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There’s a parable of sorts, a metaphor maybe, about a donkey. The donkey in the tale is stuck. He is both ravaged with thirst and famished with hunger and he is equidistant between the water trough and the hay bale. The donkey in this tale of woe was proposed by Jean de Buridan, and is indeed named after him – the Buridan Donkey. He proposes that, disabled by indecision, the donkey becomes stuck and doesn’t know whether to satiate his hunger or quench his thirst. As a consequence, he dies. Stuck between a rock and a hard place!
It has amazed me, in a really positive way, how during lockdown many people have taken up exercise. The streets around where we live are positively strewn with people who I’ve never seen out running, cycling, or walking before. We walk the dog several times a day and I run regularly so you get used to the faces and lots of these faces are new. Turns out all it took was a pandemic, a lock down, and a suggestion from the Prime Minister (…well he has to be good for something!) to motivate people to get out and exercise. It’s great! If only someone had nudged the donkey one way or the other (probably towards the water first!) the donkey would still be alive. (Disclaimer: to my knowledge no real donkeys were harmed during this thought experiment!)
How many times is it like that for us? We want to get on with something, yet we don’t, we procrastinate. We find other things to do. Easier things. We talk about this in our recently published book How to Thrive in Professional Practice. Here’s an excerpt that talks about this idea from the chapter on motivation:
Steel (in Levitin, 2015 ) says we procrastinate because, in the moment, we have a low tolerance for frustration – so if something appears difficult, we will tend to put it off. When we do initiate a task, we tend to choose the easiest tasks rather than the ones that will give us the greatest reward in the long term. He suggests that there are two problems with the human mind. First, we think life should be easy, so we have a tendency to put off difficult things and, second, our self- worth is bound up in our success. If something looks like it is going to be difficult and there’s a risk we might not do it well then we put off doing it. There’s an obvious link here to Deci and Ryan’s idea of mastery that we’ve just considered.
(Mordue et al, 2020, pg. 127)
…..always wanted to do that! First time I have! Yay!
Picking up where that paragraph leaves off Deci and Ryan are talking about achieving flow, and the three things they say we need to achieve flow are Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose. When we don’t have these things we may not be able to get into flow or even get started with the task to hand and will procrastinate and put the task off. “You may delay, but time will not”, as Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said.
So, what can you do….
There’s more in the book 😉 [Buy your copy here!]
The key points are:
If Mastery is the issue, if you feel unable to complete the task then seek advice. Don’t put off. Go to someone who can help you. It seems simple but we don’t do it because we don’t want to look incapable. But how more incapable do we look when we do a poor job. Go and ask someone. Then, be in control of your development. Explore what you need to do with others, ask for help, and figure out if you need some training.
If Autonomy is the problem, then explore where you do have control. Some things are outside of our control, but we still need to do them (more below under Purpose). Some things are completely under our control – do I do this now or later (see the same bit below under Purpose!). Some things are not fully under our control, but we have influence. The influence is where we have control. “Do I have to do this now or can I make a case that it would be better done at another time?” (See the same bit below under Purpose!!!) The secret, Stoic philosophy would tell us, is to focus on the bit you can control and as Massimo Pigliucci (in video presentation I watched recently on iai.tv) said “bet your happiness on those things”. We have no choice other than to take the stuff we don’t control just as it comes, because, well, we can’t control it. (Note: This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t challenge the status quo…. That would fall under the category using our influence which is completely under our control… but it might not get you anywhere…. But don’t stop trying… in the meantime you have to accept it….)
If Purpose is the problem, then be aware it’s often a problem for us all. So, don’t beat yourself up. Our lazy brains (see Chapter 8 in the book for a layman’s summary, or ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman for a comprehensive view from the master!) like easy things so we don’t see the advantage of doing something right now that’s difficult that doesn’t need to be done right now. We prefer to do something easy. The problem is that if we don’t do those things that are due in the future, they eventually become due today, and we’re left manning the panic stations and feeling stressed. You need to accept that long term gains are more important that short term gains. Imagine it’s Monday and something is due on Friday, and you do it on Monday, and on Thursday your boss says, “don’t forget I need that report tomorrow”. And you say “yes, no problem”, because it’s done!! Of course, you don’t tell them it’s done… you play the office game. Because if you tell them it’s done then they’ll start giving you shorter timescales…. Ssshhhh just saying 😉
So, if you have the time, do it now.
Don’t put it off simply because it’s not due for a while. This, for me, is where I really started feeling in control of my work. If I had a due date, I set myself my own due date which was before the actual date and I aimed for that. And once I started getting things done in that way not much ever crept up on me.
There are other things you can do to help!
The “How to Eat an Elephant” idea of breaking down big tasks into smaller tasks
The 2-minute rule that gets small tasks done
….and others, that, you guessed it, we cover in the book 😉
Recommended Reading:
Daniel Kahneman Thinking, Fast and Slow
Massimo Pigliucci How to be a Stoic
Daniel Levitin The Organised Mind
And obviously!
Mordue, Watson, and Hunter How to Thrive in Professional Practice
It might surprise you to find that I’m not going to tell you much about how to start work… although I will end up there. This is because what you do before you start your work day is so important no matter where you are working but at this time of ‘lockdown’ it feels doubly important to get the start of the day right. Like it or not having to work in a new way will bring additional anxiety and stress. So here we go..
Get up at the same time you normally would.
Keeping a regular bed time and a regular getting up time fuels good sleep. You should have a pattern that you sustain 7 days a week and should aim to go to bed between 10 and 10.30 and get up between 6 and 6.30. These times are in tune with your body’s natural rhythm. There’s a real risk that in avoiding the commute you use the time to sleep later. This isn’t good for you and there are some much better things you can do to set yourself up for the day.
Make your bed
Small wins are powerful motivators. Every small thing you achieve gives you a little dopamine hit (our feel good chemical) so starting your day by achieving making your bed gets you off to a good start. Also, when it comes to bed time and you go to climb into a nicely made bed it is a satisfying feeling. It will take you a couple of minutes and means you’ve started your day by completing your first task.
Avoid your phone
Don’t start your day with your devices. To be honest I wouldn’t normally say this. I usually have a check of facebook and twitter early in my day, but, at the moment, working from home, you are likely to be locked to tech all day in Teams meetings or replying to emails, and the like. Tech drains us. Eradicate unnecessary tech to avoid tired eyes and a tired brain. Set yourself a little time aside to indulge yourself in the latest meme at the end of the day.
