Holistic Health With Sarah

27/08/2025

🔥 Tired of acid reflux or heartburn after meals?

Sometimes it’s not just what you eat, but how you combine foods.

Different food groups take varying amounts of time to digest. Fruits digest quickly, followed by carbohydrates, and then proteins and fats, which take the longest.

By strategically combining foods, you can potentially minimise acid reflux.

😊Foods That May Help

Low-Acid Fruits:
Bananas, melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew), and pears are good choices.

Vegetables:
Leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce), broccoli, green beans, and fennel are often well-tolerated.

Whole Grains:
Oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are good sources of fiber, which can aid digestion.

Lean Proteins:
Chicken breast (skin removed), fish, and egg whites are generally easier to digest than fatty meats.

Ginger:
Ginger tea or ginger chews can help soothe the stomach.

Foods with high water content:
Celery, cucumber and watermelon can help dilute stomach acid, according to Hopkins Medicine.

❌Foods to Limit or Avoid

High-Fat Foods: Fried foods, fatty meats, and creamy sauces can slow down digestion and increase the risk of reflux.

Acidic Foods: Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and spicy foods can irritate the esophagus.

Caffeinated and Carbonated Drinks: These can stimulate acid production and worsen reflux.

Alcohol: Can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, making it easier for acid to flow back up.

⭐Practical Tips:

Smaller, More Frequent Meals: Instead of large meals, try eating smaller portions more often to reduce the volume of food in your stomach.

Proper Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially between meals.

Avoid Eating Before Bed: Allow at least 2-3 hours between your last meal and bedtime to prevent reflux while lying down

Consider Food Combining Rules:

✅Eat fruits on an empty stomach, or with minimal other foods

✅Combine proteins with non-starchy vegetables

✅Combine starchy foods with non-starchy vegetables

Be Mindful of Portions: Even healthy foods can trigger reflux if eaten in large quantities.

Keep a Food Diary: Track what you eat and how your symptoms react to identify your personal triggers because what works for one person might not work for another.

➡Important Note: While food combining can be helpful, it's not a substitute for medical advice. If you experience frequent or severe acid reflux, consider seeing your local kinesiologist for personalised insights and recommendations.

26/08/2025

It is so important to take timeout for your own mental health and wellbeing.
Book a kinesiology appointment to bring yourself back into balance and find out exactly what your body needs.

To find out more or to book an appointment email me: sarah@hhws.co.uk

12/08/2025

✨ Did you know kinesiology supports more than just the physical body?

Kinesiology uses gentle muscle testing to uncover where your body may be out of balance and then applies non-invasive corrections to restore homeostasis (balance).

Our approach looks at the whole person, not just the symptoms, because these are often the tip of the iceberg!

In addition to the physical/structural body, we also support emotional/mental health, energetic and biochemical imbalances.

We can find out where there might be vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as carrying out food sensitivity testing.

Whether you’re feeling burnt out, bloated, or emotionally overwhelmed, kinesiology helps restore balance naturally.

Which area of your health would you most love support with right now?

Comment below or email me at sarah@hhws.co.uk

03/08/2025

Really interesting piece on the relationship between weight gain and the lymphatic system.

⚖️ The Truth About Weight Gain & the Lymphatic System

— Why It’s Not Just About Calories In, Calories Out

When it comes to weight gain, most people think of one thing: fat. But what if the real issue isn’t fat—but fluid, inflammation, and a blocked drainage system?

Welcome to the hidden world of the lymphatic system, where weight is not just about what you eat — it’s about how your body drains, detoxifies, and deals with inflammation.

Let’s break it down 👇

💧 1. Fluid Retention ≠ Fat Gain

Your body is made up of up to 60% water—and your lymphatic system manages a big part of that.

When lymph flow is sluggish, your tissues hold onto fluid, especially:
• In the arms and legs
• Around the belly
• Under the chin and eyes

⚠️ This is not fat. It’s fluid — and it can cause your weight to go up on the scale, your clothes to feel tighter, and your body to feel heavy or “inflamed.”

🔥 2. Inflammation Blocks Your Body’s Ability to Burn Fat

Inflammation is the body’s fire alarm — and the lymphatic system is the firefighter.
But if the lymph is congested, the fire keeps burning.

Chronic inflammation:
• Traps toxins in fat cells (especially visceral fat)
• Slows down thyroid and metabolic function
• Causes pain, fatigue, and a “swollen” feeling
• Makes it harder to lose weight even when you’re eating clean

✅ Lymph drainage clears inflammatory molecules (like cytokines) from your tissues, calming the immune response so your body can focus on repair and fat burning.

