LORRAINE EREIRA

How I am Keeping Calm in The Current Storm – By facing my enemy.

I talk a fair bit about not giving into fear. But in truth, I am the same as everyone else, as Fear has been lurking in the shadows of my own mind too.

In the past, I have been one of Fear’s greatest conquests. Fear had really got the better of me; it was my constant companion; fuelled by the adrenaline it created within me. Keeping me on my toes 24/7; preventing me from taking any type of rest; nagging away, a constant ache that stabbed me sharply when I gave it more thought.

It really is admirably clever! It targets the things that we love the most! What are you most frightened of losing? The roof over your head, your spouse, your children, your own health, your life??This is what your fear goes for. It knows your weakness and will attack you right there.

What was mine? My greatest fear was and will always be that something could take my husband or children from me. I never feared sickness for myself – rightly or wrongly so, I prioritised myself as less important than them in my heart. So to lose them would be to lose everything.

Then my husband became sick. He got the (then) most dreaded disease of our time. Cancer.

Suddenly there it was. Staring me in the face. My fear.

I wasn’t afraid of cancer. I was afraid of losing my best friend. My partner in this world. The reason I have the strength to be who I am.

And then, through my own experiences I was shown that the treatment has the potential to do us far more damage biologically than the disease itself. I did not choose to see this; but I saw it because it was meant for me to see things the way I see them. Once again, rightly or wrongly my views and my values became what they are today because of our experience and the way things unfolded for us. I know of so many dear friends and family who have a totally different view because for them, the medical profession is a body they have to rely on, and rightly or wrongly they feel they have no choice. They will naturally look to them to provide cures and solutions, because they trust the industry, whereas my trust for them shattered 6 years ago.

My personal journey led us on a road of natural medicine and so far that has not let us down. With my own studies and applied natural therapies I have managed to keep my family healthy and fit and help patients and friends along the way. So, perhaps you can see how this only served to fortify my beliefs, that the answers to health challenges lie in nature and not in man made medicine. But this is my experience, and I must accept that others’ values are based on their experiences.

We are not here to change each other’s minds; to prove a point or get one over. Arguing about our passions will never convince another equally passionate soul that we are right and they are wrong. We are here to learn to respect that we will always have differing views no matter what; but that we all have the same potential weak spots and that Fear is our collective enemy.

Lets help each other through our fears; hold out our hand even when you cannot see the same monster. When we do this we bring courage as a gift to give to those who need it; a stabilising hold when their world is shaken.

We are united by our fear, although for each of us the reasons we feel it are different, but the end result is the same – we feel a great threat to that which we hold most important in our lives, and this is then the foundation for every decision we make, every thought we have and ultimately it shapes our existence.

If we remember collectively that fear is our enemy, and we have to stand together to defeat it, it gives us a greater empathy to those around us. We will all be victims of fear if we allow it, which will weaken us both as a race and as individuals.

How can we make the enemy retreat? By not giving into it. Deal with what you need to do practically and as effectively as you are able, but do not engage with the emotional snare set right next to it.

Try this exercise whenever you feel tendrils of fear rising in your belly –

Stop whatever you are doing, watching, listening to etc.
Sit or lie down and start to think of your breath entering and leaving your body.
Ask yourself where in your body you can feel the fear. Is it in your belly, your shoulders, your jaw? Is your breathing short and laboured?
Be conscious of this area in your body (it’s the place where fear targets you – it knows your weak spots!)
Return your focus to your breath, and draw your breath mentally into this place. Breathe right into it.
Exhale from the centre of the place in your body that is tight or restricted, and let it go. Totally relax this space.
Do this a few times, until you feel relaxed and calm.
You have just shown your enemy how strong you really are – feel how it has retreated!

Now is the time in our history to show we can conquer this. This war upon us – we can conquer our biggest and most evil enemy – our fear.

We must stop dividing with our opinions and our beliefs. I’m telling myself this too as I write….we must stop judging others by our own values. We must love one another, respect that our values come from our fears and work to support each other through them, instead of passing judgement. Lets fight fear as a race, show it that we have love in our hearts and with love comes great courage. Courage to stand together, to see how our own suffering is tearing us apart, and stop this in its tracks.

We’ve got this !

