The Hypno-BandTM – A Weight Loss Hypnosis Solution

The hypno-band^TM is a form of gastric band hypnosis created and developed by John Maclean of New Wave Hypnotherapy which is found in Mallorca, Spain and Exeter, United Kingdom.  This is the third in my posts about hypnosis surgery.

After seeing many clients with a high body mass index (BMI) John Maclean came to realize that while weight loss hypnotherapy was beneficial for these clients, it was not enough.

While gastric band hypnosis was something he was aware of he felt what it required to be effective was a system that was highly integrated. It needed to analyze and cope with the emotional and psychological reasons that overeating took place.  It is the knowledge of this that prompted many months of research and development that led to the creation of the hypno-band. Today it is used by over 200 licensed practitioners in 11 countries around the world.

What is the Hypno-Band?

The hypno-band^TM is a system that combines techniques used in hypnotherapy with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Together these methods make it possible for a patient of the therapy to explore and analyze their eating habits. Once that is done then they’re able to modify their eating habits to improve their weight, and from there the quality of their life. The mind/body connection is then used to “install” a virtual gastric band into the stomach of the patient.  The individual will then consume less food and eat less often than before.

There is no surgery that takes place in this case. The hypno-band^TM system is non-invasive in nature. It involves no drugs and is not painful or uncomfortable in the least.  On the contrary it is very relaxing and peaceful. It is also safe and cost effective for the majority of patients.

How Does the Hypno-Band System Work?

The hypno-band^TM system is made up of a series of one hour sessions. It comes with MP3 or CD recordings that can be used for the reinforcement you require. When you have your first session a complete medical history will be taken. This will also include a discussion of your diet and lifestyle habits. An initial assessment will also be taken at this time. At this time you will also be introduced to hypnosis and you will experience all of the positive and relaxing feelings that accompany the hypnosis experience. This is also when your journey to drop pounds begins.

During your second session the virtual gastric band will be fitted around the stomach and the hypnotherapy will take place. In the sessions to follow it will be adjusted accordingly. In sessions beyond that everything that has been learned to date will be reinforced and the patient will begin to be taught a different approach to looking at food and eating food. Once the hypno-band sessions have concluded the patient should use the CD or MP3 recordings to continue to reinforce everything that has been learned.

Like all hypnosis the success of the hypno-band depends upon you. You must be completely committed to it in order it to work for you. Find out more information at http://www.hypnoband.com

Samantha

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Adaptogenic Herbs – What are They All About?

Adaptogenic may or may not be a word you are familiar with. It is used when it comes to healing herbs. Adaptogenic herbs (or adaptogens as they are sometimes referred to) improve the body’s ability to resist a number of different stressors that it comes in contact with. These stressors can be physical or emotional in nature. They can also be biological or environmental.

The Russian scientist, Dr. Nikolai Lazarev coined the term “adaptogenic” in the year 1947, although the knowledge of such dates backs thousands of years and can be traced to China and ancient India. Dr. Lazarev described an adaptogenic herb in this way. He defined it as “An agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, thus allowing the organism to ‘adapt’ to the stressful circumstances.”

An adaptogenic herb is a natural herb that can adapt to whatever circumstances it encounters. That makes it very useful for the human body and its many systems.

Adaptogens are particularly beneficial at coping with anxiety and extreme fatigue. Be aware that adaptogens are rich in antioxidants but antioxidants are not adaptogenic herbs per se. In other words the main function of an adaptogen is not to work as an antioxidant. Adaptogens are sometimes called rejuvenating herbs, restoratives or other lesser known terms such as qi tonics and rasayanas.

Adaptogens are in a class that is all uniquely their own. There is a good reason for this. They are unlike any other kind of substance known to humans. They are different because they can perform many functions all at once. They are able to strengthen the immune system as well as balance it with the endocrine hormones. They also help to keep the homeostasis of the body at the optimal level it is supposed to be at.

Adaptogenic herbs are not as commonly known to the general public because their main use is in either Ayurveda medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

They are generally broken down into three categories. There are Ayurveda herbs, Chinese herbs and Western herbs. The number one adaptogenic herb that all others are measured against is red ginseng which comes from Asia. This type of ginseng is referred to as Chinese ginseng, Japanese ginseng or Korean ginseng. Siberian ginseng and white American ginseng would fit here as well.

There are a variety of foods that are thought of as adaptogenic whole food supplements or adaptogenic functional foods. These help to encourage the level of adaptability to be strong in the body. Examples of these food supplements include aloe vera, maitake mushrooms and noni. These foods are special because they contain a variety of nutrients which the body recognizes as beneficial substances. The body is then well equipped to absorb the adaptogen and by so doing to provide a steady stream of nutrients. This gives rise to a well-functioning and strong immune system as well as a system that is well balanced.

A healthy immune system can make for a healthier and happier person all 12 months of the year!

Samantha

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Shedding Pounds with the Virtual Gastric Band

Last week I looked at the pioneering work of the Shirran’s and their Gastric Mind Band^TM program. Today I’ll cover the work of Sheila Granger and her Virtual Gastric Band Program.

Just as  a recap for you, these therapies make use of hypnosis and powerful imagery, along with behavioral modifications, to convince your unconscious mind you’ve had Gastric Band surgery with the intent of losing weight by taking in lesser amounts of food at each meal.

A U.K. clinical hypnotherapist named Sheila Granger has developed her own Virtual Gastric Band technique. Granger has quoted a 95 percent rate of success with those who have already attempted her weight loss hypnosis procedure.

While little details are generally available about the actual technique, it uses the power of clinical hypnosis to convince the human mind that a gastric band has been fitted into the stomach. This leads to is a feeling of fullness that will happen much faster than in the past while you’re consuming food. This is exactly what happens when gastric band surgery is done for real.

Advantages to the virtual gastric band hypnosis are that it’s less expensive than the real surgery, and because it doesn’t involve an invasive surgical procedure, there are no risks  connected to having a general anesthetic as none is administered. As described earlier the “surgery” is performed only in the subconscious where your desire to eat (and over consume) lives. This technique, as previously mentioned, is non-surgical in nature and uses the power inherent in hypnosis to train both the mind as well as the body to take in a lesser amount of food at each sitting. It works by conveying a message to the brain that the stomach is satiated and does not require any more food.

If “adjustments” need to be made to the virtual gastric band then they can be done relatively easily. Best of all, there is no pain and no recovery time required. There is also no ongoing medical treatment required and the therapy can be done privately, comfortably and best of all – rapidly!

According to Granger, the majority of her clients have benefited from the virtual gastric band treatment. She pioneered this therapy in the United Kingdom as a component of her weight loss hypnotherapy program. Granger is scheduled to visit NYC in mid-October to discuss her techniques with other hypnotherapists keen to understand her techniques and the reasons for her claimed success rates.

Samantha

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Gastric Band Hypnosis – A Different Approach to Weight Loss

You can never doubt the benefit of open communication. It was a client who asked if it was possible to be hypnotized to believe she had had a gastric band fitted to lose weight that inspired the development of a program of weight management for life – the Gastric Mind Band^TM

The gastric mind band (GmB) therapy is the mental version of gastric band surgery done through hypnosis. The development of this hypnotic version of the gastric band was developed by Martin and Marion Shirran at their Elite Clinic in Spain. Since then other methods have become available such as Hypno-Band^TM and the more recent Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis method.

There are many readers of this blog seeking information about alternatives to weight loss and today I’ll focus on the Shirran’s program and look into other techniques in further posts.

Are you overweight or obese? Have you tried every diet plan and program around only to be disappointed with the results? Have you ever considered trying gastric band surgery? This type of surgery is not right for everyone. However gastric band hypnosis does not involve any surgery. Instead what takes place is a unique therapy that combines cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), deep, hypnotherapy, guided imagery and NLP.

Consider this scenario for a moment. A person who suffers from obesity is contemplating having gastric bypass surgery but has some reservations about the weight loss operation. Instead of heading to the hospital the person visits the Elite Clinic. After sitting down and getting comfortable with the therapist they are then taken through a virtual reality kind of experience which combines the techniques described in the paragraph above.

This virtual reality experience involves the patient being fitted with a gastric band. The individual wakes up and believes they underwent the gastric bypass surgery. They can even recall elements of being in the operating room before they received the general anesthesia. They remember the sights, the sounds and the smells.

Now, sitting in the chair they look down at their stomach and touch it gingerly. They look at the therapist sitting across from them incredulously. Did this really happen or were they dreaming? Or were they hypnotized to believe it happened?

Oh it happened all right in their mind … just not on an operating table in a hospital.

The initial results from gastric band hypnosis, although mostly anecdotal, are promising. It has been touted as a long-term means of losing weight and maintaining the loss.

Both Martin and Marion Shirran possess diplomas in Clinical Hypnosis and are certified and registered with the American Board and British Institute of Hypnotherapy. Marion is a member of the UK IBS Register.

In 2005 Martin received additional training and from it gained a primary certification in R.E.B.T. (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) at the School of Psychology at Birmingham University. He is also a member of the United Kingdom Society for the Behavioural Medicine and the International Hypnosis Research Institute.

The Shirrans were recently profiled in an ABC News video and intend to be offering their services in NYC.

Samantha

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