Watkins Publishing https://watkinspublishing.com/ Sharing wisdom since 1893 Fri, 15 Mar 2024 17:28:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://watkinspublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cropped-Watkins-Icon-Logo-Black-1-100x100.png Watkins Publishing https://watkinspublishing.com/ 32 32 April 19th Plant Feasts by Frankie Paz Launch Party (Events) (Events) (Uncategorized) https://watkinspublishing.com/frankie-paz-launch-party/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:54:58 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=35786

Join us at the Celebration of Plant Feasts for a fun-filled event celebrating delicious plant-based dishes and Frankie's debut cookbook!

This Will be a book launch like no other!

To say thank you for all your love and support, and to celebrate the fact that I actually made my dream come true and wrote a book, I decided that the only way for me to do a launch was to throw a party!

A night where all the communities come together to celebrate, dance to some banging tunes, hear some stories around the fire, drink potions, and of course taste some of my plant magic.

It only felt right to have this party where I live, and where I created this book, next to the river in the boat land of Hackney. I’ll be welcoming you to a secret (ish) and very random boaters bar!

So come get involved and make some moves on the dance floor…

Location: Lee Valley Marina Springfield, Spring Hill, London, UK time starts at 7pm

It’s FREE to come but we only have a limited space, so you need to get a free ticket so your name gets on on the guest list. There is also the option to purchase a signed copy of Plant Feasts which can be collected on the night.

Confirm on Eventbrite, mark your calendars, and come join us for an evening filled with delicious food, ‘stay up till sunrise’ potions, live music round the fire, DJs, goodie bags and a little interview with me (Frankie) about the book.

Don't miss out on this unforgettable celebration of Plant Feasts and Frankie Paz and her soul friends amazing artistic photos by Hannah Bodsworth.

April 19th 2024

Plant Feasts by Frankie Paz

Lee Valley Marina Springfield, Spring Hill, London, E5 9BL

7pm — 11:30pm

Get your tickets here.

 

 

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April 13th 2024 Hunter Liguore at Avon Public Library (Events) (Events) https://watkinspublishing.com/avon-public-library/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:46:52 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=35782

Join author and academic Hunter Liguore on April 13th 2024 for a signing of her new book The Modern Art of War at Avon Public Library. This event will run 1-2pm GMT.

Get your tickets here.

Join us for an in-person, interactive author event with local author Hunter Liguore to celebrate the release of her new work, The Modern Art of War: Sun Tzu’s Hidden Path to Peace and Wholeness.

Aimed at a self-development market, this timely and fresh take on that perennial bestseller the Art of War challenges us to see the text not as a tool for warfare but as a guide to inner harmony and personal fulfilment.

Sun Tzu’s Art of War has been read mostly as a book of war strategies that teaches us how to beat our opponents on the battlefield. The Modern Art of War presents a new interpretation: it isn’t about conquering your enemies, devising strategies to overtake armies, or getting ahead against your competitors. Instead, the real art of war is the fight to control your mind and the thoughts that rule it. What if Sun Tzu wasn’t a general at all, but a spiritual advisor, and that the Art of War was written not for a king, but for the people?

Each chapter begins with the original text from the Art of War followed by an overview, applied practice, thought-provoking prompts, and a chance for your own reflection. This book will teach readers how to “conquer” or still the mind in order to reveal their own hidden teacher and recognize that the root of conflict (or war) begins within. By creating harmony within one’s self, readers can then carry it forward to help bring more peace into the world.

Hunter Liguore is an award-winning writer, professor, and historian, with a lifelong study in philosophy, specializing in the work of Sun Tzu. She’s studied with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, John Hume (North Ireland), and has undertaken critical research in peace and social justice studies. Her unique writing explores interconnectedness with all people, reciprocal relationships with the natural world, and kindness and empathy for all, without exception. She’s a writing professor at Lesley University and hosts peace walks in New England. Find out more at: https://www.hunterliguore.org/ 

Please register so we can set the community room up with appropriate spacing.

Books will be for sale at this event!

Co-sponsored by the Avon and Canton Libraries.

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How To Train a Happy Mind Book Tour with Scott Snibbe (Events) (Events) https://watkinspublishing.com/how-to-train-a-happy-mind-book-tour-with-scott-snibbe/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:57:16 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=35770

Join Scott Snibbe author of How To Train A Happy Mind on his book tour across the USA. Find all the relevant dates and links below:

 

Friday 15th March 2024 18:00 - East Bay Book Launch, CA

Join Scott Snibbe at California’s Gyuto Foundation to hear MacArthur award-winning restorative justice advocate sujatha baliga interview him about his new book, How to Train a Happy Mind.

 

Tuesday 12th March 2024, 18:00 - Scott Snibbe in conversation with Derek Fagerstrom at Book Passage

Join Scott Snibbe at Corte Madera Book Passage in conversation with Pop Up Magazine co-founder Derek Fagerstrom in an event co-hosted by the Tse Chen Ling Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies.

 

Saturday 16th March 2024 16:00 - San Francisco, CA

Join Scott Snibbe at San Francisco bookstore Medicine for Nightmares to hear Tenzin Chogkyi interview him about his new book, How to Train a Happy Mind. Medicine for Nightmares Bookstore: 3036 24th Street, San Francisco.

 

Wednesday 20th March 2024 19:00 - Book Signing, New York City, NY 

Join Professor Robert Thurman and Scott Snibbe at Tibet House in New York City to discuss How to Train a Happy Mind.

 

Wednesday 10th April 2024 18:00 - Santa Fe Scott Snibbe Book Talk

Talk and Book Signing with Scott Snibbe at The Ark Bookstore: 133 Romero St, Santa Fe, NM, 87501

 

April 17th - Workshop

In this livestream workshop, author and long-time student of Tibetan Buddhism Scott Snibbe combines ancient teachings with modern science to teach 'analytical meditation', training your mind toward kindness, generosity, humour and patience.

 

Friday 17th May 2024 19:00 - New York City, NY

Join artist, musician, and author Paul Miller (DJ Spooky) with Scott Snibbe at The Rubin Museum in New York discussing How to Train a Happy Mind.

 

Tuesday 21st May 2024 19:00 - New York City, NY

Join musician and artist Laurie Anderson in conversation with Scott Snibbe about storytelling and meditation at Tibet House NYC in an event co-hosted with Shantideva Buddhist Center.

 

 June 13th 2024 17:30 GMT - London, UK

A streaming video conversation with Scott Snibbe about How to Train a Happy Mind at London’s famous Watkins Books.

 

August 8-11th 2024 - 3 Day Retreat at Vajrapani Institute, California 

This three-day summer retreat with Scott Snibbe at California’s Vajrapani Institute offers a relaxed tour of How to Train a Happy Mind‘s eight meditations that help bring out your best qualities, deepen your relationships, and build a better world.

 

Purchase How To Train a Happy Mind here or listen to the audiobook narrated by the author himself here. For more information, visit Scott Snibbe's website here.

 

 

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Behind The Cover – Make Good Trouble with Karen Smith (A Peek into Publishing) (Book) https://watkinspublishing.com/behind-the-cover-mgt/ Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:45:59 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=35708 behind the cover karen smith briana pegado make good trouble

Last night (March 7th) was the The Academy of British Cover Design awards where Repeater designer Hollie Smith was nominated for the non-fiction category for the cover of Collapse Feminism. In honour of the awards, I spoke to Karen Smith, Head of Book Design at Watkins Media about the decisions behind the cover of Make Good Trouble, written by Briana Pegado.

The process of designing a book cover has several stages. First, the editorial team put together a brief for the designers so they have a better understanding of how they want the book to come across. The design team are also shown examples of competitor titles so they can visualise how the book might look on the shelf of a bookshop next to titles in the same genre.

Make Good Trouble had a somewhat challenging brief.

It was the desire of the team that the cover of Make Good Trouble ought to encapsulate that energy of disruption written about in the book. It had to be dynamic, energetic and have a sense of movement to it. Make Good Trouble was not a book written to be pretty but to be powerful. This was taken into consideration.

The theme of  'good trouble' can be conceptualised in many ways. For example, through the imagery of disturbances like cracks, broken screens, mirrors, rubble and fire. These speak to one half of the brief - trouble - but finding imagery to encapsulate positive disruption fit more closely to the contents of the book. Briana was presented with various designs at each stage of the process and talked through their merits with editor Ella Chappell. I asked Briana to speak to her experience of the process, as she was highly involved throughout:

"The creation of a cover design is a process of exploration, tweaking and prototyping. I love collaborating with a designer to help them bring a vision to life. With the cover for MGT, my editor Ella Chappell initially sent me a few options for the cover. We discussed the merits of each of those options. The designer had clearly done a brilliant job of interpreting the idea of disruption in a visual way, from glitches and smoke emerging across the page, to fissures and cracks running through the typography. We discussed the merits of having a darker background versus a lighter one to allow the design effects to pop. Ultimately, I asked Ella what she thought the book's target audience might respond to. She explained to me that the cover also goes through a development process internally, taking into consideration the feedback from sales, marketing, publicity and rights departments, who are able to share their expertise on the book's target audience. In the end, the cover that was both mine and Ella's favourite was also the favourite among the in-house team. We landed on the image of smoke gathering behind the title of the book. The colours are evocative, but soft, mirroring the message of the book - making good trouble."

After much brainstorming, Karen and the team agreed upon the image of the conflicting clouds of smoke which you see on the cover today. This final version was presented to Briana and Ella for consideration and received author approval. It has movement, energy and a feeling of change - a sense of pushing against the grain without being aggressive or violent. These colourful puffs overwhelm the page without hanging heavy. They imply an immersion into Briana’s world of taking charge and changing for the better. The design is an appeal to action in a transgressive, non-violent yet urgent manner.

The colour scheme was intentionally chosen to reflect a sense of femininity, inspired by Briana’s writing on Goddess Energies. Many books about rebellion and trouble-making have a dark and heavy colour scheme that demands attention from the viewer. However, Briana Pegado’s message is not one of aggression but one of peaceful action and positive change. She connects to her readers on a deeply personal level, appealing to their sense of purpose, values and community.

