January - Naturally Healthy & Ready For The Year!

Now we know what you're thinking... Oh, here's another blog about 'detoxing' and starting fresh, new year resolutions... New year, new me! Right? Well.. not quite..

Each year, most of us get super excited and build our bodies, mind and souls up to the month of December and when it arrives, we let it all go!

Yes indeed we eat, we drink, we celebrate, we binge as much as possible and inevitably hit a gigantic wall... this wall is called January...

Some of us take it in our stride and get straight back in the game and some of us try to prolong the inevitable hangover until the early weeks of January. Whatever the case, a good well-being combined with Natural Health can and should be part of our everyday routine. Not an annual routine.

The Zen Shop is making January all about Natural Health and we have all you need in store for your absolute health and well-being!

In this article, we're going to go through some simple Zen-like lifestyle choices that can improve your health, wellbeing and overall vitality as we enter the year 2017. Enjoy!

Image from - www.detoxwaterbenefits.com

Detoxing : it's a funny one because..

It's funny because on one hand, you have almost every single health and well being magazine article in January titled 'Detox December Away' or 'January -Detox Time', or something of the sort. And on the other, implies that the introduction of detoxification via food and drink is in fact nothing to do with pushing out the self-placed toxins from our body. 

In fact, when was the last time you knew what toxins they are even talking about? 

It would be unfair to share information with you without doing our research and as you most likely already know, Zen has always sought knowledge from all areas of life and never take something for face value. And with that in mind, let's look at this from another angle. 

What do our kidneys, liver and lungs all have in common? They ALL detoxify the body!

This means, right now as we speak, our internal organs are working around the clock, constantly cleansing our bodies. And let's not forget about that big external organ (not that one guys), the skin! 

Combined, these four incredible machines pump out the gunk, take out the rubbish, scrub the grub and clean the mess, without lifting a finger! Well, kind of anyway. 

It's very fair to say that if we just lay down, did nothing, ate crap and drank nothing but fizzy drinks, we'd over-run our vitals with work and essentially run out of 'organic elbow grease', so to speak. 

Whilst we shouldn't be lured in by get healthy quick schemes, we need fuel to power these machines and what better fuel than eating foods that keep us healthy, drinking plenty of water, regular exercise and getting a full nights sleep. Each are absolutely essential to making the most out of what our powerful bodies are capable of. 

These are the fundamental principles to living well and so if you truly want to 'detox',  simply help your body out by drinking, eating and working in that good stuff.. All the time! Simple.

After this, your possibilities are endless and you best believe that Zen have you 100% covered for ultimate vitality in Mind, Body & Soul!

Natural Health : Here at Zen

Natural health is health by nature, the nature of health and all things in-between.

Here's is a list of wonderful things available right here at Zen.

Essential Oils - You might remember our article Essential Oils - Oils We Need which was published last year. We talked about essential oils and why they are so 'essential' and our very own Samantha Wykes, our in-house therapist and essential oil maker for 16 years, said "Essential oils are 'plant based medicines' and common sense alongside scientific research concurs that natural medicine works in harmony with the human body. We are from the Earth as are essential oils, it just feels right.. and you know what, it is!”

Zen is knocking 20% off ALL of the essential oils this month and Sam gives her top 5 essential oils for happiness this January! Oil righty then...

Happiness, the achievable dream we all dream of and my top 5 essential oils to help you on your way are.....

1) Frankincense - This 'old as time' oil deepens the breath thus creating an oasis of calm and inner peace. A very spiritually uplifting oil.

2) Ylang Ylang - wraps your emotions in a blanket of joy, warmth and optimism. 

3) Clary Sage - A strong anti-depressant associated with dopamine regulation which gives way to feelings of euphoria. Also a great hormone balancer.

4) Citrus Oils - such as Lemon and Orange, literally pick us up. Wonderful uplifting and refreshing mood boosters.

5) Jasmine - Last but by no means least. This oils super power is the ability to wrap us in a cloak of seductive confidence, positivity and abundant strength.

All of these oils have therapeutic physiological, mental and emotional healing abilitys. To benefit put 10-12 drops in an oil burner or diffuser and fill your home with deliciousness. Add 10 drops to a suitable carrier oil such as Sweet Almond, Jojoba or Grapeseed and apply all over your body to be cocooned in happiness.  - Samantha Wykes 

Herbal Tinctures - The prevention of illness should be far more encouraged than the cure. A pill for an ill shouldn't be today's mentality but quite often it is. At Zen, we have a wide variety of herbal tinctures which remedies date back hundreds if not thousands of years, before conventional western medicines began taking to the shelves. 

These little bottles of pure goodness will assist your body to recovery and/or keep your immune shields up at the face of the winter battle! 

Goldenseal - Echinacea - Ginseng and all tinctures are ready to join in with your system and with a healthy 20% off each one, what better time to stock up! 

In The Bath - Nothing quite relaxes the body like a steamy bath, surrounded in candles on a chilly winter night. It's the best! By surrounding ourselves in hot water, we're circulating all our blood and oxygen around the body. This loosens up everything and assists our body's very own process of detoxification. 

As your body's circulation improves so does your ability to release impurities from the skin and your skin pores are left wide open after this soft soaking. 

