February 2008 eNewsletter from TheSmartRoute

Posted On: Wednesday February 13, 2008

Welcome to February’s issue of TheSmartRoute Newsletter, the publication that aims to propel you to ultimate health of mind and body.

The sun’s shining, the evenings are getting lighter, the spring bulbs are just showing their heads and it’s Valentines month. So this month’s edition is dedicated to all you lovers out there, those for whom life is fabulous and those who would like to improve their relationship. We will be looking at ‘How to Fulfill Your Partner’s Love Strategy’, ‘Superfoods to Boost Your Sex Drive’ and, for those of you lucky enough to receive a marriage proposal we look at how to ‘Design your Blueprint for an Outstanding Relationship’ by aligning your values – powerful stuff that any couple should undertake whether a wedding is on the cards or not, but only if you are absolutely sure this is the person you want to spend your life with as this exercise bonds you together in a way that will far exceed your expectations!
For those ladies who are planning to do the proposing on 29th Feb, we also have some fantastic February offers on natural, handmade Aphrodisiac Gift Sets, full of products designed to get both of you in the mood for love. Put some oil in a burner, share a bubble bath, give him a massage then see if he can resist…..

This can also be a time of year when some of us are feeling a bit downcast. All those New Year Resolution plans seem to have lost momentum and the Christmas excesses are still leaving you feeling drained of energy. Help is at hand with our articles ‘New Look, New Life’ and ‘TheSmartRoute to Boost Your Energy’
A new regular feature is added this month. Here at TheSmartRoute we believe strongly in the power of visualisations, affirmations and quotations to help you stay focused and propel you towards your goals. Our ‘Uplifting Moments’ feature this month is a lovely message written by Linda E. Knight which is all about staying focused and not giving up.

As usual, we have our regular features, TheSmartRoute to Happiness introduces everyday tips to increase your enjoyment of life, your self esteem and to eliminate negative thinking patterns; TheSmartRoute to Better Communication looks at ways to improve your relationships and have a positive influence on others; TheSmartRoute to a Better Body includes exercise tips, strategies for an alkalising lifestyle, recipes and much more and our Questions & Answers section helps readers find solutions to their challenges.

UPLIFTING MOMENTS

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

Don’t look at where you are; just see how far you’ve come.
We all make mistakes sometimes, but don’t stop now.
The dawn is closer than you think.
Yesterday will soon fade away,
and every day is a brand-new beginning.
Open your heart and receive all the love and hope
so many people feel for you, as well as all their prayers.

Never let go. Never give up.
The future is yours to decide.
The pattern of your lfie is yours for the making.
Let your promise shine through.
Give everything to your dreams; give luck a chance.
You are stronger than you realise, braver than you think…. and more loved than you will ever know.

SUPERFOODS TO BOOST YOUR SEX DRIVE

A recent world survey carried out by Durex suggests that globally we are having sex 1.98 times per week. What a sad figure! Often, we cite feeling tired, having no energy and having a low sex drive for these embarassingly low statitics. Unless an underlying condition is the cause, most likely poor nutrition and unwise lifestyle choices are the cause. Whatever your age or occupation you need never be too short of energy to enjoy a seretonin (feel-good hormone) producing, bond enhancing, wickedly enjoyable romp with your loved one. Mother Nature has provided us with lots of chemical free Viagra, try some of them and enjoy the results……..

Maca Believed to increase sex drive and improve sexual performance, this can also increase sperm count and testosterone in men and fertility in women. So, stay safe – if you’re only interested in the sex drive and performance and not the fertility, take precautions! You won’t find this in your local supermarket but it is available at numerous sites over the internet.

Celery One for the men as this produces a powerful, odourless hormone known as androsterone. Released through perspiration, this hormone has a very desirable effect on the ladies!

Avocados Helps to increase libido in both men and women and an excellent source of energy. Also a very good binder and eliminator of unwanted acids.

Asparagus As a phallic symbol the eating of asparagus in itself can be very seductive! It is also high in Vitamin E which is hailed as the ‘sex vitamin’. According to the Vegetarian Society, eating asparagus for three days has the most powerful effect!

Basil Once employed by Mediterranean prostitutes as a perfume to attract customers, basil can increase circulation, stimulate sex drive and boost fertility.

Chillies Containing capsaicin which triggers the release of endorphins, chillies make you feel good, stimulate nerve endings and raise your heart rate. Just make sure you use gloves when chopping them or they may heat up your sex life a little too much!

Garlic Once chopped, garlic produces a compound called allicin which can improve the flow of blood to the sexual organs. I would suggest of course, that you both partake!

