Saturday 5 December 2015

Aloe Vera and our Dyspraxic Bods - 3 Months Later

It was just under 3 months ago that I wrote about my decision to  start using aloe vera products to build our immune system and I said I would report how that has gone.


It's an interesting thing health isn't it? We notice when we are ill of course, and when we feel better, but  we don't tend to  notice when we are fine. (A bit like a car I guess, we just take it for granted and expect it to work). So people have asked if my daily dose of aloe gel has boosted my immune system and of course I don't really know. I do know that I haven't caught anything for a while despite just about every bug doing the rounds.

When I first started taking it I did have a bad cold and it seemed to bring that out even more (people refer to this as the  healing crisis).





These last 3 weeks I have been delivering training in schools, I know the vomiting bug is doing the rounds and I just knew that I would catch it - I haven't! (Now of course as soon as I type that I will catch it wont I).

But the biggest difference I have noticed (and didn't expect) was I no longer get bloating after a meal, which means I don't have to undo my trews after eating, despite a lifetime of that.
That is AMAZING. I just thought that was how my system was and I had to live with it.

The other change is that people are telling me I am glowing! That hasn't been said to me since I was pregnant, and as I threw up for 9 months I think people were just saying it then to be kind.   I live far enough away from the power station that I am hoping the glowing is all good. Certainly it is considered to be a sign of good internal working and I have had reflexology recently and Anna told me my digestive system is tip top, so I am definitely impressed.

By now I would have my grey winter skin and cracked winter nails and fingers. But not this year.
Aloe gel is good for digestion, skin and immune system and I think I can tick off all 3 of those.
We have been using the berry gel, party because it tastes nicer but also as it is meant to be good for asthma and I do get a bit of winter asthma. Again by now I would be using my inhaler regularly, especially at night. I haven't needed it once so far.

My teen girl is attending a new (huge) college and has caught things twice, as I would expect, but her recovery time has been brilliant. She is taking the bee pollen when she needs an extra boost and I think she may make it in 1 piece to the end of term.

The best thing of all for me is I feel sociable. Now I know it can't change my personality type, but I used to be so tired I didn't want to socialise, I just wanted to snuggle up on the sofa.  Now I'm out and about despite the shocking weather.

So all in all I am happy with our purchases. 

As a result  I am also using the toothpaste, and the face scrub, which are gorgeous.
I have always been conned into using expensive face creams, but I am about to run out and will try the simple moisturiser instead.

I'm not ready to do the Clean 9 yet though - 1 step at a time :)


Some people think it's a con that it has to be taken daily. Some people take tea, coffee and alcohol daily without worrying about those. Taking a daily supplement is nothing new for me. Taking something that works is! And at less that £1 a day I'm ok with it.

If you want to check out the range of products on offer click here 

If you're Dyspraxic and have similar health problems to us I'd love to hear what you do, so please do leave me a comment below.

Take care
Jane  xx

Friday 11 September 2015

Building our Dyspraxic immune system - with aloe!

I'm high energy, creative and I my love life as a single mum of a teen girl. 


My problem is that I catch every flipping germ that goes round!

We've had a fantastic long summer break, but the new term started and lo and behold, my daughter got a virus, then so did I. 

We are both Dyspraxic, which means we get tired and our immune system isn't as great as we would like it to be, so much so that I can come to dread winter. For the first 4 years of her life my daughter ended up in hospital every February.

We exercise, we eat well, we eat a whole bulb of garlic weekly! and we rest, but it's just not enough.

I'm in this repeating cycle of getting fitter then getting ill. I try everything, I had it down to just 10 minutes of aerobic exercise and yoga a day, but still I got ill.  It's very frustrating

Then last month we watched Dallas Buyers Club. I dont know if you've seen it, it's not pretty viewing, but what hit me between the eyes is that when the US were testing drugs for HIV that were destroying people's immune system, in Mexico people were taking Aloe Vera which boosted their system.


Now at Chez Binnion we have been using Aloe plant for years. It's our  magic plant that heals all cuts and burns. In Mexico when my girl got bitten all over by black flies one night it was Aloe that soothed and healed her when nothing else worked. 

So I got interested.....And this week I got a delivery of a box full of Aloe products.