Exercise
I know for definite that if I start the day with some light physical activity it sets me up for the day. I know that I feel more switched on, alert, and able to get into flow. It doesn’t have to be a great deal. I do two things on a morning. I go through a yoga stretching routine to wake my body up and then take the dog for a brisk walk. It will energise you. Also, getting outside on a morning, if you can do so safely at the minute, sets in motion a process that ends with a good nights sleep. The exposure to daylight early in the day sets off a biological process that ends with quality shut eye.
Eat and hydrate
Start with a good breakfast. If you’re having trouble fitting everything in make some overnight oats the night before and then all you do is grab them from the fridge and you’re sorted. But really how long does it take to make some toast or have some cereal. Start the day with something.
Try to get a glass of water in early as you dehydrate while you are asleep. I always have coffee early on a morning. Just go careful with how much you drink as you will have a coffee slump later on. Avoid managing the coffee slump with more coffee. I have two coffee slots first thing in the morning and early after lunch. Strategic coffee drinking! Outside of these times if I feel like reaching for a coffee I go for water and a quick walk – even just around the house. I find, if nothing else, it distracts me, and often hydrating with the water takes the craving away. It’s so important to keep hydrated during the day. Have a glass of water every hour or so or keep a bottle on your desk and sip it.
Get dressed
It’s so easy to slip into something comfortable working from home. Or even to stay in your PJ’s if you’ve got no video calls to make. Don’t. get showered and get ready. Routine is everything. We may be having to establish new routines but establish them we must! We thrive on routine. We give babies and children routine because we know it works. Here’s the thing… when those babies and children turn into adults they thrive on routine too! Getting dressed also signals ‘ready to work’. You will feel much better, you will feel professional, you’ll feel ready to go. I do have a compromise personally which is that I still wear my regulation v-neck black t-shirt, but, instead of my regulation black jeans I’m wearing a smart pair of joggers. I’m still getting ready but enjoying the comfort. And fella’s have a shave. There’s nothing worse than a video conference with some stubbly fella. And I mean you fella’s with beards as well…. nows your chance… shave it off… you do know these beards are going to be viewed in the same way as the mullet is in 20 years time don’t you 😉 …I digress ?
And now you’re ready to start work….
But before you do that – before you go near those emails – two things
Set your goals – Visualise your day
Open up your dairy and think about what you want to achieve today. Setting your intention promotes motivation and overcomes procrastination. Visualise what a successful day looks like. Experience yourself completing tasks and having effective video meetings. Picture yourself ticking things off your ‘to-do’s’. And watch yourself as you close your laptop and move away from work and embark on a lovely evening. There is real power in this – give it a go.
Now you can start work…….
Go get ’em!
Stephen’s book, written with Lisa Watson and Steph Hunter is due out in early May and is called “How to Thrive in Professional Practice”.
Available here https://www.criticalpublishing.com/how-to-thrive-in-professional-practice
for pre order (due out 5th May 2020)
The book is an engaging yet undemanding read, and pulls together the various individual strains of self-care, spirituality and common sense, housing them under one external literary jacket, in a ‘whole system’ approach. A one stop ‘bible’ to give social workers and other professionals an uncomplicated, easy to read, go to resource that empowers them to manage and maintain their wellbeing through personal responsibility and self-care.
This is huge isn’t it? This thing that we’re going through at the moment. This huge transformation of how things work and how we go about our business. As someone who loves to write about how we can look after ourselves, how we can self-care, I have found myself at a loss to write anything. “What do I know?” is how I have felt.
Starting to read a new book this morning (Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb) I was struck by some things he said which resonated for me (and I’ve only read the prologue!!). Here they are:
“…ones personal experience gives the stamp of authenticity and sincerity of opinion” (p. 15). This is indeed true. If you haven’t lived it how can you write about it.
“I write with my scars, hence my thought is inseparable from autobiography” (p.18). So true. In explaining how things are, and how they might be, you have to weave them into your story. We have gone to great pains in our book to tell a story and offer advice that only includes things we have tried for ourselves when it comes to self-care, well-being, and emotional regulation. That’s why I’ve not written anything yet about ‘lockdown’ and how to thrive in it.
Also, there are too many variables. I am in very fortunate position of not being on the ‘frontline’ like lots of social workers and social work students I know, and have not lost my livelihood as a consequence of the current circumstances. I can largely do my job from home and my family are safe and well. I feel very lucky and humbled by the stories of those who must, and do, continue to go about their roles to maintain some semblance of order for the rest of us.
What do you write in such dire circumstances when you haven’t experienced the circumstances for yourself? I did what I usually do when there’s something I don’t know about; I turned to the books and read, while I experienced personally and vicariously what was going on to try and make sense of our predicament.
It’s strange what you are drawn to at such times. In the same way as ‘rubber-neckers’ can’t resist looking at the car crash I turned firstly to The Plague by philosopher and writer Albert Camus, and discovered by a quirk of fate the writings of Martha Gellhorn in her collection of articles The Face of War covering her time as a journalist from the Second World War to, and beyond, the Vietnam War, and what I discovered fascinated me.
I was delighted in Camus’ fictional narrative to see him write, “…one easily passes the time away when one has routine”. And there was my first indication of what I came to conclude about where we are now, namely, my insistence that routine is everything. What you do in the morning sets you up for the day, how productive you are during your day depends on how you have planned, and planning thrives on routine, and your evening should have routine, a rhythm if you prefer, that prepares you for sleep through activities of recuperation that in turn prepares you for the next day. Everything may well have changed in your environment but you still need to give yourself the security of a routine. That’s important.
The story in The Plague followed a familiar narrative as what unfolds followed what I had seen unfolding, to one degree or another, across the first month or so of the Covid19 experience. “Pestilence”, he says, “is very common, but we find it hard to believe in a pestilence when it descends upon us” (p.30), was reminiscent of those who said early on that this would all just ‘blow over’. The story unfolds of more deaths, of temporary morgues, and a long term ‘lockdown’. Startlingly similar to the true events of now.
I was also struck by the line, “It is at the moment of misfortune that one becomes accustomed to truth” (p.89). We find ourselves in an age of lies I feel. We lie to ourselves about where the true nature of humanity lies and are lied to, to fuel that, by capitalist advertising and a political ideology that thrives on capitalist and consumerist ideas. ‘You can buy yourself the dream!’ Except, as it turns out, you can’t. Because, as it turns out, there is something bigger than capitalism…. the unexpected. How quickly the pillars of the world we live in have fallen.