I wish you good health, clarity and calm and most of all LOVE ❤

The World Changed Overnight – But Don’t Be Afraid

Last week we went out to watch England playing rugby in the local Spanish bar. Four of us – my husband, my son, my dog and myself. The bar was fairly full – all locals chatting, drinking, sharing time together, as we were . We had some food, enjoyed the game and came home.

Fast forward to a week later.

There are no bars open in the whole country. There is no rugby to watch as all sport is cancelled. You cannot have your dog more then 50m away from your house, and that’s only to go to the toilet, then home. You cannot go out of your home with anyone else. You have to be alone. In your car, on the street.

The streets, normally alive with people sipping coffee in the sunshine, are now desserted.

You cannot go out without a mask and gloves. Anyone who does not only risks fines, they also invite resentment and fear from anyone in the street. People are not allowed within 1m of each other. No-one smiles – even if they did you wouldn’t see it behind the mask.

All countries across the world are rapidly becoming the same, and closing their borders to all.

How did it go from normal day to day life, to this overnight?

Fear.

When we are all afraid we want to be told what to do, how to behave. We want boundaries and restrictions because they somehow make us feel safe. We are now so bound and restricted that we should feel as safe as houses! Yet still the fear is there.

Imagine a world where everyone is free. Where we can go outside into nature and feel the sun on our skin. We can run with our dog along an unrestricted beach. We can smile at our fellow humans and give affection to our friends. We can trust each other not to abuse mother earth with our destructive behaviour, and to only act in the best interests of man and animal in all we do.

What do we need to get this beautiful world? Do we need a separation from our freedom before we know what we are losing? Do we need time to reflect on who we are as individuals and how we impact the world and each other? Do we need time as a family to re-connect? Do we need to see our medical professions back break to realise that it is we who are ultimately responsible for our own health? These are golden opportunities for us to grow as individuals – hard lessons maybe, but look at what we can learn!

Or are we waiting for someone else to do something for us? To tell us what we need, what we must do? Or what we must take?

That magic pill? If we are full of fear, this is how we react.

Don’t be afraid. We have the answers inside each and every one of us.

Do not let fear into your heart. However hard this is, and whatever it is you fear the most, you can conquer it. And when you do, you will find freedom.

Freedom from fear, is something only YOU can give yourself – no-one else.

I wish you all good health, calm and clarity and above all LOVE

Modern Living – How to stay Safe from the Inside

Today’s World is frought with toxicity and damaging frequencies – a match made to destroy!

Heavy metals in the body can wreak all sorts of havoc on your body, from low energy, mood changes, brain fog, to neurological disorders, dementia, depression and cognitive decline.
But perhaps one of the biggest concerns in this era is the increase in susceptibility to Electro Magnetic Sensitivity. If these metals enter the brain, they act as micro-antenae, which concentrates and increases EMF radiation.
The metals can enter the body in so many ways from eating farmed fish, drinking unfiltered water, dental fillings, vaccinations, personal and household products. They penetrate the tissues and organs where they are stored in the adipose tissue (fat cells) of the body for many years. The truth is that we are much more susceptible to harmful radiation due to the levels of toxicity in heavy metals in our bodies, than ever before.
So how do we reduce our toxic load and help to protect us from these growing levels of radiation that we are exposed to?
• Having good quality sleep, in total darkness helps to promote our melatonin levels. Melatonin helps us detoxify and eliminate heavy metals, as well as helping keep our hormone levels healthy.
• Get out in the sunshine – the sun exposure helps with the night-time melatonin production!
• Keep the lymphatic system working optimally, with regular exercise! Particularly good for this are inversions (headstands, handstands, or just lying on your back with legs elevated), and re-bounding or trampolining.
• Eat a diet rich in leafy greens, vitamin C and natural herbs and spices.
• A regular bone broth made with plenty of sulphur-containing garlic and onions, can be incredible for gut health and for helping rid the body of harmful metals.
• Avoid stimulants such as coffee and alcohol, and stay away from non-organic processed foods.
• Protecting our cells with a diet containing good quality organic saturated fats from grass fed animals (or coconut oil if vegan), can really help.
• There are a few great supplements available for pulling heavy metals from the body including cilantro, chlorella and milk thistle. Bentonite clay can act like a magnet to help pull the chemicals and metals from the body. However do your research before you buy, and check that the products are non GMO and 100% natural (beware of synthetic imposters!)