Me and my daughter are going to take aloe gel every morning and I will let you know how we get on. It's not cheap but I spend a fortune ever winter on all sorts of supplements. And  this year my intention was to focus on our health. So far I've fixed my shoulder, learnt to meditate and ended my 20 year morning coffee habit, so I'll let you know how we do! :) 




If you want to check out the products for yourself  just click here   


If you're Dyspraxic and have similar health problems to us I'd love to hear what you do, so please do leave me a comment below. 

Take care
Jane x 

Sunday 23 August 2015

Dyspraxic Thoughts on this Fracking Government

This week The Guardian published this post;  

People with autism and learning disabilities excel in creative thinking.

Of course we knew this already, but as my friend said, it's good for other people to know too. They obviously don't mention Dyspraxia, but lets face it who does? This week in a school a learning support co-ordinator asked what is dyspraxia and how do you spell it?!  But I digress and that is another blog another day.

What isn't often talked about regarding dyspraxia and others who learn differently, is that we also tend to have a closer affinity with nature than neuro-normals. We often like to be around animals, and it hurts like a broken heart when I see the countryside being raped for 'development' .  We feel things deeply and the harming of animals or nature is painful, which is why I'm a veggie.

So fracking... In June this year Lancashire County Council very bravely refused planning permission for 2 fracking sites. The Government were not happy and we knew there would be backlash. It's just come, in the form of the Government deciding to fast track fracking planning applications and  this map was published showing the new planned sites. My village, Galgate, is in there along with much of rural Lancaster and beyond.

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This truly shocked me, especially when our MP David Morris said it was inevitable and 'we mustn't drag our feet' - well he would wouldn't he!  Luckily for us we have Cat Smith on our side, one of just  a few  MPs in England that oppose fracking.

I took to twitter to find out more and discovered this;

Why is now the only place in under threat from ? Simple! Because not enough people are trying to stop it! Wake up!

England is the only Country in Europe to still be under threat of fracking! That must be why as a dyspraxic I feel so uncomfortable in my own country, England. We are a pushover. Other countries in the UK stand up and get their voices heard. We politely have a cup of tea!

As a dyspraxic I feel strongly about things, but also I do joined up thinking, we are good at seeing the bigger picture. I'm not neuro-normalphobic - some of my friends are neuro-normal :)  but what drives me nuts is the single issue thinking; great people that are socialists but don't get feminism, feminists that don't get racism, anti-racists that don't understand environmental issues, greens that don't understand class.... You get the picture. 

We understand that we are ALL connected and if you break one bit you damage the whole. 
My big hate is greed, people that put profit before anything else. The beating up of the indigenous Bolivians protesting about the new law allowing oil and gas exploration on their land (backed by the Pope by the way) confirms  that it's all about money. 
It's certainly not about energy.  We know that we can harness the power of nature herself for our energy, but that isn't where this government wants to direct it's resources. 

My favourite all time quote is from a 19th century Cree chief

"Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise that we can not eat money"


I am glad to say that we are in an age where there is an increasing resistance to the poisoning of our planet .
I love Nature Speaks, a series of  short films narrated by some of our top film stars. They  have been produced  to remind us that humans do NOT own the earth, it was here before us and it will be here long after we have gone. 





It is our own species that we are wiping out - along with a few other species of course, which must be the definition of madness. 
I do not believe that we have a right to expect to keep living with the rate of wastefulness that we currently do. But we have created a  culture that thinks it can have what it wants, whenever it wants it. And that is having it's own global repercussions as our new communication channels show the huge inequalities - but that's another blog.

For so many reasons, including that I'm pretty sure we don't have a spare planet for when we have poisoned this one, I oppose fracking. 


If you are not sure where you stand, go find out


Jane Binnion is a social media and ethical sales trainer based in Lancashire. Her new book The Heart of Sales is now available on Amazon 

Saturday 11 April 2015

The rise and rise of #EverydaySexism

We have an election coming up - did you notice? 



At the turn of the 20th century women in the UK could not vote.
It's now 2015 and we have clearly come a long way with regards to the position of women, and yet still we are having to flag up the fact that women are not taking senior positions in society. If you want to see some facts and figures Women in parliaments is a good article.


This month 3 women took their rightful place at the Leaders Debate on TV and many of us celebrated (regardless of our own political leaning).
On twitter this is what happened








Obviously we know that David Vance is a right wing nut job, but the Independent...