Alvin Tofler, in his book Futureshock, predicted that the change of pace he saw in 1970 would continue into the future (our present) and people wouldn’t be unable to keep pace with change. The future, he says, for many ,will have arrived to soon. The world we live in works well for those who have enough but lets down badly those who don’t. Unfortunately we get to personally define, based on what we see and on what we are ‘fed’, what enough is and the trend is that for lots of people they always want more. Enough is never enough. Because once you have what you thought was ‘enough’ it is not enough any more. You want the next enough to satisfy yourself. So those that don’t have and those that think they don’t have need (in the case of the former) and want (in the case of the later) more. And we get sold the dream of having more and when we don’t get it we can feel we’ve failed in some way. ‘Ordinary’ and ‘normal’ aren’t good enough in this world. Except they are. And there’s nothing wrong with either. In stopping trying to strive for more than we need we may find we have everything we need. That would be great and very privileged place to inhabit.
Gellhorn (p.95) says about the English, “when they are really up against it their negative qualities turn positive, in a glorious somersault. Slowness, understatement, complacency change into endurance, a refusal to panic, and pride, the begetter of self-discipline”. How much we need some of that war time transformation now! She is writing this during the Second World War and, for me, this transformation is so lacking in the panic buying of toilet rolls (of all things), in the ‘how am I going to survive not getting my nails done’, or, ‘how am I going to manage without getting to the pub’, mentality we have seen so early on.
The people Gellhorn is writing about have endured years of war, bombing, fear, and uncertainty. Yet, here we are, in the triumphant age of self, where what I want to do is more important than the need of the many, flailing about with a complete lack of fortitude only days and weeks into this set of circumstances. Where did it all go wrong? When did we become lacking in back bone and balanced thought?
When Camus says, and I repeat for you, “It is at the moment of misfortune that one becomes accustomed to truth”, it leads me to think, I hope that in these difficult times we have something of a reset where people reevaluate what is important to them, their truth. Because in doing so we can maybe reconnect with the reality of the human condition, begin to look after ourselves, our families, and our communities and off-set some of the damage done as a consequence of the 60’s ‘self revolution’ reinforced by the political ideology of the 80’s to the present day.
Taleb (p.20) defines 3 positions in which he suggest’s all things exist and into which I feel our emotional responses fit. He suggests things are either fragile, robust, or antifragile. ‘Fragile’ needs tranquility and certainty. The reality is there is little of that in the world at any time, and less now. The ‘robust’ position defines (in my interpretation) someone who is resilient. Someone who is able to cope with the ebb and flow of life, who is buffeted by the wind, and stays strong. The antifragile position that Taleb proposes moves beyond this and suggests that the antifragile actually grow in disorder and benefit from it and volatility. Resilience (again in my interpretation) is enhanced by being confronted by such uncertainty and the consequences of it.
This falls neatly in line, I feel, with Goleman’s triad of emotional styles (from Emotional Intelligence: Why it matters more than IQ). Taleb’s fragile correlates to Goleman’s ‘engulfed’. People who have an emotional style of ‘engulfed’ are easily swamped by their emotions and are helpless to escape them. They are emotionally fragile. Some people are ‘robust’ which aligns with Goleman’s style of ‘accepting’. Such people accept their emotions and are clear about what they are feeling but don’t try to change. They don’t try to move on and develop from their emotional reference points. Those who are ‘antifragile’ are those who align to ‘self-aware’ in Goleman’s model. They are aware of their emotions and have a sophisticated response to them. They understand their inner responses to the external vagaries of life and know how to manage them. Such people, Goleman says, are usually autonomous individuals who understand their boundaries, have a positive outlook on life and are in good psychological health.
I find that those people who are ‘self-aware’, competent pilots of their own lives, as Goleman puts it, tend to be those who take seriously self-care, reflection, and the development of their inner-selves through mindfulness and meditation. Self-care is about understanding the impact of sleep, what you eat, and exercise on your emotional, as well as your physical self. Reflection is about taking time out, journalling maybe, and considering what you have done, why you did it, and what you might want to do next. Not overthinking, not dwelling on things unnecessarily, but rather taking charge of your thinking about your actions and responses and dealing with how you feel about how you feel (or felt!)… and then moving on from it. Meditation can give you time out to aid recovery and there are many ways to meditate. I like to meditate ‘on’ something (more here). Put into my head an idea or a problem and spend some time with it, turning it over, examining it, trying to conclude something about it. This in many ways is mindfulness. Dedicating yourself to a task to the exclusion of everything else. Focussing on one thing at a time in an effort to get something done. People who do one thing at a time with focussed concentration tend to get things done.
Stay in control. Learn to take charge of your emotions.
Control them rather than have them control you.
That’s the starting point for navigating yourself through these current times whatever your personal position.
And as we seem to becoming fond of saying, and rightly so…. Stay safe.
Stephen’s book, written with Lisa Watson and Steph Hunter is due out in early May and is called “How to Thrive in Professional Practice”. The book is an engaging yet undemanding read, and pulls together the various individual strains of self-care, spirituality and common sense, housing them under one external literary jacket, in a ‘whole system’ approach. A one stop ‘bible’ to give social workers and other professionals an uncomplicated, easy to read, go to resource that empowers them to manage and maintain their wellbeing through personal responsibility and self-care.
Since starting out on my spiritual journey, I have become much more aware of the moon, her cycles and how it impacts upon my sleep pattern and moods. I frequently find myself saying to people, “everything that happens up there, (space), affects us lot down here, (on earth)”.
The Moon
Space Facts (2019) claims the moon is said to have been formed 4.6 billion years ago, approx. 30–50 million years after the formation of the solar system. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth meaning the same side is always facing the Earth and is the earths only natural satellite, (Ibid).
The gravitational pull of the moon and earth is well known to be responsible for the rise and fall of the sea tides, (Byrd, 2019). The human body, depending upon sex and age is made up of between 50-75% water, (Helmenstine, 2019). So, when you think about it, if the moon can affect large bodies of water the size of oceans, rivers, lakes, then surely there is some truth in how we as humans can be affected also?
The Latin name for the moon is ‘Luna’. ‘Lunaticus’ means moon struck and is said to be the term associated with lunatic, the archaic name given to those who were seen to be mentally unstable, dangerous or foolish by those professing to be in the know. Folklore often have us believe the moon can make people shapeshift into a wolf on the night of a full moon following a bite or scratch from another werewolf.
Moon and Criminality
A study in 1984 by Thakur and Sharma into whether the moon really does influence people’s moods, making them more aggressive, found criminality was ‘likely’ to increase on nights with a full moon. Another study by Calver et al in 2009 also suggests the full moon was responsible for a rise in violent and acute behavioural disturbance resulting in a 23% increase in admissions to psychiatric facilities. The same study suggests this is twice as many as other moon phases. This research is contradicted by Rahula et al in 2019 following their analysis of the data of 17,966 individuals treated at 15 different psychiatric wards over 10 years, which claims there is no evidence of increased aggression due to a full moon.
So, while aggressive or criminal behaviour is still very much open for debate, research by Wehr, (2018), claims to have discovered correlations between the moon’s orbital cycles and mood cycles of 17 patients with bipolar Disorder. Tung, (201) explains Psychiatrist Tom Wehr’s research is said to have stemmed as far back as the 1970’s when he was a young researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health. Wehr noticed patients with bipolar appeared to alternate between mania and depression in a rapid manner, with an almost bi-monthly shift between depression and mania.
Taking a longitudinal study approach across 20 research subjects, Wehr tracked biological variables such as; diet, sleep patterns, hormones, motor activity, bloodwork and moods. Wehr put forward various thoughts, but when his subject’s mania appeared to last for around 3-4 weeks with a switch to depression lasting the same length of time soon after, he began to take a closer look at a possible link between moon cycles and her gravitational pull on the earth’s oceans.
Spring and Neap Tides
Time and Date.com (2020) explain tides follow a lunar day, said to be 24 hours and 50 mins with a move from high to low tide every half a lunar day. This means we have high and low tides twice daily. High and low tides differ depending upon whether the moon is new or full, as it is this point when they are simultaneously aligned with the tides created by the sun and Earth.
Together the gravitational forces of both solar and luna tides pull the ocean’s water in the same direction. Effectively these tides are stronger and are known as Spring Tides, (nothing to do with the season). The gravitational force of the lunar tide and solar tides are at their lowest around the half-moon point of the lunar cycle. Tides at this point are known as Neap Tides.
Conclusion
Wehr suggested the circadian rhythm of sleep, which is traditionally linked to the solar day, (24 hours) slowed down in his bi-polar subjects and they became more attuned to the luna day, (24 hours and 50mins). This moved their circadian rhythm of sleep from the solar to the luna day, meaning they became more in tune with luna tides than solar tides. In essence suggesting spring tides are the stronger celestial phenomena and can cause an increase in mania, whilst the neap tides are not as powerful resulting in a slump in mood.
Either way, I know I tend to feel more energised when the moon is close to earth, (new moon) and tend to have an energy slump around a full moon when the moon is furthest away from earth.
By Lisa Watson
References
Avery, D. H. and Wehr, T.A. (2018) Synchrony Of Sleep‐Wake Cycles With Lunar Tidal Cycles In A Rapid‐Cycling Bipolar Patient https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bdi.12644
Byrd, D, (2019) Tides, And The Pull Of The Moon And Sun https://earthsky.org/earth/tides-and-the-pull-of-the-moon-and-sun
Calver, L. A., Stokes, B. J. and Isbister, G. K. (2009) The Dark Side Of The Moon in Medical Journal of Australia, 2009; 191 (11): 692-694. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/191/11/dark-side-moon
Helmenstine, A. M. Ph.D. (2019), How Much Of Your Body Is Water? The Percentage Of Water In The Human Body Varies By Age And Gender https://www.thoughtco.com/how-much-of-your-body-is-water-609406
Moon Facts, (2019) https://space-facts.com/the-moon/
Rahula, G., Nolan, D.R., Bux, D.A. and Schneeberger A. R. (2019) Is It The Moon? Effects Of The Lunar Cycle On Psychiatric Admissions, Discharges And Length Of Stay in Swiss Medical Weekly. 2019;149: w20070 https://smw.ch/article/doi/smw.2019.20070/
Thakur, C.P and Sharma, D. (1984), Full Moon And Crime in British Medical Journal, 1984; 289(6460): 1789–1791.
The Moon’s Effect on Ocean Tides (2020) https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/tides.html
Tung, L, (2019), Does the Mon affect Bipolar Disorder https://whyy.org/segments/could-the-moon-really-be-affecting-our-moods/
Wehr, T.A. (2018) Bipolar Mood Cycles And Lunar Tidal Cycles in Molecular Psychiatry, 2018 Apr; 23(4): 923–931. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5524624/
Sometimes the penny drops and you think… I’ve been thinking that all along but had never really thought of it as clearly as that.
Meditation is not an easy thing to get ‘right’. Whatever ‘right’ is. We are generally told that it’s about clearing your mind of everything, focussing on your breath and nothing else. But, if you’re like me things just keeping pushing to get in. I applaud myself for 20 seconds of thinking of nothing because to be honest that is me doing well!
Then there are others who say just let the thought come, acknowledge it, and then let it go. Ah right! Ok! Except in acknowledging it I have a 10 minute internal dialogue where I over think and debate it with myself. Is that what you mean when you say acknowledge it? I suspect not.
And then we drift into mindfulness. Put simply immersing yourself in a single thing, an activity, or a thought, at the expense of everything else. This is a great thing to do. It lends itself to single-tasking which we know works better than multi-tasking and it creates flow that we know improves our productivity (more on single tasking and flow soon). Sometimes it’s not about thinking about something though but rather it is about experiencing something. For example the physical experience of being in shower, the smell of the soap, the feeling of the water, the warmth. So mindfulness can operate in many modes.
Harari, in his great book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, was telling me about Siddhartha Gautama, the central figure and originator of Buddhism. Harari tells his story and while doing so says “He spent six years meditating on the essence, causes and cures for human anguish”. And there it was. Just a small word. But a small word that in reading it made me think about meditation in a different way. He meditated ‘on’. It doesn’t say – he cleared his mind and waited for magical things to appear to him. It doesn’t say he settled in quietly to think of nothing. It say’s he meditated ‘on’.
Now, turns out, I meditate ‘on’ all of the time. When I’m walking the dog I’m thinking through a knotty issue I’m trying to resolve. When I’m lying on my shakti mat I mull over a lecture I’m about to deliver and think about the best way to explain something. When I’m out for a run I think about running and how it makes me feel. I’m not thinking of nothing but I am thinking of something deeply, reflectively, mostly to the exclusion of other things. So, something like meditation but equally akin to mindfulness.
This feels like Reflection. Reflection is a key component of being a competent pilot of your life as Daniel Goleman puts it in ‘Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ’. He says that those who acknowledge, learn about, and control their emotions have a sophisticated response to them. Meditation (and mindfulness) help us manage our responses to things. Thinking things through in a meditative way can help us consider our responses to life’s events and challenges meaning we respond from our thinking selves rather than our emotional selves. When we respond to things from our emotional self we can sometimes find we have made poor decisions. Knee jerk reactions.
If meditating is about anything it is about creating ourselves space and time to meditate ‘on’ the challenges of what life presents to us. To do so will mean we formulate a meaningful and elegant response rather than a rash one.
Take care
Stephen
Earlier this week I was talking to a group of final year students at the University where I work about self care. They are currently entering their final stages of their undergraduate degree, on placement, writing dissertations, and balancing all of that with family and personal life. I mentioned the importance of exercise and one student rightly observed, “how am I meant to fit exercise in when I have so much to do!?” This got me thinking over the following days, “How do you fit self-care in when you have many things demanding your time?” I began to ponder how much self care can you get away with?
This has dominated my thoughts for the last few days. The problem here is that if you encourage people to do just enough then they’ll do just enough. The Chief Medical Officer in the UK, writing about how much exercise is enough, rightly says, “some is good, more is better”. I’m reminded of the zen adage that you should spend 20 minutes in meditation every day unless you are too busy to do so. In which case you should spend an hour in meditation! That’s because, if you have a colossal amount to do then you need the gains from effective self care more than someone who doesn’t have much to do.
I spent the last few months of 2019 incredibly busy. I looked back through my diary in early January of 2020 and noticed that not a day had gone by between mid September and mid December where I hadn’t done some sort of work for at least a few hours every day, even weekends. My self-care did suffer. But, I maintained a level of self care that meant I remained productive. I had to! there was so much to do! So that got me thinking that maybe there is a minimal level you should engage in to ensure that you get through, remain well, and stay focussed and productive. Maybe there is a baseline that you shouldn’t drop below until you reach a point where you can do more. “Some is good, more is better”.
My journey to understand how exercise, nutrition, sleep and being organised improve productivity has led me to conclude that if you don’t get these things right consistently your mental and physical well-being will suffer. Not might. Will. So…. can just enough ever be enough?
Dr Ranjan Chatterjee (author of the The Four Pillar Plan – that explores well-being) refers to exercise as a gateway habit. If we can establish exercise as a routine then we will be able to establish routines in other places. Exercise can be uncomfortable and hard going but if we can apply ourselves to it then it helps us drive ourselves to manage other challenges that make us feel uncomfortable. It helps us manage our stress response. Exercise though is merely a subset of being ‘physically active’. We don’t need to be gym bunnies or marathon runners for physical activity to have a positive impact on our well being and productivity.
The Chief Medical Officer recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. That’s just over 20 minutes per day. Are you telling me you can’t achieve that? Park the car and walk the long way to the office – 5 to 10 minutes. Walk back to the car at the end of the day the same way – 5 to 10 minutes. Take a lunch break and walk outside for 15 minutes (and have something to eat away from the desk). That’s easily more than 20 minutes. Add in things like getting up from your desk and walking to a colleagues office to talk to them rather than phoning them and you’re upping your step count. If you want to do ‘more’ and improve your response, you can do more by doing less. You could aim for 75 minutes of vigorous activity, also recommended by the Chief Medical Officer in the UK. That’s just over half an hour twice a week, or just over 1 (that’s one, ‘1’, uno) gym session per week. You can achieve enough moderate exercise as I describe above to off-set the 15 minutes vigorous exercise you are short by doing maybe 30 minutes of gentle exercise over the week. So, a combination of vigorous and moderate exercise to hit the target.
The benefits are huge. Exercise ‘burns off’ the cortisol and adrenaline that are your bodies response to stress. Too much of these hormones in your body, over the long term, cause serious health problems. In fact excessive cortisol has been linked to depression. Exercise generates the production of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine which makes us feel good. Dopamine is the brains reward system and fuels motivation and drive. You will work more productively as a consequence. These levels are increased after just one bout of vigorous exercise and to a lesser extent after moderate exercise, but still elevated nevertheless.
But there’s something else… Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), is a protein that stimulates the production of new brain cells and strengthens existing ones. When you release BDNF it helps grow brand new brain cells and pathways. High levels of BDNF makes you learn faster and remember better. BDNF also increases your brain’s plasticity – it’s ability to adapt. When you face stressful situations BDNF protects brain cells and helps them come back stronger. Exercise naturally raises levels of BDNF in your body. Cardiovascular exercise is best and, while a one-off session does no harm, BDNF increases more effectively with regular engagement in exercise.
So, how much exercise is enough. What’s the minimum you can get away with? The answer is in what you have just read. 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, per week. This level of exercise may well be sufficient to maintain your well-being in the short term but…. Some is good, more is better.
The other two elements of the self-care triangle, sleep and nutrition, I feel, are largely non negotiable. You need to eat. But you need to make sensible choices. An increasing body of research is showing that you are what you eat. Or at the very least your emotions are driven by what you eat. Your gut biome – the microbes in your gut, have a significant impact on your emotions and emotional reactions. A healthy diet, free from additives and excess sugar, and rooted in fresh produce is best. You can read more here. The office environment can also be a hellish experience of a steady supply of cake and biscuits and busy people tend to grab something to eat on the go and often make poor choices. Planning is everything. You can read more here and get some tips.
Then there’s no getting away from the need for 8 hours sleep. Ideally from about 10/10.30 to 6/6.30. You can read more here and here. But, what I know, because people tell me and I’ve expereinced it myself, is that the ‘churn’ of things to do keeps you awake or has you tossing and turning in the early hours. The secret here for me is having a trusted system – your diary, a spreadsheet, a to-do list – whatever works for you – that captures everything in your sphere of responsibility so that you can go to bed not worried about remembering what you need to do tomorrow. If it’s all in a system somewhere (and I wholeheartedly recommend David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology – it’s what I use) then research has shown that it helps alleviate some, if not all, of the stress associated with what is to do.
Even with such a system it can be difficult to get to sleep when it’s not what is to be done that’s troubling you but rather the emotional content of what you have been involved in or need to be involved in. Meditation helps. Meditation has been shown to improve general feelings of well-being, reduced feelings of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and reduced feelings of job strain in the workplace. Even one session was shown to have a short term impact. When I can’t sleep I try breathing exercises, or I do a body scan. A body scan if a great meditative technique. Start at your toes and tense them then relax them, concentrating on how it feels. And then continue relaxing each part of your body working your way up to your head. When I do this I don’t get as far as my head as I fall asleep. How you prepare for sleep is also important so have a look at the links above. Meditation also increases levels of BDNF (see above on exercise).