THE SMART ROUTE TO BOOST YOUR ENERGY

Stay Hydrated

Lack of energy is often due to dehydration so make sure you keep yourself topped up with water throughout the day. By the time you feel thirsty it’s too late – you’re already dehydrated so sip water throughout the day and always carry a bottle with you. Adding pH drops (available from TheSmartNutritionist 0161 443 4820) drastically increases the alkalinity of the water making it even more energy giving.

Eat Breakfast

By the time you wake your body has been without food for many hours so you need to ‘break’ the ‘fast’ by eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast with the right mixture of carbohdyrates, protein and essential fatty acids. This will help keep your blood/sugar level stable throughout the day and help avoid energy slumps.

Deep Breathing

Your body can survive for months without food. days without water but only minutes without oxygen yet we pay little attention to our breathing. Whenever you feel an energy slump try breathing in, holding your breath, then breathing out in a ratio of 1:4:2. So, if you breathe in for a count of 5 you hold it for a count of 20 and exhale for a count of 10. You should find an immediate increase in your energy level as your blood transports the oxygen around your body. A set of 10 of these exercises each morning makes a great, energy boosting start to your day, particularly if it’s mild enough to do them in your garden.

S.A.D

Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect many of us, particularly women. Even in its mildest form it can make you feel lethargic and low. Get as much daylight as you can to help raise serotonin levels and boost your energy.

Get Active

Energy breeds energy so aim for at least three physical workouts a week. When you’re feeling low in energy get up and move around – take a walk, dance to music, bounce on your toes.

Tune In

Music has enormous power over our emotional and physical states so if you’re able to, put on your favourite toe tapping tunes, sing your heart out, move to that beat and watch your energy soar.

The Elixir of Life

Wheatgrass Juice, renowned for its many health giving properties can act like a shot of double espresso without any of the detrimental side effects or the later energy slump.

Get Into A State

You can choose to put yourself into any state you wish at any time simpy by using your memory and imagination. So, if you want an instant energy boost think back to a time when you felt really energetic or really happy. Put yourself all the way back to that time in your minds eye, see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel how you felt. Now, make that picture bigger and brighter in your mind, turn up the volume, turn up the feelings. Now, you can accomplish anything you want!

Just Say No

Don’t take too much on. Some of us find it difficult to say no, particularly when committing future time. Turning down projects we can’t handle or invitations we don’t have time for gives you the energy to enjoy the things you want to do.

Drink Your Greens

A glass of freshly squeezed vegetable juice, particularly from green leafy vegetables, or taking Green powder provides your body with masses of nutrients in one hit in an easily assimilated form helping to increase energy levels. If you’re not keen on the taste of green powder take it in capsule form. Both powder and capsules are available from TheSmartNutritionist 0161 443 4820.

From Emotion to Motion

Negative emotions such as anger, regret and sadness are very energy depleting as well as detrimental to our health in the longer term. It’s only natural for us to feel these emotions from time to time, it’s harbouring them that does us harm. So, acknowledge them, accept them and then let them go. Writing it down then throwing it away may help.

Zzzzzzz…

It may seem obvious but unless you get the right amount of quality sleep each night you will feel low in energy. We need an average of eight hours sleep a night. Make sure your sleeping environment is the right temperature, is very dark and quiet. Do not exercise or eat too close to bedtime and avoid caffeine from midday. Wind down for at least half an hour before bed by watching television, reading a book (as long as it’s not one you can’t put down) or taking a warm bubble bath with added lavender oil.

FULFILL YOUR PARTNERS LOVE STRATEGY

Without knowing it, we all have strategies for everything we do. A strategy is a specific structure of external and internal experience which consistently produces a specific outcome, for example when driving up to a red light you gently press the brake pedel, declutch and move down through the gears until the car stops – that’s your strategy. Unfulfilled love strategies are one of the main reasons relationships fail. People tend to associate ‘being loved’ in different ways. Often one partner wants and expects to be shown love in a certain way yet they don’t communicate it – perhaps because they are unconscious of it themselves. It could be hearing ‘I love you’, it could be seeing the look in your partners eye or being held in a certain way. At the beginning stages of a relationship, when both parties are eager to please those strategies may be frequently fulfiled. Later on however, we tend to try to show our partner love in the way we need to see it expressed which is not necessarily, and often isn’t, what they need in order to know that they are loved.
Take this scenario as an example: Sean really loves Susan and shows her his love by buying her great clothes and things for the home. However, Susan feels more loved when he holds her close. He interprets her bland response to the clothes as a lack of appreciation and not accepting his love. She’s frustrated, wants more affection and presumes that him buying her clothes means he doesn’t think she looks good enough already. She continues to use her own love strategy to fulfill him by lavishing him with affection. He just thinks this is clingy neediness. He continues to apply his own love strategy and doesn’t understand why she doesn’t want to get dressed up and look beautiful for him and he presumes she doesn’t care.
It’s easy to see how this can result in frustration and disappointing relationships. Luckily, it is easy to resolve. Simply ask your partner……

‘How do you know when you are loved by someone else?’:

a) when you are looked at in that special way? Shown with actions, taken places and bought things? This person needs visual confirmation of love.
b) when you are told? Or you hear that special tone of voice? This person needs auditory confirmation of love.
c) you can just feel it? You are held or touched in that special way? This person needs affection/touching to know they are loved.

