ESCAPADA E-MAGAZINE
Where do I Start?
There have been many changes over the past 10 years within the health and wellness world, good and not so good ones. As a society there is an increase in curiosity and awareness of health and what wellness means which is wonderful to witness. But we do feel society has adapted quite extremist views to health, giving a lot of yo yo adaptions to health behaviours and an unsteadiness to health information that is available. There is so much information out there and people are paralysed with trying to figure out what is good for them.
The Natural Medicine side has, in particular the last 5 years, been heavily influenced by social media where a health and wellbeing lifestyle seems unachievable with the perfect lifestyle routines and bodies that are portrayed. Many have lost the ability to feel for themselves what they need and straining under conflicting and ever changing health news.
Having worked in the health and wellness space, for over a decade and the more we move forward with our career, the more we gain respect for the long standing and solid nature of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
They don’t chop and change information, they live by solid principles and when adapted they give individuals a life long individualised health care system.
At our clinics, we work alongside GP’s and the quick fast ‘pill for every ill’ is an epidemic. Antibiotics, sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medications are an hourly prescription. However, it is exciting times, even within the western medicine world, there is a shift in wanting more for the patient and treating towards the root of the problem. People have begun to question prescribed medications and are more aware of other options as a first line of defence.
At Escapada, we aim to pull individuals out of the fuzz and bring it back to basics in order to help them find that healthy middle way. Our overall health should not be based on trends, but on solid principles and individualised, holistic medicine integrating all aspects of life. That to us is what we need as a society in order to deal with the new age mental-emotional and physical health challenges : no extreme dieting, a good balance of exercise and rest, and reconnection to how we are feeling both physically and mentally. It is a very rewarding experience.
Our Top Tips to Start the New Year:
Take a Breath, Reflect and be a Detective:
Reflect on how your body feels on a daily basis. Health is not just an absence of disease but rather a feeling of strength, energy and resilience. Don’t simply accept fatigue, monthly migraines, low mood just because a blood test tells you you’re “healthy”. These are all symptoms of dis-ease and there is something causing it. Be your own detective
Challenge Your Belief System:
We have all grown up with a certain belief system about many aspects of life and what it means to be healthy, is one of them. What does health mean to you?? This may seem like a silly question. Having worked solely in Western medicine for years I feel sometimes, myself included, that I am healthy if I am without disease, without a diagnosis telling me I am sick either it be cancer, arthritis or an autoimmune disease….But what about how I feel from day to day - am I feeling strong, resilient or am exhausted all the time, is my mood irrattic, am I ignoring that pain in my left knee for 6 months now.
The way we think about our health is the starting point to how we look after our health
Structure:
With our clients on retreat and within clinic, we always break down our post-consultation advice into four pillars of health to simplify:
Mindful Movement
Nourishing Nutrition
Treatment
Lifestyle / Self Care
We find that this can be a great way to work through the vast amount of information, clear the head and go back towards yourself and what works for you. Explore each area and write down what you feel may need some changes within each pillar
Step by Step:
Take small steps and only make small changes - they will lead to big changes over time. Life is busy but take some time this week and write down three positive healthy things that you will do consistently for the next four weeks, then repeat. Start crowding out the negative aspects with healthy and positive changes.
It can take over two months for changes to become habit. So imagine for the next two months you choose the top 3 changes you feel you need to make and they become your norm in the next 8 weeks! Better than trying to do 20 things in the next two weeks and failing…..
Change Your Mindset:
Pull away from the thought process that the body you have right now is your ‘lot’ - no matter what age, you can change your cell activity. Just allow the space for things to grow, not in an obsessive way - you don’t plant a seed and check on it hourly to see if it has grown a cm. Open you mind and heart to different ways and beliefs and find out what is right for you
SIMPLify:
Strip away the confusion of living a healthy lifestyle in this chaotic world, without the extremes and yo-yo culture. Create a timeless, individualised, empowered and self-healing toolbox for yourself. We sometimes forget that our body is a self-healing machine. Our mission is to encourage people to honour that! Let’s throw open our belief system of what health means, how we treat imbalance and sickness and always keep our minds curious as to what possibilities there might be…
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and strong New Year
Maeve & Emilia