Being organised is crucial. A good week needs planning. A good month needs planning. If you plan what you are going to do in detail and write it down either in your calendar or in a journal then you are more likely to do it. I spend some time on a Sunday looking ahead to the following week and thinking about where I can fit exercise in. I spend some time preparing things to leave in the fridge to make food prep for taking lunch to work easy. My back up plan is always to have tins of soup in the cupboard. If I don’t have time to make something I grab a tin of soup chuck it in my bag and that’s lunch sorted (assuming of course you have access to a microwave at work!).
I’m not saying it’s always easy but I do feel there is always a way to maintain at least some level of engagement in things that keep you well and productive. As I often say self care is not a luxury. It has to be a priority. You can only invest in others for so long if you are not investing in yourself. And if you are not investing in yourself through positive habits then you risk not being available to the very people you are trying to support.
It’s not selfish to prioritise yourself.
Now that we’ve got January out of the way it’s time to set some real goals. We’ve moved past the New Year resolutions we’ve probably already forgotten about (!!), we’ve finished off the Christmas sweets, and now we have the rest of the year to go at! Come on!
Here’s 10 things I’m going to do, that you could do too, to make you feel great!
Get outside more
I’ve always ran and cycled a lot. I enjoy a good walk. I’ve set myself the challenge of running, walking and cycling 500 miles this year. I love outside time! And there are great benefits to being outside..
Get lost in the moment
This one is simple. Just experience what is currently happening to you. The water on your skin in the shower, the air passing into and out of your lungs, the taste of the food in your mouth, the song on the radio….. Do any of these things or any others to the exclusion of other thoughts and distractions. The benefits of simply taking some time out to be mindful of a particular thing will reap benefits. Before you know where you are at you might find yourself wanting to try meditation! You never know!
Get more organised
Not matter how organised you are you can always be more organised! Being organised gives you a great sense of control and fuels your well being. As I’m fond of saying – if you don’t control it then it will control you. Try applying the two minute rule or grab a copy of David Allen’s book ‘Getting Things Done’. I’m going to blog about this more (as well as the other things in this list very soon) so ‘stay tuned’ for that. I can tell you, hand on heart, at work and at home my life is so much better for getting myself organised. I can do it better though, especially at home, to make sure I make the most productive use of the time I have. For me time is the most precious commodity we have and we waste it at our peril.
Drink more water
This one should be easy to do surely! How hard can it be to go to the tap and fill a glass up and just drink it! I know!! So why don’t I do it! I even have my phone remind me to drink water every few hours and still I don’t drink enough! Water is refreshing, calorie free, and it’s absolutely crucial for you body to function effectively. So come on! Flush those kidneys and feel great. Read more.
Drink less coffee and alcohol
I don’t know how this one is going to go for me! I love coffee! And I do like the odd tipple on an evening. I read somewhere drinking coffee borrows time from later in the day…. You will crash later and be less productive. And drinking alcohol borrows time from tomorrow as it will affect your sleep and therefore your feeling of well being the next day.
Read for 15 minutes a day
Knowledge is life improving, how could it not be! Reading for 15 minutes a day at an average speed of a page a minute will get you through a 300 page book in 20 days. That will get you through at least 15 books a year. Not a bad start to enhancing your knowledge! And I bet if you get the habit you’ll read more! Add the next thing on the list in and you’ll be amassing information at a fair rate of knots!
Get into more audio books
I said earlier that, for me, time if the most precious of commodities and I want to put as much of it as I can to good use. It takes me 40 minutes to drive to work and the same to get back home. That’s and hour and a half a day. Sometimes I listen to music – that’s a good thing. Sometimes I listen to the news on Radio 4….. but now mostly I listen to audio books and they are great! I get mine through Audible. I pay £7.99 a month and this gets me one credit that I can use to buy any book. The download to my iphone and play through the car stereo seamlessly! The books are anything from 4 to 7 hours long and one lasts me through most of the month when interspersed with other things…. And that’s another 12 books in a year… done! Sorted!
Set small achievable goals
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Several books I’ve read talk about setting achievable goals and some of the models I talk about in some lectures show that breaking down big tasks into smaller steps achieve progressing better than big steps. Problems or projects seem daunting when you just think of the end goal. But if you think of the many small steps and tackle them one at a time you stand more chance of achieving success! My goal for this year is weight loss – more about the steps I’m taking later. I’m currently reading Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results by Stephen Guise where he talks about setting himself the target of doing one sit up a day… that was all! Just one! And he explores where that got him! Worth a read!
Sit quietly from time to time
This is a bit like ‘getting lost in a moment’ but slightly different. Getting lost in a moment can be about getting in grossed in an activity. But sometimes we need to just sit quietly. It could be, but doesn’t need to be, meditation. It could be sitting quietly while clearing your mind but, for me, more than this, sitting quietly can be a time for you to think things though in a calm, focussed way. In the rushing about of modern life our responses are, dare I say, reactionary rather than well though through often. I’m going to sit and experience time just passing in a quiet state from time to time, maybe first thing on a morning…. Now that’s good use of time!
Once a month mix it up
Don’t get into a rut. Of all the things above keep mixing it up. Been out running a lot this month? Then next month go out walking! Been spending quiet time on a morning? Then, for the next month do it on your lunch break… you get the idea. From an exercise point of view your body gets used to what you ask it to do so mixing it up challenges it to ‘re-think’. As for your mind, giving yourself space at different or being in the moment for different experiences will help you understand yourself and what works for you and what will, hopefully, lead you to a greater sense of well-being, a greater sense of inner-peace.
I’m going to try all of these things and I’ll let you know how I get on. Let me know what you get up to!
Are you brushing your teeth twice a day? Are you changing your toothbrush every three or four months? This is what all of the guidance says we should be doing. I suspect most of us are brushing twice a day but wonder if we are all changing our toothbrush as regularly as we should? I know I’m not. It is also recommended that you use a fluoride toothpaste. There’s been a lot of discussion over the years about the inclusion of fluoride and whether it’s necessary. Lisa Watson explores the pros and cons.
Gum Disease, Tooth Decay and Why They are Harmful
Gum Disease is caused by the build-up of a sticky substance on the teeth called Plaque containing bacteria. Through lack of cleaning or not cleaning correctly, plaque can build up and irritate your gums. This leads to bleeding gums, swelling or soreness. Left untreated it can lead to Periodontitis, a condition that affects the ligaments and bones holding your teeth in place. Over time this results in receding gums and loosening of the teeth.
Tooth decay occurs when we eat or drink anything containing sugar. The sugar can react with the bacteria in plaque and form dental acids. These acids can attack the enamel, (the hard protective outer coating of the tooth) and soften the dentine which lies under the enamel of the teeth. This is why it is important we brush our teeth, as if left untreated, acid can create small holes in the enamel called a ‘cavity’. We don’t always know we have tooth decay until we end up with toothache, or sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet things. Bad breath and an unpleasant taste in your mouth may also be indicators.