If your partner struggles to answer it can help to ask them to remember a time when they knew they were totally loved, a specific time and ask how they knew at the time. Be careful not to allow your mind to question when this was and with whom though! If you think you would, don’t ask this question.

Of course, we all like all of those things above and that could be why your partner struggles with the answer. Explain that, while all those are important to all of us we do have one that is preferable to the others. It may help to give examples “Would you absolutely know I loved you if I took you away for a weekend?”

Now you have their deep love strategy develop a habit of consistenly fulfiling it and ensure you don’t fall back into fulfiling your own. And make sure they know yours so they can return all the love they feel. When they do make sure you acknowledge it and give a positive response. That way you’re sure to get more.

NEW LOOK, NEW LIFE

If you haven’t yet made a dent in your New Years Resolutions, don’t despair. Beating yourself up and engaging in negative thinking will only send you in a downward spiral. Keep your spirits high at all times and maintain a positive outlook for health benefits that will last long after you’ve reached your goal.

Happy Talk

Studies show that we say between 150 and 300 words a minute to ourselves, called self-talk. It’s crucial your self-talk is positive, realistic and empowering because it shapes not only your perception of the world around you but even of yourself. Your unconscious mind is very powerful and doesn’t allow you to act outside of your identity. So, if you repeatedly say something to yourself your unconscious mind takes it on as an identity and behaves accordingly. For example, if you tell yourself you have two left feet, your unconscious mind will not allow you to be anything but a clutz on the dancefloor. Whenever you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk simply say ‘Erase’ and reframe what you were saying in a positive way.

Just Do it

Don’t wait until you: have the perfect workout gear; have read all available diet books; finished those duty free cigarettes. Make some move towards your goal today, even if it’s only a small one. Taking action will motivate you to take more. So do something, anything, to get started.

Take a Note

Write down your goal then break into micro-steps of action. Then, keep a diary of every step of action you take towards your goal. Review your diary each week to increase your motivation and improve your self-esteem.

Back to the Future

Do you want to feel excited and proud of yourself at the end of this year? Or downhearted and resigned, knowing that once again you are going to have the same old resolutions? Project yourself forward to 31st December 2008, imagine having achieved your aims and ask yourself, what did you have to do to get there? What advice can you give youself today from the future? What resources can you see from your future viewpoint that you have not been seing right now?

There is nothing standing in your way but the barriers you put there yourself so go for it and create the life you deserve.

If you need help formulating your plans into action consider life coaching. Non-judgemental weekly one to one meetings to ensure you stay on track can’t help but propel you towards your goals. “See our website for more details”: http://www.smartroute.co.uk/smart-life-coach-manchester

BREAKTHROUGH TO SUCCESS!

Perhaps you are like other people, in that you have made concerted efforts to change certain aspects of your life, but time and time again you find yourself falling back into old patterns of behaviour that no longer serve you. Maybe you have had the intention of taking charge of your finances, or your physical health. Maybe you have wanted to create a fulfilling relationship, create the lifestyle you desire, or to get ahead in your career. Yet something is holding you back. For FREE tickets, worth £895 each to a life changing weekend seminar

DESIGN YOUR BLUEPRINT FOR AN OUTSTANDING RELATIONSHIP

We all have sets of values and beliefs that frame our view of the world and the way we interact within it. If we haven’t formulated these ourselves we may be unaware of them. What if the values we hold for our intimate relationship are different to the ones our partner holds? For a truly outstanding relationship, agree to a set of values that each of you will uphold. Please note: This should only be done when you are clear that this is a partnership you want to forge together. The implications of a values alignment can be quite profound.

1. Ask your partner ‘What is important to you in the area of our relationship?’ Write down the answer then ask again, and again, and again….. when your partner is no longer able to answer the question ask again, and again, and again, until they reach their next blank. Elicit one more answer then you have your list (i.e. go through two blank spots)

2. Ask your partner to list those values in order of importance by comparing each one to the one below. It’s important it’s done in this way rather than just reviewing the list and prioritising. Have them go through the whole list in this way then, when you have their list of values in order, work with the top five.

3. Elicit complete understanding of what each value means to them. It’s too easy to misinterpret values, for example if i say honesty is important to me I may mean full disclosure of all matters whilst you may interpret it to mean only the absence of lies. Ask your partner ‘What does (their value) mean to you? How do you know when you’re getting/experiencing it? How do you know when you don’t have/are not experiencing it?’ Discuss each of their values in this way until you are sure you have complete understanding.

4. Have your partner run through steps 1-4 with you to elicit your top five most important values with full and clear meanings.

5. Compare your lists and decide together what your new shared values will be in the context of your relationship. Create a new set of values for the relationship itself.

6. Go through your new list together and ensure you are both clear what each value means to the other and each commit to the new set of integrated values.

You now have a blueprint that you can both work to in order to fully meet the agreed values to the other’s satisfaction for as long as you both shall live! This is a good time to create vision, mission and purpose statements for your relationship. These and many other useful tools and insights are taught in TheSmartRoute to Outstanding Relationships course. There is no better investment in your future – or it makes a very special wedding present. For further details, visit our website

SPECIAL FEBRUARY OFFER – APHRODISIAC GIFT SETS

All the products in these baskets are handmade from natural sources and contain no artificial chemicals. They are not tested on animals and ingredients used are sourced from an organic supplier wherever possible.

Large Aphrodisiac Gift Set

5ml Burner Blend
50ml Massage Oil
150ml Bubble Bath
100g Bath Salts
80g African Shea and Moroccan Rose Soap
100ml Fragrant Flowers Body Lotion
100ml Shower Gel

Was £52.75 NOW ONLY £47.75

Small Aphrodisiac Gift Set

5 ml Burner Blend
50ml Massage Oil
150ml Bubble Bath

Was £31.00 NOW ONLY £27.00

Mens Aphrodisiac Gift Set

5ml Burner Blend
50ml Massage Oil
150ml Bubble Bath

Was £31.00 NOW ONLY £27.00

These prices are only available during February and only while stocks last.

Please ring 0161 443 4820 or e-mail your requirements here

All gift sets are wrapped and due to their handmade nature they cannot be posted. Collection is available from our practice in Cheadle Hulme or can be delivered for a small extra charge.

THE SMART ROUTE TO HAPPINESS

You can place your trust in the universe

You don’t have to take on the challenges in your life single-handedly, hand it over and trust the universe.

The Universe created you, it has provided you with every breath you have taken, every meal you’ve ever eaten and every drop of water you’ve ever drunk. Everything that you’ve chosen to bring into your life has been provided by the Universe and it supplies eveything we need to survive.

Maybe you refer to your creator as God, Allah or Nature. Maybe you believe you brought all things into your life by the power of your unconscious. That’s fine, call it what you will, just worry less and unburden yourself on this limitless supply of support.

THESMARTROUTE TO BETTER COMMUNICATION

This month’s communicatiion tip……..

It’s good to _____, isn’t it?

As long as what I’ve said isn’t preposterous or too objectionable when I say something’s good and follow it up with ‘isn’t it’, you’re likely to agree. And, once you’re in the agreement mode it feels good to keep agreeing, doesn’t it? It’s good to receive TheSmartRoute Newsletter, isn’t it?

It’s a good idea to use this during February, isn’t it? You might become aware of how easy it is to get people to agree with you.

Please remember to use these tips ecologically and with regard for the consequences to all other people involved and to the Universe.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

J.L from Bury asks “I have eczema……Does this mean I have a vitamin deficiency?

TheSmartNutritionist says:

“Eczema is essentially a symptom of an overly acidic body. If your body is unable to eliminate toxins by other means (e.g. if you’re constipated) it has to get rid of them via the skin. Changing your diet to an alkalising one vegetables will help eliminate eczema. For more details visit our website
In addition, it is important to consume essential fatty acids every day. Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil are great sources as are pumpkin or sunflower seeds and oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna etc. If you don’t consume enough of these in your diet you can supplement with fish oil capsules or, better still, Udo’s oil. If these don’t prove helpful take 3000 mg (1000 mg for children) of Evening Primrose Oil daily.
Drink a glass of clean, alkalised water every two hours to help your body flush out toxins.
Burdock Root has a cleansing effect on the skin. Take 1 ml of tincture (0.5 ml for children) or 300 mg in capsules (150 mg for children) with each meal.
Vitamin E is a well know promoter of healthy skin. Take 3000 mg daily (1000mg for children) daily.

For answers to any physical health or life challenges you may be facing, send us an e-mail

That’s it for this month. We hope you enjoyed reading our newsletter and learnt some things you can use in your daily life to propel you towards Ultimate Health of Mind and Body.

Until next month,

I wish you love, joy and pH health

Tracy Smart

If you have any questions at all related to matters of physical, emotional or mental health or would like coaching advice in the areas of relationships, career, work/life balance etc please send us an e-mail.

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