Looking for a new approach towards fitness: one that nurtures you on all levels? In our new Autumn issue, we had an opportunity to learn about the principles of inclusiveness, respect and body positivity that guide Universal Space Studio. Founders Mark Logan and Jody Kennedy have a unique aim of uniting mind, body and spirit, in an approach that promotes wellness on all levels of our being. Enjoy our feature below.
health and wellbeing
Positive Nights on Zoom: Exploring Natural Remedies With Amandha D. Vollmer
We are thrilled to announce that we have arranged a new Positive Nights Zoom event with Amandha Dawn Vollmer, who is an acclaimed Herbalist, Reiki Master, and a Naturopathic Medicine and Holistic Health Practitioner. Amanda holds a bachelor of science in Agricultural Biotechnology from the University of Lethbridge (2000) in Alberta, Canada and a degree of Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (2008) in Toronto. For most of her life, she has taken an interest in botanical medicine: self-educating on the topic many years before beginning her formal medical training.
Having developed many of her extra senses with martial arts and dance, she realised a natural gift for sensing illness and a laying on of hands. She soon sought answers via the energetic healing arts and became a registered Reiki practitioner and teacher, among other modalities.
After much scholarly and independent study, her passion for the elegant and effective sub-molecular medicine known as homeopathy, brought her to study in South India under Rajan Sankaran. She also volunteered for a month-long intensive medical program in Northern India, shadowing cardiologists, obstetricians, Ayurvedic practitioners and homeopathic doctors.
Amandha has since assisted many people and animals to heal all kinds of acute and chronic diseases. She is the proprietor of Yummy Mummy Emporium & Apothecary in Minden, Ontario, Canada, where she supplies natural solutions for detoxing and healing disease. She is a gardener and wildcrafter, creating powerful herbal blends, as well as developing all natural, botanically infused body care (creams, salves, oils, etc) that are extremely effective. She single-handedly makes over 100 small batch remedies.
Amandha has many interests including orthomolecular medicine, German new medicine, vibrational therapies, gemstone therapies, permaculture gardening, wildcrafting, crochet arts and the natural care of babies and children. She is also the mother of a marvelous, high energy 8-year-old.
She is available for holistic health consultations anywhere in the world, including distance Reiki sessions, Rife machine services, cold laser treatments and more.
Our event with her will explore the topic of natural remedies, as well as her stellar work in the natural healing arena. It will take the form of a 45-minute interview, followed by a Q & A session with the audience.
This event takes place via Zoom at 7.30 p.m. IST on Thursday May 28th. All ticket holders will be emailed a day before the event with login details.
Places on the event are available via a €5 or €10 donation, which would be gratefully received. However, a free option is also available, for those who cannot afford anything at this time. Click here to book your tickets.
Supporting Your Teeth: What Does Your Mouth Say About Your Health?
In our Winter 2018/19 issue, Gemma Hurditch of the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) shared her tips for maintaining excellent dental health, and why this is vital for overall health and wellbeing. We are pleased to share her article in full below!
Health Boosting Nutrients: Revolutionary Study Gives Hope for Heart Health
In this extract from our Autumn 2018 issue, we spoke to Sinead Mitchell of the renowned nutritional supplement and research company Pharma Nord. She had some exciting news to share about heart health, based on a revolutionary Swedish study! If you haven’t had a chance to pick up our Autumn 2018 issue yet, click here to find your local stockist, or here to subscribe to the magazine.
Health Boosting Nutrients
Revolutionary study gives hope for heart health
by Aisling Cronin
Pharma Nord is a Nutritional Supplement Brand renowned for its revolutionary approach to nutritional support. Its high grade supplements are backed by rigorous scientific research, which documents their products’ safety and superior bio-availability (which, in laymen’s terms, refers to how easily absorbed they are). Pharma Nord’s research database contains over 9,000 scientific studies which serve to inform their impressive product development program. To date, more than 300 scientific studies involving Pharma Nord products have been published, one of the most striking being the KiSel-10 study, carried out in Sweden.
I spoke to Sinead Mitchell, Product Trainer for Healthcare Professionals at Pharma Nord to learn more.
‘The KiSel-10 study was a five-year, placebo-controlled, randomised double-blind study,’ Sinéad explained. ‘Two Pharma Nord products were used in the study: Q10 and Selenium. While there has been a lot of research done about the benefits of selenium for heart health, and the benefits of Q10 for heart health – when taken separately – there wasn’t a lot of research out there investigating the relationship between them, or the potential impact of their combination, which was the primary focus of the KiSel-10 research. The KiSel-10 trial was carried out in a small town in Sweden, with Swedish citizens who were aged 70 to 88. 443 participants took part, making it a very rigorous trial.’
The aim of the study was to observe how Selenium and Q10, when taken together, would affect participants’ heart health. Participants were divided into two groups. One group were administered 200 milligrams of BioActive Q10 Gold every morning, combined with 200 micrograms of BioActive Selenium, while another placebo group did not receive either supplement. Once the five-year study was complete, the results amazed researchers: those receiving the Q10 and Selenium combination were shown to have a 54% reduced risk of mortality through cardiovascular disease.
‘In addition to the reduced risk of mortality measured by the KiSel-10 study over the five years, positive effects could also be seen in all of the inflammatory markers, which are used to measure heart health,’ Sinéad revealed. ‘In fact, in many cases, the supplementation eased the inflammatory markers to a point lower than would be considered ‘normal’ for the participants’ age group, which is fantastically encouraging.’
The KiSel-10 study is now referenced extensively in a number of leading health and scientific journals, including the European Journal For Clinical Nutrition. An additional fourteen further studies have since been pulled from the original KiSel-10 data, as health professionals seek to gather even more insight into the heart-protecting effects of long-term Selenium and Q10 supplementation.