Left untreated tooth decay can lead to bacteria entering the soft centre of the tooth, called the ‘pulp’. This is where our tooth nerves and blood vessels are contained. In a worst-case scenario, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and infect the heart valves. People with gum disease are more likely to have chronic life-threatening health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Fluoride?
There is controversy around the use of Fluoride these days, with some even suggesting it is added to our water as a means of keeping ‘us’ all submissive to the high powers that be such as our government. So, are we all being poisoned by governing bodies? Not sure! Tell me what you think! Let’s have a debate!! But here’s the facts….
According to Hefferman and Edwards-Lunn, (2018) Fluorine is the element from which Fluoride is derived. Fluorine is found occurring naturally in the air and in water. In addition, Fluorine compounds can be found in everyday products such as non-stick frying pans, dental floss and Prozac. Cafasso, (2018) states Fluoride is also found in cleaning agents and pesticides.
So, why Do We Need Fluoride?
So why on earth do we need fluoride in our toothpaste if it’s a mineral used to make Teflon, steel, and aluminium products?
The NHS, (2018), states Fluoride can be naturally found in our teeth and bones, so argue it is something we already have within our bodies. Fluoride has been scientifically proven to be beneficial to help teeth fight against tooth decay as it is absorbed into the tooth enamel, replenishing lost calcium and phosphorous, which keep teeth hard.
The process is called ‘remineralization’ and helps strengthen teeth and prevent dissolution caused by acid, thereby by stabilising and enhancing the replenishment of minerals caused by gum disease and decay (Hefferman and Edwards-Lunn 2018). It is because of these benefits Sodium Fluoride is an active ingredient in most toothpastes.
So Is Fluoride Harmful?
Our teeth are pretty important to us for many reasons including helping us chew food. If Fluoride is such a good guy for our teeth why does it get so much bad press? For many the issue centres upon the fact Fluoride is a hazardous poison and in large parts of England, UK is added to our water supplies.
The World health Organisation states, “….Fluoride has beneficial effects on teeth at low concentrations in drinking-water, but excessive exposure to fluoride in drinking-water…….can give rise to a number of adverse effects…….These range from mild dental fluorosis to crippling skeletal fluorosis as the level and period of exposure increases…..” (2006: 2). So that sounds pretty nasty, but let’s not panic just yet. I think we need to take a closer look at this water business and see if it’s a bridge too far!
Fluoride And Water
Ground water, surface water and the various rocks and minerals they have been in contact with determines the natural level of fluoride in water. Ocean water contains fluoride at around 1 part per million, according to Hopcraft (2017). Bearing in mind Fluoride is also naturally occurring in the air and even in our food. So, if we obtain fluoride naturally anyway, then why do we need it adding to our water supply?
Artificial Fluoride in Water
A US, dental study in the 1930’s and 1940s by Dean et al (1950) showed lower levels of tooth decay in areas with naturally occurring fluoride in water supply. This led to further studies about adding artificial fluoride to water and swiftly concluded that it was beneficial in the prevention of dental decay, (Lennon, 2006: 759). So surely that’s good news especially when we know how gum disease and dental decay can impact upon our overall health!
Health Implications
There are some quarters of the scientific world who argue prolonged exposure of fluoride such as artificial fluorination of water, can lead to Dental Fluorosis, (visual changes in appearance such as white or brown spots on the teeth) and Skeletal Fluorosis, (joint pain or stiffness – Reddy, 2009).
Some argue fluoride can increase risk of bone cancer, although various studies have been undertaken including one by Blakey et al (2014) here in the UK, which found no clear link.
A study in China suggests children living in areas with higher fluoride exposure can lead to lower IQ levels than those living in areas with lower fluoride exposure (Choi et al, 2012). Again further research is required as the authors admit.
What About Here In The UK?
Between 2005 – 2015 on average 72% of the population received a water supply with a low concentration of fluoride, less than 0.2mg per litre. Hospital admissions for dental decay tooth extractions of children and young people aged 0-19 years were found to be 59% lower in areas with higher fluoride content than those in lower fluorinated areas.
When it comes to skeletal fluorosis, hip fractures in the age groups of 50 to 64 or 65 to 79 age groups showed under the age of 49, fluoride concentrations were associated with lower risk of hip fracture admission. Whilst older adults (80+), fluoride concentrations were associated with a small increase in hip fractures. However, surely other age-related health factors need to be considered. There has also been limited statistical evidence for the rate of Down’s syndrome being higher in fluorinated areas, and evidence of bone cancer in 0-49 year olds, (PHE, 2018).
Conclusion
Whilst the benefits of fluoride in aiding the prevention of dental decay and gum disease seem well established there is a wide range of contradictory information about the overall health benefits, or rather contra-indications, that suggest fluoride is harmful to us in larger doses through addition to our water supplies.
It is interesting the statistics gathered about possible health issues in England in 2018 are taken from a Health Monitoring Report by Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. For me, I would be open minded about the impartiality of such statistics provided by government bodies telling us something is good for us. Once again, it comes down to personal opinion, how you perceive the abundant amount of information, studies and research out there and your moral or ethical viewpoint. The jury is still well and truly out and I think the debate around ‘yes or no’ for Fluoride addition to our water will rumble on for some time to come!
Keep brushing your teeth though!!
The MouthHealth.org website gives us some good advice on technique. Have a look here.
If you would like to check out whether your area has fluoride enhanced water, click this link.
Lisa Watson
References
Blakey, K., Feltbower, R.G., and Parslow, R.C., James, P.W., Gómez Pozo, B., Stiller, C., Vincent, T.J., Norman, P., McKinney, P.A., Murphy, M.F., Craft, A.W., and McNally, R.J. (2014) Is Fluoride A Risk Factor For Bone Cancer? Small Area Analysis Of Osteosarcoma And Ewing Sarcoma Diagnosed Among 0-49-Year-Olds In Great Britain, 1980-2005 in International Journal of Epidemiology. 2014 Feb;43(1):224-34.
Bupa, (2020) Treatments; Gum Disease https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/treatments/gum-disease#periodontitis
Cafasso, J, (2018) What Is Fluoride, and Is It Safe? https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-fluoride
Choi, A.L., Sun, G., Zhang, Y., and Grandjean, P. (2012) Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis in Environmental Health Perspectives. 2012 Oct;120(10):1362-8.
