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<channel>
	<title>Medical Qigong</title>
	<atom:link href="http://chi-gung.co.uk/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk</link>
	<description>Jeremy is a Medical Qigong teacher and therapist</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:49:23 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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			<item>
		<title>Podcast class (test)</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/podcast-class-test/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/podcast-class-test/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:49:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=339</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s a link to my Chi-gung set No. 2
It&#8217;s a podcast&#8230;.hopefully  it&#8217;ll work in Itunes&#8230;
ftp://u8322750@consciouseffort.org/chigung/wp-content/podcasts/2E7427CE4A.mp4
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here&#8217;s a link to my Chi-gung set No. 2</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a podcast&#8230;.hopefully  it&#8217;ll work in Itunes&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="ftp://u8322750@consciouseffort.org/chigung/wp-content/podcasts/2E7427CE4A.mp4">ftp://u8322750@consciouseffort.org/chigung/wp-content/podcasts/2E7427CE4A.mp4</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Green Drink and pHdrops</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/green-drink-and-phdrops/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/green-drink-and-phdrops/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:02:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Buy Online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alkalising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perfectlyhealthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ph booster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phbooster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phdrops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pHion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wp]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=325</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
perfectlyhealthy Mega Greens Powder (227g / 1/2Ib)
£32
Mega Greens is a highly dense blend of alkaline ingredients!

The most cost-effective green drink at just 35p per serving &#8211; almost half the price of other greens!
Contains 34 alkaline ingredients – making it one of the most popular greens !
Contains a unique blend of naturally occurring amino acids, alkaline [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-326" title="megagreens_new" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/megagreens_new.jpg" alt="megagreens_new" width="220" height="183" /></p>
<h3>perfectlyhealthy Mega Greens Powder (227g / 1/2Ib)<br />
£32</h3>
<p>Mega Greens is a highly dense blend of <strong>alkaline ingredients!</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The most cost-effective green drink at just <span style="font-family: Arial; color: darkred">35p per serving &#8211; almost half the price of other greens!</span></li>
<li>Contains 34 alkaline ingredients – making it one of the most popular greens !</li>
<li>Contains a unique blend of naturally occurring amino acids, alkaline grasses, vegetables, sprouts and more!</li>
<li>Feel the impact immediately from this highly alkaline green drink</li>
</ul>
<p><object><form method="post"  action=""  style="display:inline" onsubmit="return ReadForm(this, true);"><input type="submit" value="Add to Cart" /><input type="hidden" name="product" value="Greens-1" /><input type="hidden" name="price" value="33" /><input type="hidden" name="product_tmp" value="Greens-1" /><input type="hidden" name="cartLink" value="http://chi-gung.co.uk/feed/" /><input type="hidden" name="addcart" value="1" /></form></object></p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-327" title="phbooster_2" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/phbooster_2.jpg" alt="phbooster_2" width="225" height="225" /></p>
<h3>pHion pH Booster &#8211; Alkalising pH Drops<br />
£30</h3>
<div>
<p><span style="font-family: &quot;Arial Black&quot;; color: darkred; font-size: 12px">Affordable, Highly Alkaline Water 24/7</span></p>
<p>Getting enough water each day is absolutely critical to your health. But did you know that the <em>quality</em> of the water you drink is just as important as the <em>quantity</em>?</p>
<p>With a little help from pH Booster, you can turn ordinary water into an alkaline, ionised, oxygenated, super drink!</p></div>
<p><object><form method="post"  action=""  style="display:inline" onsubmit="return ReadForm(this, true);"><input type="submit" value="Add to Cart" /><input type="hidden" name="product" value="phdrops-1" /><input type="hidden" name="price" value="30" /><input type="hidden" name="product_tmp" value="phdrops-1" /><input type="hidden" name="cartLink" value="http://chi-gung.co.uk/feed/" /><input type="hidden" name="addcart" value="1" /></form></object></p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-332 alignnone" title="alkjug" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/alkjug.jpg" alt="alkjug" width="170" height="170" /></p>
<h3>Energise Alkaline Water Jug £62</h3>
<p>The Energise Alkaline Water Jug is a simple, cost effective solution to give you great quality, clean and alkaline water.</p>
<p>Drinking  good quality alkaline water is the absolute cornerstone of the alkaline  approach to health.  As you probably know, tap water is full of toxins,  bacteria, chlorine, fluoride and more and most often has an acidic pH.</p>
<p>If  you are drinking 3-4 litres of water per day, and this source of water  is your tap &#8211; you&#8217;re filling your body with an acidity!</p>
<p>By  simply using the Energise Alkaline Water Jug you are not only taking  your tap water up to a delicious pH 8, but you&#8217;re also filtering out a  lot of the rubbish that is in our water supply.</p>
<p>Now we aren&#8217;t  claiming that this filtration can compete with an undersink filter, but  it DOES remove a lot of the rubbish that the water companies happily let  sit in our water supply and flow through our taps.</p>
<p>This is by far the most cost-effective way of getting on the alkaline water, quickly and easily.</p>
<p>The Alkaline Water Jug is also easily transportable which almost makes it a must-have!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium"><span style="color: #990000"><strong>Imagine having alkaline water, on tap, directly on your office desk! </strong></span></span></p>
<p><object><form method="post"  action=""  style="display:inline" onsubmit="return ReadForm(this, true);"><input type="submit" value="Add to Cart" /><input type="hidden" name="product" value="Jug-1" /><input type="hidden" name="price" value="60" /><input type="hidden" name="product_tmp" value="Jug-1" /><input type="hidden" name="cartLink" value="http://chi-gung.co.uk/feed/" /><input type="hidden" name="addcart" value="1" /></form></object></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Christmas Present! Lift Qi Up, Pour Qi Down!</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/a-christmas-present-lift-qi-up-pour-qi-down/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/a-christmas-present-lift-qi-up-pour-qi-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doctor pang ming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeremy Colledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lift Qi Up Pour Qi Down]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soundcloud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zhineng Qigong]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=309</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear students,
This is a link to my Soundcloud file of Lift Qi Up, Pour Qi Down.
http://soundcloud.com/jeremycolledge/lift-qi-up-pour-qi-down
You should be able to download it too (Just look for the little download button above the track), and add it to your Itunes.
It takes LESS than 20 mins, so now you have no excuses to not do some homework!
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear students,</p>
<p>This is a link to my Soundcloud file of Lift Qi Up, Pour Qi Down.</p>
<p><a href="http://soundcloud.com/jeremycolledge/lift-qi-up-pour-qi-down" target="_blank"><span id="permalink-path">http://soundcloud.com/jeremycolledge/</span>lift-qi-up-pour-qi-down</a></p>
<p>You should be able to download it too (Just look for the little download button above the track), and add it to your Itunes.</p>
<p>It takes LESS than 20 mins, so now you have no excuses to not do some homework!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New THURSDAY night Class in Tooting!</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/new-thursday-night-class-in-tooting/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/new-thursday-night-class-in-tooting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:04:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Furzedown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qigong Classes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tooting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=307</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Come join in!
Tooting  / Furzedown:- The Furzedown Project, 91-93 Moyeser Rd. London SW16 6SJ
Thursday Evenings:- 7:30 – 8:30pm  (From Sept 29th 2011) N.B. The time will probably change to 6:30 – 7:30pm (To be arranged on 29th)
Map here 

Tel: My Mobile 07808 738 520
(It’s at the Junction of Moyser rd and Nimrod rd.)
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Come join in!</p>
<p><strong>Tooting  / Furzedown</strong>:- The Furzedown Project, 91-93 Moyeser Rd. London SW16 6SJ</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday Evenings:- 7:30 – 8:30pm </span> (From Sept 29th 2011)<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> N.B. The time will probably change to 6:30 – 7:30pm (To be arranged on 29th)</span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;q=SW16+6SJ&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;ei=5ECDTt60O-nJ0QXPt93ZAQ&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=3&amp;ved=0CAwQ_AUoAg" target="_blank">Map here </a><br />
</span></p>
<p>Tel: My Mobile 07808 738 520</p>
<p>(It’s at the Junction of Moyser rd and Nimrod rd.)</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Welcome back!</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/welcome-back/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/welcome-back/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The new term begins today, running all the way to mid &#8211; December.
I&#8217;m ready to take on new classes, so if you would like a class near you, let me know!
Looking forward to seeing you all again,
Jeremy
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The new term begins today, running all the way to mid &#8211; December.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m ready to take on new classes, so if you would like a class near you, let me know!</p>
<p>Looking forward to seeing you all again,</p>
<p>Jeremy</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Class at the Pavy Gym, London Bridge</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/new-class-at-the-pavy-gym-london-bridge/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/new-class-at-the-pavy-gym-london-bridge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:15:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=299</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s  a New Class TODAY in London the London Bridge area. 12:30 &#8211; 1:30pm (OPEN TO ALL  FORMER QIGONG STUDENTS OF MINE)
The  course will be £40 for 4 lessons, payable today. (Unless is you are a member of  the Thomas Guys Club, who run the Pavy Gym, then you are entitled [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>There&#8217;s  a New Class TODAY in London the London Bridge area. 12:30 &#8211; 1:30pm (OPEN TO ALL  FORMER QIGONG STUDENTS OF MINE)</strong></p>
<p>The  course will be £40 for 4 lessons, payable today. (Unless is you are a member of  the Thomas Guys Club, who run the Pavy Gym, then you are entitled to a discount  £24)</p>
<p>It&#8217;s  really obscure to find for the first time (But don&#8217;t panic!)</p>
<p>It&#8217;s  in one of the Yards off Borough High Street, opposite a coffee shop called &#8220;TAS&#8221;  (The entrance to the yard has scaffolding at the moment)<br />
Walk in through the  gates, and head forward towards the modern building (Wolfson Building), soon  you&#8217;ll see its entrance on your right, and to the right of that is the Pavy Gym.  Somebody will be on the door.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s  a Map for the location</p>
<p><a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=532604&amp;y=180049&amp;z=106&amp;sv=532604,180049&amp;st=4&amp;ar=y&amp;mapp=map.srf&amp;searchp=ids.srf&amp;dn=677&amp;ax=532604&amp;ay=180049&amp;lm=0">http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=532604&amp;y=180049&amp;z=106&amp;sv=532604,180049&amp;st=4&amp;ar=y&amp;mapp=map.srf&amp;searchp=ids.srf&amp;dn=677&amp;ax=532604&amp;ay=180049&amp;lm=0</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Qigong School</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/qigong-school/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/qigong-school/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:01:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chi-gung school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City of London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qigong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qigong school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zhening Qigong]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear All,
Most of my students know that I&#8217;m in the process of setting up a teacher Training course for Qigong.
I&#8217;m hoping to site this in the City of London, and have a clinic and exercise space to go with it.
I&#8217;m sorry to report that the space that I mentioned that I was really hoping would [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear All,<br />
Most of my students know that I&#8217;m in the process of setting up a teacher Training course for Qigong.<br />
I&#8217;m hoping to site this in the City of London, and have a clinic and exercise space to go with it.<br />
I&#8217;m sorry to report that the space that I mentioned that I was really hoping would still be open and available to us, is NOT!<br />
Booooo<br />
So this means that th search begins again.<br />
If anybody has suggestions for a venue,<br />
Please don&#8217;t hesitate to contact me. Thanks!<br />
Jeremy</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The &#8220;truth&#8221; about the Mayan Calendar</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/the-truth-about-the-mayan-calendar/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/the-truth-about-the-mayan-calendar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:07:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=258</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-256 aligncenter" title="mayan calender" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mayan-calender1.png" alt="mayan calender" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Exercise: One of Nature’s Best Alternatives to Maintaining Good Mental Health</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/exercise-one-of-nature%e2%80%99s-best-alternatives-to-maintaining-good-mental-health/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/exercise-one-of-nature%e2%80%99s-best-alternatives-to-maintaining-good-mental-health/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:56:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dopamine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dr. Mercola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mental health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[physical health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whitaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yoga]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=251</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With thanks to Dr Mercola,
I wanted to republish a large chunk of an email he sent through to me regarding Mental Health, and the connection that good physical health has to good mental health.
&#8220;Depression used to have a very good outcome. If you came to your physician with symptoms of depression 40 or even 30 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With thanks to Dr Mercola,</p>
<p>I wanted to republish a large chunk of an email he sent through to me regarding Mental Health, and the connection that good physical health has to good mental health.</p>
<p>&#8220;Depression used to have a very good outcome. If you came to your physician with symptoms of depression 40 or even 30 years ago, he would tell you that you could and would get better. You’d be assured that most depressive episodes run their course and terminate with virtually complete recovery, without specific interventions such as drug treatment.</p>
<p>But as Whitaker points out in his books, something changed in the field of diagnosing and treating depression in the last few decades, and that something has led to a <strong>600 percent increase</strong> in persons on government (Social Security) disability due to mental illness!<br />
This research is from work produced by medical journalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee Robert Whitaker, firstly regarding the side effects of medication..</p>
<p><strong>Side effects are Weight Gain, Addiction, </strong>sexual dysfunction and sleeplessness <strong>,</strong>increased glucose and lipid metabolism <strong>-</strong><strong> </strong>a 2005 study in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em> reported that 74 percent of schizophrenic patients in one study quit taking their medication either because of its inefficacy (it didn’t work); or because it had intolerable side effects, or other unwanted problems.</p>
<p>Another factor that is rarely discussed is the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">potent addictive</span> potential of these drugs.</p>
<p>And perhaps the worst “side effect” of all is that they can cause you to <strong>acquire a</strong> <strong>more severe form of mental illness than you started with!</strong></p>
<p>That’s right – as Whitaker found during his thousands of hours of research on the topic – after what might be an initial uplift in your condition, antidepressant drug users tend to spiral downward into a <em>chronic</em> course of long-term depression.</p>
<p>You can also end up becoming bipolar, or developing various types of psychoses, meaning that you’ll need to “graduate” to a new or additional medication, often an anti-psychotic drug that blocks dopamine receptors in your brain.</p>
<p><strong>Exercise: One of Nature’s Best Alternatives to Maintaining Good Mental Health</strong></p>
<p>Fortunately, more and more research is coming out in support of natural, drug-free ways to maintain or achieve good mental health. Much of that research is showing that simple strategies such as dietary changes and physical activity can significantly assist your recovery.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>A Duke University team studied three groups that tried exercise only; exercise plus drugs; and drugs only, to see what treatment best treated depression. They found that after six weeks, the drug-only group was doing a tiny bit better than the other two groups.</p>
<p>They hypothesized that the best stay-well rate would be those with drugs plus exercise.</p>
<p>But they were wrong!</p>
<p>Ten months later, it was the <em>exercise-only</em> group that was most successful in maintaining wellness! In fact, according to a September 22, 2000 Duke University press release:</p>
<p><em>“After demonstrating that 30 minutes of brisk exercise three times a week <strong>is just as effective as drug therapy</strong> in relieving the symptoms of major depression in the short term, medical center researchers have now shown that continued exercise greatly reduces the chances of the depression returning. </em></p>
<p><em>The new study, which followed the same participants for an additional six months, found that patients who continued to exercise after completing the initial trial were much less likely to see their depression return than the other patients. </em></p>
<p><strong><em>Only 8 percent of patients in the exercise group had their depression return, while 38 percent of the drug-only group and 31 percent of the exercise-plus-drug group relapsed.”</em></strong></p>
<p>While the researchers weren’t exactly sure why exercise worked better than the drug used in this study – Zoloft – they speculated that active participation in their get-well program was the key difference for the exercise-only group.</p>
<p><em>&#8220;Simply taking a pill is very passive,&#8221; said study leader James Blumenthal. &#8220;Patients who exercised may have felt a greater sense of mastery over their condition and gained a greater sense of accomplishment. They may have felt more self-confident and competent because they were able</em> <em>to do it themselves, and attributed their improvement to their ability to exercise.</em></p>
<p><em>“Findings from these studies indicate that a modest exercise program is an effective and robust treatment for patients with major depression. And if these motivated patients continue with their exercise, they have a much better chance of not seeing their depression return.”</em></p>
<p>That’s right: In this study of 156 participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the researchers found that the best drug of all was the feeling that they were actively in control of determining their own outcomes!</p>
