Does everybody have starvation mode?

please contact me on info@unleashyourfullpotential.co.uk

I hear this all the time from people - you have cut your calories down and you are now in starvation mode and you cant lose any weight.  Well now top doctors are saying that we should all be cutting down our calories as it is better for our body and helps resist disease.  Yes I did mess up my metabolism when I lived on 150 calories for 7 years but I did that because it was already messed up and I couldnt lose weight - especially after I gave up smoking which raises your metabolism by at least 200 calories a day.  I was also on stimulants and the weight was dropping off everybody else but not me!

So if this starvation mode exists how comes people like Kate moss and Posh Spice lose weight and stay so thin (and it is thin and unnatural for most people).  If starvation mode existed people wouldnt become annorexics would they?  Their body would stop at a weight that was healthy and they wouldnt lose any more weight.

I do believe there is a starvation mode but it is not caused by what the doctors say but from a variety of other things that I talk about in this blog all the time.  Some of these are:

1. Your subconscious does not want you to be slim for various reasons.  It is protecting you from sexual abuse, getting pregnant, too much attention from men, not wanting to step out of comfort zone, fear of failure - the list is endless!

2.  I also believe that it is to do with starving, being malnourished or dying of thirst in previous lives - and it could be more than one life.  Your body is frightened of this happening again so it holds onto the weight and the water so you dont die

I think these are the main reasons but there can be many others which I could identify if you had a session with me.  Dieting doesnt work for everybody and you need to find out what is the real cause.

The reason you cant lose weight is because you have a slow metabolism

please contact me on info@unleashyourfullpotential.co.uk

I am so fed up with people saying slim people never overeat, emotionally eat or sit and watch the television.  Most of the slim people (or ordinary or slightly overweight people) drink alcohol on a regular basis, eat pizza and go out to eat at least once a week - and buy bars of chocolate and cake - somebody must be buying them!  My friend cut out drinking for 4 nights a week and lost two stone over 3 months - I dont even drink!

One of the reasons that you cant lose weight is because your metabolism is slow.  You could be born with a slow metabolism (like me) or something could have happened to make it slow down (like a shock, childbirth or an allergy). It could be genetic, your body type or constitutional homeopathy type. It could be a life plan to affect your weight and it could even be a past life!  When I gave up smoking I never lost weight again - this is due to the fact that smoking boosts your metabolism by at least 200 calories a day so even though I was careful and didnt substitute the weight started to creep on.  The metabolism is partly controlled by the thyroid glad but I feel it comes more from the hypothalumus (the boss of the endocrine system!) and doctors dont even recognise this or have anything to boost it up!  If you have a slow metabolism you will never lose weight or keep it off.  Remember every 10 years your metabolism slows down even further!

When I tell people I lived on 150 calories for 7 years they say no wonder your metabolism is shot - but I did that because my metabolism was shot before!  So I know I made it worse but I was desperate!  People say eat more food and especially protein but this doesnt work if you have a serious weight problem.  People say eat more of a certain type of food but this doesnt work long term or permanently.  The best way to increase your metabolism is to find out what homeopathy and herbs are best for you as they will address it permantly for ever.  Another good technique to use is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as you can tap on your metabolism every day and increase it slowly.

Why not book an appointment with me to find out why your metabolism might not be working properly.

how to teach yourself diagnostic tools to help you lose weight

Please contact me on info@unleashyourfullpotential.co.uk

I have made so many mistakes I cant tell you!!  Wrong therapists, wrong treatment, wrong face creams, wrong hotel - where does it end!!  So then I learnt how to use diagnostic tools and my life changed.  I never do anything, buy anything or go anywhere without testing that it is the best option for me!!

I never go to see a therapist or buy a supplement without testing - and I use this on my clients as well -because you always get the right info.  I went to 5 different homeopaths and not one of them got the right remedy for me because they were going by what I told them (ie thyroid) and their books.  But actually my main problem I now know is that my water goes inbetween my cells and not into my cells so I am always swollen but dehydrated!!  This is why I put on weight so easily and quickly.  So I used a pendulum and dowsed the right remedy - it identified itself and I immediately started to lose weight and water and my shoe size went down a whole size!!!

