.

6. Creative Rest is particularly important for anyone involved in problem-solving or innovation. It entails giving your brain space to appreciate beauty, whether through art, nature, music, or even just a change in scenery. Spending time outdoors, visiting a gallery, or engaging in activities that inspire you can renew your creative energy.

Why it’s important: Creative rest restores the brain’s ability to think freely and creatively, which is essential for innovation and personal growth. This type of rest allows your mind to recharge and be open to inspiration.

7. Spiritual Rest involves reconnecting with your sense of purpose and meaning in life. For some, this may involve prayer, meditation, or time spent in nature. For others, it may mean contributing to a cause greater than themselves, through volunteering or acts of kindness.

Why it’s important: Without spiritual rest, you may feel lost, disconnected, or unfulfilled in life. Spiritual rest helps you feel grounded, peaceful, and aligned with your values.

We should try to make it a habit to recognise where we are depleted and consciously seek out the type of rest that will restore balance. Incorporating small, intentional periods of rest into your daily routine can have a profound impact on your mental, emotional, and physical health.

So, the next time you feel drained, ask yourself: what kind of rest do I really need? By prioritising all types of rest, you can live a healthier, more balanced life, where wellbeing isn’t just about surviving—but thriving. Call LifeAssist for support or to offload emotional burdens to help you achieve a more restful happier life.

zara2024-09-26T11:32:32+00:00

7 Relationship Killer and Builders

In all relationships, harmful habits can often strain connections and lead to breakdowns in communication and trust. By taking a good hard look at your habits and replacing them with caring, nurturing ones, you can build stronger, healthier relationships.

Here’s a comparison:

7 Deadly Habits	7 Caring Habits
Criticising	Supporting
Blaming	Encouraging
Complaining	Listening
Nagging	Accepting
Threatening	Trusting
Punishing	Respecting
Bribing/Rewarding to Control	Negotiating Differences

The ‘deadly’ habits can be harmful to relationships because they undermine trust, communication, and mutual respect. Criticising, blaming, and complaining create a negative atmosphere that can make a partner feel attacked or inadequate, eroding emotional connection.

Nagging leads to frustration and resentment, while threatening and punishing foster fear and insecurity rather than resolving issues. Bribing or rewarding to control manipulates the relationship dynamic, creating imbalance and limiting genuine understanding.

Altogether, these behaviours prevent healthy conflict resolution and hinder the development of a supportive and loving partnership. To replace the ‘deadly’ habits with ‘caring’ ones, a conscious effort is required. Here are steps you can take to achieve this:

Self-awareness – Start by recognising when – and why- you engage in one of the deadly habits. Reflection is key; ask yourself, “What am I doing or saying that might harm this relationship?” Journaling or discussing these patterns with a trusted friend or counsellor can help you become more conscious of your behaviours.
Mindful Choice – Once you’ve identified a negative habit, consciously choose a caring habit to replace it. For example, if you tend to criticise, try to shift to encouragement by focusing on the person’s strengths rather than their flaws. Take a pause before speaking and ask yourself, “How can I approach this in a more positive, caring way?”
Practice and Patience – Change doesn’t happen overnight. Begin by practising the caring habits in small interactions, and gradually apply them more broadly. Be patient with yourself and the other person, as replacing deeply ingrained habits can take time.
Seek Feedback – Engage your partner, friend, or family member in the process. Ask for feedback about how they experience your behaviour and how you can improve. This opens up channels for mutual growth and helps to solidify new habits in the relationship.
Celebrate Progress – Acknowledge and celebrate small successes. When you successfully replace a deadly habit with a caring one, take a moment to appreciate the positive impact it has on the relationship.

Replacing harmful habits with caring habits not only improves communication but also builds trust, respect, and a sense of security in relationships. Just by being conscious of them, you can start to shift your choices. And don’t forget to share this valuable life lesson with young children as they start to build their relationships. If you need support, please reach out to LifeAssist– there is a caring professional to talk to.

(Seven habits are based on the Choice theory, William Glasser)

zara2024-09-27T08:06:15+00:00