By Dr Soni

As children we were often told, "Don't slouch, sit-up straight".  Today, we know that having poor posture can have adverse effects on our nervous system which ultimately can lead to many chronic problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, neck-shoulder pain and back problems.  Contributing to these problems is the importance of how we organise our workspace around us (ergonomics) which can adversely affect the stress and strain on our bodies.

No matter what we are doing and in what position we are in, there is an optimal position our body can be in to decrease the stress on the muscles, spine and other joints of the body.  If we are looking at posture in a purely natural state, that is without any external forces like chairs, etc., our posture is essentially determined by our bone structures with muscles and their ability to counteract the force of gravity.

In a perfect world, everyone would be in neutral posture everyday all the time.  But in reality, the position our body varies depending on what line of work we are in or task we are performing.  Poor posture is frequently blamed on:

• Lack of exercise
  
• Weak muscles
  
• Obesity
  
• Lack of body awareness

Although the above are recognised contributing factors, they are only some of the causes to poor posture.  If you find that any of these issues are of a concern to you, there may be undue stress on your body that you don't need to endure.

Why Should You Care

• Having proper ergonomics at your workplace is crucial to having proper posture.
  
• To help prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI), such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
  
• To help prevent other ailments such as headaches, eye strain, back and neck strains.
  
• To help reduce stress and increase productivity.

Weather you work at a construction site or as a computer programmer, ergonomics plays an extremely important role in helping you to do your job efficiently as well as with the least amount of stress and strain on your body.

What Can You Do In the Office

Keyboards
Your shoulders should be straight, upper arms hanging straight down close to your body and elbows at a 90-degree or greater angle.  Your forearms and hands should be flat and your hands relaxed leaving your wrists in a neutral position.  There are various ergonomically designed split keyboards that are becoming increasingly popular that help with your wrist position.

Mouse
When looking for a mouse, look for one that isn't too big or too small but one that fits snugly under your relaxed hand.  The bottom of your hand should feel the mouse and the point where your hand turns into your wrist should be on the table.

Monitor
As a general rule, you should keep it in front of you, such that you don't have to turn your head either way and should be at an arm's length in distance.  Your neck should be relaxed and neutral, not leaning forward.  The screen should be directly level with your eyes.  Another important component to your monitor to consider is glare.  Poor positioning related to your windows or lighting could result in eyestrain and headaches.  Adding a glare filter to your monitor can also minimise the effects of improper lighting.

Chair
An adjustable chair is the most important part of your workstation, because it affects your position more than just about anything else.  You want a chair that allows you to customise the fit.  The ideal position is one that allows you to sit up slightly, tilted forward with your back comfortably neutral against the back of the chair and your hips slightly higher than your knees.  Your feet should be flat on the floor or on a foot rest.

Phones
A headset is an absolute necessity if you are on the phone a lot.  Taking steps to make your workstation ergonomically correct, but cradling the phone on your neck for long phone calls won’t help.

Time
Our body is not designed to be in one place doing one thing for long periods of time.  It is important to schedule breaks from repetitive activities and learn stretches that reduce fatigue in your muscles.  As a general rule of thumb, you should get up at least once every 30-40 minutes and stretch and walk around a bit to keeps the circulation in your legs going.  A great idea is to get up and get some water.

What Can You Do
A consultation of your current posture can be established and risk factors or weak points can be identified.  There are specific strengthening exercises you can do to strengthen your postural muscles and improve your overall balance.  If you're suffering with health issues or have troubles with your sitting during the day, consult with a health professional for advice.  Alternatively, for more information on ergonomics or request Dr. Soni to your workplace and help evaluate your workstation with a Spinal Hygiene class at the same time.

What is Einkorn Flour?
Einkorn Flour is the original, purest form of wheat, unchanged for thousands of years and is one of nature’s forgotten foods that has been re-discovered in the last few years due to its high nutrient content and non-hybridised, non DNA altered form (this simply means that Einkorn flour is real flour, has not been changed or altered and no nasty’s or chemicals added).
Einkorn is packed with more nutrients, vitamins and dietary minerals than regular wheat. Einkorn has 40% more protein and 15% less starch than commercial wheat, plus abundant B vitamins (not artificially put in as we see in today's breads and cereals) and trace minerals such as iron.
Why use Einkorn Flour?
Einkorn flour is a delicious, all-purpose healthy alternative to the current mass market, nutrition less wheat flour that we currently see on most of the shelves in the supermarkets.

Einkorn can be substituted in most recipes where plain flour is required. In fact, you need to USE LESS of the Einkorn flour than processed flour!

With a savoury and nutty taste, this flour is great in traditional breads, pizza bases, rolls and cakes. We have also included links for delicious tried and tested recipes below for you, including herb breads, sweet and savoury muffins, slices and cakes.

Einkorn flour can also be an excellent solution for those with gluten sensitivity. The gluten in Einkorn lacks the high molecular weight proteins that many people can’t digest. If you are sensitive to modern wheat, Einkorn may provide a delicious alternative. Einkorn does contain gluten and is not ok for those with celiac disease.
 
What are the benefits?
  High in iron, protein, dietary fibre, thiamine, vitamin B6, carotenoids, phosphorous and potassium
  Non-hybridised (not mixed with other species/varieties) 
  Genetically pure
  Easy to digest
 
 
Some baking tips for you

• A 1kg bag of Einkorn flour can go a long way.....through testing our Einkorn flour in baking, we can make five (5) recipes and still have over 1⁄4 of a bag left
• As Einkorn flour contains less starch than regular wheat, cakes can bake a bit denser so we like to add an extra egg or egg white to the batter
• We have used approximately 1 – 1 1⁄4 or 1 1⁄2 cups of Einkorn flour instead of 2-3 cups when following regular recipes – have found that the Einkorn flour absorbs liquid quite well so you don’t need quite as much
• For lighter textures in cakes and muffin recipes, beat less and at lower speed or by hand
• As Einkorn flour has such a distinct flavour, taste and aroma, we have found it is good to pair with other strong flavours. For example, adding lots of herbs, chilli, olives and fetta in savoury muffins and adding cinnamon, ginger and chocolate in sweeter recipes.
• If you have a Thermomix, we have found that re-milling the flour then sifting makes a nicer/fluffier bread and less dense.

 
 History of Einkorn
Einkorn is the traditional heirloom wheat grain, a variety of wheat that was used during earlier periods of history. It has not been manipulated nor hybridised (a cross pollination of plants) by modern methods and is the oldest type of wheat known to man. It is a wheat that research tells us has been used for thousands of years, not only by tribes of hunter gatherers but also used for many thousands of years by the early agriculturists. Einkorn was the wheat used in biblical times along with another strain of wheat called Emmer.
 
By:  Cyndi O’Meara
www.changinghabits.com.au

One of our team members at work has been experiencing quite severe morning sickness over the last few months. The poor love really has had a rough first trimester…
As I consider the conversations we’ve shared regarding her constant nausea, I’m allowing myself the time to reflect and remember just how debilitating morning sickness can be.  Let’s be clear – morning sickness is just plain nasty.
Irrespective, the reality is – morning sickness is a normal self-regulating process. A mother’s body is undergoing enormous physiological change, particularly on a hormonal level and nausea is often one of the by-products of such change. Why is it then that some women become so ill and others don’t?.
Now I won’t pretend to have a definitive answer, my thoughts are though – that women who suffer morning sickness (and I was one-of-them), need fairly strong reasons to slow down and rest. Morning sickness may be a way that your body can say, “Excuse me, I can’t run on adrenaline anymore so stop trying to please everyone! FYI – I need you to rest and get more sleep, as from today. And by the way – please feed me more consistently.”
The human body is very clever.
The 2 Quickest Remedies …
The two best methods for conquering morning sickness (or, as it should correctly be known, ‘ALL night and ALL day sickness’) are to:
1. Graze – Eat small amounts of food throughout the day.
This means a small portion of food everyone couple of hours. Consistent, light snacking will prevent blood sugar levels from plummeting (helping to prevent nausea).
2. Get more rest + sleep.
Having ‘nana-naps’ where possible, or going to bed early — ensuring that you get extra-sleep — can make the world of difference to how you feel.
Other helpful approaches …
3. Get checked by your chiropractor.
This enables your body to be as healthy as it can be during pregnancy. Adjustments allow your body’s nervous system i.e. your body’s computer to carefully balance your physical and hormonal needs at this crucial time. For more information regarding the benefits of chiropractic for you and your baby please see blog titled “Health benefits of chiropractic during pregnancy.”
 
 
 
4. Include ginger in your diet.
Try some fresh ginger tea – it’s a life-saver. Buy some ginger, cut a few slices, and add hot water and a little honey.  You can also purchase Ginger Tea bags if this is easier. Most supermarkets often have ginger chews in their health food sections as well.
5. Make sure you are attaining enough vitamin B6 in your diet.
Try increasing your vitamin B6 intake throughout your day. Vitamin B6 can be found in:

• sweet potato
• bananas
• currants
• dried apricots
• prunes
• sunflower seeds and walnuts
• soya beans
• chicken
• salmon
• tuna
• turkey
• wholegrains
• brewer’s yeast

In both my personal and clinical experience I have found that nutritional guidance from a qualified holistic nutritionist or naturopath should play an integral role in pregnancy. Seeing these specialists, at least once early in your pregnancy (preferably prior to conception), will help clarify if you have any nutritional deficiencies which may impact your capacity for optimal health during pre and post-birth.
6. Take tissue salts.
Taking the following tissue salts available from health food stores are sometimes helpful;

• Ferrum Phos or Iron Phosphate is used for morning sickness when vomiting undigested food.
• Kali Mur or Potassium Chloride is useful with morning sickness where there is vomiting of white phlegm.
• Nat Mur or Sodium Chloride for watery, frothy phlegm.

7. Self-care: honour your needs.
Choosing to acknowledge and honour your physical needs during pregnancy is where the true fundamentals of self-care begin.  For further information see Chapter Three of Well Adjusted Babies – “Achieving Physical and Emotional Well-being through Self-care.”
. . .
My love and blessings to all pregnant mums.
Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani