Blog – Page 6 – Integrative Health Education

More Than Your Average Training Course

Written by IHE on December 12, 2014. Posted in Blog, Integrative Health Education. Leave a Comment

Our courses are not just about learning new ways to help bring your clients to optimal health and wellbeing. Although of course you’ll gain new skills, more knowledge and lots of practical ways to improve the way you work with patients. An Integrative Health Education course offers way more than that.

One of our missions is to build a community of like-minded practitioners who are willing to support each other. We tend to attract great practitioners. Those who are open to learning, who want to be the best they can be and are truly dedicated to helping their patients. If that sounds like you, we promise you’ll meet other, equally dedicated individuals at our courses.

It’s not just about making new friends and colleagues. Anyone who attends an Integrative Health Education course can also join our growing forum. This is where people can ask questions, share their experiences and knowledge and get support from each other and our world-class educators. Forum topics include stress, pathogens, bodywork, strength training, PR and marketing, healing and digestion. Our educators also post new and relevant research on the forum so as this grows and becomes more popular it will become a storage vault of valuable information that you can access.

If that’s not enough of an incentive then remember that anyone who has attended an Integrative Health Education course will also be able to attend our annual Practitioner Training Weekend. This two day educational and social get together has gained the reputation as a ‘not to be missed’ event. Why? Because our educators prepare special sessions, share insights and case study notes and the Saturday BBQ is a bash to remember.

Those attending relevant courses will also benefit from our associated supplements and health product website – Holistics Online. You can earn 10% commission on purchases made by your clients via a special code and you will be able to access a special practitioner-only section of the website.

As you’d expect, Integrative Health Education courses contribute to a wide range of industry bodies CPD requirements. We work closely with a number of organisations, such as the Naturopathic Nutrition Council, the Federation of Holitistic Therapists and the Association of Registered Colon Hydrotherapists to ensure we are meeting the industry’s training needs.

For example, The Federation of Holistic Therapists requires a minimum of 10 CPD points per year. A one-day Integrative Health Education training course will contribute five points towards that total.

At the end of each completed course, attendees are given a certificate, which confirms the number of hours and CPD points gained. We recommend you keep these certificates on file to ensure you have the correct paperwork on hand for CPD validation.

Our courses are created to help practitioners treat their clients ‘wholistically’ and our vision is that health practitioners can develop the skills and knowledge to employ a variety of practical methodologies that safely bridge the gap between conventional Western medicine and holistic healthcare practices.

Through our training courses we aim to give practitioners, whatever their approach to health and wellbeing, the knowledge, skills and tools that will enable them to deliver the best possible approaches to resolve their patients’ or clients’ health challenges. Join our community.

Smile

Written by IHE on December 11, 2014. Posted in Stress, Today's Top Tip. Leave a Comment

Smiling is a two-way mechanism. We do it when we’re relaxed and happy, but doing it can also make us feel relaxed and happy. Smiling transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain, tilting the neurochemical balance toward calm.

So, what is PR all about?

Written by IHE on November 25, 2014. Posted in Blog. Leave a Comment

Bill Gates famously once said ”If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on PR.” Such a positive endorsement can’t be ignored, so maybe it’s time to ask: what is PR and how could it help your business?

Public relations is a broad term, it covers a lot of tactics but the good news is that the concept is a fairly simple one. PR is the process of maintaining good relations between an organisation and those outside of it. The aim is to persuade other people, often your customers, to think, and if possible say, positive things about you.

What can PR do for your business?

It can help create or increase awareness of your business and drive sales
It can help rescue or improve your reputation
It can help to change perceptions about your business
It can drive traffic to your website
It can give your brand or business credibility or expert endorsement
It can help with your search rankings online

PR today

Whilst the concept is simple, how a good public relations campaign is implemented has changed considerably the last few years. The importance now of social media and online search has complicated and increased the ‘job’ of public relations. Nowadays, PR must take in all your communications touch points to ensure they are representing your organisation in the best way and that will include editorial in traditional media as well as social media, your website content strategy and even things like customer events.

Breaking it down

There are now so many ways to get your message out there, it’s quite bewildering, and so it’s a good idea to break it down into three categories. These are: paid, owned and earned media. Paid media is advertising; owned media is content created by you and placed in an environment controlled by you – e.g. your website or your Twitter feed. Earned media is content about you created by a third party – typically editorial.

When you advertise, your customer knows you’ve paid to say something good about yourself. It’s great for awareness but can sometimes lack important credibility.

It’s widely accepted that the most persuasive content in terms of attracting customers is earned media – essentially this is the art of getting other people to say positive things about you.

Owned media – such a blogs, interesting content on your website and social media now also tends to fall under the PR banner, because nowadays there is little point creating earned media like editorial if you are not also doing owned tactics like social media or website content.

Harness PR to help you grow your business

Public relations isn’t optional, it’s actually something you are doing, maybe subconsciously every day to promote your business. It’s not a ‘nice to have’; it’s a vital part of building a successful brand. Developing a PR campaign doesn’t have to mean using an agency and paying a monthly retainer, although that’s certainly one route. Small businesses may prefer to develop the necessary skills to initiate their own campaigns. A little training, the right tools and the time to put them into practice are all you need.

If you’d like to hear more about how PR training could help you implement your own campaigns why not post a question on Integrative Health Education’s Facebook page? Or if you’ve done other courses with us, join our forum and start a discussion there.

Welcome to Our Community!

Written by IHE on November 15, 2014. Posted in Blog, Integrative Health Education. Leave a Comment

The Integrative Health Education Forum is launching in just a few days time. We’re very excited about this next step in our journey to build a community of like-minded practitioners and look forward to reading everyone’s contributions.

Our intention is that the forum will be a community resource where practitioners who have taken any one of our courses can sign up to and start discussions, ask questions, share ideas and knowledge. We hope you will all come together as a community to support each other and in turn be supported by our team of presenters.

Our experts and trainers will be on hand to answer questions but we believe that everyone has something to contribute and the forum will be a place to share knowledge and ideas. It will become a knowledge resource and you’ll be able to search for topics that interest you as well as ask questions and start discussions.

The forum will be invitation only and is limited to those who have attended Integrative Health Education courses. Our presenters will be on hand to offer advice, however it’s our vision that this channel will help us to connect with our peers and learn from each other.

The Integrative Health Education Forum will cost £20 to join. Everyone who signs up within the first month will be entered into a prize draw and will have the chance to win an hour of free mentoring with an Integrative Health Education presenter of their choice from the following: Emma Lane, Graeme Jones, Debbie Grayson, Kieran Macphail, Mark Buckley, James Duffin, Nichole Sweetsur or Robert Yang. If you’re not familiar with their expertise or specialisms, you can find out more on our website.

We have some very exciting plans in the pipeline for 2015, with some great new courses, amazing presenters and the IHE Forum, along with our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter social media channels, will be a great way for us all to stay in touch.

To register your interest in the forum please email us!

Say Goodbye to Unwanted Guests

Written by IHE on November 6, 2014. Posted in Blog, Gastrointestinal health. Leave a Comment

The first step to overcome an infection is of course to assess, test and identify the parasite, fungi or bacteria. A full range of tests is available from Parasite Testing Europe who work with PCI in Arizona. World-renowned parasite expert, Dr Amin, leads PCI and their laboratory offers the widest range and most reliable test kits available.

In the interim it is also important to identify your client’s imbalances and rebuild the their wellbeing. Consider the following:

Modifications in diet
Support and start to correct any digestive imbalances such as stomach acid, digestive enzymes and bile production
Ensure adequate elimination
Low dose probiotic support
Support immune system
Support liver detoxification pathways
Support other areas that are challenged e.g. energy, adrenals etc.
Identify the source of infection – other family members, work etc.

Another key consideration at this stage is the emotional and physical reactions to the healing process. These can vary from person to person and for some the die-off reaction can be a real roller-coaster ride.

The ‘5R Program’

This is comprehensive approach to removing the infection and brings the body back to wellness. The following steps are just a broad outline and more in-depth information is given on The Holistic Approaches to a Fully Functional Gut and The World Of Fungus, Parasites and Bacteria course.

It comprises of five steps which are interchangeable depending on the individual needs.

1. Remove
2. Replace
3. Repopulate
4. Repair
5. Rebalance

Step 1 – Remove

The remove phase of the program focuses on removing anything that is increasing the load on the client’s system, e.g. pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, allergens and toxins, food allergies, processed foods etc.

It’s important to note that removing fungus and parasites may NOT always be the first step!

Step 2 – Replace

Educate and replace poor wellbeing lifestyle choices with applicable better wellbeing choices for the individual. It is also important to replace excess stress producing activities with a more balanced personal regime.

Step 3 – Repopulate

This step is to appropriately re-colonise the beneficial bacteria within the digestive tract.

Step 4 – Regenerate

This step focuses on direct nutritional support for the structure and function of damaged cellular structure and might include antioxidants, food-based prebiotics etc.

Step 5 – Rebalance

This is a very important part of wholistic wellbeing healing and is frequently forgotten. Mental, emotional and spiritual factors and all parts of the ‘whole-self’ approach to wellness are considered. It should be given the attention throughout the entire process of healing.

Practitioners must also consider how they educate clients on avoiding reinfection and maintaining their body balance.

This is just a small introduction to the many considerations and steps that practitioners can take to help patients overcome unwanted guests like fungus, parasites and bacteria.

Interested in learning more? Emma Lane’s essential course, The World of Fungus, Parasites and Bacteria is running in November and December.

Beyond Self-Sabotage – a Client’s Story

Written by IHE on October 20, 2014. Posted in Blog, Case study. Leave a Comment

JP Sears is a holistic lifestyle coach who helps to empower people to live more meaningful lives as whole individuals. He works by guiding clients to move beyond their symptoms of pain and personal sabotage so they may discover and reconcile their inner imbalances.

In this case study, JP describes a client’s emotional healing journey.

Michael’s story

“I’m broke, I’m continually getting fatter and I have no one to love in my life!” exclaimed Michael in our first session. Michael, a middle-aged man, had not only hit rock bottom in his life, but he had been there for a few years already.

He had previously attempted to remedy the surface-level destruction in his life by consulting with financial planners and personal trainers to get his finances and health back on track. These different attempts at change failed as they were only addressing the obvious symptoms, whilst completely overlooking the real issues going on deep inside Michael’s heart.

In our sessions, aiming for the root of the matter, we quickly discovered how Michael’s unresolved issues from his past were controlling and preserving the frustratingly negative circumstances in his life today.

In his mid-teenage years, as Michael was becoming his own person, he was no longer able to effectively please his mother by meeting her expectations about who and how he was supposed to be. He was met with harsh and neglectful disappointment from his mother and the more he became his natural self the more her disapproval grew. Eventually she demanded that Michael move out of the house even though he was only 16.

As a teenager, Michael shrugged this experience off, moved on with his education and life, and did what he needed to do to survive. At the time, Michael didn’t feel much more than a scratch of pain, his true feelings were buried deep inside, out of sight and out of mind.

Together, we discovered that this experience in Michael’s teenage years left far more pain deep in his heart than what his mind could recognise at the time. The symptoms of his deep pain persisted and he continued to resist this hurt over the subsequent decades.

The symptoms of financial ruin that were plaguing Michael were a direct manifestation of how worthless he felt he was to his mother. His continual weight gain was linked to the deep shame he felt about his failure to make his mother happy.

The absence of a loving relationship in his life was a reflection of how he has closed his heart to deny his love for his mother because it didn’t feel safe to love her once she had demanded he move out of the home.

Once these hidden wounds were brought to light, Michael began working with them wholeheartedly to help himself heal the hurt and digest what had been hidden away all these years.