Seriously!!


It was Easter weekend and I decided to go back to bed with my coffee and catch up with my Facebook friends when up popped this...








Of course in Zig's day he was talking to men and we could maybe excuse his crassness. But this was shared on April 6th 2015 by a professional organisation that doesn't seem to understand their audience.


As I decided that my day couldn't get any worse I posted Vance's tweet on my Facebook wall thinking most of my Facebook friends think like me. So I was pretty taken aback when a fair few of the responses showed a need to play down sexism and call it something else! Why?

Why are we not allowed to call sexism SEXISM?

Even my phone wont type sexism!



Who are we offending when we do that? Can we only call it sexism if men say we can? Have we worked so hard to assimilate that we don't even notice it any more? Or are we just too aware of the backlash that comes from those that feel threatened? 
As I tenaciously argued the right to name Vance's post as sexist, assumptions were made about me....that I am a lesbian, or that I have had a bitter divorce. Really! in 2015 the message is still that women who fight for equality have a dysfunctional relationship with men?
I am completely clear that boys and girls are all being confused by sexism.



On a train journey this week the parent of 2 little girls sat opposite me told them "I recorded Beauty and the Beast for you".
The youngest, aged about 3, asked if Jack could watch it with them. The parent replied that he wouldn't want to. The girl of course asked why (which was clearly her word of the week) and she was told     "..because he's a boy and it's a girls film".
I watched, mortified, as this very bright and articulate little girl took that information in. For the first time all train journey she didn't ask why, but her face showed absolute confusion as her brain tried to compute this.



When I shared this with my daughter she said "you just witnessed sexism going into a new generation".

Where I am stuck is; what is our investment in maintaining sexism?
I understand Vance's investment in it, he clearly feels very threatened by the emergence of intelligent, articulate, strong women. But the rest of us, what do we gain from maintaining it?


A
s a mum of an awesome teenage girl, I know that I have to name oppression and prejudice. I know that if I stand back and  allow her to internalise and accept sexism, her wings will be well and truly clipped. 
I'm a child of the 60s and I did Sociology at the Uni of Essex in the 80s, so I realise I may see things a little differently to the general population. I'm also dyspraxic which means that I do tend to do the logical v illogical when it comes down to prejudice. (I've been on the receiving end of a fair amount myself of course, both personally and professionally in a very male world - and I do know that it hurts and does damage).

But, if we want to raise kick ass girls, and boys, we have to tell them the truth; that there is a whole crazy mess out there concerning gender, but also explain that it's just cultural and can and is being changed. 

And we have to tell them that we are fighting for their rights to be treated well as human beings, not based on gender, colour, sexuality or anything else that has nothing whatsoever to do with the career path they take.

If you no longer notice sexism pop over to twitter and put #everydaysexism in the seach bar. It's enlightening. 

I would LOVE to read your good thinking on this, so please do leave a comment.

Jane xx 







Friday 27 February 2015

The joy of the Lumie Bodyclock. An aid to sleeping and waking.

When so many people were struggling with the January Blues, a friend in a Facebook group recommended the Lumie Bodyclock. I'd heard a bit about them and decided to check out the company. I showed my daughter, who totally struggles to get up for school on dark mornings, and she was absolutely clear that that was what she needed.

The company said they made no claims to it helping people with dyspraxia, so I decided to road test it.

I know people who have bought, and really benefitted from, the SAD lamps ,but that wasn't so much the issue for us, it was more about being able to wake up on dark morning. Their alarm clock also  has a sunset facility though, which  helps your brain to release melatonin, thus enabling you to drift off to sleep more easily. As getting to sleep is a big issue for many dyspraxics, this was really intriguing to me.

How does it work? 

What happens is, you set the alarm for your normal waking time and the sun rise lamp starts to come on 30 minutes before the alarm goes off, which means that you are being gently woken and by the time the alarm goes off you are awake. And it honestly works.

As I said, it was also the sunset that we got it for. The idea is the same, just in reverse. So rather than going from light to dark, the light gently dims over a 30 minute period. My daughter sometimes has to set it 2 or 3 times, but it definitely does help her. I'm sure with longer use it will definitely help her body clock.

