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Discovering Emotional Security With UMBRA

Written by Jenna Jones on . Posted in Latest, Lifestyle, Partner Blogs, Wellbeing.

Your Guide to a Resilient Secure Lifestyle

Here at UMBRA, we are thrilled to share our knowledge on something very close to our hearts: Emotional Security. At UMBRA, we’re all about equipping you with the tools for a Secure Lifestyle, and this emerging pillar is vital in today’s ever-changing world.

Why Emotional Security?

Emotional Security is the 4th pillar of UMBRA’s 4 Pillar approach to security (physical, digital and reputational being the others). It is all about feeling safe, confident, and free from anxiety. In our fast-paced world, where challenges abound, maintaining this balance is crucial. Having navigated my own path through optimising my physical, mental, and cognitive health, I’ve seen first-hand how these areas intertwine. At UMBRA, we believe a holistic approach to security includes emotional wellbeing at the core. 

The Importance of Resilience

According to the World Health Organization, one in four people faces mental health challenges at any time. This highlights the importance of resilience, especially in the face of the risks we all face in the modern world. We’ve noticed that individuals with lower emotional resilience often experience more security issues, especially among younger clients. That’s why we prioritise building this resilience, making it the frontline of holistic security.

Our Toolkit for Emotional Resilience

At UMBRA, we’re committed to helping you foster emotional resilience. Here’s a glimpse of our toolkit, featuring some of the best emotional support and wellness practices from around the globe. We are a proudly best of British business, but the team can tailor this to wherever you are in the world and wherever you regularly travel to and from:

Therapies & Wellness

  1. HBOT (Oxygen Chambers): Available at the Hum2n and Grey Wolfe clinics in London, these sessions support healing and wellness.
  2. Infrared Saunas: Check out London Cryo for a rejuvenating experience that promotes relaxation and detoxification.
  3. Cryotherapy: Embrace cold therapy with ice baths or cold showers. LUMI’s at-home pod makes this accessible every day
  4. Breathwork: Explore the Wim Hof method for breath control and cold exposure, boosting both mind and body.
  5. IV Vitamin Infusions: we love a health boost with infusions packed with nutrients like NAD and B12 to enhance your vitality.
  6. Morning Routine: Enjoy sunlight and movement each morning to reset your circadian rhythms and energize your day. How you start the day defines how you sleep.

Nutrition

  1. Holistic Health Consultations: we love Gut Philosophy who offer comprehensive consultations, including blood panels to tailor your nutrition plan.
  2. Supplements: From Moju Ginger shots to Bulletproof coffee, maintain high ketone levels for optimal brain function. I add MCT oil to mine every morning for a brain boost.
  3. Functional Foods: Incorporate adaptogenic coffees like London Nootropics and vibrant greens from Vitalgreens into your diet.
  4. Collagen and Hydration: Enhance your health with Marine or Bovine Collagen, along with Ancient & Brave’s True Hydration.

Reading & Learning

  1. Books: Dive into titles like “Super Human” by Dave Asprey or “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker for insights into biohacking and wellness.
  2. Podcasts: Explore data-driven podcasts like Huberman Lab for a deeper understanding of health and performance.

Wearables & Tools

  1. Health Monitors: Track your well-being with OURA Rings or Whoop bands.
  2. Blue Light Blocking Glasses: Protect your eyes with options like Red Light Rising.
  3. Glucose Monitoring: From Zoe to Supersapiens – try looking at any foods that spike your sugar with real-time insights into how your diet affects your mood and energy.
  4. Home Saunas: Experience the benefits of an infrared sauna at home with brands like MiHi.

Brain & Mental Performance

  1. Therapy Options: We recommend starting with CBT or exploring innovative approaches like Brain Spotting.
  2. Cognitive Enhancement: London Holistics and SOFOS offer cutting-edge holistic guidance & cognitive performance optimization.

Fitness & Community Engagement

  1. Fitness Focused: Whether in London or beyond, we connect you with top trainers and gyms. Movement is key at every stage of life.
  2. Community Involvement: Giving back through volunteering or joining community interest and growth mindset groups like Toastmasters can enhance your well-being and slow cognitive aging.

Building Trust & Understanding

Our approach is rooted in trust. We work closely with clients to explain how emotional security impacts all areas of life—physical, digital, and reputational. By building emotional resilience, we help you navigate risks more effectively.

Join Us on This Journey

At UMBRA, we’re not just about security but about thriving. Our Emotional Security pillar is here to support your journey. Whether through personalised therapy programs or community connections, we’re dedicated to your resilience and overall well-being.

If you’re ready to explore Emotional Security and enhance your lifestyle, reach out to us. Our Head of Emotional Security is eager to connect and guide you.

From all of us at UMBRA, we wish you strength and resilience on your path to emotional security. Let’s thrive together!

January Diet Pressures and How to Beat Them With Gemma McGuigan Nutrition

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Food, Latest, Lifestyle, Partner Blogs, Wellbeing.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

The start of a New Year is a time for reflection, and for many, resolutions. Weight loss and fitness are ubiquitous terms when it comes to resolutions, and while maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen is important, sometimes such lifestyle changes can feel more like punishments than life improvements that actually serve your overall wellbeing. So this week, I sat down with Gemma McGuigan, a fully certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist, and the founder of Gemma McGuigan Nutrition. I asked her about coping with the weight loss and dieting pressures that intensify over the New Year period, in the hope that you might find her words of wisdom useful, too…

Social media feeds often abound with weight loss programmes/fasts/juice cleanses in January – how can you manage this overload of information when it feels more damaging than helpful?

I think the most important thing is to spend a little time contemplating what your needs are for this fresh New Year. Try to limit the time spent reading social media posts about different fads. There is so much conflicting advice out there, so it can be super confusing and unachievable. We know ourselves the best. We know the things that don’t help us thrive and we know the things that do. So keep it simple and manageable. You can ask yourself, what should I do less of and what should I do more of? This way you are in control of helping yourself be the best you.

How do you recommend one deals with the pressure of setting fitness and weight loss goals in the New Year?

I think attention and energy should be taken away from weight and fitness goals. When we start to move more, eat better and think bigger, weight loss and good health come as a side effect. Work on your relaxation, work on what goes into your shopping basket, work on getting out into nature and connecting with the world at large, work on building strength, work on finding more joy and most importantly work on being kind to yourself. 

Are there any warning signs to look out for, either in yourself or in friends and family, that they might be entering dangerous territory when it comes to dieting or exercise?

I do believe that when we are too rigid with diets or thoughts we are creating a limiting energy. I am all for abundance instead of denial. When patients, friends or family become too obsessed, too restrictive or too sore on themselves it’s not good for their health. It keeps their nervous system in a state of alarm which prevents optimal biological function. We need to change our belief systems around food ultimately, we need to see our food as important information for every cell in our body – it can be our medicine. 

How do you formulate genuinely healthy and achievable fitness or weight loss goals? Perhaps the focus should be on heart health, stamina or strength as opposed to any aesthetic objectives…

I always start with the belief systems around food, many many people have very dysfunctional patterns of behaviour around food and exercise. It can become punishing. I try to encourage my patients to look at food and movement through a different lens, a lens that focuses on their vitality for life and health longevity. I am always looking for behavioural transformation. We have everything within us to thrive  

And how do you stick to your objectives through these new lenses?

We need to be empowered. We need to be mentored into looking after ourselves so we can be the best we can be. It’s a state of being as opposed to some exhausting behaviour or goal. Once we work on removing the addictions to sugar, rancid fats, alcohol, cigarettes, exercise, and so on, we then work on what feels good for each person. It’s a personal thing, not one eating pattern or fitness regime works for everyone. So, sometimes we need professional support with this. I find that when patients start to feel good, they never look back. 

Do you see a spike in enquiries around the dawn of the New Year?

Yes always, there is an energy of change and potential and the New Year is a great time to reach out.  

Any final thoughts on January as a time of reflection and planning for the New Year and how to do this in a mindful, health-oriented way?

I find that ‘Dry January’ plays into the punishing mindset as opposed to the thriving mindset. Our relationships with alcohol are often not changed by ‘Dry January’, in fact, it can often make people bounce back and drink more. Instead, January is a perfect time to address the patterns of behaviour around alcohol and food. It’s a time to be honest with yourself, asking the question, what is not serving me? Maybe January is best spent creating more moderation around alcohol, for example, having five alcohol-free nights of the week or enjoying one or two glasses of wine instead of a whole bottle. 

The same is also with behaviours around food. For example, identify when we eat sugar. If it’s at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, this may indicate that your lunch didn’t balance your blood sugar, so maybe you need to have a better lunch full of protein, fats and veg.  If you’re having sugar because you are bored, it’s time to recognise these little responses. Once we have an awareness, we can create our intentions and this is very powerful. January is a great time to have a good look at your shopping trolly. How much of it is packaged and has more than five ingredients, pointing towards heavier processing? How much time do you give to nourishing yourself in the kitchen? Do you always rush to eat? Health truly begins at home and as a society, we have forgotten this. However, we have everything within us to bring health back into our homes and January is a great time to start with mindful intentions.