One of the best supplements to take for detoxifying these metals is zeolite. Zeolite is a natural crystal mineral that is formed when an active volcano erupts and sends hot ash into the air and molten lava into the cooler seawater below. When they combine they form into a mineral rich zeolite crystals. Zeolites are noted for their liability toward ion-exchange. Zeolite is one of the safest and most gentle ways to detoxify from heavy metals. There are a few zeolite products on the market, but I recommend hydrated nano-sized zeolite, which has been optimised to reach cellular level, giving you a total cellular detox. Just a few sprays daily while following some of the tips listed above will leave your body deeply cleansed from dangerous metals and much less susceptible to EMF sensitivity.
When we remove the heavy metals from our cells, we reduce the workload on our vital organs. Once they have less work to do they can function optimally to help your body in regular detoxification, as nature intended. Unfortunately we now live in a world where the body just cannot cope without a little assistance. Regular heavy metal detoxification should be part of everyone’s healthcare regime, and it maybe in the not too distant future a literal live-saver. If you would like some more information on natural, purified, nano – zeolite for a full body detox, check the link below, to find out more.
https://opfnutrition.thegoodinside.com/shop/product/pure-body-extra-strength/

Should we all become Vegan?

It is being suggested that becoming vegan can save the resources on this planet and thereby save the world. What’s more is that if you love animals this is a great bonus, in that you can feel as though you are playing a part in helping save the lives of our four legged friends. And to top it all – its healthier too! Isn’t it?

So what are we waiting for? Lets ditch the burgers and stock up on quinoa and tofu!

But hold on a moment….what if being vegan isn’t healthy for EVERYONE? What if some people actually fair better with some animal fats in their diet?

The truth is that not all eating plans, or diets are right for everyone. We are all different. Our bodies function uniquely, even though our basic physiology is the same. Its true that some people do feel healthier and more energised by having an all plant diet, but so too do some people who eat only meat! You could argue that if you are eating meat you are considering yourself more important than an animal and that this is morally wrong. Maybe that’s true, but it is possible to be kind, and honour the animal kingdom and still consume animal products. Consuming the produce of a grass fed cow that lives in a green field is not only full of wonderful nutrients, but you are ensuring that the cow will be kept alive and happy, because you are creating a demand for her produce. If we are all vegan, what happens to that cow? Even if you choose to eat meat, as long as the meat is ethically sourced from a farmer who cares for his herd, you know they will live a happy healthy life, and be treated with kindness and compassion.

We are so quick to judge the decisions of others based on our own belief systems, but the key here is that we are all different, and have different needs. Do we have enough compassion in our hearts to accept this of our fellow humans? If meat eaters were all educated to only seek the produce of animals who have been treated with compassion and love, then we create a demand for small ethical farming, where happy animals roam green fields, and live full lives. If we all turn vegan what will happen to all those animals ? We should be teaching people to eat natural, seasonal, local, real food. Not the processed artificial food substitutes (that many big corporations are now producing in the name of veganism) that will eventually destroy health, and the livelihood of the small farmer, not to mention the animals he takes care of.

So yes, if being vegan suits your body and you are thriving on a healthy plant based diet, then you are doing the right thing- for YOU. But if being a carnivore gives you more energy and less inflammation in the body, as long as you choose your meat from animals that are not mass produced, but locally farmed, then you are also doing the right thing – for YOU.

Eat natural, unprocessed, real food, from locally sourced producers. Any food that has been transported miles isn’t helping our environment. Choose seasonal produce, and check that animals are looked after and given a happy life. Protect the animals’ welfare and help the planet at the same time.

And above all, respect others – you are not in their bodies; you don’t know what works for them. Remember we are all different; we are all sovereign beings who have the right to choose how we live, as long as our choices are both ethical and work for us as individuals.

Yoga – How it Shapes You.

Yoga teaches us that there is much more to life than how we look on the outside, or how much flexibility, strength or stamina we can exhibit. It draws us away from ego-centred thinking, as we stop looking in the mirror or comparing ourselves to others as a way of measuring our success.