You can help your body by introducing bath salts such as Himalayan Salts which contain dozens of trace minerals only found in ancient salts, all of which hydrate the skin and reactivate your electrical balance. 

We're big fans of baths and if you are too, come and have a chat with one of our awesome members of staff who can advise you in which ways you can enhance the magical bathing experience with essential oils, salts, candles and magnesium. 

For the Skin - It's our biggest organ. It changes all the time and is most exposed to the life we lead more than anything else. It's tough but also extremely delicate and if t's not looked after from the inside or the outside it can have big consequences. 

Soft, supple and nice to snuggle is the skin dream and there are lots of ways to keep on top of our bodies...

Pure Coconut Oil - Rub it in, rub it on, cook it up, drink it down. 

This all-in-one dream oil is incredible for keeping your body in check. Packed with natural saturated fats, which not only increase healthy cholesterol but actually turn bad cholesterol into good cholesterol. Its the oil for the heart, we need to keep that thing ticking. You can literally rub it anywhere on the body and prepare for a silky smooth texture which lasts all day. Yummy! 

Organic Creams - We got sick and tired of trying moisturisers that claim to be pure of chemicals until turning over the bottle and seeing that it's stuffed full of names you can't pronounce and side effects in the shade of red. 

Taking things into our own hands, what you see is what you get, pure, silky and beautiful creams made in-house by Zen. Vitamin E creams, Collagen creams and body butters. Beautiful! 

Healing Therapies - Since The Zen Shop first began, alternative therapy was on the front line and delivered in all sorts of ways. 

Now, we have over 15 different treatments for the Mind, Body & Soul. 

Try them all... Reiki - Indian Head Massage - Reflexology - Hopi Ear Candling - Aromatherapy - Swedish - Sports - Remedial - Massage - Hypnotherapy - Chakra Balancing - Bowen - Crystal Healing - Shamanic Healing & More. 

Please enquire either online here or by visiting one of our shops in Birmingham! 

Additional Natural Health - We really are all about natural health and we try to include it in our everyday lives. We know it's never easy to get the perfect balance and at times we certainly do let it go and who says you can't? Living the dream, partying hard and having fun is what life all about and nothing should stop you from enjoying yourself! 

We try to assist through the process of enjoyment whilst maintaining a naturally healthy life. 

Chloride Free Toothpaste - You may already know that Aloe Vera has natural soothing, revitalising and moisturising qualities. But did you also know that because Aloe Vera is so packed full of soothing nutrients, it also helps to keep gums healthy? And that’s why we use it as the main ingredient in our natural oral care range. Pure and simple!

Natural Crystal Deodorant - Optima Ice Guard Deodorant is made from natural mineral salts and therefore does not contain any perfumes, chemicals or any unnecessary additives. Its unique action eliminates odour by inhibiting bacteria and provides invisible protection all day long. Ice Guard Deodorant does not block the pores and leaves no sticky or oily residue, which means no annoying white marks. Paraffin, Alumium, Zirconium and Aluminium Chlorohydrate free.

Water Filter - Eliminating harmful metals and chemicals used to treat our water has never become easier. With ProPur Big Water Filter Requires no electricity, simply pour the water to be purified in the top of the unit and it flows through the ProOne G2.0 filters fully purified and ready for drinking.

Herbal Teas - Who doesn't love a good cuppa? Wether it's Earl Grey or Chai, nothing welcomes Winter more than a hot cup of goodness. Thankfully, we have 'bags full' of tea waiting to be slurped up! 

Herbs - We have one of the most extensive collections of herbs in the Midlands and you can make just about any traditional, ancient or holistic remedy/medicine just by coming into our shop and picking them out yourself. Amazing! 

Vitamins - It's no new news that it's virtually impossible to get your RDA's (Recommended Daily Allowance) every single day unless your really on the ball. Whilst supplements should never replace a healthy diet, vitamins help boost and support your functions by delivering hits of powerful vitamins and minerals essential for living well. Here's an article we wrote last year about 5-HTP - The Link to Serotonin, one of the hundreds of types of Vitamins we stock! 

Sunshine - And plenty of it! During winter we often get sick, colds, flu etc this is widely believed to be the lack of sun in our days, giving us less Vitamin D. We create Vitamin D by our enzymes breaking down the Ultra Violet light produced by the Sun. 

When the clouds get overwhelming and the sniffles begin to grab your face, don't hesitate to swallow some Vitamin D vitamins or get down to your local sun bed! Yes, that's right, sun beds emit the same Ultra Violet light that we get from the sun and whilst it may not be a natural way of producing UV's, the process your skin goes through to produce vitamin D and melanin is and you're guaranteed to be feeling the benefits after one or two short sessions, should you feel the need. 

Laughter - Proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and improves your overall health and well-being. Smile when you can and be thankful for all that you have! 

We hope you enjoyed this article and share it with your friends and family. 

Make everyday a healthy and balanced, life-fuelled day. 

What you give your body, you'll get back ten-fold! 

Happy New Year!! 

Peace, Love & Light 

x Zen x

www.thezenshop.co.uk

Zen Digbeth Shop

162 High Street

Deritend, Birmingham

B12 0LD.

Tel: 0121 643 3933

Zen Moseley Shop 3 St Mary's Row Moseley, Birmingham B13 8HW. Tel: 0121 449 4995