It has been known for decades that Q10 – particularly when consumed in the high grade form, ubiquinol – is a very powerful nutrient, so the KiSel-10 study results, demonstrating the immense impact of both Q10 and Selenium on heart health, are not all that surprising.
Coenzyme Q10 (as it is formally known) is a natural, vitamin-like compound that all cells require in order to produce energy. Levels of this nutrient peak in our twenties and decline from that point onward. However, the discovery of coenzyme Q10 by American scientists in 1957, and the array of scientific studies done in the interim, has empowered us with a tool to potentially prevent this ‘energy drop’ from taking place. Selenium, too, has long been known for its incredible immune-boosting qualities. However it appears that these two nutrients have an even more powerful potential when used in combination.
Based on the promising results of the KiSel-10 study, it seems that long-term consumption of these vital nutrients could have the power to unlock new potential for longevity and improved health.
September Vibes: Autumnal Delights Ahead
September Salutations: Good news, Positive Lifers – we have just released our Autumn 2018 issue, and it’s a cracker: filled to the brim with inspiring and thought-provoking content from our regular contributors, invigorating health tips and an exclusive interview with Marianne Williamson. You can pick up your copy in one of our stockists throughout the country, or subscribe here to get a copy delivered right to your door. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most enticing holistic happenings, products and events we’ve picked out for you this month! We are giving away FIVE TICKETS to the Vitality Expo on our Facebook page today, with the winner announced in the afternoon – click here to read all about it.
Dive into Ireland’s Ancient Energies
Next week, we are thrilled to welcome the acclaimed seer, mystic and author Tantra Maat to Positive Nights. On Wednesday September 12th, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m., Tantra will join us in the Central Hotel, 1-5 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2. She will discuss the powerful energies present within Ireland, and how they can be utilised to advance the awakening of the Earth. Click here for tickets and further information.
Look Out For These Amazing Beeswax Cloths, Coming Soon
Looking for a convenient way to reduce your plastic consumption? Seidi Salomonson and Marit Nyhuis, who are planning to set up a new beeswax wraps business called PLOT, explain that they liked the idea of beeswax wraps so much, “we started making them ourselves about a year ago.” Marit says, “The main idea was to start using less plastic and clingfilm, and use these instead as much as possible. We buy our pure beeswax from a lady in the next town who has her own bees, so we know where it’s coming from.” Curious? Email Marit at firehorse.66@hotmail.com to learn more.
Marianne Williamson to Hold Seminar in Dublin
Marianne Williamson’s phenomenal work in the field of spirituality and self-development speaks for itself: seven out of her twelve published books have been New York Times bestsellers. Marianne will be speaking in Ireland on Wednesday October 10th 2018, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Co. Dublin. For tickets and further information, follow this Seminars.ie link. To read a sneak peek of our interview with Marianne, just click here.
New Company Offers Super-Charged Turmeric Powder
Recently, the health-enhancing benefits of turmeric have become more widely known. It can reduce inflammation, fight against free radicals, and even boost brain health. Turmerix is a new company that specialises in producing high-quality, fast-acting turmeric powder. This powder also contains an “X-blend” of supporting spices and herbs: cinnamon, coconut powder, green tea, liquorice, kelp, fennel, vanilla, aniseed, caraway, ginger, clove, cardamon and more.
Kangen Water®: Health-Boosting Hydration
Water is an essential component of our daily lives. However, with concerns growing about the range of pollutants and chemical residue that can be found in tap water supplies and bottled water, many people are searching for an alternative to put their minds at ease. Kangen Water® (a.k.a. electrolysed reduced water [ERW], or hydrogen water) begins as tap water. An Enagic® machine filters out chlorine and other impurities from the tap water, then separates the hydrogen and oxygen through a process known as electrolysis. Email adeline@kangenwaterforlife.ie to learn more!
Vitality Expo Hits Dublin This Weekend
This weekend – Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th of September – Dublin’s RDS will play host to the amazing Vitality Expo 2018, brought to you by Health Stores Ireland. The Expo will be dedicated to all things health-related, with a diverse array of wellness, lifestyle, fitness and nutrition talks being delivered by Irish and international speakers and natural health brands. All talks will be hosted by nutritional therapist Jemma Kehoe. The Expo will also boast a Food & Cookery Stage, an outdoor entertainment area, and of course, a vast array of stands, featuring some of Ireland’s established and upcoming brands. Click here to enter our competition for FIVE FREE TICKETS.
Nature’s Answer
Chlorella’s age-defying magic
by Kumiko Kumagai
However hard we try, we’ll never be able to turn back the clock and get back the looks and figure we had when we were younger. However, nature may have the ability to slow things down as we move forward in life, though this help might come in a rather unusual form…
Chlorella is a type of green algae that grows in fresh water. This can be harvested and dried to create a superfood. Those in the know have been taking chlorella for a number of years for its reputed health benefits. Recent scientific research has helped to back up these claims. It appears nature really has provided us with a means to help us look and feel at least a little bit younger.
Scientists have found that chlorella may have an ability to prevent the breakdown of a substance in skin called elastin. As its name suggests, ‘elastin’ is what gives our skin its elasticity. As we get older we begin to lose elastin, which is what causes wrinkles to form. By helping to prevent the breakdown of elastin, it is believed that chlorella may have the ability to keep wrinkles at bay.
Research has also shown that chlorella could have a role to play in helping to reduce weight gain. A protein found in the algae appears able to reduce the increase in size of the body’s fat cells, which is normally seen when eating a diet high in fat.