There was an alternative colour option considered for what would become the final cover, consisting of teal and yellow. The final cover incorporates the Pantone Colour of the Year: Peach Fuzz. The muted pink, peach and blue tones allude to a gentle, uplifting tone whilst still conveying the contrast between pink and blue, representing the activist and the change.

Karen chose a strong, clear, bold typeface for the title MAKE GOOD TROUBLE. It is a darker tone of the pastel green background with transparency allowing the texture of the clouds behind to come through. It is a visual manifestation of how we can view the same world through a different lens, apply new thought to the same problems and create change without destruction. Black is nowhere to be seen on the cover of this inspiring book. There is only optimism and positivity exuding from the cover of Make Good Trouble.

Karen Smith and her designers have done a remarkable job of encapsulating the feeling of Briana Pegado’s text: embracing the energies of disruption in order to make good trouble.

The book Make Good Trouble by Briana Pegado is available to pre-order now. It publishes April 9th 2024.

 

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International Women’s Day Author Spotlight Q&A (AwarenessDays) (Q&A) https://watkinspublishing.com/international-womens-day-author-spotlight-qa/ Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:33:21 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=35694 celebrating international womens day with jackie lynch, clio wood, kim vopni, ellie austin-wood, almudena rocca and le'nise brothers

In celebration of International Women's Day and the important work that organisations like the UN are doing to level the playing field between genders, we asked six female authors a few questions. Promoting the voices of women, inspiring empowerment and taking an active stance in gender equality are values Watkins stands by.

 

Who are the women who have inspired you in your work and in your personal journey?

 

Jackie Lynch, author of The Happy Menopause:

So many women - my Mum was my first female role model as a little girl. She was the Senior Sister in charge of the isolation ward at the local hospital. She inspired the respect of the doctors and the devotion of her nursing team. Seeing her in this very important role, at a time when many women either didn't work or had small part-time jobs, I never doubted as I was growing up, that women are capable of great things. and could lead and inspire.

As an adult, I find so many women inspiring, there are almost too many to name. From dedicated investigative journalists, such as Carole Cadwalldr, who dares to speak up when so many don't, to champions of ageing, such as Joan Bakewell; there are a lot of women out there who are doing great work. In the menopause arena, which is my own area of expertise, I value the work of Professor Anne McGregor on hormonal headaches; Kathy Abernethy, menopause specialist nurse; and Dr Jen Gunter, who speaks out fearlessly against the rising of tide of untrained influencers involving themselves in health matters.

Clio Wood, author of Get Your Mojo Back:

Laura Bates and Caroline Criado Perez for (separately) their amazing work bringing to light the sadly very common discrepancies that women face in all walks of life.

Kim Vopni, author of Your Pelvic Floor:

Katy Bowman, Dr Sara Gottfried, Sherrie Palm, Jill Miller, Julie Wiebe, Kaisa Tuominen, Dr Tamara Rial, Dr Kelly Casperson, Dr Stacy Sims, Shirley Weir!

Ellie Austin-Williams, author of Money Talks:

My mum has always had a strong work ethic and worked tirelessly to provide for me which has inspired me to work hard in whatever I do. I’m also inspired by stories of women who go against the grain and carve out a life that works for them - whether that means a traditional career path, being a stay-at-home parent or something totally different.

Almudena Rocca, author of The Intuitive Drawing Journal:

My mum has probably been my biggest inspiration and influence throughout my work and personal life. I’m very fortunate to have a beautiful relationship with my mum and she has been my biggest supporter as well as someone I go to for advice, guidance and feedback. She has taken many steps and hardships to get to where she is today and in doing this has made the path of being an artist a little easier for me. I’m very grateful for her.

Le'Nise Brothers, author of You Can Have a Better Period:

My mother and all the women who've spent years being told that painful and heavy periods are normal and who've tirelessly tried to find answers on their own.

 

What advice would you like to share with your female readers?

 

Jackie Lynch:

Be kind to yourself. The menopause can be a difficult time, so a little self-care goes a long way. Simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can make a world of difference to the way that you experience this tricky phase of life. Reach out for help and support from health professionals and your loved ones. If they don't know that you're struggling, how can they help?

Clio Wood:

So many societal stereotypes are based on the male gaze and patriarchal norms. If you don't conform, there's nothing wrong with you; there's something wrong with society. Also, it can take years to find the confidence to express and live that. I'm still working on it.

Kim Vopni:

Don't accept suffering, for any reason. Be curious. Seek multiple opinions for care/treatment. Believe in your body's ability to adapt. Get informed and make the decision that is best for YOU.

Ellie Austin-Williams:

Financial literacy is one key way we can work towards a more inclusive society for women, so invest in your financial education and you’ll reap the rewards.

Almudena Rocca:

I don’t know if this is advice but, I say: “we are all on our on paths - some may be very different from others but you are doing your best and that’s more than enough!”