After several sessions together, as well as self-work in between, the symptoms of Michael’s finances, weight and love life are beginning to rebalance. He’s been able to stick to a plan to get himself out of debt, he’s shedding pounds and he is dating again with excitement. More importantly, he is genuinely and vulnerably nurturing the wounds in his heart for the first time in his life.

CAM Expo 2014

Written by IHE on October 14, 2014. Posted in Blog. Leave a Comment

What a weekend! Integrative Health Education has returned to base after a successful CAM Expo event.

Well what can we say about the weekend? We had a fantastic time seeing some old friends and meeting lots of new, passionate practitioners who wanted to learn more about Integrative Health Education and how they can develop as practitioners.

Here is our run-down of the weekend (including blood, sweat and a few tears).

Four months before the event we received a pack through the post explaining all that needed to be done for the expo. It was Integrative Health Education’s first time at CAM and we really did not know what to expect from the event… and this pack was huge!

So over the coming months we designed our stand, which we think looks pretty cool, polished our literature, filled out the necessary paperwork and made lots of lists. The days started to fly by.

Arriving at CAM on the Friday to set up was quite daunting – we had an hour to unload the van and get all our display equipment in place. Thanks to Nicky and Sarah’s organisation and Nick’s amazing handyman skills, the stand was soon up and looking fantastic, as you can see.

Our stand was divided into two sections – Integrative Health Education and Parasite Testing Europe. Emma had managed to obtain some real-life parasites; we had some worm jelly sweets for a joke and a TV showing some of our presenters, such as Dr Amin, in action.

The doors to Olympia opened and the weekend started. Our stand was flooded with practitioners who wanted to learn more about our story and what courses we offer.

The parasites were grabbing quite a lot of attention with some people fascinated and, of course, some not wanting to come near them.

On Saturday morning we had a visit from the editor of Nutrition I-Mag, Rachel Symonds. Rachel asked us lots of questions about what we were trying to achieve with Integrative Health Education and how our philosophy of bridging the gap between the allopathic and holistic professions had developed. Of course, she also was fascinated by Parasite Testing Europe’s resident parasites and also how we were working with the world’s leading parasite lab to bring these tests to Europe.

Emma was giving two talks over the weekend in the Demo Theatre – the first on Saturday was the last talk of the day. The second was mid-morning on the Sunday. The theatre talks had been quite quiet in general, however, Emma had a full house and people were even standing outside to get in, all wanting to learn more about parasite infection.

On the Sunday morning we had a visit from Simon Martin, the editor of CAM Magazine. Simon spent almost 30 minutes at the stand, fascinated by our work with parasite infection and our educational courses that are science-based and give students lots of practical take-home information. Simon even cleared his schedule to see Emma’s talk and we are really looking forward to working closely with our industry’s leading publication next year.

We met some fantastic practitioners from all areas of the world and it was such a positive weekend spreading the word about what we do – we look forward to going back in 2015.

We have to thank everyone in the Integrative Health and Parasite Testing Europe team, without whose efforts the weekend wouldn’t have been possible. Sarah and Nicki put in so much hard work running up to the weekend and then also being there during the weekend to help take payments and answer questions. Thanks to Nick, whose handyman skills meant the stand was set up and ready within a few hours, and also for his support throughout the run-up to the event and during the weekend. Thanks must also go to our practitioners Hannah, Abbey, James and Debbie, whose ideas and support in the run-up to and during the event were invaluable. We couldn’t have done it without you all.

See you at next year’s CAM Expo!

Decoding Parasites

Written by IHE on August 30, 2014. Posted in Blog, Gastrointestinal health. Leave a Comment

Parasites! What are they, where do they come from and why do they make people feel squeamish?

A parasite is a micro or macro-organism that needs to satisfy its vital nutritional requirements by feeding off certain host tissues or body fluids that contain the specific biochemicals that it needs.

There are parasites for every single tissue of the human body – a frightening thought. In fact, some parasites can live inside us and cause no harm whereas others have more serious health consequences, and can even lead to death. Some parasites are now thought to actually benefit certain medical conditions.

