Ajit Patel UK Goldshield - What are the main massage techniques?

What are the main massage techniques? – Ajit Patel UK Goldshield

Your masseur incorporates five main types of body-work, which affect you in different ways. Generally speaking, massage styles such as Swedish, Aromatherapy and Thai use one or more of these five movements. However, there are literally hundreds of types of massage around the world not limited to these five main massage moves. The following list will help you understand the type of movements used in massage so that you can understand better what to expect from the world’s most popular massages:

Friction – Most massages begin with this method. Long circular movements with firm strokes across your body help warm the skin and muscles. They also help move the superficial tissues in preparation for the next movement, usually effleurage.

Effleurage – This is long, usually harder stroking movements using the palm of the hand. These moves work on deeper muscle tissues and improve your circulation.

Petrissage and Kneading –the therapist uses their thumbs, fingers and sometimes even their elbows to move and soften tougher knots in your body. The method is firm but slow, and relies on precise movements to release those hard to move knots.

Percussion – These movements are faster and more energizing, an often use both hands at the same time. The movements are more stimulating than the previous moves but remain effective at loosening tight muscles and stimulating circulation to the skin and major organs. The main percussion movements include:

Pounding –hitting the body with closed fists, but not too hard!

Tapping – using just the finger tips to excite pressure points and release energy.

Slapping – literally slapping the skin.

Hacking – a karate chop style, mainly used on the shoulders.

Cupping – using cupped hands to stroke the skin for gentle stimulation and aid the removal of negative energy.

Vibration – This is a more unusual movement that activates the nerve endings and is practiced most frequently on the legs. Shaking and trembling movements are used by both hands up and down the body in quick succession to gently stimulate your skin, muscles and nervous system.

These moves form the basis of the most popular methods of bodywork in the whole field of complementary therapy. The next time you go for a massage, ask the practitioner what movements they like to use and why, and you will get an even better understanding of how massage can help your wellbeing. You could even learn to do these movements yourself and help improve the wellness of others!

-          Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet

Ajit Patel Goldshield - Natural Ways to Keep Your Skin Healthy and Beautiful in Winter

Natural Ways to Keep Your Skin Healthy and Beautiful in Winter – Ajit Patel Goldshield

Does it ever seem like winter is as hard on your skin as it is on your ability to stay warm? Unfortunately, the combination of cold temperatures, wind and low humidity wreaks havoc on skin. You inevitably wind up with sore, cracked and elbows and an itchy scalp, and the only part of your face with any moisture left is your runny nose. Fortunately, there are a few natural ways you can protect your skin and your looks this winter.

Drink More Water

The chilly winter air does more than just dry out your skin. It dries the rest of you, too. As you’re exposed to the air, the water supply in your body is steadily being evaporated through your skin and respiratory system. However, you’re no better off staying indoors. Warm, dry air produced by heating systems will cause you to lose water even more quickly. If you fail to replace this lost moisture, you become dehydrated and your skin is unable to replenish itself. During the winter, be sure to consume plenty of water throughout the day. If you spend a lot of time outdoors or in a well-heated environment, you may need to drink more than the recommended eight glasses.

Use a Natural Moisturizer

It’s common to use a moisturizer to protect those dry patches in the winter. Unfortunately, it often seems like the benefits are minimal, and sometimes they appear to make dry, flaky skin worse. This is largely due to the alcohol and fragrances used in these products. Alcohol is a harsh chemical that can cause further drying by stripping away skin’s natural oils. Meanwhile, artificial fragrances can cause irritation and provoke skin allergies, leading to increased redness and itching. Instead of using chemical products, try something natural. An essential oil expert who works for a bulk herbs supplierrecommends using Lavender Oil to moisturize hands. This, she says, can be combined with skin-friendly jojoba oil to promote both healing and hydration of the skin.

