The Health Works
Newsletter
The Career Itch
A timely new book from career coach, speaker and author, Grace Owen
How are you feeling about your career? Are you overworked, stuck in a rut, confused about where you are headed or looking for that elusive work-life balance?If any of this seems familiar then you are experiencing what career coach Grace Owen calls in her new book, "The Career Itch": an inner restlessness about the direction of your career.
"The Career Itch" offers advice, encouragement and hope to the many people that are unhappy at work and explains how by paying attention to this inner restlessness you can start to take control of what you do next. The book includes client case studies and plenty of "Things for You to Do". (www.thecareeritch.co.uk). 10% of book proceeds will be given to Aids Orphans charities.
The new book focuses on the four key steps that Grace has identified based on the acronym ITCH, these are:
Identity: Knowing who you are
If you don’t know who you are, then you won’t know what you want. This first step is about discovering your personality, talents (yes, you do have some!), transferable skills and values and finding out how these relate to your career.
Thinking: Clarifying what you do next
Uncovering any limiting beliefs that may be subconsciously holding you back is essential. You can then focus on your aspirations (dream big!) and your needs (practical things like money). That will set you up to consider your options (employee, going it alone or the best of both).
Change: Making a successful transition
This can be the scariest part of the process but understanding the career itch change cycle and the feelings you are likely to experience will reassure and sustain you. Preparation and an effective exit strategy will set you on your way.
Habit: Achieving a balanced lifestyle
This is about so much more than leaving work on time, getting home to put the kids to bed or taking up a new hobby. It involves looking at your working habits in detail and putting your career into the context of your whole life.
Grace Owen, Author of the Career Itch said, “It was Millennium Eve, a few minutes to midnight and I could feel the crowd getting more excited as they started to jostle and shout. I was on a rooftop at London Bridge waiting for the fireworks to start, when the inner restlessness about my career returned. What did this feeling mean? Was it something to do with having turned 30 the year before? Maybe it was the global excitement about entering a new century that was unsettling me? I couldn’t put my finger on the growing ache but as Big Ben struck midnight, I vowed that I wouldn’t feel like this on the eve of 2001.
“The 21st century workplace offers more opportunities than ever before, which can feel overwhelming. I have spent the past 10 years working out how to recognise the career itch and what steps need to be taken to enable you to take control of your career. I have helped many people through this process and I hope that this book will help many more.”
For more information contact Karin Jones on 0203 274 0069, 07908 488 492 or email info@karinjonespr.co.uk or visit www.grace-owen.com
SPECIAL OFFER – the first 10 people to buy The Career Itch will receive a free ticket to The Vitality Show next week worth £17.50.
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Recipe of the Month
Probiotic foods and Health
The idea that probiotic foods can support health has been a feature of traditional health practices for millennia but it was the Russian biologist, longevity researcher and Nobel Prize Winner of 1908, Ilya Metchnikoff who theorized that yoghurt’s health benefits might be due to “friendly” bacteria. He believed the reason Bulgarian peasants had spectacularly long life spans, many living well past their hundredth birthday, was because they frequently consumed live yoghurt. He later identified this friendly bacterium and named it Lactobacillus bulgaricus in their honour.Since then, there’s been a considerable number of different “chummy” gut-microbes identified, and research literature is attributing specific health benefits to many of them. These include: enhancing bowel function, prevention of colon cancer, cholesterol lowering, lowering of blood pressure, improving immune function and reducing infections, reducing inflammation, improving mineral absorption, preventing growth of harmful bacteria, fighting off diseases like candida and eczema, and more.
Making your own yoghurt can be cheaper & healthier
When we think of probiotic food we immediately think of yoghurt and the myraid of probiotic drinks available. These can certainly be of help but so often they are loaded with sugars and sometimes with synthetic flavourings too. Often the numbers of bacteria in them are quite mean for what you pay. Another downside for some people may be lactose intolerance and dairy intolerance.
For people who enjoy including yoghurt I often encourage they have a go at making it themselves, it’s really easy. There are also yoghurt makers availble to make it even easier. That way you can use quality organic milk of your own choosing and your product will be practically lactose-free unlike most commercial brands
Sauerkraut Recipe
Of course yoghurts are not the only probiotic foods. Sauerkraut is another traditional European favourite, so those with a dairy intolerance need not miss out on lactobacillus containg foods. Sauerkraut, has a lot going for it. Cabbage and its juice has traditionally been used to support healing in the gut (including of ulcers) and sauerkraut or its juice taken 10 to 20 mins before eating is reputed to stimulate stomach acid production and improve digestion. Like live yoghurts, it can be used to protect & help recovery from anti-biotics, as part of a anti-candida programme or just as a part of a healthy diet.
- Put in large bowl the following:
1 finely chopped white cabbage, 2 grated carrots, tsp sea salt. - Pummel with an implement (I like to use the handle of my cleaver) and knead until it gets juicy, so that when squeezed down tightly it is covered in its own juices. (This can take about 40 minutes).
- Place a plate or saucepan on top of the cabbage mixture, of a size that leaves a small gap (about 1 cm) around its perimeter so that fermentation gases can escape from bowl.
- Place a heavy weight on top so that the cabbage stays covered in its juices. Eg. could be bricks in plastic bag, books, or a large jug of water.
- Cover with tea-towel and leave for about seven days at room temperature. (Don’t be tempted to eat before this time is up, it has less friendly bacteria at the beginning of its fermentation process, only towards the end do the friendly Lactobacillus bacteria start to flourish).
- Transfer into jar and keep in fridge. Will keep for several months.
Caution
(Sauerkraut, like most aged foods, is high in tyramines which may aggravate headaches in some susceptible people).
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Indian Head Massage & Homeopathy Workshops
3 fun & informative workshops this Spring. Fee includes info pack & refreshments.
Indian Head Massage for all.Justine de Burgh-Bradley is an experienced massage therapist working at Health Works. She will be teaching an Indian Head Massage routine that is easy to learn and fun to do on your friends and family. Indian Head Massage can ease all sorts of aches and tensions in the upper back and shoulders and can relieve headaches and other problems caused by stress. Learn how to de-stress by taking time out to massage your cares away. Saturday 8th May 2.30 - 4.30. £20. Includes handouts and refreshments.
Homeopathy for Babies and Children.
This popular workshop run by Jo Redmond explores the day to day ailments that occur in a young family: teething, colic, coughs and colds, diarrhoea and constipation, rashes and stings, accidents. Jo runs these short workshops in an informal style, lots of toys for babies to play with and a sandwich lunch for all. Thursday 25th March from 12 - 2pm, or Wednesday 21st April 12.30 - 2.30pm. £25.Discount if two parents attend. Information pack and light lunch included.
Homeopathy and First Aid.
This informative workshop is for people to learn how to administer Homeopathic treatment at home and on holiday. This safe form of natural medicine is accessible to all and has no side effects. What people notice when they have done one of Jo Redmond's workshops is that they have fewer visits to the doctor, they become more confident in self-prescribing on simple ailments. Illnesses discussed will be coughs, colds, general infections, fevers, rashes, bowel and bladder problems, emotional issues will be touched on too. People will get the opportunity to buy a First aid Remedy kit. Feedback from the past is that people have great fun with these kits. They also feel empowered to do simple treatments on family and friends and start to feel more in control of their own lives.Saturday 24th April from 2 - 6pm. £45. Includes information pack, light lunch and refreshments.
Most Health Works Workshops include a goody bag containing relevant free gifts. We limit the places on our workshops to 10 people so please book early to avoid disappointment. If there is a topic you would like us to teach, please contact Jo Redmond to discuss it.
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Reiki
Reiki 1 Attunement course in May or June
Edwina Bailey is running a one day level 1 Reiki attunement course at Health Works on either 23rd May or 27th June from 10 – 5pm. The course costs £100 and is accompanied by a comprehensive manual, audiotape and a meditation CD. You will receive all this before the course, enabling us to focus on the day attuning you to Reiki. By the end of the day you will be able to practice what you have learned from the material plus you will get a good understanding of the history and methods of Reiki. It is a small group class with a maximum of 6 people so you will get lots of individual attention.Edwina has been a Reiki practitioner for the past 6 years. She came across Reiki after a loss in her family that left her feeling very shocked and exhausted. She had gone to see her homeopath to get some remedies to help them as a family to cope with their grief and she offered her Reiki. She found Reiki deeply relaxing and it gave her the energy she needed to walk the road of grief without it over whelming her. She signed up for Reiki 1 the next month and instantly related to this form of healing. She has continued to use Reiki through out the last 6 years with friends, family and clients. She has not rushed through the 3 levels of Reiki; she has taken the time to absorb what she has learnt and to put it into practice. Last year she took her level 3 and now feels it is the right time for her to teach Reiki.
Reiki was developed in Japan by Mikao Usui and is a simple healing system of channelling energy through you to another person or to heal yourself. As Reiki has travelled from east to west it has changed to the needs of different cultures. Edwina teaches an eastern style Reiki more in line with the original teaching of Mikao Usui, which includes meditation and developing aspects of your intuition and spiritual self. She also believes in ongoing support for those who train with her, so she offers Reiki shares once a month. Every two months she offers one day where she gives an hour’s free session to anyone who has trained with her to develop themselves or receive a treatment on a first come first served basis.
Edwina practises and teaches holistic therapy, she has been a practitioner for 7.5 years and taught for 3 years, before this she was a youth and community worker for over 25 years. Since her mid- twenties she has worked to develop her healing skills in a variety of settings such as healing circles and individual training. She strongly believes that we all have the ability to accelerate our own healing and that of others.
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Classes Updates
Lunchtime yoga class on Wednesday.
We have many new classes at Health works and you can email us for an up to date list. Only 4 people per class as usual and only £7.50 per person.Our Bellydance class on Monday evenings proved to be so popular that we have expanded into a dance studio over the road in Hatherley Mews. Classes are now on tuesday and Thursday evenings.
2 new Pilates classes with Catarina on Saturdays at 3pm and 4pm.
A new Baby Yoga class has opened on Fridays at 2pm.
Baby Signing is taking on some new parents in September on Fridays at 10am.
New Baby Massage class on Mondays at 10am.
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