DIY Getting the home fires burning CHRISTMAS GIFTS Are you a ...

16 November 2003 Online: www.thisisthenortheast.co.ukslimmingIf you stick to anholistic healthprogramme, youcould sail throughwinter in wonderfulhealth and have bagsmore energy as well.CHRISTINEFIELDHOUSE triesit outWITH the long sunny days ofsummer gone, it is verytempting to curl up on thesofa with crisps andchocolate and wait forNew Year to re-start those resolutions.But autumn is the best time to changeyour life, according to experts.As a mum who now suffers every coldand infection her son brings home fromplaygroups and nursery from Novemberuntil May, I decided to give an holistichealth programme a month’s trial. As faras energy goes, I’m very active, but Iwondered how much of my zest wasfuelled by adrenaline and how much wasnatural energy. I had one or two minorhealth problems – an upset tummy and avery stiff neck and shoulders – and Ihadn’t been sleeping well for months.The system is called BEAM, anabbreviation of Bosiger EnergyAlignment Method, and claims to re-tunethe body’s energy, allowing it tostrengthen, rejuvenate and heal. I hadtwo appointments with Fiona Slatter, aBEAM co-founder, along with CarolBosiger, and we started by assessing myenergy levels, state of mind and generalhealth, all of which can be affected byoverwork, poor diet and unhappiness.“Autumn is the best time to makechanges,” explains London-based Fiona.“People usually start in January and theynever do it because they are so down inthe dumps. All their good intentions aredestroyed at the first hurdle and they justwant something to pleasure them.“What you do in autumn will carry youthrough winter. You won’t get theJanuary blues because your body ishealthier and you won’t want tooverindulge at Christmas because you’realready feeling fitter. It’s about learningwhat works for you and what doesn’t.”BEAM is based on the principle thatany imbalance in the physical, mental oremotional state occurs as a result of areduction in the circulation of the body’snatural energy flow. As we chatted, itThe BEAM machine: clears energy blocks by eliminating toxins. Pads are attached to various points on the bodyBEAM me up,became clear that my diet was healthy,but I wasn’t getting enough relaxation.One or two solutions – like a night outnow and then – seemed like commonsense, but I hadn’t thought them throughuntil Fiona made me stop and think.As Fiona analysed my health, sheprepared the BEAM machine and putcompression pads on my feet, legs, handsand neck to start clearing energy blocksby eliminating toxins. The suction padswere strong and left bruises, but byincreasing energy flow, they are said toremove backache, neck pain and shoulderproblems.Fiona gave me my diet guidelines forthe fortnight until my next session withher. These are tailored for each patientbut I was advised to cut out wheat anddairy to ease my digestive problems. Thegeneral rules are:● Eat organic produce● Avoid all preservatives, flavourings andcolourings● Avoid refined carbohydrates● Avoid stimulantsFiona● Eat a main meal before 8pm● Aim for eight hours sleep per night● Do not use microwave ovens● Use only extra virgin olive oil● Eat every three to four hours● Eat warm food in winter and cold foodin summer● Drink pure water onlyOn the BEAM programme, breakfast isthe most important meal of the day andchoices include oat or millet porridgemade with water, sheep’s or goat’s milk,rice or oat milk. Sheep or goat’s yoghurt,eggs, turkey bacon, kippers or haddock, orrice cakes or oat cakes are other breakfastoptions.Fiona recommended a mid-morningsnack of almonds, cashews, walnuts orpecans, or pumpkin, sunflower or sesameseeds. Sprouted grains, vegetable soup orrice cakes or vegetables with goat’s orsheep’s cheese were another option.Citrus fruit was to be avoided but apples,pears and mangoes were acceptable.Lunch must contain protein (chicken,fish, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, sushi,goat’s or sheep’s cheese or yoghurt) andvegetables (salad, stir fry, soup, roastvegetables, casserole) and, if required, asmall amount of carbohydrate (potato,rice, noodles, rice cakes and oat cakes).A mid-afternoon snack similar to themid-morning one is recommended, anddinner should include vegetables, proteinand some carbohydrate, similar to lunch.Problem sleepers should increasecarbohydrate content, especially brownrice; dieters should reduce carbohydrates.Recommended drinks include herbaltea, especially fennel and ginger, coffeesubstitutes, pure water (roomtemperature in winter) or diluted apple ormango juice. If you drink spirits, vodkaand whisky are best and should be welldilutedand good quality, preferablyorganic wines, would work best.Other tips for a healthy winter are:● Keep the feet and the kidneys warm.●Wear socks and tights as cold feet chillthe body, leaving it susceptible tocirculating bugs.● Support the lungs with good mineralsupplements.● For cooler mornings, choose a hotbreakfast. Drink plenty of hot fluids.● Have a hot meal at night and keep anycold food for lunch when the day is at itswarmest.● Make sure your diet contains plenty ofvegetables, seeds, chicken, fish, beans andpulses and avoid sugar, wheat andstimulants so you eliminate solid waste atleast once a day.My verdict?I was very sceptical about the toxinelimination… until I got a whiff of smellyfeet on the train on the way home, and Irealised they were my normally fragranttootsies!I found it hard eliminating dairy andwheat from my diet, but cutting backconsiderably reduced my digestiveproblems and now, two months on,they’ve gone completely. I used goat’s andsoya milk wherever possible, and foundmyself reading far more labels on food.However, I found it very hard to stick tothe rules when eating out.I was pleasantly surprised at the priceand availability of organic food and Idiscovered the gluten-free section insupermarkets. I have even grown to likerye bread. Organic rice and oat cakeshave become my late-evening snackinstead of chocolate but I have yet todiscover the joys of organic wine.I have now reintroduced a little wheatand dairy, but I have learnt that when Ifeel my energy depleting, I can cut backand start to feel better almost instantly. Ialso lost a couple of pounds on thisregime and feel much less bloated aftermeals now. I haven’t been ill whilepractising the regime – and my fingers arecrossed…❛What you do in autumnwill carry you throughwinter. You won’t get theJanuary blues because yourbody is healthier and youwon’t want to overindulge atChristmas because you’realready feeling fitter