How’s Your Internal Dialogue?

by Toni Payne, NLP Master Practitioner, ANC Health Petersham

We all have internal dialogue, that is, a way that we speak to ourselves. How is your internal dialogue? Is it supportive and positive? Or do you beat yourself up and put yourself down? If it’s the latter, then it doesn’t need to be that way. You can quickly and easily change your internal dialogue with NLP!

NLP (“neuro-linguistic programming”) is a series of psychological techniques that will help you let go of old, negative thinking patterns and replace them with more useful patterns. It works with the unconscious mind - targetting the root cause of an issue.

Some examples of unhelpful internal dialogue are:

• “I’m not good enough”
• “My needs are not important”
• “It’s selfish to put myself first”
• “I can’t have what I want”
• “I don’t know enough”
• “I have to please others”
• “I’m responsible for other people’s happiness”
• “I shouldn’t upset other people”

If you are running these sorts of thinking patterns, chances are you are giving yourself a hard time unnecessarily. Wouldn’t it feel better if you spoke to yourself in a nicer way? We can also work on getting rid of the guilt, anger, fear or sadness that might be weighing you down and holding you back.

NLP is very fast and effective. By focusing on the cause of issues, we don’t need to spend wasted time trawling through your entire history. My job is to help you quickly uncover the thinking patterns that are causing you distress and then assist you to clear them. Most people require only 2 or 3 sessions. I have years of experience in helping people feel better about themselves. It’s not only great for you, it’s very rewarding for me to see people valuing themselves the way they deserve (that is, positively!).

Initial sessions with me are 90 minutes long, during which time we can make significant inroads into the issues. Please don’t beat yourself up. NLP will help you to have a more positive outlook and to be kinder to yourself. Now, wouldn’t that be a relief?

To make an appointment, call or drop into ANC Health,

31 Gordon St

Petersham. Phone: 9564-6533; www.anchealth.com.au

Stretches You Can Do at Your Desk

It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and you’ve been sitting at your desk all day. You debate running to get yet another cup of coffee to stay alert, because what you really want to do is curl up in the corner of your cubicle and take a nap! This might be just the time to do some “desk stretches” to revive your energy level. Without the caffeine!

 

We often find ourselves sitting tense at our desks in front of a computer monitor for hours. Our wrists start to hurt, our necks get sore, we’re slumped over in our chairs and our shoulders and upper backs feel tight.

Here are several exercises you can do at your desk to the reduce tension. Try them now:

1. Shoulder Stretch  Lift your shoulders up to your ears until you feel a slight tension in your neck and shoulders. Hold for 3-5 seconds and relax shoulders. Do this 2-3 times at first sign of shoulder or neck tension.
   
2. Neck Stretch  Tilt your head to one side, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds and then return to normal. Repeat the stretch on the other side.
   
3. Spine Stretch  Raise arms over head. Stretch your right hand to the ceiling and hold for 3-5 seconds, while you exhale. Relax. Repeat with the left hand.
   
4. Lower Back Stretch  Place your hands on the edge of your desk and roll your chair back. Lower your head between your outstretched arms and arch your back while you exhale. Inhale, raise your head and arch your back in the other direction.

Do these exercises whenever you first notice the tension or stress from impending deadlines or long periods of sitting. While they’ll never take the place of your chiropractic adjustments, they’ll help keep you alert without resorting to caffeine or a candy bar.

What Is the Glycemic Index?

If you have diabetes or you are watching your weight, it may be wise to pay some attention to the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index ranks how much a particular food raises your blood sugar level after you eat it. It is really all about carbohydrates and how they raise blood sugar, since foods high in protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose. The carbohydrates that break down quickly in the digestive process have a higher glycemic index than those that slowly release glucose into the blood stream.

The Glycemic Index is starting to get some attention in the health care arena based on the fact that more and more people suffer from diabetes, with millions more in the making. Several of the popular diet books are also based on the Glycemic Index approach to losing weight, including Sugar Busters, Eat Yourself Slim and the South Beach Diet.

According to the Glycemic Index, mashed potatoes, ice cream and cornflakes raise blood sugar levels higher than pure granulated sugar! While fruits, vegetables (other than potatoes) and grainy breads have a low glycemic index.

 

What are some of the benefits of eating foods with a low glycemic index?

• Weight loss
• Feeling of "fullness" for a longer period of time after eating
• Lower rise in blood glucose levels
• Lower risk of diabetes

For a listing of more than 750 international foods, along with their glycemic index and glycemic load (how much of a carbohydrate is in the particular food), go to www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm.