We're keeping our masks on... for now
Welcome to our latest newsletter

It’s been a busy month to July… and we’re not even talking about what’s been going on in The Heeler Centre!

Yes, we’re talking about the amount of sporting action we’ve seen on our TVs from the excitement of the Euros (it’s coming home!) to Wimbledon and the rugby… and we’ve not even got to the Tokyo Olympics yet, which start on 23rd July.

It’s been great seeing the return of sport (and spectators) after all this time and, although no-one needs any encouragement to get outside, there is always an increase in injuries we treat as a result of more sport being watched and played.

As always, start slowly if you’ve not exercised in a while.

In clinic news, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate Bella on her side hustle as a director. Bella is a budding director having studied it at the University of Manchester, and now she gets to use her talent on a new musical production.

Because of the current climate and with travel still predictably difficult, Paul has taken the decision to stay in Thailand for the time being. However, if you’re a client of Paul’s he is still available to contact via WhatsApp.

In this issue of the newsletter, we focus on flips flops and your feet, how hypnotherapy can beat sugar cravings and why you need to keep an eye on the colour of your wee!

If you have any questions, please contact the reception team who will be able to help.

In the meantime, have a great July!

The Heeler Centre Team

Why it's time to kick off the sandals and flips flops to care for your feet

Now that summer has very much arrived and there’s (occasionally) the sun in the sky, out come the summer threads. We’re talking t-shirts, vests, shorts, sunnies and - of course - sandals and flip flops.

Long gone are the days we’d only wear flip flops for knocking around the pool on holiday or at the beach. They’ve become almost regular day wear for many people (sandals, especially, if you’re in Brighton!).

While flips flops and sandals may be the easy-going, relaxed footwear that feels comfortable, there is a serious downside on your foot health.

One of the biggest issues we experienced in the clinic when it comes to feet is plantar fasciitis brought on from lack of support to the foot from wearing flip flops. Yes, that plantar fasciitis - the condition you’d normally associate with runners.

The fasciitis is a thick band of tissue running across the bottom of your foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. When it becomes inflamed it can be very painful. This in turn can cause problems because it affects how you walk to try and avoid pain, which can cause referred issues in your knees, hip and back.

The reason that flip flops and sandals are particularly bad for your feet is due to the lack of support of your arch. Without that support, it puts an undue amount of stress on the fasciitis, leading to it becoming inflamed.

There are other problems with wearing flips flops and sandals all day. The lack of support may lead your ankle to be less supported and more likely to turn if walking over rough ground. You also probably notice that when you wear flips flops, you slightly change the way you walk, which could lead to issues in other areas of the body.

Our advice is to wear flip flops when you’re at the beach, having a picnic or around the pool - but try to avoid wearing them all day, every day.

If you have any foot issues, including plantar fasciitis, we can help. Call our reception team on 01273 843780 and let’s book you in with one of our fab therapists.

We're keeping COVID protocols beyond 19th July... so keep that mask on for now!

With the easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK from 19th July following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement this week, we have assessed the situation with respect to patient safety and care. While it looks like there will be the general lifting of the legal restrictions on social distancing and masks, within the clinic we have made the decision to continue to follow our protocols (below) to reduce the risk of infection from COVID. We feel the risk of infection is still high and so we will continue with our existing protocols beyond 19th July. This means we will still wear masks in the reception area, sanitise and clean treatment rooms thoroughly between clients. If you have any questions, please call us on 01273 843780.

How hynotherapy can help beat sugar addition and cravings

With the arrival of summer and hot weather also comes the desire to cool yourself down with a tasty lolly, yummy ice cream or can of something cold and fizzy. Yes, summer usually equals copious amounts of sugar.

More and more evidence is pointing to sugar being at fault for so many health problems, from the obvious tooth decay and disease through to obesity and diabetes. Our diets have never been more packed with sugar and so it’s understandable that many people suffer from sugar addiction.

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances in the world. Your body needs sugar to function. There’s sugar in many healthy foods we eat - such as fruit and vegetables, which are simple carbohydrates. The difference between consuming these and refined sugar and chocolate is that the simple carbohydrates contain fibre that slows down how quickly the body processes the sugar. Carbohydrates are released more evenly into the bloodstream, whereas refined sugar instantly hits your bloodstream giving you a lift… and then it crashes. So what do we do in that situation? Of course, we eat more sugar and so the cycle continues.

However, sugar also triggers a response in the brain to want more sugar as a reward. If you eat more, your brain doesn’t feel satisfied, it wants to keep eating to rewarding itself.

A clear sign you’re suffering from sugar addiction is simply to look at your diet. If it contains lots of high sugar foods, such as sweets, chocolate and fizzy drinks, you may have a sugar addiction. Also, it’s about when you consume sugar. If you tend to reach for sugary foods when you’re feeling low and also when you’re feeling happier, that’s another sign.

While there are ways of breaking the sugar addiction, such as a sugar detox, there are other ways to deal with an emotional need to eat sugar.

Hypnotherapy has been shown to be a good way to deal with sugar addictions, like many of the other addictions it can treat.

If you think you suffering from sugar addiction and would like advice, please get in touch with our reception team who will be able to put you in touch with our hypnotherapist Stephanie.

Are you drinking enough water? How to stop dehydration this summer 

One of the most common pieces of advice we give through the clinic and in this newsletter is to stay hydrated. But why? Why is it so important that we keep chugging H2O all the time? Can it really make a difference to how fit and healthy we remain or how likely we are to pick up an injury?

Well… yes.

Dehydration occurs when you lose fluids quicker than taking them on - and can happen if you are involved in a lot of physical activity such as sport or you’re suffering from heatstroke from being in the sun too long. Drinking too much alcohol (another popular summer pastime) can cause dehydration, as well as vomiting or diarrhoea which tends to empty the body not just of fluids but also electrolytes.

Severe dehydration can be fatal and so it’s really important to stay on top of your water consumption. Symptoms of dehydration can start with the feeling of thirstiness, but may also include:

• Darker than normal urine
• Tiredness
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• A dry mouth, lips and eyes
• Going to the toilet fewer than four times a day

Before you ever get to the point of such symptoms, it’s better to take preventative action. Make sure you take on enough water so that your urine is clear.

A good way to remind yourself to drink is to buy a large water bottle and keep it somewhere where you will be reminded to drink, such as on the kitchen table or your desk if you’re working. Every time you see it, make it a habit to take a sip.

Discover more about preventing dehydration from the NHS here.

Clinic protocols

• Pre-arranged appointments only… please call or book online.
• Please wear a mask when arriving at the clinic and when in the reception area – we have masks to help yourselves to if you don't have one with you.
• We are temperature checking all patients on arrival to the clinic.
• Hand sanitise or wash hands on entering the clinic.
• Please arrive exactly at your appointment time to reduce time spent in reception waiting areas. 
• Please aim to maintain the 2m social distancing measure where possible.
• If possible, please pay with card or contactless up to £45.
• As of 24th September, it was a legal requirement for the clinic to help with track and trace... you’ll be asked for permission to be able to use your details that we have stored should we need to contact you. 
• Our patients are not obliged to but we are required to provide an NHS QR track and trace code to scan using the NHS app.