We learn to connect with how we feel in each asana, realising that our minds have the ultimate control of what our bodies can do. We can use our breath to help focus the mind on switching off contracted muscles, so that we are able to ease gently into deeper poses. We begin to feel exactly which part of our bodies we need to engage to give us stability and strength in each pose. We find that we are able to intuitively express our energy in the direction that givers our bodies both length and power.

These principles, when practiced regularly train our minds to connect to our bodies. We begin to really notice how we function and what it is our bodies really need. This reflects in our lifestyle as we start to make better choices about what we eat, how we conduct ourselves, and the environment we immerse ourselves in. The deeper we connect with The Self, the more respect we have for ourselves, and we are able to embody self-love. We naturally start to live a life that honours our own well-being, as we get to know the beautiful person that lies within each of us.

Finally when we accept that we are important, and deserve to treat our physiological vessel with respect and love, we will begin to emanate that love outwardly. Kindness is an integral part of yoga, but to feel it from within, we must be able to practice self-love first.

Yoga isn’t the only path to self-love, but it is a beautiful discipline that when practiced regularly, totally and with the greatest integrity, it will bring great joy into your life, making you fitter, healthier, and stronger and more importantly it fill your heart with love – the greatest healer of all time.

A New Year’s Resolution – One that lasts forever

Have you made your new years resolutions yet? Set your intentions for the coming year, or even the decade?

How long do you honestly feel you will honour them? Lets be honest- many of our resolutions have their roots in a post Christmas detox – eat, drink and over indulge in the festive season, and then spend maybe a month going to the gym, doing detox fasts, going tee total for a couple of weeks or so… but by mid Feb, we slip back into old habits as the days pass by and we haven’t made any lasting changes. Why is that? Why do we so desperately want to do good things for our bodies, but we give in to our vices at the slightest excuse? Is our will power so weak, that we are no longer able to make choices for ourselves and actually stand by them?

What is it that we really need to change in order to become better versions of ourselves?

When we are out with friends, celebrating a birthday, on our holidays, during festivities, we are seeking a high. We want to have the best time. Take a look at social media – isn’t it mainly showing us having our best times? But what makes these times special? Is it the food we are eating, the alcohol we are downing, the places we are at, how good we look in our glad rags? What good would any of these things be, if we were not enjoying the company we were with?

It’s the people that matter. The warm, evenings by the fire with our families, the walk in the countryside with our partner, the laughter shared between good friends. These are the things that really give us a high. The connection to those we love; the good times shared.

The changes we make that will give us the highs we so desperately seek in our lives without destroying our health, are to spend more time with those we love. This is time invested in our happiness – true happiness, with no strings.

When we are happy, we are naturally healthier, and with that comes the desire to do things for our bodies that support our health. We naturally start to care about what we eat, how much alcohol we consume, whether we are treating our bodies with the respect they deserve.

Christmas Indulgence – that your body will thank you for

So it’s the time of year to indulge ourselves, as we get festive with friends and family – but often this leaves us feeling sluggish, lethargic and bloated, sending us the clear message that gluttony is not our friend! It disturbs our gut flora, spikes our blood sugar and places tremendous stress on our vital organs!

So how can we indulge and pamper ourselves this Christmas without compromising our health?

Spend extra time with close family and dear friends. This is so uplifting and good for us in so many ways – by producing those happy hormones – endorphins, as we feel contentment in the company of those who are the most special to us.
Enjoy a glass of homemade organic mulled wine – made with herbs and spices that benefit the health such as cinnamon (to balance blood sugar), orange peel (to boost glutathione), and cloves ( to boost immunity). If we make it ourselves we can ensure the wine is a good one, and not full of artificial chemical flavours.
Make some healthy mince pies – try using spelt flour for the pastry instead of wheat, and combining dried fruits, lemon juice, an apple, orange zest, and some maple syrup and spices for the filling.
Give to those who are less fortunate, or you feel really need to be receiving at this time of year – some food for someone homeless, a thoughtful gift to an orphanage, or spend an afternoon having tea with someone who would otherwise be lonely – perhaps in a care home for example.
Offer the gift of love to everyone you meet. Smile, say hello or merry Christmas and spread good will to as many folk as possible.
Treat yourself to a wonderfully de-stressing bath, with some natural candles, some carefully chosen essential oils, and some gentle music.
Make sure your Christmas dinner is loaded with lots of veggies, and make the meat portion of your plate the smallest part. Choose baked apples in cinnamon drizzled in warmed honey for your Christmas pud, (or try my recipe below for a healthy version of the Scottish Christmas pudding – Clooty Dumpling)
Make sure there’s plenty of healthy nuts and dried fruits around for those indulgent snacks, instead of sweets, cakes and pies!

Have a wonderfully indulgent Christmas, where you put your own health at the top of your Christmas wish list!

Clooty Dumpling with a Healthy Twist

250gms spelt flour

250gms dried fruit

100gms oats

1tsp baking soda

pinch of nutmeg

small piece of fresh ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

25gms coconut sugar

1/2 tbsp of date or maple syrup

zest of an orange

Method

Combine all of the ingredients above and then add 75gms butter, 1 egg and coconut milk and knead into a dough

Place a damp, clean tea towel in a heat proof bowl, and sprinkle with spelt flour. Place the dough in the centre and tie securely. Place the bowl in a saucepan of water to make a Bain Marie. Cook for 3 hours on a medium/low heat, topping up the water as necessary.

Remove from cloth and bake in a warm oven until the top is dry and gently cristed.

Serve with homemade custard or organic fresh cream.

How to Stay Young and Healthy

What Changed in 10 years that made such a difference in my life?

We were happy. Just meandering through life without too much consideration for anything outside of day-to-day existence. We were in love, we had two gorgeous sons, we lived in a nice house in a leafy Surrey village; we took lovely family holidays, and we worked hard to pay for them. We ate what we considered to be a fairly healthy diet – I prided myself on the fact that I cooked from scratch and didn’t eat processed food.

I was vegetarian – believing this to be not only an ethical choice but a health choice too. I swam, ran, went to the gym and did exercise classes every week. I wasn’t exactly fat ( just a little overweight), but I certainly wasn’t healthy!

The Wake Up Call

The problem was – I didn’t know we were unhealthy, until one day my husband received a cancer diagnosis. We were not indestructible, in fact we were far from healthy!

It was this “wake-up call” that drove me to begin walking a path I never really knew existed. I knew I couldn’t risk losing my soul mate to this horrible disease, so I spent hours studying different ways to support his body through the ordeal of not only having cancer, but of conventional treatments, which can be more devastating than the disease itself. In hindsight, we would never have put his body though the treatment, but we were rushed into it, before we had time to draw breath. So I put together a support programme that would carry him through this time, and help his body to fully recover. For more information about this part of our journey please refer to my book “Love and Wheatgrass“

After my husband recovered from cancer we followed a lifelong dream of ours to live in the sunshine and packed our bags to move to the Costa del Sol. We knew we had been fortunate to receive this second chance, so we were not going back to living life as we once did.

I continued to study, and Yoga became a huge part of my life, closely followed by Ayurveda. It was this part of my journey that really made me see how being healthy was not hard work; it wasn’t a fad, a diet or an exercise regime. Being healthy was our birthright, and discovering this carefully kept secret was the key to a long, healthy and happy life! It was during my study of Ayurveda that I realised that being young and healthy in our physical body could not be separated from the way we think and feel.

The Transformation

I had gone from being a slightly overweight woman in my 40’s, with IBS, minor aches and pains ( that I thought were just part of getting older), dry skin and reduced energy to woman in my 50’s who had returned to the same weight and size as when I got married ( almost 30 years ago!), with a healthy digestive system, no aches and pains and more energy than I’d had in years – without going on a diet or setting foot in a gym! Health, beauty, vitality and youthfulness all come from within. We cannot buy it, because its already ours – we just need to re-discover the path to it!

In my new book “Gais’s Gift“, I will share my deepest insights into what real health means and how to easily change habits that have so far stopped you from being the healthiest version of yourself. You wont need diets, supplements or arduous detox programmes. You will learn to discover what makes you tick, but also what can make you sick. You are unique and once you discover more about how you are made, you will soon learn how you fit into the world and how living in harmony with the natural rhythms of life can bring you peace, joy and great health! It has worked for me, and now its time to share it with you.

Gaia’s Gift, the book, will be released in 2020*, but in the meantime watch this space for some sneak previews!

