Angelina’s breasts – Is a double mastectomy the only answer to the BRCA genes?
I was so grateful to hear Jess Ainscough’s interview with Dr Sherrill Sellman discussing the BRCA or ‘Breast cancer’ genes. These genes were recently highlighted in the press by Angelina Jolie’s decision to remove both her breasts as a result of discovering she has one of the genes.
Photo credits – http://www.bbcnews.co.uk
The interview doesn’t judge Angelina’s decision, which was a brave one made with selfless intent to protect her children from losing their Mother like she did at a young age. This interview does however do what the press has failed to do which is highlight exactly what the genes are, what it means if you have them and the alternative options to have a double mastectomy that are available.
These genes were named as breast cancer genes, however breast cancer is only one possible expression out of hundreds, if not thousands of possible expressions the genes can have, some of which are beneficial. BRCA 1 or 2, as we now know them, are not selective to breast tissue. The BRCA genes highlight someone’s risk at developing cancer, cancer which can show up in tissue such as the lungs, ovaries or brain, removing your breasts provides only a false sense of security from developing cancer.
Fortunately there is a lot we can do about it. We have the power to alter how our genes are expressed, they are malleable and change through the choices we make. Choices that positively influence our gene’s expression are those involving detoxification of the mind and body; Working through fears instead of succumbing to them, meditating, spending time in nature, associating with people you love and respect, eating nutritious foods, exercising and being kind to your body.
I’m not interested to know if I have the genes, as knowledge of them may negatively influence my thinking, which to me in not in line with detoxifying my mind.
To listen to the interview please click here.
Photo credits – http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au
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See you next Wednesday
Love
Penny
x
Life Alignment
You have Dizzee Rascal to thank for the song that’s about to get stuck in your head.
‘Some people think I’m bonkers.
But I just think I’m free.
Man, I’m just livin’ my life.
There’s nothin’ crazy about me’
You can now be thankful you didn’t actually hear me sing that.
Photo credits http://www.clubcircuit.be/newsitems/view/480
This is the song that came into my head when I was on my level five Life Alignment course last weekend. I witnessed some incredible changes within myself and fellow students, through the energy and emotional work we were practising. Life Alignment is an awesome therapy which blends together intuitive/guided life coaching and vortex energy healing, not exactly your traditional allopathic route. Some may well think it’s all a bit bonkers.
The man who developed Life Alignment, my teacher Dr Jeff Levin, has conducted lab experiments on blood samples using dark field microscopy (a clever way of using light to look at otherwise invisible things). He’s seen dramatic and immediate positive changes from looking at blood samples before and after a Life Alignment session, effects which proved to be lasting.
Photo credits: http://www.uib.no/rg/biomaterial/en/research/nanotoxicology/ultrahigh-resolution-dark-field-microscopy
I like that the energy element in life alignment appears a bit bonkers to some people, but I also love that science is proving that the physical and emotional changes I’ve seen and experienced are not just some construct in my mind.
Life Alignment gets to the root cause of the blocks that are preventing you from eliciting the changes you want to make in your life and health and helps you clear them.
I’d love to hear if you’ve had any amazing experiences with Life Alignment or another therapy which may seem bonkers but you found to be brilliant.
If you enjoyed this blog please share it with your friends on your fav social media and leave me your questions and comments below.
See you next Wednesday!
Love
Penny x
Bare foot running
The only enjoyment I used to have running was tuning the world out, I thought this was the biggest challenge involved in what I’d considered a relatively non challenging pursuit. So when a year ago, my friend and colleague Rollo Mahon offered to coach me for six weeks in bare foot running, I was curious to discover what could possibly take six weeks to teach.
Plenty as it happens. Naturally there’s good technique that I needed to get a grasp of, yet it’s the strength training in preparation for the running that excites me the most. I love feeling myself getting stronger in aid of getting better at something. Bare foot running is an amazing marker for monitoring my strength gains. Whether I’m practising sprint intervals or going for a longer run, my body let’s me know when my strength has fatigued. I either kind of just have to stop or else my calves begin taking over from my hamstrings. Oh my God I almost forgot to tell you about my hamstrings!!
Because I’m a dancer historically I spent hours and hours stretching my hamstrings, unfortunately this meant I had much greater flexibility than I did strength. Not so anymore! Brilliantly, the technique involved in bare foot running requires the hamstrings to nicely pop the heel up towards your butt, which gives them a good deal of power, not to mention a cracking amount of tone to the backs of your legs!
Me learning to run bare foot was also rather timely to me falling in love with parkour training which, as it’s alternative name ‘free running’ suggests, running is a rather important element. So massive thanks to Rollo for introducing me to running in a way that I not only find very useful but also really enjoy! If you’ve not had a lesson yet what are you waiting for? Get involved, you’re hamstrings will love you for it!
Rollo relaxed before running in Man vs Horse. Picture credits http://www.bagual.co.uk/blog/man-versus-horse-over-22-miles/
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See you next Wednesday!
Love
Penny x
What to do after a detox
You’ve had your time of eating strictly, being disciplined and saying no, so is now the time to go crazy? A little craziness of course is never a bad thing, however as I wrote about last week detoxing isn’t only for your body, it’s for enhancing the rest of your life too. Going crazy after such restraint is simply rushing from one extreme to the next and ditching all the psychological benefits with it. It’s like learning to speak Spanish then going to Spain and only speaking English.
Image credits: http://www.diseasesymptomstreatment.com
This is how I recommend finishing your detox. Take a moment to sit and write about what you loved, hated and were challenged by. Notice the traits you’ve practised (such as discipline) and the thoughts & emotions which may have surfaced and see if any of these call you to take action. Perhaps something like; becoming better organised, enhancing your creativity, working towards becoming your own boss, or simply that changing your eating has cleared your head and made you feel calmer and you want to keep feeling this way. Whatever it is take note and then decide on the first small step to take next. It could just be planning your next meal, or meeting your self employed friend for coffee to pick their brains.
Image credits: http://www.ehow.com/how_2122120_write-second-person.html
In terms of food, this is how I leave the ultra strict detox and come back into my balanced everyday eating. The first day after I have a meal of something a little indulgent, I must admit I didn’t go too wild, I just had what I felt like eating. Then I continue by gradually adding certain foods back in such as some root veggies, wild and brown rices, quinoa and fruits. Foods I find very helpful for the 3 hour parkour classes. For me if I fancy a drop of quality vino and something for dessert then I’ll enjoy that during my weekend. However to keep my energy up during the week I make sure I’m eating and drinking cleanly.
My ‘indulgent’ dinner post detox. Homemade butternut squash soup, sour dough bread and scallops.
I’d love to hear your experiences with detoxing or if you’ve recently decided to go on one let me know in the comments below. As always if you enjoyed this please share it with everyone you know and a few you don’t on your favourite social media.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next Wednesday!
Love
Penny x
P.S If you missed what I ate during my detox, check out my recipes on facebook and my pics on twittter @pennybeale
Spring detox and a life upgrade!
You probably already know that I’m on a spring detox, because I’m posting everything I eat on twitter and facebook. If you didn’t know, get over to twitter and Facebook straight away and follow me, you’ll be glad you did ( : I’ve been eating really tasty meals, even on a detox I’m no lettuce and carrot sticks type of woman.
Paleo pizza with a cauliflower and courgette base. Delicious!
Many people think a detox is a quick way to lose weight, a penance for sins of previous decadence or a temporary madness. Aside from those possibilities it’s also an amazing way to upgrade your life.
My detox involves 14 days of eliminating all sugars including fruits and root veggies all grains and dairy and afterwards reintroducing some fruit and the veggies back in over a period of weeks. Sticking to an eating plan requires discipline and dedication and a desire for something to change for the better. I run my own business and without these traits I wouldn’t get very far, so a reminder in the form of a detox once or twice a year helps keep me on my toes.
I bet you live a pretty good life already, things could definitely be worse right? But could they also be a whole lot better? When there’s no urgency there’s almost no reason to rock the boat and make an effort to reach for something better. But what if you did? What if you were the one to get promoted or singled out for an award? What if it was you looking amazing in a high wasted pencil skirt? (Guys, if you really want to I’m sure you’d look incredible, but perhaps you can imagine a nice shirt instead?). Whatever it is you want, chances are it’ll take dedication and discipline. So why not go and practise those traits now by joining me on my detox? Commit to 14 days and see how you can upgrade your health, body and your life.
If there’s something about your life you feel inspired to upgrade and are ready to kick start it with a detox, leave me a message in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this post please let me know and shout out about it all over your fav social media!!! Thanks ( :
See you next Wednesday
Love
Penny x
7 Tips for a successful Spring detox
Over the colder months it’s easy to slip into bad eating habits, so if your diet is currently heavy on the carby comfort foods and sugary treats, now is the time to reign it in. Follow these 7 tips below and you’ll be sure for a successful detox!
1. Go cold turkey
If you only resolve to cut down on certain things such as alcohol, sugar and rubbishy carbs you won’t get the full detoxifying effect that giving your system a total break will do for you. Going cold turkey will ensure your results will be much more significant.
2. Determine the length of your detox
Before you begin, always determine how long you intend to detox for, this way no matter what events pop up you’ll not be tempted to give up after only 2 days. Sticking to a detox for a set length of time proves that you’ve got commitment and determination. If you allow these positive traits to crossover into other areas of your life, imagine what amazing things you’ll be able to achieve…
3. Focus on what you do want to eat
Remind yourself of what you intend to eat, not what you intend to avoid. A part of the brain, called the reticular activator, notices whatever we focus on. This means that if you focus on avoiding sweets, that’s all you’ll see, sweets will be everywhere, making them doubly hard to avoid.
4. Seek out friends or family to support you
Everyone will benefit from doing a detox and the more people you can cajole into joining you, the easier and more fun it’ll be.
5. Shop in advance of doing your detox
If you’re fridge is empty despite a carton of 6 month old ice cream as soon as you get hungry that ice cream is done for! On a detox you must be well prepared with healthy and nutritious food before you begin.
6. Clear out before you shop
In the interest of not wasting food, if you currently have a full pantry of all the foods you’re cutting out, invite a few friends around and cook up a pre detox feed for everyone. It’ll be a good opportunity to rope them into detoxing with you too!
7. Take care
If you’ve never detoxed before, I recommend seeking out professional guidance on the best detox to do for you. Also keep in mind that food (especially sugar and junky carbs) can act as a mask to uncomfortable feelings and emotions you may be avoiding. These may well come to the surface during your detox. I suggest keeping a journal throughout and acknowledging what comes up, you may find your detox proves to be a catalyst for detoxing your life as well as your body. If there’s anything you’d like assistance working through or moving on from, I am now offering skype coaching calls so please do get in touch.
I love to hear from you so please let me know what detox you’ve got planned and any successful detoxes you’ve done in the past. If you enjoyed this post please share it on your favourite social media and make sure you’re signed up to my facebook page and twitter.
See you next Wednesday!
Love
Penny x
The myth about fit people
‘‘It’s easy for fit people, they’re freaks who love to exercise and eat well all of the time.’’ Quote by countless people I’ve overheard talking at various points in time.
I wish that was the case! But alas it’s simply not true. Fit people have to be disciplined, which sometimes involves dragging their butts to training when they’d rather be in bed or declining the free biscuit that comes with a hot drink. So does this mean fit people just have greater willpower? I don’t think so, because will power alone has rarely worked for me. People who are fit and healthy find it easier to train regularly and eat well because they have a clear vision of what they want, and they’ve made a decision to ensure their choices match up to their vision.
Everyone will have this discipline in at least one area of their lives, probably without even realising it. For example; If you’re in a committed relationship you will have decided that he or she is the only one for you and no matter how tempting other he’s or she’s might be, your he or she is worth turning down other he’s or she’s for. Of course not everyone in a relationship has made this decision, and chances are they aren’t very successful in the relationship department.
So is it really that easy to get fit, slim, healthy or whatever it is you’re after? Pretty much yes it is. You may have a bit of a journey getting to your decision, having to discard other peoples ideals that don’t fit your own and smashing through past limiting beliefs about what you can and cannot do. But getting past these obstacles will be worth it!
Baby big cats, overcoming their obstacles awww, heart melting!
A decision tells you what you want is worth committing to and that you accept the journey to get there, temptations will not distract you from your mission and you’ll adopt the habits and find the assistance you need in order to be successful. Once you’ve done that, your journey will open out in front of you and all you’ll need to do is keep on walking, one step at a time.
Is your fitness or health goal worth enough to you for you to fully commit to it with a decision?
I’d love to hear what decisions you’ve made so please post them in the comments below.
And remember if you enjoyed this post please make a big fuss about it on your favourite social media!
Thanks!
Love
Penny x
It may not seem like it, but it’s time to ditch stuff!
It’s spring! No really it is, siberian winds and regular snowfall be dammed! It’s SPRING and I’m getting my spring on despite the sub Arctic temperatures.
This time of year supports you to shed your old skin and step into shiny new skin. This can be done in many different ways, here’s three for you to get stuck into.
1.Clear your space
Perhaps you have stacks of ancient music storing devices called CDs that you won’t listen to because you don’t own any technology able to play them anymore. Recycle them, turn them into art or sell them to someone over the age of 40. Holding onto things you don’t use or need keeps old energy hanging around. Trust me you’ll feel amazing after a good spring cleaning blitz.
2.Clear your time
Are you a chairperson of a committee or group that doesn’t really serve you anymore? Are you still watching a series on TV that has gone way past that ridiculous ‘they really don’t have any more plot ideas’ phase? Think about what goals you have and check if your weekly activities are helping you get closer to them or not. Imagine how you’d be 3-6 months from now if you swapped Coronation Street for cycling.
3.Clear your diet
If you’ve been meaning to ‘eat better’ for ever, or are ready to take your lifestyle up a notch, now is the time to do it. Even if it’s just one thing like swapping fruit juice for water or exchanging your after dinner brownie for walk and a herbal tea. Do it and stick to it. Success breeds success so one small change will likely encourage you to make more later on.
Right I’m off to put stuff on EBay! By the way anyone want a Sony stereo? It plays CDs.
I’d love to hear what Spring clearing out you’re doing this month, please let me know in the comments below.
If you liked this post remember to rave about it on your favourite social media.
See you next Wednesday!
Love
Penny x
Getting things done
I thought I had it all planned out. Leave for New Zealand mid February miss the worst of the winter and come back just in time for Spring, London always does a great Spring after all. Well it was bloody snowing wasn’t it, which was definitely not in my plan!
What was also not in my plan was spending an additional day traveling back to London, I’ve never been good at sleep deprivation, yet 46 plus hours either on a plane or in Vancouver airport kinda knocked it out of me.
When I’m tired and it’s grey outdoors all I feel like doing is hibernating and getting loads of rest. But I’ve discovered a better strategy to recovery. Without sounding too sappy, I do love what I do, so after I’d caught up on some of my lost sleep, I got straight back into things. I’ve found doing this has actually helped me get accustomed to the weather and recover from my jet lag faster.
I started with the basics, going for walks to visit friends, opening my mail and checking in with my clients. Getting outdoors and completing small tasks one at a time, seems to warm my brain up for tasks requiring more thought power. After writing this blog I think my brain will be just about ready for writing my client’s programmes for tomorrow, although I might attempt the Guardian crossword first.
If you have any ways of warming your brain up when you’re not in the mood for doing what you need to do, please share them with everyone in the comments below. If you enjoyed this post please like it and make a big fuss about it over your fav social media!
Thanks and see you next Wednesday.
Love
Penny x
Not ever really growing up
You know the friends who seem to have disappeared under a rock, then you meet up after a ridiculous amount of time and it seems like only yesterday you were playing badminton with them in their back yard using their younger sister as the net…well she said she wanted to play…
I recently headed up North to my old stomping grounds and caught up with some of my best friends from high school. Most of them have kids of their own now, who are all, and I swear I’m not biased, stupidly cute and clever! Yet despite lifey type things occurring and everyone fitting better into their own skins, they are all the same crazy, fabulous people I first met over 20 years ago…oh my God, slight heart attack at length of time.
Earlier this week in Raglan it was confirmed to me that I haven’t really grown up. I was running over rocks at Manu Bay with my friend’s daughter and her best mate who asked me with a curious look on her face ‘How old are you?’ I told her and her response was; ‘You don’t act it’.
Thank god for that! Here’s to never acting ones age.
If you enjoyed this blog please share it with your friends, but I’d also really love to hear any stories of catching up with friends from forever ago, so please post them below!
See you next week!
Love
Penny x