A common misconception is that people in developed countries are free of parasites. This is simply not true and although statistics in Europe are somewhat lacking, about 50 million American children are infected with worm parasites; only a small portion of which is detected and reported. This is particularly worrisome when one recognises that microscopic, single-celled protozoans make up about 90% of all parasitic infections in the USA*. If existing parasitic infections were evenly distributed, there would be more than enough parasites for every living person to have one!

To give you some idea of their prevalence, see the table below for parasitic prevalence and associated deaths.

Disease	Human infections	Annual deaths
Malaria	489 million	1-2 million
All worms	4.5 billion
Ascaris	1.0 billion	20 thousands
Hookworms	900 million	50-60 thousands
Whipworms	750 million
Filarial worms	657 million	20-50 thousands
Schistosomes	200 million	0.5-1.0 million

Although travelling to certain parts of the world can increase the likelihood of picking up a parasite, you do not have to be a foreign traveller to be infected. Did you know you could obtain a parasite from simply walking on soil or sand, drinking water, having a pet or through human contact? Most parasites in humans are cosmopolitan and they do not discriminate about their hosts – anyone can catch one!

How do you know if you or your client has a parasitic infection? Well the following are the most common symptoms:

• Diarrhoea, constipation, irritable bowel, cramps, bloating

• Malabsorption, mucus, fatigue, nausea

• Skin rashes, dry coughs, brain fog, dermatitis

• Lymph blockages, allergies, joint pain, memory loss, headaches

Classifications of Parasites – Helminths

The helminths are worm-like parasites and are broken down into three groups. The clinically relevant groups are separated according to their general external shape and the host organ they inhabit.

Flukes (Trematodes)

Adult flukes are leaf-shaped flatworms. Prominent oral and ventral suckers help maintain position in situ. Flukes are hermaphroditic except for blood flukes, which are bisexual. The life cycle includes a snail intermediate host.

Tapeworms (Cestodes)

Adult tapeworms are elongated, segmented, hermaphroditic flatworms that inhabit the intestinal lumen. Larval forms, which are cystic or solid, inhabit extraintestinal tissues.

Roundworms (Nematodes)

Adult and larval roundworms are bisexual, cylindrical worms. They inhabit intestinal and extraintestinal sites.

Protozoa

Protozoa (from the Greek words proto, meaning first, and zoa, meaning animals) are a diverse group of single-cell eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile.

Throughout history, protozoa have been defined as single-cell protists with animal-like behaviour, e.g., movement. Some examples of protozoa include B. Hominis,

Dientamoeba fragilis and Giardia.

The first step to helping a client in their journey back to full health is appropriate scientific, reliable testing. We recommend Parasite Testing Europe. The tests enable people to have their stool tested through the most well-researched, consistent laboratory in the world led by world-renowned parasitologist, Dr Omar Amin.

Once it’s been established if there is an infection and the strain of parasites, it’s time to treat the client. However a vita next step is to ensure the client’s vitality and immune system is as robust as possible. Trying to eradicate a parasite with a depleted immune system and poor health becomes an uphill battle.

Secondly, a sensible approach must be taken with the right choice of eradication method.

Lastly, understanding how your patient got the parasite in the first place will help to prevent reinfection.

Want to learn more about parasite infections, eradication options and prevention methods? Join Emma Lane on her unparalleled course – The World Of Parasites, Fungus and Bacteria.

The World of Parasites, Fungus and Bacteria – Level 1
20. Sep 2014 – 21. Sep 2014 Carlsbad, California.

The World of Parasites, Fungus and Bacteria – Level 1
25. Oct 2014 – 26. Oct 2014 Miami, Florida.

What practitioners say about The World of Parasites, Fungus and Bacteria –

“A lot of ‘ah ha’ moments in this course! I feel so much more enabled and empowered to heal my clients once and for all. An absolutely wonderful course full of legitimately the BEST and leading-edge information out there. I would recommend these course to anyone and every practitioner could benefit immensely from it.” Kelly Bentley

*USA Center for Disease Control and Prevention

A patient’s parasite story

Written by IHE on August 23, 2014. Posted in Blog, Case study, Gastrointestinal health. Leave a Comment

Your intestines provide the perfect breeding ground for parasites that enjoy making their homes nestled within the impacted waste as well as in the linings of the intestine walls.

Living inside our intestines, these microorganisms can become a problem. They are able to adapt their life cycles in order to ensure the perpetuation of their species within their unsuspecting hosts.

The four major groups of parasites include Protozoans (single-celled organisms), Nematodes, Cestodes and Trematoda.

This is Ian’s story

Ian* is a 32 year old, male accountant who came to my clinic complaining of diarrhoea, weight-loss, fatigue and generally feeling unwell.

It had started two month’s previously, after a holiday to Canada. On his return he started to experience crampy abdominal pain and loose urgent stools. He was having four to eight foul-smelling yellow bowel movements a day, sometimes at night. There was occasional blood in the stools. He also noticed some early morning nausea and he experienced a 9lbs weight loss during the first four weeks of the symptoms.

He had previously been in general good health however he did state that he was prone to getting stomach upset and diarrhoea once to twice a month but it was manageable and also that his sleep patterns were not great as he frequently experienced insomnia. His normal pattern of bowel movements was once a day but occasionally he did experienced constipation.

When I first I saw him his presenting symptoms were three to four foul-smelling yellow bowel movements a day, however this varied. His weight-loss had increased to 13lbs and he felt very drained of energy and experienced embarrassing levels of gas and bloating most days.

Obviously at this point it was having a impact on his mental, emotional and physical state. He felt that his job may be under threat as he had taken so many sick days and when he was present his ability to concentrate was radically reduced and his frequent trips to the bathroom had been noted. He felt embarrassed about what was happening and frustrated because he did not know what was causing it.

He had consulted his doctor who had run various tests, which came back negative. The doctor had prescribe several different things over the period of time however nothing had resolved the problem. These included:

Opioid analgesics ‐ to slow down peristalsis and cause the stool to become firmer
Adsorbents ‐ clay‐like substances reduce the water content of stools and make the loose stool firmer
Bulk‐forming medications

So, Ian was understandably gloomy and defeated at this point. I explained that I thought he had picked a parasite called Giardia and that if that was the case, it would require some changes to his lifestyle choices in order to create a platform of good health for his body to heal and a protocol which would involve herbs and support vitamins and minerals to get rid of the infection.

However first we would need to make a firm diagnosis. Ian completed a full Gastrointestinal Test from PCI Europe (parasitetesting.co.uk) that involves collecting 2-4 samples of stool and taking a swab of the stool, which is then sent to the lab for analysis.

His results showed that he did indeed have Giardia, a bacterial infection and also he was low in good bacteria. Based on the test results I created a plan of action that Ian felt very comfortable in committing to. This involved making changes in several area:

Improvements to his dietary choices, quality of food (organic when possible) fresh live foods and less processed foods;
The amount, proportions and frequency of food eaten;
Stress management tactics;
Tactics to improve his sleep patterns;
Natural approaches to calm the symptoms he was experiencing e.g Saccharomyces Boulardii, activated charcoal etc.

When the above had been in place for a moderate period of time, an eradication protocol was put into place that involved several herbal compounds that have been proven effective in regards to Giardia and the pathogenic bacterias that Ian had tested positive for.

Ian proved to be a conscientious client, following the guidelines given faithfully and he started to feel better and see improvement immediately. Over the course of the protocol he did experience some die-off reactions, which is a common occurrence but if managed appropriately is not too problematic. Ian was advised about the signs and symptoms of die-off that could be experienced and also how to manage them, he also had ongoing clinical support.

To follow the removal protocol a repair stage was then instigated to heal the damage caused to the gut by the Giardia, bacteria and previous poor lifestyle choices, which had created the opportunity for the bugs to make a happy home in Ian’s digestive tract.

Once through the protocols all symptoms had disappeared and Ian felt better than he had in years. Because Ian felt so much better he has wisely decided to maintain the lifestyle changes he made. He feels they were easy to put into place and maintain and doesn’t see this as a hardship but rather an investment into his future health and a good defence plan against picking up uninvited guest in the future.

*Name has been changed to protect the patient’s privacy.

Acute versus chronic stress

Written by IHE on August 16, 2014. Posted in Stress, Today's Top Tip.

Acute stress can improve our immune system. But chronic stress has the opposite effect. Use antioxidants and immune stimulating herbs, foods, vitamins and minerals to help boost your body’s natural defenses.

Introducing…JP Sears

Written by IHE on August 15, 2014. Posted in Blog, Experts. Leave a Comment

JP Sears presents Beyond Self Sabotage in November, a course that helps attendees uncover and address the reasons behind their self-sabotage and start then on the road to greater life contentment.

JP is a holistic life coach who specialises in emotional healing. His career journey started in the exercise field, which in turn led him to work with clients on their nutritional wellbeing needs. He realized that the emotional stress his clients experienced was a huge burden for them and a barrier to them achieving the emotional and physical health they craved.

His focus on stress reduction led him to deeply explore the process and ultimately the benefits of emotional health and his specialism grew from that point. “Initially the stress reduction work was quite superficial, and although important, it become apparent to me that the real problems lay much deeper,” explains JP Sears. “What we see is just the tip of the iceberg, the healing journey I initiate and coach my clients through lies much deeper, right into the burdens we carry around in our hearts.”

JP has now specialised in emotional healing for over 10 years. He sees clients at his clinic in Carlsbad, California, helping them on their healing journey, which generally takes place over several months of coaching. He uses a variety of techniques to help clients look into their vulnerable places, taking them to where they experience their blocks and to the heart of their self-sabotage. “I look for the story, under their story,” explains JP. “What a person thinks they are stressed out about is never their true issue. I facilitate a process whereby the client is removing those layers to reveal the heart of what needs to be healed. They are empowering themselves and connecting with their own inner wisdom.”

JP knows he is lucky to work with people and feels that each client teaches him a lot about himself and the mysteries of life and spirituality. In turn he teaches other trainers and coaches to work with clients in this way.

He recently returned from leading a retreat in Australia and has also travelled and trained recently in the UK and Denmark.

His course, Beyond Self Sabotage works on several levels. As JP says: “you can’t give what you don’t have. Other trainers or practitioners need to embrace their own inner healing before they can become a beacon of light to others.”

Nutritionists, exercises specialists, chiropractors and life coaches who help clients with lifestyles behaviours will all benefit from the course. Participants will take away the specific tools and strategies to help clients resolve the sabotage that typically blocks the health programmes that they are engaging with their client in.

“So many of our clients’ health and wellbeing goals fail because of self-sabotage. They will throw up walls and barriers without even realising. If the practitioner can bring down those walls the client will enjoy greater success.”

“This kind of coaching is often the missing link in helping clients get where they want to go. Plus of course everyone who attends will benefit from the coaching themselves on a personal level.”

JP left us with a thought provoking comment that sums up his work, he says: ”in the shadow of a brilliant mind is a disconnected heart.” His course will challenge everyone who attends to look into their hearts, heal from their heart and to live from their heart.

Bowel Baddies – How to Spot the Signs

Written by IHE on August 12, 2014. Posted in Blog, Gastrointestinal health. 1 Comment

Parasites, fungus and bacteria – could you spot the signs of infection in your clients? These bowel baddies can cause a host of symptoms and health complaints that are easily misdiagnosed or dismissed. Yet infection can result in niggling gastrointestinal problems or mean clients can’t seem to lose weight or gain muscle.

Fungi overgrowth

At any one time we may have 5000 different species of fungi living on and in our bodies as normal inhabitants of the skin and gastrointestinal tract.
Fungi can enter our bodies through our mouth, noses, lungs and gastrointestinal tracts. Like most things in life, too much of a good thing can lead to imbalance and start to cause problems.

Signs of a fungi infection or imbalance include:

Abdominal pain
Mucus in stool
Digestive symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and heartburn.
Nasal itch and congestion
An inability to concentrate
Dry mouth
Bad breath
Acne
Nervous irritability
Craving sugar
Unnatural irritability
Allergies
Food sensitivities
Headaches
Mood swings
Fatigue
Thrush
Rectal itching

Symptoms can be worse in damp or mouldy places or after consumption of sugar or yeasts

There are some simple tests that practitioners can carry out to help identify if excess fungi could be the problem, and bringing the body back into balance is the next step. Healing options should take into consideration lifestyle factors, the client’s general health, their job, family and even if they have pets in the home.

The bug boom

Rates of infectious and parasitic diseases have increased by 30% since 1990.However, parasites are an under reported and often overlooked cause of common health disorders.

The common perception that parasites are only picked up during travel to exotic climes is a fallacy. People living with pets or who regularly eat out could be at risk and because parasites can be contacted via infected soil, even gardening could cause exposure.

Life cycle

During their life, parasitic organisms typically go through several developmental stages that involve changes not only in structure but also in biochemical and antigenic composition. Some of these infections can convert from a well-tolerated or asymptomatic condition to life-threatening disease.

Parasites signs

Like fungi infections, spotting bowel baddies like parasites can often be confused with symptoms of other illnesses and the question of parasites is often overlooked. Common signs of infection include:

Abdominal pain
Bloating
Dysuria
Central nervous system impairment
Chest pain
Chills
Cramping
Chronic fatigue
Colitis
Coughing
Diarrhoea
Digestive disturbance
Dizziness
Fever
Flatulence
Enlargement of various organs
Headaches
Vaginitis
Jaundice
Joint Pain
Weight loss due to malnutrition
Weakness
Immuno-deficiency
Nausea/vomiting
Swelling of facial features
Sweating
Insomnia
Skin complains
Ulcers
Rectal prolapse
Mental problems
Lung congestion
Memory loss
Night sweats
Muscle spasms
Hair loss or thinning

Hard to diagnose

In some people, intestinal worms do not cause any symptoms, or the symptoms may come and go. Some parasites also cause low red blood cell count (anaemia), and some travel from the lungs to the intestine, or from the intestine to the lungs and other parts of the body.

Many other conditions can result in these symptoms, so laboratory tests are necessary to determine their cause. Plus some parasite infections can be misdiagnosed and it’s likely that the incorrect treatment protocol would then be given. Some examples of this include:

Trichinella – Can masquerade as many illnesses ranging from flu to generalised or specific aches and pains.
Filariasis (dog heartworm) on x-ray lesions can be mistaken for lung cancer.
Ascaris and Lung Fluke could be diagnosed as a peptic ulcer.
Liver fluke symptoms can be similar to hepatitis.
Cysticercosis (pork tapeworm) is often misdiagnosed as epilepsy or brain tumour.
Anisakas simplex shows similar symptoms to acute appendicitis, Crohn’s disease, gastric ulcers and gastrointestinal cancer.

So, accurate parasite testing is key, along with a thorough understanding of the parasite world.

How do we become infected?

It’s a common misconception that parasites can only be picked up on tropical holidays. In fact, there are many aspects of our environment and lifestyle that can influence whether you may become a happy home for some unwanted guests!

Poor lifestyle choices inadequate or excessive nutrition, poor digestion, stress and a challenged immune system can all create an open door for infection. Commercial or poor farming practices, poor personal hygiene, contamination of water, sex, international travel, multiple occupancy living conditions and the poor health of pets all increase the chances of infection.

If your client complains of constant tiredness, is struggling to lose weight or troubled by niggling stomach problems that never go away, parasites or fungi could be the culprit. If you want to learn more about holistic health approaches to helping your clients reach optimal wellbeing why not sign up to our newsletter or like our Facebook page?