*Update: The worldwide challenges of 2020 have had an effect on my work, meaning the book will not be ready for publication this year. The good news is that my book has taken some exciting new turns and I will be offering you even more when it does come out!

And…..although you will have to wait a little longer for the book, I will be offering some exclusive online workshops which will be coming out this year, where you will have the chance to discover some of the best secrets from my book and explore them with me.

STRESS : Can You Fight the Tiger (or at least run away!)

By Lorraine Ereira

26th Nov 2019

STRESS.
Unfortunately it’s a pretty big part of all our lives. In our western society we are exposed to an ever-increasing amount of stress, and its responsible for wreaking untold havoc on our bodies.

To a certain extent we need stress. Stress makes all the other body systems slow down so that the body can devote its energy to increasing the blood
supply, heart rate and hormone production, in order to deal with the stressor.

This kind of response is only meant to be short term – like fighting off a predator or fleeing from danger, and once the danger has passed the body should return to normal function. However we are exposed to long-term, low-level stress on a constant basis, from our need to pay the bills to providing a comfortable home for our family, or keeping up with pressures from our job. Even in our leisure time we are unable to switch off our stress responses as we are compelled to answer a message that simply can’t wait or to check on social media to see if anyone has commented on our latest post or even watching the news which fills us with concerns. We send messages to our central nervous system through our thought processes maintaining a low-level of constant stress.

Common stress responses include reducing the digestive function, affecting our ability to gain nutrients from our food, and disrupting gut flora; increasing blood sugar (to give you the energy to fight or flight) – making us crave low quality fast foods; increasing blood pressure; increasing heart rate; the adrenals calling for more cholesterol in the blood; a rise in adrenal hormones (cortisol, adrenaline), which slows down thyroid activity. (Our thyroid is responsible for weight management, controlling heart rate, supporting our immune function)

When we are exposed to prolonged stress we experience adrenal fatigue- this is when the brain sends the signals to the adrenals to produce the hormones needed to deal with stress but nothing happens because
they are so depleted. We experience prolonged lethargy; poor sleep patterns; feeling “wired”; reduced sex drive; lowered immune function.
When the adrenals become compromised due to prolonged stress the body continues to call for cortisol in its endeavours to deal with the stress but this means that the production of another hormone is effected. The body will “steal” progesterone to make additional cortisol, which causes a reduction in the hormone DHEA (the “mother” hormone), which is necessary to produce other sex hormones – testosterone, progesterone and estrogen– making our hormones very out of balance. This can lead to constant fatigue, depression, poor memory, systemic inflammation, lowered immunity, decreased libido and in women – hot flushes, night sweats, infertility and emotional instability. It can also reduce our bodies’ ability to prevent the development of hormone related cancers.

All our lives are more stressful now than ever, and its so difficult to avoid – but the good news is there are ways to avoid the effects that stress has on our physiology by managing the way our bodies deal with it. Through the right nutrition and practicing techniques that reduce adrenal hormone production such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing we
can protect our adrenals, and hopefully ensure that they will resume normal function- enough at least to kick in when we meet that tiger!

ABOUT Lorraine

Lorraine Ereira was working as a clinical Sports Therapist when when her husbands cancer diagnosis drew her to study nutritional health. Her quest to help her husband inspired her to write “Love and Wheatgrass” in order to help others going through a similar ordeal, which has been a huge support to many.

Her desire to live a healthy lifestyle compelled her to study further, where she discovered that to really enjoy a healthy life, we must first look within to find out what we are made of and how we fit into the natural world around us.

Lorraine is currently writing her fifth book, “Gaia’s Gift ” – a book that embodies the ancient medical practice of Ayurveda but with a very unique approach which teaches the reader how to train their intuition to know instinctively what is good for them physically, spiritually and mentally.

Lorraine now works as an Ayurvedic Nutrition and Lifestyle consultant with people who struggle with various health issues, or those who want to change their life to become the best they can be.

Lorraine grew up in Surrey in England, where she also brought up her two sons. She holds a bachelors degree in Sports Therapy, and wrote one of her first books in this subject “Sports Pattern Release”

Lorraine and her husband now live in southern Spain, where she continues on her quest to live a life of love, health and happiness.