Le'Nise Brothers:

Painful and heavy periods aren't normal and aren't something you should just accept and live with. If you're not getting the answers you deserve, get a second, third or fourth opinion until you get the support you need.

 

Thank you to these inspiring women for participating in this Q&A! You can find their incredible books on our website. Browse the Blogs section for more Author Q&A sessions.

 

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Q&A With Briana Pegado: Author of Make Good Trouble (Book) (Coming Soon) (Q&A) (Self Help) (Spirituality) https://watkinspublishing.com/qa-with-briana-pegado-author-of-make-good-trouble/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:05:27 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=35586

 

We sat down in candid conversation with Briana Pegado, author of Make Good Trouble to find out her inspirations and top tips for trouble-makers. The book is being released April 9th 2024 and is available for pre-order now.

 

What do you hope readers will take away from Make Good Trouble? 

I hope readers will take away the courage and confidence to step into their own energy and to better understand it. This book has been written to help people make connections, learn from my experiences, and hopefully have a deeper understand of how beneficial disruption can be. For the people out there who feel that disruption is constantly in their wake, may they feel reassured that this is not a mistake or a fluke, but incredibly intentional — it is part of the fabric of why they are here on this earth. Ultimately, this book is a framework for all of us to live in a more peaceful world, filled with authenticity, if we are all brave enough and courageous enough to shake things up. 

 

Give us one tip for taking care of your own energy. 

A big part of taking care of our own energy, is the capacity to recognise what is our energy and what is someone else’s energy. Protective tools are a good way to practice this discernment. Whether that’s crystals that we carry with us, or taking a moment to cleanse ourselves of lingering energy in the shower, there are many ways we can protect our energy. 

One of my favourite tools is imagining a warm white light all over my body that acts as protective shield. I visualise this before leaving the house. Another simple way I protect my energy is through using an essential oil blend every morning. I take a moment to breathe in the smell and apply it to my pressure points. It is a little ritual that grounds me, and something that can be returned to throughout the day. I use ritual oil blends from my friend Brooke at Black Moon Botanica in Edinburgh, but you can use any blend that appeals to you, or even one you’ve made yourself. 

 

What does goddess energy mean to you?

Goddess energy means channelling the energy of the goddesses, who are incredibly powerful beings. Through their power, they enable us to remember our own power. Studying them, performing rituals in their name, and asking them for support, opens their energy to all of us. By focusing on a certain goddess through meditation and asking them questions; or wearing colours, objects, and talismans that represent them, they can guide us and protect us on our journeys. Some goddesses find us at pivotal points in our lives, so it is important for us to incorporate them into daily rituals and begin to build that relationship. 

To me, goddess energy means power, but power that enables us to better understand ourselves and our role in the world. They can remind us of different aspects of ourselves and of the world around us. If we trust them, they can show us the entire nature of the universe. 

 

How can energy catalyse change in society?

Change in society only happens by catalysing change, in other words, organising and bringing people together under a clear set of values. It is through movement, supporting one another, and daring to question the world around us, that we can cause a flow of energy and bring about change. However, changing society requires us to start with ourselves. It is only by daring to look inwards, at ourselves, our families, our communities, that change can begin. By making positive choices at an individual level we can change our inner world, which reverberates through wider society. 

 

Who do you see as the ideal reader of Make Good Trouble?

The ideal reader for Make Good Trouble is anyone curious about making good trouble. For readers who often feel out of place in their families, workplaces, and friend groups. For those led by their principles and values, or anyone looking to live in closer alignment with these values. For anyone who has been part of movements for change, or leaders in movements for change. This book is also for the curious reader and those led by their intuition. This book is for the bold; the certain and the uncertain; for the seeker with a long relationship to energy, and the seeker at the start of their journey. This book is for anyone interested in changing their life gently and incrementally. This book is for everyone. 

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The Happy Menopause: Extract (Uncategorized) https://watkinspublishing.com/the-happy-menopause-extract/ Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:31:55 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=34449

In celebration of World Menopause Day, we wanted share some pearls of wisdom from beloved author and menopause expert, Jackie Lynch. Jackie is the author of The Happy Menopause and The Right Bite, as well as being a Registered Nutritional Therapist (mBANT, CNHC) and founder of the WellWellWell nutrition clinic in Notting Hill where she specialises in health nutrition. She is also the host of The Happy Menopause podcast, a regular contributor to the Mail on Sunday, and a featured guest expert on Channel 4’s Superfoods. The following is an extract from her book The Happy Menopause (Watkins Publishing, 2020). 

If You Only Do One Thing...

There are multiple ways in which the right nutrition can help to support a healthy menopause, but there is one area that is absolutely crucial and, if you focus on getting this right, many of your other symptoms will probably settle down as well. So whatever else you decide to do, start by focusing on the information in this chapter, as this could make a huge difference to your overall wellbeing. What is this magic formula? It’s all about blood-sugar balance and can make a huge difference at a number of different levels.

In order to understand why blood-sugar levels are so important, we first need to take a step back to understand what’s actually going on during the menopause and what should be happening, if everything goes according to plan.

Mother Nature’s Plan for the Menopause

First of all, it’s important to remember that the menopause is not a medical condition. It’s a natural transitional phase that women have been experiencing for millennia, so of course Mother Nature has a cunning plan for when our oestrogen levels start to drop. The human body is a truly complex and wonderful thing: when our ovaries stop producing oestrogen, our adrenal glands take over as the back-up system. These small glands, which sit just above the kidneys, are a vital player during the menopause, because they produce a weak form of oestrogen that helps to keep us fit and well through midlife and into old age.

What’s the Catch?

However, there is a catch: the adrenal glands are also responsible for producing our stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, and when they are too busy doing that, oestrogen production doesn’t even get a look in. If you’re struggling with chronic stress, then the chances are that your menopausal symptoms will be significantly worse, because your adrenal glands are distracted, depriving your body of the vital oestrogen it needs.

It’s fairly safe to say that the years around the perimenopause and the menopause are among the most stressful in a woman’s life: juggling the pressures of work with the needs of a growing family, or the clash of the hormones if puberty coincides with menopause in your household. Midlife is also often a time when women are reassessing their relationships, which can be painful; and we’re the sandwich generation, caught between caring for elderly relatives and for our children.

So, there’s plenty of stress going on, which distracts the adrenal glands at the very time when we need them to be focusing on producing oestrogen.

What’s the Solution?

This chapter is all about a nutritional approach to reduce levels of stress hormones in the body, so that your adrenal glands have the time and the space to get on with the job of producing oestrogen. Diet and lifestyle can make a significant difference to your stress levels. Of course, they can’t remove that irritating work colleague or solve your financial problems, but they can make your adrenal glands more resilient, so that you’re better equipped to manage stressful situations. The right diet can also ensure that your body isn’t producing extra stress hormones, which will overburden the adrenals.

To achieve the right balance of hormones, we first need to understand how the stress response works in the body and how diet and lifestyle can influence this.

 

How Is the Stress Response Designed to Work?

Our stress response is a protective mechanism that is specifically designed to support us in times of physical danger, because we’re still genetically programmed for life about 10,000 years ago, and we have an in-built “fight or flight” response. Whenever we encounter a stressful situation, whether it’s a near miss in the car, running late for an important meeting, or worrying about finances, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline.

This response is supposed to be a short-lived alarm reaction in which the stress hormones rise quickly in the face of physical danger, speeding up the heart rate and sending blood to the muscles to galvanize the body. They should then subside as soon as the perceived danger has passed. However, in our busy modern lives, it’s not quite so simple. We’re faced with multiple sources of stress on a daily basis and these can be emotional, psychological, physiological (that is, illness or injury) or physical stress. The rise of the Smartphone in recent years has only compounded our stress levels, because the persistent notifications and updates keep us in a constant state of red alert.

Chronic stress extends this alarm period, so that the adrenal glands continue to pump out stress hormones. As our exposure to stress continues, blood will be diverted to the muscles, away from perceived nonessential systems, such as the immune, digestive and reproductive systems. In the short-lived alarm phase, there is no need to be fighting infection, digesting food or making a baby, so this is not a problem. However, over time, a prolonged reaction to stress can lead to dysfunction of these key systems, creating a range of unwelcome symptoms.

 

How Does Constant Stress Impact My Menopause?

Stress really is the enemy of the menopause, because so many of the different symptoms you might experience, from hot flushes or anxiety to fatigue or vaginal dryness, are related to a drop in oestrogen levels. 

In the run up to the menopause, a sophisticated communication system made up of the adrenal, hypothalamus and pituitary glands and called the HPA axis, is working hard to keep all your systems in balance, so that everything works well and you don’t experience unpleasant symptoms. However, this can all go wrong if you’re under prolonged stress, because it will overload the adrenal glands so that they can’t produce the oestrogen you need, triggering a whole range of menopausal symptoms.

Another significant result of chronic stress is weight gain. Oestrogen can also be produced by fat cells and if your body senses that the back-up system of the adrenals is not available to produce oestrogen, it will start to store your food as abdominal (visceral) fat, which then becomes incredibly hard to shift because it’s hormonal and not related to overindulgence. 

If you can keep stress in check, then this will make a huge difference to your health and wellbeing through the menopause and beyond.

 

The Stress-Busting, Hormone-Balancing Approach:

Balance your blood sugar:

If you do only one thing, do this! Every time your blood sugar drops, your body releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Most menopausal women don’t need any extra stress, so eating a diet that maintains blood sugar balance is the single most important thing to do during the perimenopause and the menopause to support adrenal function. Call it “nutrition 101” because, as well as reducing stress hormones, balancing your blood sugar offers so many other residual benefits that will significantly improve your wellbeing.

How does the blood sugar mechanism work?

Your body is programmed to keep blood sugar levels within a specific range, and if it goes above or below that, this creates a state of emergency because, either way, it poses a risk to your health. Eating high levels of sugary foods and refined carbohydrates (for example: white bread, white rice or processed breakfast cereals) leads to a spike in blood sugar, which generates the release of the hormone insulin. Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can also trigger the insulin response.

The role of insulin is to clear out all this sugar from the blood and send it to the liver to be stored. If your sugar levels are high, the liver may not be able to take it all, so any excess sugar will be stored as fat. Insulin doesn’t carefully calculate how much sugar to remove to restore the balance, it just hoovers up the lot, so that in a short space of time, your blood-sugar levels fall. The higher the spike in insulin, the greater the crash in blood sugar. 

When your blood sugar is low, you feel tired, irritable, anxious, shaky, headachy, dizzy and absolutely desperate for a pick-me-up. Sugar is the body’s primary source of energy, so a blood-sugar crash is bad news, which is why the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released to redress the balance. They will send a message to the liver, instructing it to release sugar stores into the blood. Cortisol also generates powerful cravings for sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, or possibly a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, depending on what time of day it is, but it will be something that your body instinctively knows will give you that quick fix. 

And so of course, it’s a double whammy – the liver releases the sugar stores; you’ll grab a sugary snack and, instead of settling back within the required range, your blood sugar will spike and the whole process will start all over again. You can see how easy it is for blood sugar levels to rollercoaster over the course of the day, which means that your adrenal glands are continually releasing stress hormones, and that puts oestrogen production very much on the back burner.

If you go to bed with your blood sugar high, insulin will kick in and blood sugar levels will start to drop, so that your stress hormones will be knocking at the door at around 2 or 3am and you’ll wake up for no apparent reason and find it difficult to drop off again. The physiological and psychological stress caused by insomnia just adds to the adrenal overload you’re already experiencing.

Typical symptoms of a blood sugar imbalance include fatigue, low energy, cravings for sugar or carbs, PMS, mood swings, insomnia, irritability, low mood, anxiety, headaches, dizziness, difficulty getting going in the morning, palpitations, reliance on caffeine or alcohol for a quick boost, and weight gain. Over time, this may lead to a pre-diabetic state called insulin resistance, when the body cells no longer respond to insulin. 

 

How do I balance my blood sugar?

You need two key nutrients to balance your blood sugar:

Complex carbohydrates, which are high in fibre and will release more slowly into the body than refined carbohydrates.

Protein, which is hard to digest and which slows down the release of the carbohydrate, keeping you going for longer and maintaining that bloodsugar balance.

The trick is to eat a combination of protein and complex carbohydrate with every meal and snack. In parallel to this you need to avoid sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, such as cakes, cookies and chocolate.

This may seem like a gargantuan task, but if you keep your blood sugar stable, you’ll be far less prone to the sugar cravings that drive you during a blood-sugar crash and this will make things easier fairly quickly. In essence, your brain will determine your food choices and not your hormones. We all know that in a battle with the hormones, they tend to win every time. 

 


 

The Happy Menopause by Jackie Lynch

Continue reading The Happy Menopause to discover how nutrition can aid your experience of menopause!

The post The Happy Menopause: Extract appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

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World Menopause Day Sale (Uncategorized) https://watkinspublishing.com/world-menopause-day-sale/ Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:18:09 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=34395

 

To celebrate World Menopause Day on 18th October, we are offering 50% off four key health titles. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing. It's our hope that all four of these books will do just that, helping to spread information and joy about this phase of life. 



The Happy Menopause by Jackie Lynch

As no two menopause journeys are identical, this highly practical and accessible nutrition and lifestyle guide enables the reader to build a bespoke menopause diet that specifically targets their symptoms, with the minimum of fuss and effort.

The Right Bite by Jackie Lynch

A practical guide to help people navigate the minefields of everyday eating and make healthy choices when nutritious food is not easily available - such as in coffee shops, office lunches or the cinema

Your Pelvic Floor by Kim Vopni

This is the first pelvic floor health book aimed at ALL women, including trans women, outlining the importance of understanding your pelvic floor and how it impacts on overall health, fitness and wellbeing for life – not just around pregnancy and childbirth.

Get Your Mojo Back by Clio Wood

A frank guide to an under-discussed feminist topic: sex after birth. Enables women to reclaim their sexuality and improve their mental and physical wellbeing in motherhood.

The post World Menopause Day Sale appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

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Indian Folklore: Demonic Possession (Uncategorized) https://watkinspublishing.com/demonic-possession-and-mind-altering-parasites-in-indian-folklore/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:22:30 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=34108

By Rakesh Khanna 

 

The Devati Balishtamaru is a demon from the West Coast of India, specifically from the folklore of the Kumbri Marathi community in the state of Karnataka. It is conjured into existence when three cats die at exactly the same moment. When a person is possessed by a Devati Balishtamaru, they suffer from a cough, cold, weakness, fever, and vomiting.

The Narrah, on the other hand, comes from Northern India, specifically the folklore of the Malto people of Bihar and Jharkhand. The Narrah is a shapeshifter who haunts stagnant pools of water. At night, it sneaks into people’s houses in the form of a boar or bandicoot rat and licks them, causing painful swelling in the legs or feet.

I learned about these supernatural entities (and many of the others catalogued in my book Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India) from works of cultural anthropology. Some of my source texts were by British authors from the colonial period; others were the theses of Indian anthropologists working in the second half of the twentieth century. At the time these accounts were written, many of the tribal people being studied were largely illiterate, with limited exposure to urban lifestyles or modern medicine. A lot has changed in the intervening years, with India’s literacy rates rising from about 10% a century ago to nearly 80% today.

It struck me, in researching my book, how many of the “demons” in older tribal folklore are basically just descriptions of disease. The Devati Balishtamaru could represent the tribal understanding of a bad strain of influenza. The Narrah is perhaps the Malto word for idiopathic oedema. Without the germ theory of disease or an advanced understanding of anatomy, I suppose it makes as much sense to blame a swollen foot on a shapeshifting bandicoot as on anything else.

While the Devati Balishtamaru and the Narrah appear to be personifications of physical ailments, other folkloric demons can be seen as personifications of mental illness. This zone, where psychology intersects with superstition and even exorcism, is the setting of some of my favourite horror movies; but up close in real life, it can be very disturbing. Exorcisms are still fairly common in India. There are whole temples dedicated to evicting malignant spirits, such as the Mehandipur Balaji Mandir in Rajasthan, or the Malajpur Bala Mandir in Madhya Pradesh. Visiting these places, or even watching videos of what goes on there, can be a harrowing experience.

In recent years, the Indian government’s approach to promulgating ancient religion has tended to legitimise a lot of superstition and pseudoscience. There have been incidents of exorcists being invited to perform rituals in government hospitals, and in 2017 in the state of Gujarat, dozens of famous exorcists were lauded on stage by party politicians. Benaras Hindu University, an institution which once produced a Nobel laureate and an Indian president, has in recent years offered a “Bhoot Vidya” or “Ghost Science” course, in which exorcism is studied as an academic discipline.

Perhaps unusually for someone who has written a big book on the subject of ghosts and demons, I am a rationalist and a sceptic at heart. I don’t expect my consciousness to survive in any meaningful way after death, and I don’t expect to ever get face-to-face with a jinn. At the same time, I don’t reject spirituality. I have a healthy awe for the magnificence and infinite complexity of the universe, staying aware of how little we humans actually know.

A recent scientific theory states that microbes may have a large effect on human behaviour. There is, for example, the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, a single-celled protozoan that reproduces only in cats, but which often finds its way into the human bloodstream, and may infect as much as 50% of the world’s population. It is thought to affect human behaviour by increasing the propensity for risk-taking and the likelihood of incidents such as traffic accidents.

While putting together my book I started to wonder if T. gondii is just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe someday we will learn that there is a microbial aspect to demonic possession. Perhaps many “supernatural entities” have a parasitic component. Only time and more research will tell.

You can find out more about Indian folklore in my new book, Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India.

GHOSTS, MONSTERS, AND DEMONS OF INDIA


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Indian Folklore: The Path of The Dead (Uncategorized) https://watkinspublishing.com/indian-folklore-the-path-of-the-dead/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 15:58:46 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=33616

By Rakesh Khanna

The seven states of India's Northeast — Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh — are a folklorist's wonderland. The wild geography of riverine plains, hilly rainforests, and snowy mountains makes for startling diversity, both in the richness of biological species and in human culture and imagination.

The roughly 50 million people who live here speak over 200 different languages. The folklore of each community has a distinct character and a unique pantheon of spirits. But there are also certain commonalities I discovered while researching my book Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India. This is especially true amongst the tribes that speak Tibeto-Burman languages, and their tales surrounding the journeys of the souls of the dead.

The story is as follows.

After death, the soul must travel on a journey to the Village of the Dead, on a real path found within our world. For the Garo tribe, it leads to Balpakram, now a national park. For the Ao Nagas, it leads to a stream called Longri-tzü-lenden (the Place of Bitter Water), and onwards to the village of Longkhüm. For Mizos, the path goes through the lake Rih Dil and on to a hill called Hringlang Tlang, where the soul must drink from a spring to forget their past and pluck a forgetting-flower, which tucked behind the ears makes them lose all desire to return to their loved ones.

In each case, there is a malevolent figure that the soul meets along the way: a dangerous ogre who will catch and devour the soul if he can. In the Garo tradition, his name is Nawang, and he lives in a cave at the side of the path. He accosts the travelling soul and demands to know what they have accomplished in their life and what valuables they carry. If the last rites have been done properly, the soul should be carrying some brass rings or coins, and at this point, they should scatter them on the ground. Nawang, who is mad for shiny objects, immediately forgets about the soul, and runs about trying to collect the trinkets. Meanwhile, the soul can make their escape.

In Sümi Naga folklore, there is a similar ogre named Kolavo. Kolavo’s approach is different. He approaches the soul and says, “My hair is full of lice.” The soul is then expected to pick the insects out of Kolavo’s hair. In a traditional Sümi Naga funeral, women are buried along with a round, pink swordbean seed and a small, flat piece of bamboo to carry with them on their journey. When Kolavo presents his filthy head to her, the soul uses this bamboo to make tiny clicking sounds, pretending to kill the lice. She must then throw the swordbean seed, and as Kolavo runs to fetch it, make her escape. Men are similarly buried with spinning tops, which they use instead of the swordbean seeds to distract Kolavo.

In Mizo myth, the ogre is named Pu Pâwla. He is giant in stature, and has a more official role as the guardian of the gate of Zingvanzawl, through which all souls must pass to reach either Mitthi Khua (the Village of the Dead) or Pialral, a heroes’ heaven. Pâwla carries a huge pellet gun or slingshot, with clay pellets the size of hen’s eggs. He interrogates the deceased about their achievements in life. If he is unimpressed — for instance, if they were poor hunters with few kills to their name, or if they died as adult virgins — he shoots them with a pellet. Pâwla never misses. The wounds from his pellets swell up into large painful cysts which take three years to subside. Pu Pâwla is said to be very hairy, and like Kolavo, his matted fur is infested with lice, which are said to be so engorged that they reach the size of aubergines. Pu Pâwla forces the dead souls to pick and eat them.

There are endless riches of folklore in the cultures of the seven sister states of Northeast India. But I am especially fascinated by this fearsome character who lurks on the road to the afterlife, his many names, and the variations on the stories surrounding him. 

You can find out more about this ogre, and other folkloric traditions from across India, in my new book Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India.

Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of india is available now.


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World Folklore Day Sale! (Sales and Offers) https://watkinspublishing.com/world-folklore-day-sale/ Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:09:17 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=32511

To celebrate World Folklore Day (22nd August) we are offering 50% off five folklore titles so that you too can become a folkloric fiend and celebrate this day in style!

Simply enter FOLKLORE50 at checkout, offer valid until 9am GMT on Wednesday 23rd August.


Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India by Rakesh Khanna & J. Furcifer Bhairav

An illustrated guide to the folktales and real-life stories of the ghosts, monsters and demons of India, a culture famously rich in tradition and legends.


Folklore Oracle by Mike Bass

Tap into folklore and nature with this new oracle deck. These 60 beautifully illustrated cards feature famous characters, plants and animals from across UK and US folklore, from White Bison and Sasquatch (Big Foot) to Herne the Hunter, Sheela-na-gig and the Green Man.

The Watkins Book of English Folktales by Neil Philip, foreword by Neil Gaiman

A comprehensive, entertaining and authentic collection of English folktales, featuring a foreword by Neil Gaiman. Read these classic tales as they would have been told when storytelling was a living art — when the audience believed in boggarts and hobgoblins, local witches, cunning foxes and royal frogs.

England on Fire by Stephen Ellcock & Mat Osman

Bestselling author and online curator Stephen Ellcock selects pivotal images to chart the fiery and chaotic spirit of England as it has developed over several thousand years. With texts by novelist and musician Mat Osman that reclaim Albion as an unhinged and rebellious magical kingdom that is open to all.

Myths of the World edited by Tony Allan, foreword by Martin Shaw

This beautifully illustrated book offers the most readable collection of myths on the market, perfect for readers diving into the current popularity of folklore and mythology. Handpicked from various cultures and eras, this gorgeous gift edition takes you on a journey across the globe with over 240 enthralling myths.

The post World Folklore Day Sale! appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

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Judy Piatkus at The Business Book Awards (Book) (Memoir) https://watkinspublishing.com/judy-piatkus-at-the-business-book-awards/ Thu, 18 May 2023 12:06:08 +0000 https://watkinspublishing.com/?p=31727

Judy Piatkus, author of Ahead of Her Time: How a One-Woman Startup Became a Global Publishing Brand (Watkins, 2021), was a keynote speaker at this year's Business Book Awards. Judy is herself a previous winner at the awards, with Ahead of Her Time taking home the 2022 award for Best Business Journey.

Her speech focused on the new opportunities open to us all as the world experiences massive and systemic changes that have been brewing over the past few years. She also discussed her personal business journey, something that can be read about in her memoir Ahead of Her Time.

Ahead of Her Time is an inspiring memoir, detailing how Judy Piatkus became a successful entrepreneur in the world of publishing. Judy Piatkus did not come from a monied background and began her career as a secretary after failing to achieve a university place. By the time she founded Piatkus Books from her spare bedroom, she was married with a disabled small daughter and pregnant with her second child. Gradually she learned how to be both a publisher and a managing director and to combine that with her family life as the single mother of three. A lot of mistakes were made but she also got a lot of things right. The company prospered, thanks to the risks Judy took in tackling new subjects in the marketplace and also her approach to running the company, which focused on transparency, honesty and trust. Her business strategy was rewarded by the loyalty of the staff, many of whom worked alongside Judy for upwards of twenty years.

Throughout the book Judy describes her learning experience as an entrepreneur, what it really means to run a company, the many triumphs and the pitfalls, what worked and what didn’t, how the company learned to reinvent itself through lean times and how it felt to finally strike gold. There are many pearls of wisdom to be found here, whether you're looking for business advice relating to the world of publishing or something further afield, or if you simply want to hear the inspiring success story of a woman determined to follow her own path and someone truly ahead of her time.

Discover more about Judy and her journey at www.judypiatkus.com.

Grab a copy of Ahead of Her Time.

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