I can test for what age caused an emotion to stick or what trauma is causing your weight problem.  I discuss a few different types you can learn here but the ones I use mainly are dowsing with a pendulum and muscle testing (also known as kinesiology).  Full instructions are given here but remember it is practise and dont put your own feelings onto it!!!

 

HOW DOES KINESIOLOGY WORK?

Kinesiology (alternatively known as muscle testing) in its pure sense is a method of using manual muscle testing to obtain bio-feedback directly from the body. By using a light pressure to test muscle response, rather than muscle strength, you can gain information from your body that may not be easily obtained from your conscious mind.

With a positive or yes response, the arm remains strong. With a negative or no response, the arm is weakened. Okay…how does the muscle know?

The skeletal muscles are controlled by the nervous system. Electrical energy travels through the nervous system. When pressure is applied to the muscle in muscle testing, the muscle will either test strong or weak, depending on whether the energy is able to flow unobstructed through the nervous system.

Electrical energy that is not able to flow freely, blocked energy, is experienced as weakness by the nervous system, thus weakening the muscle. If the “answer” to the question is “no” or a substance that is being tested is detrimental, it will block the electrical energy in the body. As a result, the muscle will test weak. If the answer is “yes” or a substance is beneficial, the muscle will test strong.

Added to the fact that the body knows instinctively how to heal and what is best for it.  Also the electromagnet energy that surrounds us can give us information on what we need to take, what diet to stick to, what allergies you have and even what hotel you should stay in!!

In the early 1900’s a group of Chiropractors discovered that their clients got better when they were holding their body so they started to experiment with this.  George J. Goodheart invented applied kinesiology in 1964 and then combined it with various eastern therapies.  There are now numerous types of kinesiology practices – some just use it to diagnose or recommend, some claim to be able to permanently release or adjust a problem.

 

Supplements	Homeopathy/herbs	Toxins	Bach flower remedies
Allergies	Essential oils	What therapy	Face creams!
Emotional problem	Organ problem	Disease	Stress
What road to take	Whether to take a job	What holiday to take	Training course
Why you don’t want t lose weight		What cancer treatment to take

Surrogately: Muscle testing is great if you want to do something for somebody else, say a child or an animal.  You can either use a person (perhaps their mother or owner) or yourself.

Reversal: In some situations you may be reversed and that will mean that you will get the wrong answers. This can be caused by being stressed, dehydrated or tired. It is always a good idea to test for something that you know the answer to at the beginning – the best one is Are you ..........? If you or the client is reversed drink a glass for water and wait for 15 minutes before starting again.  There are some other techniques you can use and one is called Cross crawl – you can get details of this on the internet.

 

Muscle testing can be quite hard on the arms so you and your client need to remember that it is not a test of strength and should be done as gently as possible!  If the arm gets tired get them to lie down and use the muscle from the elbow to the hand.

 

HOW TO TEACH YOURSELF DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS

 

It is vital that anybody you see as a therapist can make an accurate diagnosis.  I have had many therapies where the therapist worked from books, from answers to questions I gave and from their intuition and in every case their diagnosis was not accurate.  Although they may have had years of experience, they were using what they ‘felt’ was right, not what was indeed right. 

 

I would therefore like everybody to take responsibility for their life (and the life of anyone else they are looking after, which includes pets) and that means that they have to know exactly what decisions to make, what supplements or homeopathy to take, what physical treatments to have – even what moisturiser to wear.

 

To do this you need to have some form of diagnostic tool to use.  There are two excellent diagnostic tools that I use which give an accurate analysis of the problem and an accurate course of treatment.  These work on ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers.

 

Remember that your body instinctively knows what is best for it and what it needs so the diagnostic tools are just tapping into this information.

 

I would recommend that you learn how to muscle test or use a crystal pendulum dowser and these are fully explained in this chapter.  I dowse in Boots for shampoo and conditioner (much to everybody’s amusement!). I never have a treatment or buy a face cream without dowsing for it first.  I even dowse on hotels in a country that I want to visit, in fact you can use it for everything.