Get Some Sunshine

The vitamin in sunshine, that is. Because the sun is further away from the Earth in winter, and because daylight hours are shorter, we don’t get as much UV exposure. While too much can be harmful, our bodies rely on UV rays to help us produce vitamin D. Research has found that the skin utilizes vitamin D for producing new, healthy cells. When levels of the nutrient were low, the skin became thinner, more vulnerable to damage and less able to heal. Consider taking a quality vitamin D supplement or adding more fish to your diet to boost your levels and protect your skin.

Taking care of your skin in the winter can feel like a losing battle. However, it’s often a simple matter of replacing the things your skin loses more of when it’s cold out. This winter, try some of these easy tips and see what a difference it makes for your skin.

-          Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet

Ajit Patel UK - 7 Healthy Foods that Provide Big Stores of Energy

7 Healthy Foods that Provide Big Stores of Energy – Ajit Patel UK

If you are a health-conscious individual, then you probably do your best to eat well and feed your family right. That’s a great way to keep your weight under control and enjoy better overall health, but you should also consider some extra energy-providing foods and meals to get your day started off right or to help you get the most out of your daily workout routine.

Oatmeal Goodness

A nice bowl of oatmeal at breakfast will keep you feeling full until lunch time, and you can enhance it with any fruit that sounds good to you. The vitamin B, complex carbohydrates and fiber contained in oatmeal will provide you with an abundance of energy for whatever your day may hold.

Steak Stir-Fry

You may have heard some negative things about beef, but the protein and iron you get from a lean steak will have you bursting with energy. Cut the steak into strips and stir-fry it with your favorite vegetables, and you will have an excellent meal for the entire family.

Chicken and Brown Rice

Season lean chicken breasts with anything you like from Parmesan cheese to a nice lemon-herb spice, and you should plan to serve it baked. Prepare some brown rice for a side-dish along with any steamed vegetable you prefer. The protein in the chicken and the complex carbohydrates in the brown rice will leave you feeling energized.

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich

Your children will think they are being given a treat when you make them this sandwich before sending them off to school in the morning, but you will also be giving them the energy they need for their day. Opt for Klosterman Baking Company whole wheat bread when making these delicious meals. Both peanut butter and honey are chock full of carbohydrates that make for excellent energy boosters, and it is also a great snack for you before your workout.

Scramble Those Eggs

Egg yolks are rich in protein and vitamin B, which naturally converts your food into energy. Add some whole-wheat toast, a little fruit and a glass of fresh juice for the perfect breakfast for the entire family.

Greek Yogurt With Pumpkin Seeds

Combing these two food items before your workout will give you a tasty treat and an excellent reserve of energy. Greek yogurt offers twice the amount of protein than other yogurts, and pumpkin seeds combine healthy fats, fiber, protein, zinc, phosphorous and magnesium for truly excellent energy support.

Vegetable Salad

Many people don’t realize that they begin to feel tired as a direct result of dehydration. You can help yourself out by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, and you can also have a delicious salad made up of water-filled foods for lunch. Just fill your bowl with the lettuce of your choice, and be sure to add lots of radishes, celery, tomatoes and cucumber slices.

You just naturally feel better and get more out of your day when you have more energy. Give these delicious foods and meals a try, and you are sure to be feeling your very best every day.

-          Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet

Ajit Patel Goldshield - Discover Your Amazing Creativity

Discover Your Amazing Creativity – Ajit Patel Goldshield

You know what’s amazing? You. There are more than seven billion humans on planet Earth and not one of them has the same fingerprint as you.

So what? 

Well that’s the big question. You could choose to believe that having a unique fingerprint is just another reminder of how lonely and insignificant you are in such a huge world. Or… you could choose to be wowed. You could take a moment to look at all the richness of life and be wowed that you are unique among all of it.

I have just one question for you: Which interpretation would make you feel more joyful and alive? I’m hoping that since you’re reading Yourwellness, you chose the latter. Brilliant. You really are amazing.

Sadly, so many amazing people spend far too much of their time doing decidedly un-amazing things. Perhaps that describes you a little more than it should. Maybe the following sounds a little too familiar: You work a job you don’t enjoy, to buy things you don’t need, to impress people who don’t really care about you.

You’ll be glad to know that no matter how closely the above may or may not describe you, there is another way. A way where each day you can be more of your true, unique, amazing self. Another meaning you could choose to take from the fact you possess a one in seven billion fingerprint is that you have a unique contribution to make, a unique gift to share with the world. The question then, is how do you discover yours? After a decade of research, I believe two words sum up the answer: Creativity and inspiration.

One of the things that separates humans from our nearest animal ancestors is the incredible scope of our creative abilities. From artists and archaeologists to Zen masters and zoologists, the human species has mastered an unbelievable number of crafts, and made the world a more rich and fulfilling place as a result.

Your unique fingerprint is a reminder from the universe that you have a creative gift that must be shared because, quite simply, there is no one alive who can share it the way you can. To find out what your creative gift is, you need to do only one thing: Follow your inspiration. What inspires you? What brings you alive? What could you happily spend hours doing? These are some of the key questions you must ask if you wish to tap into the creative genius that lies within you.

Unfortunately, so many of us have been conditioned to ignore such important questions because they are for hippies and dreamers, not for people with real jobs and real problems. Such a mindset misses one very important point that creativity is the force which transforms problems into opportunities, and therefore the more time we can spend developing our own creativity, the better we will be able to rise to the challenges life throws at us.

You may feel that even if you know what inspires you, and you’d love to be doing something else, right now, you simply haven’t the time. Rather than fight it, just start tiny. Let me give you an example. Three years ago, I decided I wanted to improve my written poetry. As well as being an author and creativity expert, I’m also a performance poet. I wanted to raise the standard of my written poetry up to the same level as the pieces I performed. However, I was extremely busy at the time, so I made a promise to myself that before I did anything else each morning, I would write at least one poem. Even if it was only two lines long, I would make sure I’d written something. On average this daily practice took no more than 10 minutes a day, but by the end of six months I’d written so many poems that I was able to put them all into a book.

That is how powerful your unique creativity can be. Just ten minutes a day could be enough to bring something into the world that brings pleasure to millions.

So if you love baking cakes – bake more cakes. If you like making mini-movies on your phone, make more mini-movies. Ask yourself what inspires you, and then do it, even for just ten minutes a day, because whatever it is… it’s why you’re amazing.

-          Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet

Ajit Patel UK Sanda Wellbeing - An Ancient Secret For Modern Living

An Ancient Secret For Modern Living – Ajit Patel UK Sanda Wellbeing

Lomilomi is known as Hawaiian massage, an ancient practice renowned as a soothing, flowing and relaxing healing experience. Seek out a traditional Lomilomi therapist and you will experience a massage like no other, the free flowing movement from head to toe mimics the ebb and flow of ocean waves, the continuous long strokes and loving touch often results in an energy shifting, transformational experience of both time and space.

Yet Lomilomi massage is just the tip of the iceberg. In truth, Lomilomi is a complete, holistic ‘Island Style’ healing art that includes massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathic type manipulation, nutrition, psychology and much, much more. Today this ‘old art’ is known as Lomilomi Hoku and is practiced by a Kauka (Doctor) of Lomilomi.

Using a beautifully choreographed dance, the Lomilomi Kauka gracefully and systematically weaves their way through the soft tissue of your body, creating harmony, balance and alignment of the musculo-skeletal system. This gently aligns your body’s energy and healthy vibration to the natural rhythm of the universe. You will be uplifted in body, mind and spirit with the empowering, flowing and loving touch of Aloha. It will help to improve blood and lymphatic flow, toxin release, improve breathing, reduce swelling, general stiffness, insomnia, reduce menopausal symptoms, back ache and muscle cramps. You will leave each session nourished, energised and feeling radiant.

Energy is our life force and yet we act as if we have no control over it. When undertaking a life changing Lomilomi Hoku programme, re-energising and healing takes place on many levels, soothing your nerves, restoring your spirit and rejuvenating your body. Old ‘blocked’ energy is removed and a connection opened to the universal source of energy, so the vibration of your body’s own energy circuitry system is elevated to the level of holistic healing. A constant flow of cosmic energy waves, carrying life-enhancing energy, starts to cascade throughout your body. This energy shifting bodywork can change your mind, body, emotions, and life for the good.

