Alison Salmond Osteopilates

Julie Driver Pilates and I are in the process of organising a specially theme Pilates retreat for you:)

We have found a beautiful location in Portugal and will be putting out details in the next couple of weeks.

There are multiple activities alongside Pilates and of course Pilates education too:)

Type RETREAT if you would like to be out on the waiting list for June 2027

I am considering developing a menopause coach course for Pilates teachers to support their clients in the transition into menopause.

This will tick the boxes for many of you entering this phase, or indeed have clients that are entering/in this phase.

We will look at the anatomy around the menopause changes within the body and how we can best support our clients both physically with our exercise programmes and also mentally too.

The course will be accredited by YMCA awards and before I start to develop it this year, I would like to know if there are people that are potentially interested in this area.

Type MENOPAUSE if you are interested.

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As you know, I have now run this course over the last two years and I am considering running my Tutor Training Mentorship Programme in 2027.
This course is delivered over a period of 6/7 months where you will gain 2 x UK qualifications accredited by YMCA AWARDS

Level 3 in Education and Training
Level 3 in Vocational Assessment

This course is an excellent choice for:
Tutors and assessors that DO NOT have UK qualification (including those who have been ´trained´within the Merrithew brand.

Pilates Teachers who are looking for another level in their careers and want to gain the skills to become a qualified educator and assessor.

Pilates Teachers who are looking to gain skills to write their own workshops and courses.

Pilates Teachers who want to understand learning and teaching styles as well as when and how to incorporate these into their workshops/courses to maintain student connectivity and attention.

If you are interested, please DM me or email me so that I can add you to my waiting list.

The course has a limited number of 9 students only to ensure that everyone gets as much attention as they need.
My aim is to set up a zoom chat to provide the information that you need to ensure that this course is for you. I also have some pre-requisites in place to ensure that you ´ready´for this next big step.

Type MENTORSHIP here or DM me.

Intermittent Fasting. Do you agree or disagree with the principles of IF.

As more and more people are promoting fasting, many of us are left wondering, do we have to be so restrictive with our eating or is it just a phase?

Well fasting has been a practice that has been adopted for centuries both for religious and spiritual purposes, as well as generally giving your body a change to rest and repair itself, without the added struggle of digestion, especially in our world of permanent access to food.

Let´s get it straight, we all fast to some degree, whether that is finishing our last meal (often dinner) at 6pm or 8pm with many of us not snacking and will then break our fast in the morning at ´breakfast´.

The modern philosophy of fasting is to heal the body and push the body into áutophagy´. This is where the body´s cells can be repaired and longer fasts of 72 hours have shown to even regenerate stem cells which are the primary ´starter´ cells.

However, due to the increases in people being overweight and obese (currently 66% of the population are overweight in the UK with 30% being obese), IF has been used as a tool to use weight, which has shown success with some people. The main issue is when people feel hungry or hangry, they reach for the nearest bit of food (normally poor quality carbohydrates) which defeats the purpose of fasting in the first place.

For those who are willing to try and are interested in more of a restrictive window of eating (ie day light hours), you could try a 16:8, where you push for 16 hours of not eating and eat only within an 8 hour window. Simply does it this could be a 10am or 11am start, finishing your last meal at 6pm or 7pm in the evening.

Obviously during that time, you are not eating bags of crisps and chocolate but providing your body with good quality carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.

What are good quality foods... ok but this list is not exhaustive:-

Carbohydrates; vegetables (including potatoes), fruits, oats, rice, quinoa, legumes (also part of the protein group)
Protein: lean meats, fish, legumes, beans, seeds, nuts, eggs, dairy
Fats: avocado, oils, seeds, nuts, eggs, dairy

(you will see that the later are in 2 groups)

If you are keen to achieve a bit of weight loss/gain, better sleep, increased energy and better moods, add more of this list to your meals:)

If intermittent fasting isn't for you, then that´s absolutely fine, but you can still follow the nutritional advice above and still aim to eat in daylight hours only (easier in the summer).

If you are interested in intermittent fasting and have a medical condition, please consult your medical practitioner first.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fasting-benefits

For those who are unsure and want to do know a deeper hormonal effect on the body with regards to fasting, this paper below is interesting as it has shown intermittent fasting may not be beneficial for hormonal regulation in the body (especially menopausal/post menopausal women and those with adrenal gland insufficiency/thyroid disorders), but there is still more studies needed.

With all of this information, you can choose whether it is right for you ... or not :)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8419605/

5 Health Benefits of Fasting, Backed by Science From weight loss to improved blood sugar management, fasting can affect your health in many impressive ways. Learn 8 health benefits of fasting — backed by science.

Physiology, Cortisol Cortisol, though widely known as the body’s stress hormone, has a variety of effects on different functions throughout the body. It is the main glucocorticoid released from the zona fasciculata layer of the adrenal cortex. Both production and secretion of cortisol is regulated by the hypothalamus-...

Cortisol. It has been given a really bad name in the world of menopause, but in fact it is a vital hormone that is produced by your adrenal glands.

What does it do? For a start it regulates metabolism and blood sugar, maintains blood pressure and helps the immune system.

It also drives your body (with adrenaline too) when needed for survival through the ´fight or flight´ response, alongside balancing energy during the day and is responsible for your natural sleep/awake cycle (circadian rhythm).

At a nutritional level, cortisol balances and regulates carbohydrates, proteins and fats and how the body processes and uses them. Insulin, another essential hormone that gets a bad name, work together in balancing blood sugar and ensuring a steady stream of glucose is provided to every organ in the body.

The natural levels of cortisol peak and flow. The peak is approximately 30 minutes after waking up to provide energy for the tasks ahead, and then drops at night so we can rest.

It also works with other hormones in the adrenal glands (RAA system - Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone) in balancing blood pressure via monitoring salt and fluid levels.

Cortisol has been named ´The Stress Response´ as a negative thing, but in fact we need the release and surge of cortisol for survival. It is the body´s way of defending itself by temporarily shutting down non-essential processes such as digestion. It creates heightened and alert attention, in order so that you can get yourself out of danger.

However, EXCESS cortisol can become an issue where the body is experiencing (or perceives) physical or emotional stress and it is this excessive constant state of alarm that is the issue, as it creates constant and high levels of cortisol to be produced. This negative loop of over production, can lead to high blood pressure, sleep disturbances, anxiety, weight gain/insulin resistance, high blood pressure, extreme fatigue or ´tired but wired´, dizziness and low blood sugar.

Like anything in life too much of anything, is not a good thing, but in balance it is an essential hormone. So next time you blame cortisol, which is acting in your best interest, take a look at how you can create its balance.

How can I create balance? It could simply be removing yourself from your physical situation for a short while, exercising on a regular basis, eating a balanced nutritional diet, mindfulness or meditation, taking up a new craft, skill or study, spending some time outside or simply reading a good book and taking some time out of your busy life for you :)

Physiology, Cortisol Cortisol, though widely known as the body’s stress hormone, has a variety of effects on different functions throughout the body. It is the main glucocorticoid released from the zona fasciculata layer of the adrenal cortex. Both production and secretion of cortisol is regulated by the hypothalamus-...

Have we taken life a bit too seriously? Are we really monitoring every morsel we put in our mouth.. I’m sure there were definitely times you weren’t (haha)! Have we lost our senses and now only do certain things because our oura ring or tracker has told us to?!

Yes a healthy lifestyle is what we should all strive for, but that also means not removing ourselves from our social circles too. maybe Stephen after not drinking for a whole year, 3 glasses of wine was too much but what’s wrong with a glass or 2 on occasion with Friends. Your mental health might just think you:)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY5KoGQA2OE/?igsh=dTVma3NlbW11ejJ1

This will ruffle some feathers 👇 But a few glasses of wine did not “ruin your life,” @steven. You had a normal physiological response to drinking alcohol. I’m a dietitian, & I honestly think having a few drinks with friends more often might be good for you. Hear me out. True, alcohol can affect sleep, appetite, focus, etc. The data also show that the more you drink, the greater your long-term risk of chronic disease. PMID: 28546524 But somewhere between the Yuka app and the Oura ring, we started interpreting everything we eat, drink, & do as inflammatory, damaging or toxic. That mindset has health consequences too. We now live in a world where:
• Your lunch has a letter grade
• Your metabolic response to food is a “glucose spike”
• Not hitting your protein goals means your muscle mass is deteriorating • Walking less than 10K steps is lazy Wellness culture IS the new diet culture. It normalizes hypervigilance. Catastrophizes moderation. Equates fun with danger. Turns life into one giant purity contest. The difference is that with wellness & biohacking, there’s no finish line or moment where you’re finally optimized enough. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean diet — one of the most well-studied lifestyle patterns associated with longevity & reduced chronic disease risk — has historically included not *just* wine, but conviviality, shared meals & connection. PMID: 38424420, 39940436 By contrast, social isolation is associated with significantly higher risk of disease & mortality in large meta-analyses. (PMIDs: 37337095, 25910392) So, bottom line: Go out. Have dinner and drinks with your friends. Be hungover sometimes. Part of being an adult is learning that not every uncomfortable experience is harmful — especially when the tradeoff was a great night spent with people you love. An imperfect workout, sleep score, or lower-productivity day will not ruin your health. What exactly are we trying to optimize ourselves FOR if we’re too afraid to actually enjoy our lives while we’re living them? Thoughts? LMK 👇 & follow @jaclynlondonrd for more nutrition tips & myth-busting. #dietitian #diaryofaceo #wellness #mythbusting 🎥: @thediaryofaceopodcast

It appears more and more people are taking GLP-1 receptor agonists (Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc.) in order to lose weight. Although I commend people for making changes, what these drugs do not include is lifestyle advice.

Yes, many are being prescribed the drug by a reputable medical professional and I hope, alongside drug administering, they are also encouraging their patients to exercise more!

Why you are? Well, it has now been found that those people taking these drugs are more at risk of osteoporosis and sarcopenia (muscle loss), therefore, without backing their weight loss up by regular strength training and active lifestyle, they will not fair well as they age.

The other main issue is as soon as patients come off of these drugs, the weight starts to creep on just as fast, but this time with less muscle mass, so will in fact be fatter!

Does this mean people need to be on this for life? Are people just eating less of bad foods? Are people actually exercising and generally changing their unhealthy habits to healthier ones. So far, I cannot see the evidence of this....

What is GLP-1, well it is a hormone that is made within our small intestine and is produced when eating to sent signals, to tell us to stop eating as we are full, which means we have all the ´drug´we need inside our own body. It also maintains blood sugar levels too.

What can we do to stimulate this?
1. Eat slowly and chew your food well
2, Eat protein, fibre and good fats; an example of this would be a piece of fish, vegetables and maybe 1/2 avocado for the good fats.
3. It has been suggested that drinking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a warm glass of water 20 minutes before your main meal may help trigger GLP-1, slow the absorption of the food eaten and therefore reduce your appetite a little.
4. Exercise stimulates GLP-1
5. Intermittent Fasting also stimulates GLP-1
6. Other natural herbs, teas etc. are cinnamon, green tea (not my favourite), curcumin and there are some others too.

For those of you who are interested in taking supplements consider Berberine as this has been shown to maintain blood sugar balance, alongside a good omega 3 oil (I use zinzino balance oil)

Finally, if you have less than 20lbs to lose, please look at these natural ways to reduce your appetite, loss a few of those extra pounds in order to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and muscle loss :) You will be thankful you did:)

Top Nutrients and Habits That Boost GLP-1 Naturally Discover how strategic nutrition, targeted supplements, and key lifestyle habits can naturally enhance GLP-1 activity to support appetite control, metabolic balance, and sustainable weight outcomes.

Update : stopped at 48 hours 🙂 felt I wanted some food ♥️

Aiming for 72 hours … so far 41 hours down..

You ask what? I started a fast on Sunday evening just before 8pm and aiming to stay here until Wednesday evening to reach peak autophagy:)

Autophagy peaks at 72 hours which is where the immune system starts to clean the body; clearing out all ‘bad’ cells or any of those that may form tumours in the body, it obviously clears out all of your digestive tract and provides better mental clarity … is it hard? It’s a mental rather than physical struggle .. so wish me luck for today and tomorrow:))