 

When you read about dowsing and muscle testing you will think that I have gone totally mad (but you must be used to that now!).  But when somebody has done a muscle test analysis on you, you can instantly feel the difference between ’yes’ and ‘no’.  Then you become hooked and realise I am not as mad as you thought.

 

The best way of taking responsibility for your life and health is by having some form of diagnostic tool where you can either check someone else’s results or you can choose your own therapies and herbs.

 

REMEMBER, IT IS PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE that gets results!

BOOK YOURSELF ON A COURSE NOW!

 

If you don’t get any response to a question it will be because of the following:

 

• It can’t be answered by a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer
• The question isn’t clear enough and needs to be rephrased
• The answer is not known, as there is free will involved
• The question cannot be interpreted – for example you may ask “Will I be rich?” What is rich? You may need to ask “Will I earn £1,000 a week?”

 

Take the answer you get immediately and don’t analyse it – this means you are putting your conscious mind on it and the answer could be what you want rather than what is going to happen.

 

Muscle testing

 

Muscle testing (also called Kinesiology) is where your arm muscle (usually your right arm muscle if you are right handed and your left arm muscle if you are left handed) is used to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.  You start by asking the body to identify your ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses.  Usually ‘no’ is a weak response (ie your arm will go weak when pressed down) and ‘yes’ is a strong response (ie your arm will not move when pressed down).

 

Normally you are in a standing position and you will be asked to raise your arm outstretched firmly to the side (but not locked) in line with your shoulder.  I will then ask simple questions such as “Is Ann ‘your name’?” and when I press lightly on your arm it will go down very quickly (unless your name is Ann, of course!).  Then I will ask “Is your name ‘xxx’?” and when I press on your arm it will remain in line with your shoulder.

 

You must NEVER try to force an outcome – let the arm give you the answer.

 

An example of you muscle testing somebody else:

 

1. Stand behind your friend and ask them to hold their right arm out to the side of the body.  If they are left handed you should be using their left arm.
2. The arm should be firm but not locked
3. With your finger pressing very lightly on their forearm ask “Please give me a ‘yes’ answer”.  Note whether the arm moves freely or stays the same.  Whichever one it is will become your ‘yes’.
4. Repeat Point 3 but ask for a ‘no’ answer – it should be the opposite response to ‘yes’.
5. Then start asking questions that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response:

i.                 Is xxxxx deficient in Vitamin B

ii.           Put a bowl of sugar in the friend’s left hand and then ask: Does xxxxx have an intolerance to sugar?”

iii.        “Does xxxxx want to be promoted?”

 

Do have fun with these, they are just a taster for you to try but remember that muscle testing is an amazing diagnostic tool.  Some therapists will test you using other muscles of the body.

 

Your friend’s arm may get a little stiff or sore.  If this happens ask him/her to release their arm and do some gentle shoulder lifting exercises before resuming the pose.

 

Personal muscle testing

 

Wouldn’t it be handy if you could muscle test on yourself.  You could get clear and concise information on yourself in any situation - the good news is that you can!

 

I have two ways of doing this:

 

1. Programming of hands:

 

I programmed my hands to give ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers.  I sat with both hands at right angles to my wrists.  I then said “Please show me a strong reaction as to which hand would like to be ‘yes’” and one hand will move downwards – this will then become your ‘yes’ hand (mine is my right hand).  Your hand may not move but you may get tingling or it may go hot or cold but there will be a sign.  If nothing happens, speak again until you get a reaction.

 

Then repeat the operation for ‘no’ – this should be your other hand!  It is like a cross between muscle testing and dowsing and it means that even if I am in the car I can ask questions about myself, for example, should I take a particular road to avoid the traffic.

 

‘Don’t know’ or ‘Unsure’ mean that neither hand will move.

 

2.     Self-muscle testing using fingers

 

It is amazing how your body reacts to suggestion and this particular exercise never ceases to amaze me.  I put my first finger on top of my thumb nail.   The way you programme your two fingers is by (a) keeping them together and (b) pulling them apart.

 

Ask your fingers to give you a ‘yes’ answer.  Your fingers will either be tight together or your first finger will slip off your thumb.  My ‘yes’ is that my thumb and finger stay tightly locked together (and I mean tightly).  When I ask for ‘no’, my finger immediately separates from and falls off my thumb – it still amazes me even to today.

 

You can also surrogately use muscle testing. “Should little Johnny have this vaccine?” is a very useful one.

 

3.               Programming of the body

 

You use your body in much the same way as your hands to programme it.  I asked my body “Please show me my ‘yes’ and my body swung forward.  I then repeated the operation for ‘no’ and my body swung backwards. Make sure you don’t fall over when you do this!

 

Dowsing

 

Dowsing with a crystal pendulum is also a good diagnostic tool and I use this method every day in my life.

 

Once again dowsing works on the energy that is surrounding you and will answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.  It can also be used to find lost items and can be quicker than muscle testing for identifying other areas, such as which colour you should wear or the Bach Flower Remedy you should take.  I would suggest that you buy a pendulum and start practising (remember that practise with all therapies is essential) as you will come to rely on it wholeheartedly.

 

1. Buy a clear quartz pendulum, wash it in warmish water and dry it lovingly.  Thank the dowser for coming to help you and as you are holding this lovely clear quartz dowser ask it to help you get the best results from your dowsing together (this is programming it).  Keep it safe and in a special container, perhaps a velvet bag.
2. Holding the chain on the pendulum swing it slight backwards and forwards and ask it to show you its ‘yes’ response.  Note which way the pendulum starts to turn.  My ‘yes’ is a right (clockwise) circle.
3. Repeat point 2 and ask for your ‘no’ response – mine is a left (anticlockwise circle).
4. Repeat point 2 and ask for a ‘not sure’ response.  Mine is a diagonal swing from a north-west direction to a south-west direction.
5. Repeat points 2-4 to double check your answers.
6. Get dowsing! 
7. Always thank your dowser for its help after you have finished a session and pop it back into it container. Don’t keep asking the same question otherwise your dowser will get fed up and start giving conflicting information.   Remember to wash it and reprogramme it from time to time.

 

Intuition

 

Everybody has this but most people totally disregard what they get.  How many times have you heard someone say that he had a ‘gut feeling’ – that is intuition.  When the phone goes and you know who it is before you pick it up – that is intuition.  You need to start listening to your inner dowser or muscle tester and when something comes up don’t try and reason with what you get, just accept it and write it down.

 

Meditation helps with listening to your intuition because you are quiet and are listening.  When you are busy and rushing around there is no time or space for anything to come in.

 

When you start trusting you will become more and more intuitive and remember that this takes practise too.

 

Non dominant hand

 

With the pen in your dominant hand write down the question you want an answer to.  Then immediately put the pen into your other hand and write down without thinking what you are writing.  This is the correct answer coming from your subconscious.

 

 

13 ways to kill suar cravings + one other

13 ways to kill sugar cravings (and enable you to lose those pounds)       

My tip is to use a technique like EFT to tap out your cravings and why you have them.  Then you can tap in how much better it is to eat a mango or do some exercise instead!

Other advice:

Easter can be a difficult time for those of us with sugar cravings. Sugar is everywhere at this time of year and it’s almost impossible to avoid eating it.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with indulging your sweet tooth every now and then and enjoying celebrations with family and friends. Holidays are too few and far between and you deserve to relax and enjoy yourself.

The problem is, some people with a sweet tooth don’t do moderation! One Easter egg is too much and 20 are not enough! Once they start eating sugar they can’t stop.

This article is for you. I’ve found these strategies extremely effective for killing sugar cravings in my patients and helping them get back on track with healthy eating again. You may want to save this list and revisit it when you need help after Easter Monday.

Why is sugar so damned addictive?

Eating sugar makes you want more sugar, whereas avoiding sugar for several weeks generally means you’ll lose the taste for it and stop craving it as much.

Eating sugar triggers your pancreas to release insulin and if you eat sugar regularly, you’ll have chronically elevated blood insulin levels. This isn’t good because insulin promotes fat storage, inhibits the fat burning enzymes in your body and fuels hunger. A pretty terrible combination for anyone wanting to lose weight.

Here are 13 ways to beat down the sugar monster:

·        Try to get plenty of sleep. If you wake well rested and refreshed, you are far less likely to reach for sugar throughout the day. A lot of people use sugar as a bit of a first aid remedy to get them though an exhausting day.

