Panic attacks are extremely frightening. They seem to come out of the blue, strike at random, make people feel powerless, out of control, and as if they are about to die or go mad. Many people experience this problem, but many also learn to cope and, eventually, to overcome Panic Attacks successfully.

A panic attack is an exaggeration of the body’s normal response to fear, stress or excitement. When faced with a situation seen as potentially threatening, the body automatically gears itself up for danger, by producing quantities of adrenalin for 'fight or flight'. This would have prepared our cave-dwelling ancestors to fight or run away from danger, but it’s much less appropriate to the stresses we encounter today.

Adrenalin has the following effects on your body:

• muscles tense up
• difficulty breathing
• breathing becomes faster to take in more oxygen, which muscles need to help them transform sugar into energy
• racing heartbeat
• blood is diverted to the muscles, away from areas that don't need it, so you become pale
• dizziness and light headedness
• digestion slows down and salivary glands dry up, causing a dry mouth
• your senses become more alert; the slightest sound or touch provokes a reaction
• sweating increases.
• terror and feeling paralysed
• trembling, shaking and sweating
• pins and needles in fingers and toes

These reactions can occur in a matter of seconds.

But, just so as if to keep you on your toes, Panic Attacks can also come out of nowhere and have no apparent link with fear, stress or excitement. They could be linked to a sound, a smell, a voice, a picture, a scene, a location.... You need to identify your own triggers.

The good news is that by learning simple techniques as well as learning to control and change your thoughts, panic attacks can be completely controlled. Alix Needham can help you to do this, teaching you all the practical techniques you need to know in order to recognise a panic attack as it arrives and practise the right relaxation and thinking patterns to put you in control.

Tips & Advice

Practise Deep Breathing and be consciously aware of breathing into your stomach rather than just into your chest.
Reassure yourself that even if you experience any of these symptoms that everything is going to be OK.
Practise deep relaxation by taking time out on a regular basis to listen to gentle calming music or practise relaxation techniques.
Take up meditation to help you to still your mind and slow down any racing thoughts.
Seek qualified help if this problem persists. It will put you back in control of your life and everyone can succeed in overcoming panic attacks.

Where to find out more....

• NHS Choices - Panic Disorders
• NHS Choices - Panic Attacks
• No More Panic
• BBC Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Sugar or sweetener.... difficult one isn't it? One has an impact on the waiste but what impact does the other one have?

Diabetes UK says, "..the myth that people with diabetes shouldn't eat any sugar still persists but the truth is that people with diabetes can eat sugar. Although sugar should be limited as part of a healthy balanced diet, good blood glucose control can still be achieved when sugar and sugar-containing foods are eaten."

What is a sweetener? Wikipedia says, "A sugar substitute is a food additives that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, usually with less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, called artificial sweeteners."

I'm not a fan of sweeteners and generally advise my clients who are looking to change their diet to just use less natural sugar, rather than opt for for an artificial sweetener.

Sweeteners that we know by name tend to be: saccharin, sucralose, stevia, sorbitol and NutraSweet or 'aspartame'. The latter, aspartame has links will lots of elements of poor health.

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency confirms, "foods that contain both sugar and sweetener must carry the statement 'with sugar and sweetener(s)'. In addition, foods that contain aspartame must be labelled with a warning 'contains a source of phenylalanine'."

Dr Janet Starr Hull's website, http://www.sweetpoison.com has lots of interesting and frightening information about aspartame.

She says, "Aspartame was determined to be a dangerous chemical as early as the 1960s. Over the past 30 years, aspartame has been identified as a carcinogen, a chemical that eats holes in brain tissue, and a dangerous food additive during pregnancy." "aspartame WAS removed from the public market after it was approved. Aspartame has actually been approved for market TWICE. In the 1970s, aspartame was first approved by the FDA, but that approval was immediately rescinded when research was presented, showing that aspartame ate holes in the brains of the lab animals at Washington University."

http://www.healingdaily.com says, "NutraSweet (Aspartame) is composed of linkages of aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. The aspartic acid acts as a neuroexcitatory agent. When NutraSweet is digested, it yields 10% methanol (wood alcohol). The wood alcohol (methanol) is widely distributed throughout the body including brain, muscle, fat and nervous tissue. It is then metabolized to FORMALDEHYDE which enters the cells and binds to the proteins and DNA (the genetic material). Cytogenetic effects (changes in DNA) have been shown to result from FORMALDEHYDE exposure and DNA damage occurs from FORMALDEHYDE. The nature of the injury generally involves breaking and then creation of cross linking within the genetic material which alters the cells. This finding has been confirmed numerous times...". It is believed that the negative impact of aspartame is cumulative.

So, if you have a choice, go for natural sugar, but less of it!

I was invited by Clwb Gwawr Caerdydd to do an evening's presentation focussing on 'New Year's Resolutions'. Where to start!?· The obvious route to take was dieting, but not being a fan of dieting myself, I decided to talk about 'aiming to achieve', rather than 'aiming to fail', which often happens with new year's resolutions!!

I talked about food and nutrition; using smoothies to increase your intake of fruit and veg in a day; increasing water intake; and swapping the odd cup of tea or coffee in a day for some fruit or herbal tea.· I took about 8 boxes of different teas with me and everyone was invited to try something new.·

We walked about active living too.· You probably already know that I'm not a fan of the gym, so we talked about doing things differently; parking the car at the further point of the car park and walking a bit further to the super market; getting out into the garden and getting active; doing tai chi; and swinging some poi!· The Club really enjoyed the poi and lots of members came up and did some beginners poi moves with me which was really good fun!

We talked about the benefits of complementary therapy, from Reflexology to Reiki, Chiropractic, Shiatsu and a few other therapies inbetween.· To finish the evening, we talked about having a 'peaeful mind' and the benefits of ensuring restful sleep and relaxation.· For the last 10 minutes or so we all did some meditation together.· Feedback from the Club was really positive and they said that the meditation had a really positive, relaxation effect.

So, a big thank you to Clwb Gwawr for their invitation and for giving me the chance to talk about all the things I am passionate about! Diolch i chi am eich gwahoddiad. Oedd hi'n noson wych!

Answer, Name and Contact Number via our contact form! Good Luck!

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Q10: What is Bob Cratchit's youngest son calles?

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Q7: Has Red Raven Therapy ever appeared on TV?

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5: On the 5th day of Christmas, what did my true love give to me?
WINNER: Jayne Morgan

Q4: How much does the 'Bliss Package' cost?

Q3: In Thai Foot Massage, what is the name given to the energy lines running through the legs?
WINNER: Samantha Brunsdon

Q2: Name one benefit of Indian Head Massage

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Answer, Name and Contact Number via our contact form! Good Luck!


Merry Christmas and Nadolig llawen to one and all!·

From the 13th December we will be running our 12 Days of Christmas Competition!· Every day we will ask a question, the answer to which you can find on our website.· To enter, use our contact form to send us your answer.· Your name will be drawn from all entries which arrive by midnight and you could win a £10 therapy gift voucher!!

Christmas gift certificates can be bought here via PayPal.· You can have the certificate e-mailed direct to you.· Quick, simple and lovely!!· And great for a last minute gift!·

The other evening, I went for a run.· Yes!· Me!!· I have been thinking about it for a few months but for one reason or another, I didn't have the time, the weather was wrong or I was too hungry, or indeed, just didn't have the confidence to get my trainers on and pound the streets.· But, the other evening, everything fitted; I got home from work and still had a bit of energy left; the weather was calm and cool and I had built up some confidence from talking to a neighbour the day before, who also went out for the occasional run!· I had also been talking
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to two colleagues in the previous year who had taken up running in their forties and were benefitting hugely and really enjoying it.


So, I donned by trainers, joggers and hoodie and with mobile and house keys hooked to a lanyard around my neck and a bottle of water in my hand, I went out and just did it!!· I soon realised that the mobile and keys were going to get on my nerves, so I put them in one hand to balance out my water bottle in the other.·

Over the months that I had been thinking about it and generally procrastinating, I had done a bit of online research about how to go about it without killing myself.· All advice was basic, walk for a bit, run for a bit, walk for a bit, run for a bit. Nothing more complicated than that.· When I had talked to my colleague who was now planning to do a marathon she also said that she would run for a few minutes, walk for a few minutes, until she was running a few miles a night.· So, I did just that; I walked out of the front door, walked for a bit to warm up and jogged gently to the end of the street, than I walked a bit until I'd got my breath back and then ran until I felt I needed to walk.·

I really enjoyed myself!· I'm not sure how far I went, a couple of miles, by my husband's calculation, but we're going to cycle my route sometime soon to find out!· And the run, walk, run, walk method is really great; you achieve a little without feeling like you've done a lot and every time you go out, you can increase the running parts little by little!

I'm really impressed with myself as I expected to go 300 yards, hate it and turn back.· But I didn't!· And I'm really looking forward to doing it again sometime this week, when I have time and can fit it in around work, therapy and home life!

Give it a try!· Go to IntoJoggin - it's a blog for new joggers and you can add comments.· You don't need any fancy equipment except proper, well fitting trainers which I got from MOTI in Cardiff (they video your running posture to make sure you get the right trainers) and you can do it pretty much any time and place any where!· The only downside is, I think I'm going to have to use a bum-bag for keys and mobile next time, unless I can find a better alternative!· Eeek!

I did a little Tai Chi a few years ago, but due to work commitments and the time of the class I wasn't able to continue. But now, I'm back on the hunt for a class in my area. I have found two, but unfortunately they run during the day, which is no good for people that work 9-5, like me!

Tai Chi (also written as T'ai Chi, Taiji, Tai Chi Chuan, among others) is a slow-motion, moving meditative exercise for relaxation, health and self defense. Originally from China, Tai Chi has gained enormous popularity in America and throughout the rest of the world for its health benefits.

Doctors in the United States analysed 47 studies looking at the impact Tai Chi had on people with chronic health problems, like heart disease or MS. They found that it could improve balance control, flexibility and even the health of their heart.

Writing in The Archives of Internal Medicine, they said it also reduced stress, falls, pain and anxiety.

You may have seen large groups of Chinese people practicing Tai Chi in the local park, all moving together in the same direction, at the sae pace, looking extremely graceful.

A common misconception is that it is only good for the elderly. While it is a popular form of exercise among the elderly, particularly in China, tai chi has been found to be health-promoting for younger generations as well. In the July-August 2005 issue of the Journal of Paediatric Health Care, an article outlined an educational program that was implemented in a Boston middle school which involved tai chi and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The boys and girls who participated in the program reported the following benefits:
• Feelings of well-being, calmness, and relaxation

• Improved sleep
• Less reactivity

• Increased self-care and self-awareness

• Feelings of interconnectedness and interdependence with nature

Another study, published in the March 2006 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, also found that tai chi enhances functional mobility. In addition, this study found that tai chi also enhances regulatory T cell function. T cells are critical to the overall strength of your immune system.