⚙️ 3. Stuck Lymph = Slow Metabolism

Your lymph system works closely with your:
• Thyroid (which regulates metabolism)
• Liver (which processes fat and hormones)
• Gut (which absorbs nutrients and regulates immunity)

If any of these organs are congested due to poor lymph flow, your body goes into survival mode:
• Slower digestion
• Sluggish detox
• Hormone imbalances (especially estrogen)
• Increased fat storage

This is not your fault. It’s not laziness or lack of willpower — it’s a systemic backup.

🧬 4. Fat Cells Can Become Toxic Dumping Grounds

Here’s something few people know:
Your body stores toxins and excess estrogen in fat cells when it can’t eliminate them properly through lymph, liver, or bowel.

This means:
• More toxins = more fat storage
• Less drainage = more inflammation = more weight

💡 That’s why supporting your lymphatic system is a smart way to naturally reduce toxic load and make weight loss easier.

🛠️ 5. How to Support Your Lymph for Sustainable Weight Balance

You don’t need extreme diets or hours of cardio. You need flow.

Here’s how to support your lymph daily:
• 💦 Hydrate: Lymph is 96% water. No flow without fluids.
• 🧼 Dry brushing: Stimulates superficial lymph vessels
• 🏃‍♀️ Gentle movement: Walking, stretching, rebounding, vibration therapy
• 💆‍♀️ Manual Lymph Drainage: Deep reset for stubborn puffiness and fluid
• 🌿 Support your liver: Herbal bitters, lemon water, castor oil packs
• 🍽️ Eat anti-inflammatory: Ditch sugar, processed foods, and seed oils

🌟 The Bottom Line

If you’ve been:
• Doing “everything right”
• Gaining weight anyway
• Battling bloating and inflammation

Then it’s time to look beyond fat — and start supporting your drainage system.

The lymphatic system is not a weight loss gimmick—it’s the foundation of your body’s internal balance.
When your lymph flows, your body knows how to heal, reset, and find its natural weight again.

24/07/2025

💚Love your liver! 💚

Why Does the Liver Play Such a BIG Role in Your Daily Life? 🌿

(This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.)

When you think about your most hardworking organs, your brain or heart might come to mind first. But there’s another silent hero in your body working 24/7 — your liver. This incredible organ performs over 500 essential functions that affect your energy, mood, digestion, hormones, immunity, and even your lymphatic system. Let’s explore why your liver truly is the life manager of your internal world.

🧠 1. The Master Detoxifier

Every day you’re exposed to environmental toxins, medications, food additives, alcohol, and metabolic waste. Your liver’s job is to filter these harmful substances and break them down so they can safely exit your body via bile, urine, or sweat. Without this constant detoxification, your lymphatic system can become overloaded and stagnant.

🔄 2. Supports the Lymphatic System

The liver produces bile, which is essential for fat digestion and for binding toxins to be eliminated through the gut. But did you know your lymphatic system relies on the liver to help clear inflammatory byproducts and filter pathogens? A sluggish liver = sluggish lymph!

⚖️ 3. Regulates Hormones

From estrogen and cortisol to insulin and thyroid hormones — your liver helps metabolize and balance hormones. If the liver is congested, hormone levels can become imbalanced, leading to PMS, weight gain, fatigue, acne, and more.

🍽️ 4. Aids Digestion & Nutrient Absorption

The liver produces bile, which helps emulsify fats and aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are crucial for immune function, bone health, skin repair, and brain clarity.

🛡️ 5. Immune System Ally

Up to 70% of your immune system is found in the gut — and the liver is its first line of defense. Every nutrient, toxin, or pathogen absorbed from the gut is filtered by the liver. It identifies invaders and activates immune responses before they enter systemic circulation.

🔋 6. Your Energy Generator

The liver helps regulate blood sugar and stores glycogen (your backup energy supply). It also plays a role in breaking down proteins and producing ATP, the energy currency of your cells. If your liver is sluggish, fatigue is often one of the first symptoms to appear.

💊 7. Processes Medication & Alcohol

The liver breaks down medications, caffeine, and alcohol into usable or excretable forms. Overuse of medication or alcohol can impair liver function and create long-term damage. Supporting your liver improves tolerance and recovery.

💚 How Can You Support Your Liver?
• Drink plenty of clean water
• Eat bitter greens like dandelion and arugula
• Support bile flow with lemon water or apple cider vinegar
• Use castor oil packs or manual lymphatic drainage therapy
• Avoid excessive alcohol, sugar, and processed fats
• Take breaks from medications when safe and guided by a doctor
• Practice deep breathing and movement to stimulate lymph and liver synergy

🌀 Final Thoughts

Your liver isn’t just a detox organ — it’s a life-giving, multitasking powerhouse. When supported, it boosts your vitality, clears your skin, sharpens your mind, balances your hormones, and keeps your lymphatic system flowing freely. When neglected, you feel the consequences in every corner of your body.

So love your liver… because it’s loving you every moment, without asking for applause.

©️