·        Drink lots of water or herbal tea. You can also drink some tea and coffee, as long as they don’t contain sugar. You can sweeten them with stevia instead. If you feel hungry, often you can quell the hunger just by having a drink of a non-sugary beverage. This is particularly true on a freezing cold day; you may be ravenously hungry and a hot cup of tea is really all you needed to take the hunger away.

·        Breathe deeply. Stress, anxiety and tension drive a lot of people to eat and sugary foods tend to be their favorite. When you have a strong craving, stop and monitor your breathing. Take 10 slow deep breaths and you’ll be less likely to binge.

·        Eat adequate protein. I’m amazed by the number of people who go through each day basically living on starch and fruit. Good sources of protein include eggs, poultry, red meat (preferably grass fed), seafood, whey protein powder, nuts, seeds and legumes. Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar and in that way reduces hunger and cravings. Why not grab yourself a Synd X Slimming Protein Shake? It is extremely high in protein and extremely low in carbohydrate. It is sweetened with stevia and when you make it with coconut milk you are adding in healthy fats which will help stop carb cravings. Besides that, it is really delicious! Try this shake recipe or this delicious breakfast idea.

·        Eat adequate good fats. Fat makes you full and satisfied and far less likely to crave sugar. People who follow low fat diets typically spend a lot of time each day fantasising about sugar. Examples of good fats include avocado, olive oil, organic coconut oil, pastured butter and raw nuts and seeds. The fats to avoid include margarine, seed oils (sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, soy, canola and corn), as well as deep fried food.

·        Take a supplement to help stabilise your blood sugar. Chromium, gymnema, bitter melon, carnitine and other nutrients are combined together in Glicemic Balance capsules. All these nutrients help to reduce hunger and cravings and reduce your blood insulin level if it is elevated. That means your body will be more efficient at burning fat.

·        You may be magnesium deficient. Long term stress depletes your body of magnesium because stress hormones cause you to lose magnesium out through your urine. Chocolate is actually quite a good source of magnesium, therefore taking a magnesium supplement really helps to reduce chocolate cravings in most people. This is especially true for women who feel they MUST eat chocolate in the week before menstruation.

·        Use non-edible items that smell like confectionery. There are some divine smelling chocolate or vanilla body washes, soaps, perfumes, candles and other items available. Some of them smell just like chocolate frosting and seem almost good enough to eat. Our sense of smell is a funny thing and you can often trick your brain into thinking you ate these foods when really all you did was inhale their glorious scent.

·        Get some exercise each day, preferably outdoors. It doesn’t have to be anything gruelling and exhausting; it could just be a gentle walk around the block or to the park. Getting some movement is a great way to clear your head, calm your mind and take your thoughts away from your troubles or your cravings. Even if you are feeling quite exhausted, a short and gentle walk can give you a burst of energy.

·        Eat some chocolate, but only the good stuff. There is some amazing, high quality chocolate available. You can buy sugar free chocolate that has been sweetened with stevia or xylitol (both natural sweeteners). You can also make your own chocolate using cacao powder, or make a hot chocolate drink or add cacao powder to your whey protein power smoothie. You’ll get all the flavour and health benefits of cacao beans but none of the sugar. Here is an example of a healthy chocolate recipe.

·        Include fresh herbs in your salads. Don’t eat bland food. Your meals should be incredibly tasty and leave you feel completely satisfied. Include herbs such as arugula, cilantro, parsley, watercress, dill or basil in your salads and dress them with extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil or avocado oil, along with lemon juice or vinegar. There is no need to ever eat a boring salad.

·        Dress your salads with vinegar. This follows on from the point above. Apple cider vinegar is the healthiest variety, but all vinegar improves digestion and it helps to stabilise blood sugar. It is very beneficial for diabetics as it reduces blood sugar levels after meals. This is a good way of reducing the desire to eat sweets after a meal.

·        Just don’t eat sugar. The only people who crave nicotine are smokers and the only people who crave sugar are the ones who eat it. If you follow our recommendations and stick to a sugar free diet for at least three weeks, you’ll find it becomes easier and easier and you miss sugar less and less.

Talking to your future slim self for help and advice now

please contact me on info@unleashyourfullpotential.co.uk

There are lots of techniques around to help you indentify why you cant lose weight and then keep it off for life.  I have talked about them before, one of my favourites being Emotion Freedom Technique (EFT).  But today I am going to talk about contacting your future (or past) slim self for advice and help!

There will be times in the past that you have been effortlessly slim and you want to be that again.  Your future self has cracked your weight problem and is dying to help you lose it quickly and keep it off.

So sit in a quiet room (it is best to be upright or you will fall asleep!) and switch off the phones.  Light a candle and burn some incense or oils so you are surrounded by a beautiful perfume.  Most probably best not to play any music as you dont want any distractions to the information that it going to come through.   Start to breathe deeply and feel yourself relax.  Call in your angels and guides even if you dont believe in them or know about them because they are there to help.  Thank them for coming to help you and let the energy settle.  Then ask your past and future slim selves to come in to talk to you.  Say that you want help daily to crack your weight problem once and for all.  Always ask which one would like to come in and talk first and then ask them your questions.  Why cant you lose weight?  What is the root cause? and anything else you want to know.  Write down the answers as you may forgot.  Even if you think you are making the information up write it down because you are being given it for a reason.  Thank that person and then go onto the next.  This should be very informative and exciting!

Thank them all when you have finished and ask that they help you every day.  Ask when you need to speak to them again as this will be an ongoing process.  Stick to what they tell you and watch the weight drop off - and also to honour them.  If they give you the answer and then you ignore it the help may stop!

Alcohol and weight loss

please contact me on info@unleashyourfullpotential.co.uk

The bad news is that alcohol is lethal for weight loss.  Sorry to tell you this but really if you want to lose weight you need to stay off the booze.  It is not just the calories but the way it acts on the body.

1.  alcohol is sooooooooooooooo calorific.  A bottle of wine is 600 calories (at least) and most people drink out of very large glasses now so can easily consume that amount!  Shorts may be less at 50 calories a shot but most people have at least two shots in one glass and if you add fruit juice or non diet drinks it will take the calorie count over 200 calories per glass.  Beer is about 200 calories a pint (depending on what type).  And if you have been reading my blogs you know that you shouldnt be drinking fruit juices and fizzy drinks - diet or non diet.  Both make you hungry and the chemicals in them change your metabolism and you will put on weight!

2. It is full of sugar and if you have an intolerance to sugar it will send your body into freefall.  This can cause all sorts of problems, especially to your liver.  The sugar will make you hungry and that is why you eat manically when you have been drinking.  It raises your insulin level (another reason you are hungry) and this can lead to Diabetes II and its precursor Syndrome X.

3. Alcohol adds water to the body which is virtually impossible to release unless you stop drinking for a few weeks.  It normally puts it round your middle and it wobbles!!  I worked with somebody who had a tremendous water problem and when she gave up booze she lost 10lb in one week - I know this is water but it is water that she was carrying.

4. You think that alcohol relaxes you but it doesnt - I thought that about cigarettes until I gave them up and took my pulse as an exercise - it was very high so was stressing me not relaxing me!!  Alcohol affects the adrenal glands which control stress so it is making you more stressed not less.  This then has a knock on affect on the body which can then make you very ill.

5. Alcohol is addictive and if you have it as a treat or to unwind after a day then one glass usually leads to another and then another.  People dont drink mindfully or tell themselves that it is fine and they dont have a problem.  I know lots of people who think they dont have a problem and have cut down during the week but they talk about it all the time and wish they were drinking - this is not good!!!  Use a technique like EFT to change your belief that alcohol is a treat or is unwinding you to it is not good for you.  People always think that one wont hurt but it rarely stops at one.

6. Alcohol makes you do stupid things!!  So you can eat chips at 2 am in the morning or you can say or do something that you will later on regret.  A friend of mine put a message on her mothers answerphone that she thought was ok.  When she listened to it back it was offensive and she was slurring her words - she couldnt believe it and immediately stopped drinking!!!  Somebody else I knew never put her drink, or what her drink made her eat afterwards (!) on her weightwatchers chart so nobody could understand why she wasnt losing weight!  When she eventually stopped drinking the weight dropped off her and stayed off without any effort.  Drinking makes you lie and cover things up as well!  Also the 2 am fry up will add unwanted pounds!

7. Alcohol has weedkillers in it and Glyphosate which can cause allergies and intolerances which will add water and weight.

8. Alcohol makes you dehydrated and feel awful.  It affects your sleep badly, makes you woozy the next day and then you cant concentrate.  Alcohol affects your memory and kills your brain cells.  Everybody I know who has drunk has a terrible memory but people of the same age are fine.  Alcohol puts your kidneys are risk and can cause cancer of the mouth and throat, among other things.

So dont swop alcohol for fruit juices or smoothies as they are just as bad.  Find a nice tea that you like and carry around the bags.  Drink water which is the best thing for you  Change your perceptions and beliefs now.  I cant understand when somebody is pregnant why they cant go without a drink for 9 months?

Doctors dont understand an underactive thyroid - read these lies!

to contact me please email info@unleashyourfullpotential.co.uk

Doctors do not understand how the thyroid works and how once you have put on the weight it is virtually impossible to lose the weight even on thryroxin which is useless!!  So please read this article on the 5 lies about thyroid problems.  Homeopathy is sooooooooooooooooo much better so contact me if you have a problem.

5 Lies About Your Thyroid Disease That You're Likely to Hear

5.. Your Levels are Normal

First, what does "normal" mean. A decade ago, the medical community went by the standard that .5 to 5.0 on the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) blood test was the normal range. If your TSH was below .5, you were hyperthyroid/overactive. If your TSH was above 5.0, you were hypothyroid/underactive. Since 2002, however, both the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry's "Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines," have recommended that the normal range be revised, so that it is instead .3, to 3.0. Many doctors and labs still haven't switched over to the new, narrower standards and range yet, so many people who are testing in the 3.0 to 5.0 range may be told they have "normal" thyroid function by some practitioners, and diagnosed as "hypothyroid" by others. So when a doctor tells you your levels are "normal" -- ask what "normal range" he/she is actually using to make that determination.

4. If You Have a Thyroid Problem, Take Iodine or Kelp

Nnatural health practitioners who don't truly understand thyroid function are often quick to tell you that "thyroid problems mean you need iodine" or iodine-containing herbs or supplements, such as kelp, bladderwrack and bugleweed.

If you are truly iodine deficient, iodine may be able to help your thyroid. One study done in 1998 found that over the past twenty years, the percentage of Americans with low intake of iodine has more than quadrupled. Currently about 12 percent of the U.S. population is iodine deficient, up from less than 3 percent in the early 1970s. So, for some people, iodine deficiency may be a factor in their thyroid problem.

But for some people, iodine or iodine-containing products make worsen autoimmune thyroid problems, both Hashimoto's and Graves' disease, and cause enlargement of the thyroid (goiter). Before you start iodine, consider having urinary iodine measured to see if you have an actual deficiency, and pay close attention to any symptoms that develop after you start to take iodine.

3. You Have Graves' Disease/Hyperthyroidism and Need Radioactive Iodine (RAI) Treatment

When it comes to autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto's disease, which usually results in hypothyroidism, is the far more common than Graves' disease, which causes hyperthyroidism. At some stages of Hashimoto's disease, however, and in particular, often during the early stages, the thyroid that is in the process of autoimmune failure may actually spurt into action and become temporarily overactive, making a person hyperthyroid. Sometimes, it's the temporary hyperthyroidism symptoms -- anxiety, heart palpitations, fast pulse, weight loss, diarrhea, insomnia -- that first bring a Hashimoto's patient to the doctor. Unfortunately, some doctors run just the thyroid bloodwork for TSH, see the low TSH that is characteristic of hyperthyroidism, and recommend radioactive iodine treatment -- a usually permanent treatment that permanently disables the thyroid, and renders the patient hypothyroid for life. The problem is, the patient doesn't suffer form Graves' disease and the hyperthyroidism is just temporary "Hashitoxicosis" -- and the patient is ultimately on his or her way to becoming hypothyroid. In some cases, then, unless the hyperthyroidism was life-threatening and uncontrollable using drugs, the expensive radiation treatment -- whose side effects are still being debated -- is needless administered.