Dean, H.T., Arnold, F.A., Jay, P and Knutson, J.W., (1950), Studies on Mass Control of Dental Caries through Fluoridation of the Public Water Supply in Public Health Reports (1896-1970) Vol. 65, No. 43 (Oct. 27, 1950), pp. 1403-1408
Den Besten P., and Li W, (2011) Chronic Fluoride Toxicity: Dental Fluorosis in Monographs Oral Science, 2011;22:81-96
Harvard health Publishing, (2020) Hidden Dental Dangers That May Threaten Your Whole Body https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/hidden-dental-dangers-that-may-threaten-your-whole-body
Healthy Choices, Water Fluoridation http://www.healthychoices.co.uk/fluoridation.html
Heffernan, M and Edwards-Lunn, T., (2018), A Common Sense Guide To Fluoride, The Great Dental Conspiracy Magnet https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/common-sense-guide-fluoride-great-dental-conspiracy-magnet/
Hopcraft, M. (2017) Four Myths About Water Fluoridation And Why They’re Wrong http://theconversation.com/four-myths-about-water-fluoridation-and-why-theyre-wrong-80669
Lennon, M.A. (2006) One In A Million, The First Trial Of Water Fluoridation in Bulletin of The World Health Organisation, Sept 2006, 84, (9). https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/84/9/05-028209.pdf
NHS 2018 Fluoride https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/
NHS, (2019) Gum Disease https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gum-disease/
NHS, (2019) Tooth Decay https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tooth-decay/
Oral Health Foundation.org Dental Decay https://www.dentalhealth.org/dental-decay
Public Health England, (2018) Water Fluoridation: Health Monitoring Report For England 2018, PHE, London.
Reddy, D.R. (2009) Neurology Of Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis in Neurology India. 2009 Jan-Feb;57(1):7-12.
‘A Proverb Is To Speech What Salt Is To Food’, (unknown author).
When you think about it, what exactly is salt to food? Is it something we need to flavour our food or is it an essential mineral our body needs to function like the well-oiled machine it’s supposed to be? Salt has had quite a bit of bad press over the years from the media so let’s find out more and have a heated debate!!
Why Salt is Bad For Us?
Too much salt in our diet, according to the NHS, (2018) can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke due to a rise in blood pressure. Salt, otherwise known as sodium, according to The World Health Organisation, (2012 pg 2) has a clear link to increased risks of “…..incidental stroke, fatal stroke and fatal coronary heart disease…..”, so their choice of language based upon research gathered suggests salt is very much a bad guy and we need to take serious notice of how much we are consuming.
What exactly is salt?
Consisting of Sodium, (40%) and Chloride, (60%), salt is the common name for Sodium Chloride. Our love affair with salt historically, began when we used salt as a means of preserving food by way of preventing the growth of bacteria that would spoil fish or meat.
Do we really need it?
Yes! Salt is needed to help balance the body’s fluids, (i.e. blood and cells), it promotes muscle and nerve function as well as stabilise blood pressure. Without salt we can become susceptible to Hyponatremia, low sodium which can cause confusion and fatigue. Salt is found naturally in some foods but we often add it to enhance the flavour. But with our fast paced, fast food lifestyles, we are taking on board too much salt and that is where the issue lies.
How Much Do We Need?
The powers that be tell us we should cut back on salt, consuming no more than 2,300mg a day, ideally less. That is as much as one small teaspoon a day, (WHO, 2012). Providing we are within this daily range we should be fine, (well obviously other factors need to be considered, such as age / genetics etc). In fact, reducing salt intake is one of the primary recommendations in anyone who has high blood pressure, (Weinberger, 1996).
Yes, We Know All That But, Is Salt Really Really Bad For Us?
Whilst the majority of research suggests salt is bad for us, there is new research emerging that is debunking this, with some studies suggesting salt restriction does little to reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes as we are led to believe, (Adler et al, 2014). Other studies have shown reduced salt intake can increase renin secretion by the kidneys, (renin is an enzyme that helps restore normal blood pressure). Too much renin in the body can increase risk of heart disease mortality, (Parikh et al 2007). Whilst Konerman and Hummel, (2015) argue there is inconclusive evidence to validate the universal blanket, one size fits all advice of restricting our intake of salt as being healthy, suggesting this needs to be done on an individual basis.
What Type of Salt Is Best?
When I was little, salt came in a slim, white container from Walter Wilsons shop across the road to where we lived and it had a blue and red label, ‘Table Salt’. These days we have so many to choose from; Himalayan pink salt, kosher salt and sea salt.
Himalayan Pink Salt is mined at the Khewra Salt Mine, near the Himalayas in Pakistan. The salt is extracted by hand, minimal processing ensures it is free of additives and thereby believed to be one of the healthiest salts to use. Some estimate it can contact as many as 84 different minerals and trace elements vital for the functioning of our body.
Kosher salt is used in certain Jewish culinary customs such as when Jewish law requires blood to be extracted from meat before it is eaten. Since Kosher salt is flaky with a rough feel, it is good at this process of blood extraction.
Sea salt is made by evaporating seawater and is mostly sodium and chloride, but caution is urged as the darker it is the more impurities and may contain heavy metals like lead, even microscopic remains of plastic waste.
Personally, I like to use Himalayan Salt, as it ‘feels’ healthier and looks pretty, (yes I’m a girl!). I also have Himalayan salt lamps, pendulums and a range of other salt items for the positive effects it is said to have on us spiritually. But more about that another day!
The jury is still out about salt, and again like all other things, it comes down to personal responsibility and a sensible attitude.
By Lisa Watson, 25.01.2020
References
Adler A.J., Taylor, F, Martin N., Gottlieb S., Taylor R.S. and Ebrahim S. (2014) Reduced dietary salt for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in Cochrane Database System Review. 2014 Dec 18;(12)
Konerman, M.C. and Hummel, S.L, (2015) Sodium Restriction in Heart Failure: Benefit or Harm? In Current Treatment Options Cardiovascular Medicine 2014 Feb; 16(2): 286.
NHS, (20018) Salt: The Facts https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/salt-nutrition/
Parikh, N.I., Gona, P., Larson, M.G., Wang, T.J., Newton-Cheh,C., Levy,D., Benjamin, E.J., Kannel,W.B. and Vasan, R.S. (2007) Plasma Renin And Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease And Mortality: The Framingham Heart Study in European Heart Journal, Volume 28, Issue 21, November 2007, Pages 2644–2652
Weinberger M.H., (1996) Salt Sensitivity Of Blood Pressure In Humans in Hypertension, 1996 Mar;27(3 Pt 2):481-90.
WHO, (2012) Guideline: Sodium Intake For Adults And Children. Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO)