<p>The Duke researchers were not exercise specialists and it is likely that they overlooked exercises that work your white muscle fibers, like the Peak Fitness Techniques, which could work even better.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Yoga – A Gentle Way to Exercise Depression</strong></p>
<p>Yoga is another proven way to address depression and avoid medications. Recent research confirms that yoga not only enhances mood, and has positive effects over other physical activities, but also helps increase brain gamma aminobutyric (GABA) levels.</p>
<p>In this study, participants who practiced yoga three times a week for an hour increased brain gamma aminobutyric (GABA) levels over another group that walked three times a week for an hour.</p>
<p>A similar study in 2007 reported the same thing, leading researchers to believe that the practice of yoga could be an alternative treatment for depression and anxiety, disorders associated with low GABA levels.</p>
<p>If you’ve followed my articles even a little while, you also know that EFT, or the Emotional Freedom Technique, is an exercise involving only your fingers and mind that I highly recommend for optimizing emotional health. Based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over 5,000 years, this technique works without needles, while using positive affirmations.</p>
<p><strong>Nutrition Also Plays an Important Part</strong></p>
<p>As Whitaker and I discuss in this interview, nutrition is another key player in evidence-based alternatives to drugs.</p>
<p>It’s already known that many additives, preservatives and food colorants can cause behavioral changes, and sugar should definitely be on this list as well.</p>
<p>One of the most recent and highly plausible theories that explain sugar’s impact on your mood and mental health is the connection between sugar and chronic inflammation.</p>
<p>Other studies have also found significant links between high-sugar diets and mental health problems such as depression and schizophrenia, even though they were not focused on the presence of inflammation per se.</p>
<p>For example, a 2004 study published in the <em>British Journal of Psychiatry </em>found that<em> </em>a higher dietary intake of refined sugar and<sup> </sup>dairy products predicted a worse 2-year outcome of schizophrenia.<sup> </sup></p>
<p>As explained by Dr. Russell Blaylock, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which can lead to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia, in turn, causes your brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.</p>
<p>The dietary answer for treating depression is to severely limit sugars, especially fructose, as well as grains.</p>
<p><strong>The Importance of Omega-3 Fats for a Healthy Mind</strong></p>
<p>Studies also show that omega-3 fats may positively influence outcome in depressive disorders. Low plasma concentrations of DHA (a type of omega-3 fat) is associated with low concentrations of brain serotonin. This decreased amount of serotonin can be associated with depression and suicide.</p>
<p>Not getting enough animal based omega-3 fats is known to change the levels and functioning of both serotonin and dopamine (which plays a role in feelings of pleasure), as well as compromise the blood-brain barrier, which normally protects your brain from unwanted matter gaining access.</p>
<p>Omega-3 deficiency can also decrease normal blood flow to your brain, an interesting finding given that studies show people with depression have compromised blood flow to a number of brain regions.</p>
<p>Finally, omega-3 deficiency also causes a 35 percent reduction in brain phosphatidylserine (PS) levels, which is relevant considering that PS has documented antidepressant activity in humans.</p>
<p>Omega-3 fats such as those in krill oil have actually been found to work just as well as antidepressants in preventing the signs of depression, but without any of the side effects. In fact, throughout my years of medical practice I’ve had large numbers of patients be able to stop their antidepressants once they started taking omega-3 fats.</p>
<p>So if you are currently struggling with depression, taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat supplement daily is a simple and smart choice … but it is only one important part of my overall recommendations for treating depression.</p>
<p><strong>How the Sun Can Influence a “Sunnier Disposition”</strong></p>
<p>Another essential nutrient in the treatment of depression is vitamin D.</p>
<p>One study found people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses.</p>
<p>And, according to a study published in the September 9, 2010 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, maintaining proper levels of vitamin D, and particularly Vitamin D<sub>3,</sub> in utero and during early infancy can even help prevent a much more serious mental disorder – schizophrenia.</p>
<p>The study showed that newborn babies born with low vitamin D levels were more likely to develop schizophrenia later in life – leading researchers to suggest that perhaps vitamin D supplements might be all you need to prevent this devastating illness.</p>
<p>The researchers also looked at other populations, such as dark-skinned<sup> </sup>ethnic groups living in cold countries, and residents of highly urban areas who aren’t exposed to regular sunlight like those in rural areas, concluding that:</p>