If you are told that you have Graves' Disease or hyperthyroidism, and are rushed to have RAI, insist on blood tests for various antibodies, as well as imaging tests, to demonstrate that you do indeed have Graves'/hyperthyroidism, and are not just experiencing temporary Hashitoxicosis.

Basal Body Temperature Can Diagnose Hypothyroidism

Here is a situation where a clinical sign -- low body temperature, has been turned into a "one size fits all" diagnostic tool that simply doesn't work. It's medically known that thyroid hormones have a direct effect on the basal, or resting, metabolic rate. And while hypothermia, or lowered body temperature, is a known and medically accepted symptom of hypothyroidism, some practitioners believe that body temperature is an infallible diagnostic tool. The late Broda Barnes, M.D., made the public more widely aware of the use of axillary (underarm) basal body temperature (BBT) as a symptom and diagnostic tool for hypothyroidism. It is a diagnostic and monitoring method still used by some complementary and alternative practitioners.

To measure your BBT, use an older oral glass/Mercury thermometer, or a special BBT thermometer available at some pharmacies. For glass thermometers, shake it down before going to bed, and leave it close by and within reach. As soon as you awake, with minimal movement, put the thermometer in your armpit, next to the skin, and leave it for ten minutes. Record the readings for three to five consecutive days. Women who still have their menstrual period should not test on the first five days of their period but can begin on day 5. Men, and girls and women who are not menstruating can test any time of the month.

If the average BBT is below 97.6 Fahrenheit, some complementary practitioners would consider a diagnosis of an underfunctioning thyroid or insufficient thyroid hormone replacement. An average BBT between 97.8 and 98.2 is considered normal. Temperatures from 97.6 to 98.0 degrees Fahrenheit are considered evidence of possible hypothyroidism, and temperatures less than 97.6 degrees can be even more indicative of hypothyroidism. Some practitioners, however, consider any temperature under 98 degrees to be indicative of hypothyroidism.

Use of basal body temperature is controversial, however, and even those practitioners who use the test caution that it should be part of an overall approach, and not solely relied upon. Holistic thyroid expert Dr. Richard Shames has said:

For those who have already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, the basal temperature test is an additional piece of observational measurement that helps determine whether a person is on the right medicine and/or the right dose, along with considering the response to medication, physical signs (especially ankle reflexes and skin temperature), and blood test results…Temperature testing, however, is not infallible, and -- like any other test -- should never be used alone to rule in or rule out a thyroid condition, or to dictate therapy. This is simply a good piece of information that should be used wisely.

1. The Only Treatment for Hypothyroidism is Synthroid

Perhaps one of the most common fallacies doctors regularly repeat is that Synthroid is the only treatment for hypothyroidism. Actually, Synthroid is a brand name for the drug "levothyroxine" -- a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine, also known as T4.

Synthroid happens to be the top-selling levothyroxine drug -- primarily due to its marketing influence on physicians and their organizations, as well as relationships with distributors and insurers. Synthroid, however, is almost always the most expensive levothyroxine. Other brands, considered equally effective by many practitioners, and almost always less expensive, include Levoxyl, Levothroid, and Unithroid. Some patients find that they respond best to a one brand -- not necessarily Synthroid -- due to the way that brand dissolves and is absorbed, or the fillers and dyes used by the different manufacturers.

In addition to the levothyroxine drugs, there is also liothyronine -- the generic name for the T3 hormone. The brand name is Cytomel. Adding T3 to levothyroxine has been found to help some thyroid patients relieve symptoms more effectively than levothyroxine (T4) alone.

Finally, there is the category of prescription drugs known as natural thyroid. Don't mistake these with over-the-counter glandular thyroid supplements -- they are not the same. Prescription natural desiccated thyroid -- the primary brand being Armour Thyroid, but also available are Nature-throid, Westhroid, Erfa, and a generic made by Acella -- -- is made from the dried thyroid gland of pigs. It includes natural T4 and T3, plus other less understood thyroid hormones including T2, T1. Some practitioners, and in particular holistic, integrative and natural health experts, find that natural thyroid is optimal for some patients.