As for the morning alarm, that  helped immediately. I use a radio alarm clock as  a supposedly gentler way of waking me up, but by using the Lumie I have noticed that even that just shocks me awake and whilst it does wake me, I have now  realised that  I would get up, make breakfast drive my daughter to the bus and walk the dog, all still half asleep!  The lumie brings me round so that by the time the alarm goes off I am already awake. Being dyspraxic that is a massive benefit as wandering around half asleep inevitably leads to more accidents.

The real test was this week when school re-started after the half term holiday. It's still cold, dark and wet and a 6.45am wake up is really not  welcome. But the lumie just helps so much. I have noticed that I have woken naturally by the time my alarm goes off . Totally amazing!


The only thing for me, on the occasions I get to have it in my room, is that the clock face is a bit small, so I just keep my own alarm clock next to me because the sunrise is the most important aspect.





Setting it up. 

I'm not a great one for reading the manual but my daughter sorted it out just fine. However there is also a getting set up video HERE   which I like more, and that in itself tells me a lot about the company, that they understand that people take in information differently. 

How much does it cost? 

There are different versions of the Lumie; the starter kit from £59.00 to some seriously posh ones with bird song and aromatherapy at £160.00.  My friend also managed to get a re-furbished one which is perfectly good, just a bit cheaper.
If you think of it as an alarm clock then it  is expensive, but if you think of it as a way to change your whole morning experience, they are well worth the money.
We are using the starter kit and we are very happy with it

I give the Lumie a 9 out of 10 and am just kicking myself that we have gone through all these school years not knowing about it.


Of course being awake doesn't change the fact that its dark, cold and wet outside, but  it certainly wakes us in a better mood! 

You can see all the Lumie products HERE


If you have a product that could make life easier for those of us with Dyspraxia and you would like me to review it, please drop me an email at Binnion 454 @ btinternet.com .

Thursday 12 February 2015

This year I have decided to be friends with my dyspraxic body.


In December I got an email from James Fraser, a man in my village, who wanted a hand with his social media, and there started a story...

He owns a vibro-acoustic therapy bed and when I'd finished working with him he encouraged me to try it out. For 12 minutes I just lay there and let the vibrations work through my body. BLISS!

I've had a bad shoulder for 5 years after hurting myself  at work. It's the reason I went self employed, the reason I don't drive long distances, the reason  I have spent  a thousand plus pounds on treatments and the reason I still have a monthly physio massage.   I had just assumed I would have a bad shoulder for the rest of my life.

James and I started talking and over the Christmas holiday and I made a decision to take my health seriously and put some attention on this. We agreed that I would use the bed for 12 sessions over a week and we would record my experience on video.

After 4 sessions the muscles around my shoulder blade relaxed and my shoulder became free-er than it has in years.
My daughter started to say how well I looked and I felt different. She also noticed that I wasn't pestering her every night to rub my shoulder!
The next week I saw my physiotherapist, who I've been seeing for 2 years, for the first time since  I started the treatment - and she was gobsmacked by the difference in me.

What has this got to do with dyspraxia?

Well we did wonder if the therapy can help with dyspraxia and I got to wondering what that means. Would I stop being dyspraxic if I could?  Not at all.
Would I like to improve my co-ordination? Yes I would.
We don't know if the bed can do that, but what I do know is that when I am in pain my dyspraxia is worse. So when I am pain free I am less clumsy and more focussed -  I see that also in my 3 legged dog who manages just fine unless she is under the weather, then she falls a lot more than usual.

What I really like about the bed, other than the fact that it works, is 

*It gives me 12 minutes to just lie down and be with myself. Considering our crazy busy lives, that is   not  to be sniffed at .
*It treats my whole body, not just one bit, which is what we usually do.
*I get on the bed fully clothed - thus fewer anxieties before we even start.
*It is totally hands free. Many people do not like being touched and the bed is great for that.
*It is gentle therapy.

The other issue which James raised, and which I only understood later, is that we don't have to deal with another person's energy.
I don't know about you, but I have paid for treatments where the therapist has talked at me about their own stuff for the whole session - exhausting! I also had a guy telling me I should be more feminine :o  And I paid him!

Being dyspraxic we can often get frustrated with our bodies, they don't work as we want them to, we crash into things, fall and smash things. Physios tell us we have to work harder and get stronger and our bodies are seen as letting us down! It's not great I know, but this year I have decided to be friends with my body.        What about you? xx

Here is my  healing journey in 3 minutes...




My daughter is now trying out the bed to see if it can help her to sleep better. Watch this space :)

If you would like to know more about vibro-acoustics check out; http://www.vibesvibroacoustics.com/

Sunday 18 January 2015

January blues - and reds and pinks and silver and gold...

I'm seeing so many people struggling again with January, the dark, cold and wet. The party season's over and Spring is still a  way off. Money is tight and there's pressure to start the new year with great plans - that are doomed to fail....

This is a difficult time for lots of us, so I thought I would change the mood by sharing some of the great things about January....

The first thing I like to remind myself when I'm cold and tired and my get up and go got up and left, is that this is actually meant to be a time of hibernation and so it's a perfect time to give ourselves permission to rest, snuggle up and make big pots of yummy winter food.

Here's my list of January good stuff...

*Whilst the dark morning aren't great for getting up, I get the opportunity  to watch the sunrise while I eat my breakfast, or walk the dog, and there are some spectacular sun rises this time of year.

*A chance to read. I don't know about you but I never seem to find the time to sit and read a book, so  a grey soggy day is the perfect time to snuggle up under a blanket with a nice brew and that new book of short stories my sister sent me for Christmas.

*Finishing the  left overs from Christmas. The Stilton makes great soup, or stuffed jacket potatoes It would be rude not to finish up the chocolates, and a piece of Christmas cake with my afternoon cuppa' is a delight.

*Winter walks. Getting all wrapped up in lots of layers to walk the dog is  actually fun. Fresh air and exercise is still really important and does lift the spirits. 


*Getting the opportunity to wear  my long-johns and thermal vest. I so love them.

*Crisp winter days. We do get a few and they are just beautiful - and if you get a great photo, that's this year's  Christmas cards sorted! 

*Snow.  If we're lucky enough to get it, I think it's so pretty and I love the silence that it brings. And if you're really lucky you get the day off work! 

*Cold frosty clear nights are just perfect for star gazing, and Mercury is visible at the moment.

*Making big pots of winter soup so that there's a lovely warming lunch, or supper, all ready and waiting. One pot meals are good, colourful,  wholesome, comfort food, easy to make and inexpensive. And if you know of a neighbour that might  be struggling, drop a bowl round to them too. You will both feel good. 


*It's cold of course and heating the house is expensive, so we make a snuggly room.  We create one really cosy room where we light the fire, wrap blankets around us, shut the door and light candles. 

*If my office gets too cold (I work from home) I sit by the fire with a brew and  catch up with  the admin jobs that I've been putting off, such as book keeping and taking time to review my achievements from last year. I feel good that I've done these, it  boosts my confidence and inspires me.


*Having a long hot bath with the bath bombs I got for Christmas. No point saving them for best! 

*Putting on my new Christmas PJ's -  at 6pm! :) 

*Snuggling with my daughter on the sofa to watch a whole box set on Netflix.

*Having a cheeky glass of left over sherry / port/ brandy - whatever your tipple. After all waste not want not!

*Lighting scented candles (got those for Christmas too). Smell is so important for our mood, so I  have hyacinths round the house this month.
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* Having lots of colour and prettiness. We've put the Christmas tree away but we keep our favourite decorations up until Spring. 

*Filling in my new diary with all the lovely things that are planned this year. It's so important to have things to look forward to .

*Using the long evenings to take time to write -  blog posts, or a gratitude diary. This quieter time of the year is a good time to write and taking the time to notice what I'm  grateful for can really help to shift my mind set. 

*In addition, to deal with the poor light this time of year,  I have day light bulbs in my work areas. They are very inexpensive and make a huge difference.

Well that's my January survival guide :) I try to remember to go easy on myself and take a leaf out of the dog's book and lie by the fire as much as possible!  

What do you do to survive winter? I'd love to know, so leave me a comment below. 

Jane x 





Thursday 1 January 2015

What's Your Big Challenge for 2015?


We all have things that we really want to do and put off, or tell ourselves we can't.


For me New Year is a time to reflect on what we have achieved and what we want to achieve, so on the last day of  2014 I decided to  share how I finally faced one of my Bucket List challenges and I encourage you to share yours.






I'd love to know what challenge you have set yourself for 2015 or what you achieved in 2014. So drop me a message below.

Happy New Year
Jane x