<p><em>“It may be feasible to reduce the incidence of schizophrenia<sup> </sup>in this group by a staggering <strong>87 percent</strong>” </em>by simply giving them Vitamin D supplements!</p>
<p>I strongly recommend optimizing your vitamin D levels, either by sunlight exposure, a safe tanning bed, or taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement, to your list of depression fighters.</p>
<p><strong>Salt is Also a Natural Antidepressant…</strong></p>
<p>Interestingly, simple <em>sodium deficiency</em> also creates many symptoms that are nearly identical to those of major depression, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>loss of      appetite</li>
<li>loss of      capacity to experience pleasure and joy</li>
<li>difficulty      concentrating</li>
<li>excessive      fatigue</li>
<li>general      sense of exhaustion</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What To Do if You’re Already on Medication for Depression</strong></p>
<p>If you’ve already been diagnosed with depression or a more serious mental illness, it is vitally important you do NOT stop your medication cold-turkey! Doing so could be dangerous to both your mental and physical health.</p>
<p>What you want is a cautious approach to discontinuing these drugs – and you need to do this with the assistance of a qualified and knowledgeable clinician who can slowly wean you off them over a period of a few weeks or months.</p>
<p>Ideally, this would be someone who has roots in natural health, and who will help you use natural, healthy options such as dietary changes, exercise, and some energy psychology approaches to do this.</p>
<p>Having a professional help you also means you’ll have a mentor who will guide you through the physical and emotional changes you’ll experience as you leave the drugs behind, including any uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.</p>
<h2><strong>Mental Health is Often Inseparable from Physical Health</strong></h2>
<p>I want to reiterate that depression can indeed be a very serious condition. If left untreated it can have a devastating impact on just about every aspect of your life and can actually kill you by leading to suicide.</p>
<p>However drugs are very rarely the answer.</p>
<p>So please actively investigate and use the natural treatments I’ve suggested the above, ideally with the support and guidance of a knowledgeable natural health care practitioner.</p>
<p>Always remember that these three primary factors &#8212; exercise, addressing emotional stress, and eating right &#8212; will make you feel at the top of your game. Whether you want to overcome depression, feel happier or just want to stay healthy, these are the lifestyle changes that will get you there.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>The Pity of London!</title>
		<link>http://chi-gung.co.uk/the-pity-of-london/</link>
		<comments>http://chi-gung.co.uk/the-pity-of-london/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:35:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aldgate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aldgate protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spoof statue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[statue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Pity of London]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chi-gung.co.uk/?p=238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[See the WONDERFUL "Pity of London Statue" - It sat in Aldgate for about a week, almost un-noticed, but not buy me! Thank you whom ever created this wonderful little beastie! (Looks like some of the Bankers I used to work with in another life!)]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I agree, this has nothing to do with Chi-gung, or maybe it does&#8230; But it just made me HAPPY!,</p>
<p>I took these photo&#8217;s in Aldgate.</p>
<p>The first is the traditional symbol of the City of London,</p>
<p>The second two are an exceptionally clever protest! I loved it, WELL DONE who ever you are!</p>
<p>They were situated 5 meters from each other and looked like a PERFECT pair!</p>
<p>(Looks like some of the Bankers I used to work with in another life!)</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-237" title="The Original" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/statue1c.gif" alt="The symbol of the City" width="504" height="672" /></p>
<div id="attachment_235" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 514px"><img class="size-full wp-image-235" title="The Imposter" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/statue1a1.gif" alt="This stunning new symbol for the City!" width="504" height="672" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Isn&#39;t he beautiful?!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_236" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 514px"><img class="size-full wp-image-236" title="It's cute little face!" src="http://chi-gung.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/statue1b.gif" alt="So that's who's making all our money disapear!" width="504" height="378" /><p class="wp-caption-text">See his cute little face! (So that&#39;s where all our money&#39;s going!)</p></div>
<p> <a href="http://vimeo.com/9860261">I found this video too, it&#8217;s the guy who make this wonderful statue!</a></p>
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