Reflexology and my Jeans/Genes
‘For an older bird you haven’t half got a nice bum’ said the young tip attendant cheerily and cheekily as he followed me up the ramp to the skip for cardboard.
I didn’t know whether to be insulted at being called an ‘older bird’, affronted at the un-PC-ness of the whole comment or chuffed that he thought I had a nice bum in my tight jeans! I suppose if I too were being PC it should be the Household Waste Recycling Centre and not the tip anyway.
So has the extra 5lbs (2.27kgs) I acquired during the Christmas festivities gone to my sagging bum and perked it up a bit or is it that I still have my genes to thank for looking younger than my years.
Is it really all about our genes? Is that why we get ill? And what can help?
Well there is a branch of medicine called Epigenetics that explores the links between our genes and why we get ill, including Cancer Epigenetics.
I know more people than ever this year who have been diagnosed with cancer, so I am really interested to know what the triggers are. I know that prolonged production in stress hormones can lead to a reduction in Killer T-Lymphocytes, the cells that mop up cancer cells that are formed in our body daily. Often if you ask someone what happened to them a few years before they were diagnosed with cancer, they often cite bereavement, redundancy, divorce or a similar stressor. This kind of stressor often means losing your appetite, or eating the wrong foods. This can impact the immune system and lead to illness.
I used to practice reflexology at The Ishta Centre in Stone and Allyn, who co-owns the centre with Sue, is a McTimoney Chiropractor. In 2011 he was diagnosed with cancer but chose to self-treat after surgery. He is fit and well today and recounts his story with lots of helpful information on http://www.ishtacentre.co.uk/Cancer.html Please share this if you know of someone struggling with cancer at present.
Anyway Epigenetics looks at how our genetic predisposition to disease is ‘switched on’ by environmental factors, chemicals, medication/drugs, aging and diet. The DNA itself is not altered but there are chromosomal changes that impact our health. According to Live Science:
‘Epigenetics literally means "above" or "on top of" genetics. It refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes "on" or "off." These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells "read" genes.’ For more information visit https://www.livescience.com/37703-epigenetics.html
The result can be cells not functioning as they are meant to, leading to illness - even cancer.
More detailed medical information in an article entitled ‘Cause and Consequences of Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations in Human Cancer’ is available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2691666/
Genetic modifications can be passed down through the generations. As a reflexologist if we are treating a family we can notice similar characteristics in the feet and similar health issues between the family members. For example I have a small bunion on my right foot, I have always worn good shoes/boots so I cannot see a reason for developing a bunion, until I observe my mother’s right foot which also has a bunion in the same place, she too has always had good footwear – my grandmother had the same bunion and so on but somewhere in the past a member of the family must have done something to their right foot to have created this inherited characteristic. I know that foot readers may have differing opinions!
Also both of my brothers and I developed asthma in later life. Neither of our parents or any grandparents had asthma but my great grandmother died of asthma. However my grandfather on my father’s side died of emphysema, my father and grandfather on my mother’s side both died of lung cancer due to smoking. So what has ‘switched on’ my predisposition to asthma? Well my asthma developed after a particularly bad chest infection that coincided with moving to a damp environment. If I had a cold as a child it always went to my chest. Both my brothers lived and worked in the polluted London area for many years but we cannot be sure what the actual trigger was to the genetic ‘switch on’.
There is some interesting information on how our bodies respond to the triggers that affect our cells in this must read article: https://www.whatisepigenetics.com/fundamentals/
Some issues are thought to be related to the Nature versus Nurture theory, most theorists agreeing that we are 80% nature and 20% nurture with early childhood being the most formative time. Latest research tends to also substantiate the genetic predisposition to behavioural and psychological wellbeing. For more information look at this recent review https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/abcs-child-psychiatry/201710/nature-versus-nurture-where-we-are-in-2017
So if our physical and psychological health depends on our genetic inheritance how can we stay healthy?
As mentioned previously cell modification is also affected by diet, chemicals, drugs and aging. We all age but can we age more healthily by looking after our diet, limiting exposure to chemicals, avoiding drugs and limiting use of non-essential medication?
Yes we can! And in the process limit the chemical changes in our bodies that lead to cell changes and how they read our DNA.
Most people know what constitutes a healthy diet but finding the right diet for each individual does take some trial and error, as everyone is unique in how they respond to foods. Generally it is accepted that we need to limit inflammatory foods as inflammation is the body saying that it is not happy - it is trying to heal itself from a potentially harmful substance or event.
Inflammatory foods include refined carbohydrates such as white bread, cakes etc., sugar, red meat, alcohol and trans fatty acids fats (created by hydrogenation - adding water to fat to change its structure and found in foods such as margarines). Food intolerances, poor gut health, chronic infections, lack of sleep and exercise all contribute to inflammation as well.
Choose foods that fight free radicals (free radicals are molecules formed by inflammation, poor diet, smoking, alcohol, chemicals etc. that can lead to cellular damage).
A diet high in vegetables and fruits such as berries can really help. Foods that alkalise the body rather than acid forming foods are also worth considering. People following a diet of 80% alkaline foods report more energy, better digestion, healthier skin and a lighter mood. There is a free downloadable chart available from Avocado Ninja at https://www.avocadoninja.co.uk/pages/free-alkaline-food-chart and lots of other information, recipes and classes online.
One of the biggest influences on every action within the body is stress. Another relatively recent branch of medicine called Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) links chemicals changes within the body as a result of our emotions, to a reduction of the effectiveness of our immune systems - leading to illness. So finding healthy ways of acknowledging and releasing our emotions is essential. PNI is scientific proof of the mind/body connection that has always been recognised in complementary health circles. At Contemporary Reflexology College we include a lot about the mind/body connection and learners are taught a wonderful treatment based on PNI research combined with intent and affirmations in the form of a guided visualisation tailored to the client’s needs. More about PNI in future articles.
So hopefully you can see that although you don’t need an in depth understanding of Epigenetics and PNI, you can appreciate the importance of looking after ourselves physically and emotionally to minimise negative impact on our health and wellbeing.
If in doubt about your diet seek the advice of a good nutritionist or naturopath, it may be the best investment you can make for your health and longevity.
Minimise or learn to cope with the stress in your life, if you can’t change it. There are many coping mechanisms such as exercise, being in nature, mindfulness, a soak in a bath, meditation, talking through your problems and of course therapies such as Reflexology and E.F.T (the Emotional Freedom Technique). Reflexology is marvellous for helping the mind and body cope with stress and at Contemporary Reflexology College there is a lot of emphasis in helping learners to understand this. My training and experience with energy psychology techniques such as EFT really helps and combining these with a hands-on reflexology session is extremely powerful.
There is an excellent article entitled ‘Reflexology to help with stress and anxiety’ by the amazing Lynne Booth of Vertical Reflexology fame available here: http://www.positivehealth.com/article/reflexology/reflexology-to-help-stress-and-anxiety
Although the medical methodologies of research are challenging to apply to complementary therapies, there is consistent qualitative and quantitative evidence demonstrating that reflexology does help reduce the symptoms of stress and improve the sense of wellbeing in the majority of people. This research article demonstrates through MRI scanning that the areas of the feet worked by a reflexologist activate a corresponding area in the brain: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394008013694
A study entitled: ‘Evaluation of anxiety, salivary cortisol and melatonin secretion following reflexology treatment: a pilot study in healthy individuals’ concluded:
‘Considering the connection between stress/anxiety and well being, the effects of reflexology may have beneficial outcomes for patients’. I know that good regular reflexology not only helps to minimise the effects of stress but also helps each person to cope better with life’s ups and downs.
I remember one computer literate client stating that he felt as if I was ‘defragging’ him with each maintenance treatment! If you look it up, as I had to because I thought he was being rude, you will note that it means to sort out all of the files and folders to make the system work more efficiently. A bit of a strange analogy but reflexology does appear to help the body rebalance and reboot!
If Reflexology can help the body to cope with stress more efficiently then theoretically it can help to minimise the effects of stress on our cells and genetic predisposition to illness.
For self-help I find that placing my hands on my heart in bed morning and evening and going through the events of the day that have been or are to come, while releasing any uncomfortable feelings with the breath and intent can really help. Hopefully you have your own way of releasing any feelings, thoughts and memories that are causing you distress. If not seek a good EFT or Matrix Reimprinting practitioner such as Karl Dawson: http://www.efttrainingcourses.net/matrixreimprinting.htm or try Jessica Ortner’s free tapping for stress relief, it is wonderful: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/jessica-ortners-stress-relief-audios-free-download/
Changing our environment is not easy but you can switch off your internet router at night, minimise the use of your mobile ‘phone and avoid carrying it in your pocket, make some quiet times when the TV and radio are off, find a space at home that is your quiet space, walk in the countryside or find a small green patch somewhere to stand and ground yourself or even visualise yourself doing so if you can’t get outside. Think about small changes you can make to enhance your wellbeing at home and in the workplace, even a plant such as an aloe vera or spider plant on your work desk can have huge health benefits.
Use natural products in the home and for personal care to minimise the effects of chemicals and if you do need medication such as anti-biotics take pro-biotics to repopulate the gut flora. Also ensure that your dental health and hygiene is excellent.
So a chance comment by a cheeky young man has led me on a bit of a journey today. Yes the shape of my bottom is genetic (I remember my Gran telling me I had inherited ‘The Wallace Bottom’ when I was young and bemoaning the fact that it stuck out - Jennifer Lopez bottoms were not fashionable then)! However obviously my diet and exercise (or lack of) as well as aging now influences the size of my buttocks. So the 5lbs (2.27kgms) has got to go, and some if I am honest! A revisit of my diet, portion size, water intake, sleep quantity and exercise are on the agenda, as I am sure they are with many people at this time of year. I hope you appreciate how amazing our bodies are and why our emotional and physical wellbeing is so important and you too may get some compliments from strangers – hopefully more PC than the one I received…..
Diagram by National Institutes of Health - http://commonfund.nih.gov/epigenomics/figure.aspx, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9789221
