FASCIA RELEASE WORKSHOP 2017

Some of you may recall that I ran a few foam rolling workshops a couple years back. I have had such overwhelming positive interest in this area from clients, customers and friends about foam rolling: why do you do it? what is it? how do you do it? I often explain and showcase the benefits of fascia release through foam rolling and rubber balls to my clients in my one on one health coaching sessions and they are blown away by the benefits. I love to move and I love sharing what I know and what has benefited me, so I have teamed up with PT Michael James of Primal Fitness to show you the what, why and hows of releasing fascia in this upcoming workshop.

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Since I started fascia release a few years ago this is what I have noticed in my body:
•    My injuries have dramatically reduced
•    My osteo-skeletal issues have minimised
•    My flexibility has improved out of sight despite doing less stretching
•    My recovery after intense interval training has improved
•    I am able to manage and resolve the vast majority of my muscular-skeletal niggles myself

... and, most importantly, when I foam-roll consistently (a few times a week at a minimum) I am pain-free. For someone who spent most of their teens, 20s and 30s in chronic osteo-skeletal pain, I can’t begin to tell you the sheer ecstasy of being pain-free. Moving to a nutrient-dense wholefoods diet, being well hydrated, sitting less, sleeping more, being more mindful, quitting long slow steady-state cardio and simply moving how our bodies are designed to move, all made profound improvements to my ailing health, but fascia release (through foam rolling and rubber balls) has, without a doubt, taken it to the next level. It was the last missing piece of the puzzle in my osteo-skeletal malaise. 

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COST STARTS from $70 PERSON 

The cost of the 2 hour workshop is;

- $70 if you bring your own foam roller (short to medium length preferable) and fascia release ball.
- $80 if you bring your own foam roller and we will order a fascia release ball for you to keep AND use in the workshop.
- $110 if you bring your own fascia release ball (e.g. made by Ironedge) and we will order a foam roller for you to keep AND use in the workshop.
- $120 if you do not have your own ball and roller and we will order both of them for you to keep AND use in the workshop.

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WHAT YOU WILL GET

•  An explanation of what fascia is, its role in the human body, what causes it to tighten, the consequences of tight fascia, and how to loosen it
•  An explanation of why stretching alone is not enough
•  Practical demonstrations
•  1.5 hours of releasing fascia via foam rolling and fascia release balls
•  Opportunity to ask questions
•  Your very own foam roller and a rubber ball for you to release fascia at home at your convenience (if you don't already own both)!
•  Opportunity to check out a new gym and be given 1 week free unlimited classes!

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THIS WORKSHOP IS IDEAL FOR

•  Those who attended one of my earlier workshops and wish to take fascia release to the next level
•  Those who want to take their flexibility and /or athletic performance to the next level
•  Anyone with tight muscles, tight spots, niggling pains, or inflexibility in certain parts of their body (especially mums carry bubs, anyone who carries heavy loads, those who don’t counter all of the forward movements in day to day life, or those feeling tight /constricted in the chest, shoulders and any part of the body)
•  Anyone who enjoys the feeling of being massaged (yes please!) or would love to have a regular massage but might not have the time and/or funds for it
•  Those who feel like they are not getting enough benefit from stretching alone
•  Those who want to learn how to effectively release fascia and iron out tight spots in the comfort of their own home
•  Anyone curious to try something new and have some fun!

WHEN AND WHERE

WHERE: Primal Fitness, Shop 11 Cosmopolitan Shopping Centre, 2/22 Knox St Double Bay NSW 2028
WHEN: Friday 23rd June, 7-9pm
PARKING: street parking or paid parking in the Cosmopolitan Shopping Centre
WEAR: tight fitting gym/yoga clothes (loose clothing and loose hair gets caught up under the roller- I learnt that one the hard way!)
BRING: your ball and/or roller if you have them otherwise we will pre-order for you

Spaces strictly limited to 15.  If this class books out we will run additional classes in the following weeks.

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TO SECURE A SPOT

1. Text Soulla Chamberlain on  0407 871 884 to confirm that there are spaces available (spaces strictly limited to 15 per class) and on your equipment needs.
2. Once I confirm that there is a spot available you will need to transfer funds ($70, $80, $110 or $120 depending on if you have a ball and /or roller) referencing your name into the following bank account within 24 hours (as places can only be reserved for up to 24 hours): Star Anise Organic Wholefoods EducationBSB 062 000 Acct 1628 4526

I will then email further details closer to the date. 

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PLACES WILL BOOK UP QUICKLY! IF THE CLASS IS FULLY BOOKED MORE WORKSHOPS WILL BE RUN IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD TO ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS.

CANCELLATION POLICY: ONCE FUNDS ARE DEPOSITED INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT THEY ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

ANZAC biscuit recipe!

As promised, here is my ANZAC biscuit recipe. I use my activated cinnamon-dusted buckwheat groats as my gluten-free flour substitute. 1 cup is ground into a fine flour with a spice grinder while the other cup is left whole. Maple syrup is my sweetener of choice but you could can substitute any other low fructose natural sweetener such as honey, rapadura sugar, coconut sugar, or coconut nectar. I hope you and your kids enjoy these as much as we do!

Ingredients
 
1 cup activated cinnamon buckwheat groats
1 cup activated cinnamon buckwheat to make buckwheat flour
¾ cup (70g) desiccated coconut
½ cup (160g) maple syrup
100g butter or coconut oil
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons boiling water
 
Directions
 
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.

To make the buckwheat flour, grind our activated cinnamon buckwheat in a nut/spice/coffee grinder or Thermomix (speed 9, 15 seconds) until it resembles a fine flour.

Mix together the dry ingredients of buckwheat, buckwheat flour, desiccated coconut and salt in a large bowl.

Melt the maple syrup and either the butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients together with the boiling water and mix well. If it appears too dry and crumbly add a little more boiling water until the mixture can hold together.

Take approximately a couple tablespoons or 40g of the mixture and shape into a small ball then pat down between palms of hands and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Throughout the process I find it helpful to occasionally dip my hands into a jug of filtered water to clean my palms to make it easier to roll the mixture into balls.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 150 degrees. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.
 
Makes approximately 15 - 17 x 40g biscuits

11 ways to help detoxify from exposure to toxins

Given the ubiquitous toxicity of our urban environment, our bodies ingest and inhale toxins all the time, sadly. From the “food” we eat, the tap water we drink, the air we breathe, what we lather on our skin and hair, to what we use to clean our homes. But sometimes, an isolated incident occurs that might expose you to a whopping amount. It might be exposure to mould, leaded paint from a reno, your mother-in-law well-meaningly spraying perfumes or ‘air fresheners’ throughout your house, your partner spraying Mortein in every nook and cranny of your apartment, your grandma dousing your clothes with moth balls, your landlord insect bombing the whole building with pesticides, too much alcohol and not-so-clean food eaten on a recent holiday, or heavy metal exposure from an old bath containing lead.  VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are numerous, varied and include both man-made and naturally occurring chemical compounds.  Some are more toxic than others and can have long-term health effects. 

Ok, so you’ve inhaled, ingested or absorbed a bucket load of toxins in higher concentrations than usual. What now? You need to detoxify these compounds from your system as quickly as possible. How quickly you can detoxify largely depends on your detoxification pathways. In particular if you have gene mutation MTHFR (determined through a simple blood test) you won't be able to detoxify as well and may need extra support from a naturopath or holistic health care provider. 

This is what I recommend to help you detoxify naturally: 

1. Continue to eat nutrient-dense whole foods especially bone broth from pastured or wild animals, fermented foods and drinks, leafy green veggies, and coconut oil – all of which have a detoxifying effect on the body. 

2. Drink plenty of filtered water with a pinch of unrefined salt (you can read about why I add unrefined salt to my water in my previous blog here).  In terms of water filters, I recommend a reverse osmosis water filter system from The Water Shop. Simply call them, and mention that I referred you for 20% off.   

3. Avoid all dietary and environmental toxins as much as possible to not overload your already taxed system. The main offenders are refined sugar, industrial seed oils, refined gluten, unfermented soy products (e.g. soy milk), and all conventional household and personal care products. I discuss all this in great detail in my one on one health coaching sessions.  In terms of personal care and household cleaning products, the upshot is less is more! If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin! If it’s not natural or doesn’t biodegrade- don’t use it in your house! 

4. Spend as little time as possible in offending area (if there is one). This might mean quarantining the area, or temporality moving out. 

5. Get out into fresh air as much as possible and have the windows in your house/ apartment open as much as possible with fans on to get good air flow and ventilation all the time. Eat meals outdoors, go for walks in nature or along the coast. 

6. If air quality is affected, diffuse (not burn!) the essential oil blend called Purification from Young Living.  Purification is a blend of powerful essential oils that, as the name suggests, purify and clean the air you breathe. If mould specifically is the issue, I recommend following the 4-step procedure in my Mould Protocol which I put together with a building biologist which incorporates the Young Living Thieves range of products. For information on, or to access, my Mould Protocol or how to purchase Young Living products, please fill out the contact form on the essential oils page of my website and we will contact you to answer all your questions.  Note that if your room/house is very damp/humid (or subject to mould), use a waterless diffuser (eg Young Living Wanderful diffuser) which diffuses oils neat into the air without adding further moisture. This is excellent for mouldy areas or damp rooms with little ventilation.

7. If air quality is affected, buy an air purifier like this one. I wrote about this in my recent mould blog. These machines purify the air. They break up the particles and create negative ions which bind to the toxins. You can move the air purifier around from room to room and especially put it in the offending room to quickly purify the air.

8. Get support from a holistic practitioner like Emily Rose Yates. There are detoxifying therapeutic grade essential oils, teas and herbs and other things like charcoal that draw toxins out of your system. If you are pregnant mention this as some oils and herbs may be contraband during pregnancy. 

9. Oil pull. Oil pulling is a powerful detoxifier by drawing toxins out of your body. Read my previous blog post on this here. I’ve been doing it every single morning for 15 minutes upon rising for eons while showering or getting dressed etc. 

10. Sweat it out in an infrared sauna. Sweating detoxifies the body and research shows that infrared saunas get greater results than ordinary saunas. You can buy your very own one and keep it in your home like half my friends do ;-)

11. Young Living Ningxia Red. This unique drink (made from pureed goji berries, pomegranates, plums, cherries, blueberries, and citrus essential oils) is the world’s highest antioxidant food source according to the ORAC scale. Antioxidants powerfully detoxify the body by mopping up free radicals that can cause illness and disease. Citrus oils (found in Ningxia) produce glutathione which is the most powerful internal antioxidant. The recommended dose is 50-60ml daily (neat or diluted in water).  The most economical way of purchasing is to purchase a Ningxia Red starter pack and then a 2 pack of Ningxia Red monthly thereafter. To purchase simply fill out the contact form on the essentials oils & low tox page of my website and I will be in touch.

I hope these suggestions help. What other tools do you have to detoxify? I’d love to hear.