Beating the monthly blues
Tuesday 27th October 2009 3:48pm
Are you one of the many women who have a great deal of difficulty coping with your monthly menstrual cycles?
There’s no doubt that hormonal changes can cause havoc with your physical and mental wellbeing but you may not be aware that nutrients and herbs can help reduce the severity of these effects.
- Keep your blood glucose level stable to reduce fatigue, headaches, mood swings and cravings
- Boost your calcium and magnesium intake to relax your nerves and muscles
- Get a bit more sun for vitamin D to maintain your calcium levels
- Boost vitamin B6 intake to relieve fluid retention, mood swings, nervous tension and irritability
- Boost omega 3 fats to relieve hormonal imbalances
This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.
Why use aluminium free deodorants?
Friday 25th September 2009 11:30am
Aluminium chloryhdrate is a common ingredient in most deodorants. Although aluminium itself is widely distributed in the natural environment, it is the synthetically extracted soluble forms that can be toxic to our bodies.
Aluminium in these readily absorbable forms finds it's way into our bodies through cosmetics, deodorants, antacid medications, baking ingredients, cookware and fluoridated tap water. It can enter our bodies through the digestive tract, lungs and skin. Deodorants are frequently applied directly to the skin and are breathed into the lungs hence providing two paths of absorption for aluminium in the body.
Gastrointestinal disturbances, poor calcium metabolism, nervousness, headaches, memory loss, softening of the bones and altered kidney / liver function are some of the outcomes which may result from an overload of aluminium in the body.
Avoiding cosmetics and personal hygiene products that contain these compounds is one simple way of limiting the amount of aluminium
…Propolis and Manuka Honey
Friday 25th September 2009 10:30am
The use of propolis for medicinal use dates back to ancient times. Combined with manuka honey it becomes a powerful therapeutic food.
Propolis is the yellow - brown sticky resinous substance that is found in beehives. Bees collect it from plants such as birch or elm and together with bees wax use it to protect and repair their hives. The bees alter the resin composition to use it as a sealing agent and to keep the growth of microbes in their hive under control. The beehive is said to be one of the most sterile environments in nature.
The use of propolis for medicinal uses dates back to ancient times.
- Hippocrates in 400 B.C used propolis as a natural antibiotic.
- In Egypt priests used propolis to mummify pharoahs.
- The Ancient Greeks and Roman soldiers used propolis to disinfect their battle wounds.
- Later in the 20th Century the Russians gargled it with olive oil as a remedy for sore throats or tooth aches.
- In South Africa in the Boer was propolis was the only available treatment
What are antioxidants and why should I take them?
Friday 25th September 2009 10:30am
Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good source of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are a group of vitamins, minerals and enzymes used to protect the body from the formation of free radicals.
Free radicals are atoms that cause damage to cells, impairing the immune system, which can lead to infections.
Free radicals are formed from exposure to pollution, cigaretts smoke, preservatives, excessive sun exposure, and even over processed foods.
General benefits include:
- Protect cells against stress
- Fights free radicals
- Energy production
- Helps lower cholestrol
- Helps slow aging process
- Reduces inflamation
- Enhances immune system
Uses include:
- Busy lifestyles
- After effect of alcohol
- Colds and flu's
- Extra energy
- Strengthen vascular tissue - veins, arteries, capillaries
- Exercise recovery
- Lethargy
Herb Valley Antioxidants:
- Co Enzyme Q10
- Vitamin C 1000
- Vitamin E
- Sodium Ascorbate Powder
This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified h
…Vitamin C - The Forgotten Factor in Arthritis
Friday 25th September 2009 10:30am
It is interesting that with all the talk about glucosamine and omega 3 fish oil for arthritis (and rightly so) that vitamin C is over shadowed.
Why so?
Vitamin C was perhaps the first scientifically recognized antioxidant. It is a necessary component of all collagen formation and has anti inflammatory properties.
This is why it should be fundamentally prescribed and advised to all people seeking help with their arthritis; however it is almost always overlooked.
The known benefits of glucosamine and fish oil can be greatly enhanced with added vitamin C.
Further to this, suboptimal levels of Vitamin C tend to manifest as we age and what age group is it that generally suffer from arthritis?
This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.
Too many celebrations?
Friday 25th September 2009 10:30am
Are you recovering from an extended number of parties, celebrations and late nights?
Has a recent holiday period left your exhausted?
With the right changes to you lifestyle and diet you can feel refreshed in no time!
Here are some tips and advice to feeling and looking great.
Ensure that you are drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day.
Adequate water will ensure all you cells are hydrated and will help to flush toxins out of the body. With adequate water you will feel more alert and less drained and tired. Sipping water throughout the day rather than whole glasses at once will help your body adjust to an increased fluid intake.
Remember - tea and coffee don't count!
Ease back into your exercise program, or start off slowly on your new program.
To help muscles and joints become accustomed to more exercise you need to restart your program gently, particularly if you want to avoid aches, pains and injuries.
Magnesium is a mineral that is very useful in replenishing
…The Many Benefits of Fish Oil
Friday 25th September 2009 10:30am
Fish Oil is a rich source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
What are the benefits of Fish Oil?
Fish Oil has many benefits. Research indicates that it is beneficial in some cases of depression, may improve rheumatoid arthritis, may boost immune function and may reduce the risk of heart attack. This is attributed to the Omega 3 essential fatty acid content contained in the Fish Oil.
What are Omega 3’s?
Omega 3’s come from both plant based sources such as canola and Soya beans but also marine based sources. Fish Oils are the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids. These are essential fats necessary for the proper functioning of the body.1
How much Omega 3 do I need?
Including 2-3 meals of fish per week will provide sufficient amounts of Omega 3. Alternatively, 1 capsule three times a day will provide 3000 mg of Fish Oil daily.
How does fish oil benefit people with heart problems?
The Australian diet contains very little Omega 3. Unlike Australians, the Greenland E
…Season sneezes
Friday 25th September 2009 10:30am
At this time of the year the Herb Valley garden is full of flowering herbs and looks a treat and with all these flowers comes pollen and for some, hay fever.
Our naturopath shares with you some of his experience.
My friend has hay fever and out the back of the garden I can see Horseradish and know it’s a great decongestant. I see Garlic and Fenugreek that help the lungs and St John’s Wort that has anti viral properties. Putting them together I add some Peppermint oil with its vaporizing effects on the sinuses and Vitamin C as an anti inflammatory. Making this into a tablet I visit my friend (who invites me in for tea) and give her the tablets.
During our cup of tea and whole meal scones my friend was telling me about her cousin who is allergic to anything and everything and spring just sends them over the edge. For me this immediately raised the question of an immune system in chaos. I told my friend it would be beneficial for this person to look at the cause
…Hayfever - the season to be allergic
Friday 2nd January 1970 7:30am
“Tis the season to be ...allergic!!” Unfortunately the season is upon us that many of us who suffer from allergies and hayfever tend to loathe - spring!
Sometimes referred to as allergic rhinitis, Hayfever is caused when the bodies defence system over-reacts to pollen released into the atmosphere by plants. The pollen causes a release of histamine from the cells into the skin and it is the histamine that affects the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and airway passages.
Symptoms include:
- Itchy eyes
- Watery discharge from the nose and eyes
- Sneezing
- Nervous irritability
Symptoms of Hayfever often mimic those of the common cold and flu, though a distinguishing factor are that allergies cause a clear, thin nasal discharge as opposed to the thick yellow/green discharge caused by the flu as the illness progresses.
Sufferers of Hayfever may also experience fatigue, irritability, as well as moodiness and sleep disturbance in addition to the common symptoms.
During this seas
…Improving male performance
Friday 2nd January 1970 6:30am
Not every man can perform at 100% all of the time or can they?
Medically diagnosed Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia occurs in at least 50% of men aged over 50.
Symptoms may include pain between the scrotum and rectum, fever, frequent burning during urination, feeling of fullness in the bladder, lower back pain and impotence. These symptoms are uncomfortable and irritating. There is however a herb that can offer relief from mild to moderate symptoms..... SAW PALMETTO
The berries of Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) are from a small palm native to the USA and West Indies. The berries contain fatty acids, sitosterol and phytosterols.
The general benefits of Saw Palmetto include-
- May provide symptomatic relief of mild to moderate enlarged prostate
- May retard male pattern baldness
- May alleviate frequent and painful urination
- May enhance sexual function
To enhance the action of Saw Palmetto there are a number of other foods or supplements that you should consider.
- ZINC - May aid male sexua
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