Healing energy is like water – it is life giving and lifesaving. Commit to this ancient healing art and you will experience an abundance of energy. You whole life starts to resonate at a completely different vibration, allowing you to face each day with a new joyful enthusiasm.

-          Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet

Ajit Patel UK Sanda Wellness - Is Your Health Food Bar More Bad for You than Chocolate?

Is Your Health Food Bar More Bad for You than Chocolate? - Ajit Patel UK Sanda Wellness

Health food bars seem like the holy grail of diet snacking, but how good are they for you, really? Clever marketing and branding, with a few non-regulated buzzwords, means you rarely check the back of the packet before you buy. After all, it’s got fruit, fibre and protein in it, why wouldn’t it be good for you? In actual fact, your average health food bar often contains a hodgepodge of dodgy ingredients compressed into a product that winds up being much closer to a chocolate bar, or even worse in terms of nutritional value. We’ve rounded up six of the worst offenders, but this isn’t an extensive list by any standard, so remember to always read the label.

1. PowerBar Fruit Smoothie Energy Bar (Berry Blast): A blast of berries may seem ideal, but these are just empty superfood buzzwords, without a berry in sight on the ingredient list! What you are, in fact, eating is evaporated cane juice syrup, followed by sugar, fruit juice concentrate, dextrose, and fructose (read: sugar, sugar, sugar and sugar). Moreover, this bar is dripping in calories and has more than double the sugar of your average chocolate bar.

2. Quaker Oatmeal to Go Apples & Cinnamon: Breakfast in a square with oats as the first ingredient? What’s this doing on this list? Sure, the first ingredient is great but as the second one is high-fructose corn syrup, you can see how Quaker Oatmeal to Go might not be so great for your wellness after all. Even though it has an extra gram of protein than youraverage chocolate bar, this breakfast bar has almost twice as much sugar and more calories. Plus, it contains lost of nasty components, such as artificial colours, chemical preservatives, a number of sugars in their various guises, and two types of partially hydrogenated oils.

3. Genisoy Chunky Peanut Butter Fudge Protein Bar: As this list goes, this bar isn’t such a bad offender but it’s on here for three reasons; calories, sugar and low-fibre. There’s 220 calories in the Genisoy Chunky Peanut Butter Fudge Protein Bar (which is more than you would find in chocolate), 22g of sugar (which, again, is more than your averagechocolate bar contains) and only 2g of fibre (which is half the amount you’d get in chocolate).

4. Met-Rx Big 100 Colossal Peanut Butter Pretzel: This isn’t a snack; it’s a full-blown 410-calorie and 28g-of-sugar meal! The Colossal Peanut Butter Pretzel’s second, third, and fourth ingredients are corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar, so all it’s going to give you is a colossal case of diabetes and weight gain.

5. Muscle Milk Vanilla Toffee Crunch Bar: As a general rule, the phrase “vanilla toffee crunch” doesn’t go hand-in-hand with “diet and nutrition wellness,” but you’d think that a nutritional supplement company who makes such a bar would at least attempt to throw in a little goodness. The primary ingredient in this bar is evaporated cane juice (as in, sugar cane), but the bar also plays host to nine other forms of sugar and two types of hydrogenated oils. Sure, there’s more protein in the crunch bar than you would find in a bar of chocolate, but as the protein comes from hydrolyzed gelatine, it’s not really something to shout about.

6. Seitenbacher Banana Cranberry Bar: For a number of reasons, seitenbacher is generally a good choice for your wellbeing. Their products contain no gluten, GMO soy or anything a vegetarian would have a problem with, and they tend to use simple and natural ingredients. However, you need to steer clear of the banana cranberry option for one glaring reason: it contains 32g of sugar. This is the equivalent of eight teaspoons of the sweet stuff, but with only half the fibre and one-third the protein of a chocolate bar.

- Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet