Background

Monday 31 March 2014

Antioxidants in the Goji Berry


 
Goji Berries @ www.allergiesandcfs.com
Goji Berries are an excellent super food

Goji Berries, Wolfberries


Goji berries are also known as wolfberries. They have grown in China, especially up around the Tibetan/Himalayan areas for
centuries. They are one of the most nutrient rich foods on our planet. The are extremely high in vitamin C and are an antioxidant rich super food.

Phyto nutrients – phyto meaning plant and we all know that nutrients are food. Goji contains B-carotene, vitamin C (300 times more than oranges), phenolics, polysaccharides and amino acids.

Goji berries are a neutral and balanced food, tonifying the blood, kidney yin, liver yin and lung yin they are alkalyzing. They contain 18 amino acids, have 10% fibre, are low on the glycaemic index.

Minerals are in abundance in these little red berries. They contain eleven of the major minerals and many trace minerals

  

Prunes

Prunes are dried European plums. They are high in phytonutrients like vitamin K, fibre and the mineral potassium. They have soluble fibre which helps normalize the blood sugar, increasing insulin sensitivity which is a good thing. Prunes help prevent constipation and lower cholesterol. If you have untreated kidney or gallbladder problems then give prunes a miss.
 

Grapes 

Purple  grapes are the best for us as they have more goodness in that dark purple colour. Grapes are also full of phytonutrients and antioxidants. They help prevent heart disease and help maintain healthy blood pressure and even help lower high blood pressure. Grapes contain Resveratrol. This is well known to be of great benefit to the human body. Resveratrol is linked to lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Resveratrol also helps improve the skin. Grapes contain antimicrobial agents which help prevent bacteria based health problems. Dark red grape juice is a delicious addition to our diet.
When grapes are dried they are called raisins. These are what are used for cooking.

Thursday 27 March 2014

Antioxidants in Rhubarb


 
rhubard
We eat the rich ruby red stalks of Rhubarb

Rhubarb

There are some fruit and vegetables that are extra good for us. I am going to share with you what some information about the ones that I eat regularly. They have some of the highest levels of antioxidant.

These are rhubarb, prunes, goji berries, and dark grape juice. I will share with you how I make a lovely fruit compote to have with my breakfast each day. Then I will share with you how I make quinoa porridge with fruit compote and the benefits of all these. 


 Rhubarb has the least calories of all the vegetables. Vegetable you say? Well, rhubarb is not a fruit. It does not have any berries that we eat. We eat the stalk of the plant. If you grow rhubarb remember NOT to eat the leaves as they are poisonous. Only eat the stems.


If you are buying the stalks in the supermarket, choose the ones that have the most red on them. They are better for you having more antioxidants in them than the green stalks. Also when buying a plant to grow – it is very easy to grow – choose a variety that has the most ruby red stalks.

Back to the calories in rhubarb – it has only 21 calories in 100gr of fresh ruby red stem and contains loads of valuable fibre.


Vitamin B

The stalks are rich in B complex vitamins. Rhubarb contains a compound that converts to vitamin A in our body. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant which is good for the skin, mucous membranes and our vision.

Minerals

Rhubarb also contains  Vitamin K which is a recognized benefit for Alzheimer’s disease. Minerals have not been forgotten in this plant and it contains many major minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

I am going to share with you what I know about a few more fruit that are very high in antioxidants. The more antioxidants we ingest the better for our health.

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Do You Have an Open Mind?

 
If we have an open mind then anything can happen. Sometimes we think we have an open mind but we are only looking at it from our own point of view. Many years ago when I was very ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and severe allergies so that I was locked in the house, in bed, out on a farm 40 kilometres from the nearest city, my daughter said to me,
'Mum what do you think about getting some healing?'
I said 'What's that?'
'You know, when energy comes out of a person's hand and it helps you.'
'No, sounds weird,' I said.


Well, wouldn't you know it? I had to open my mind! The universe conspired to lead me a merry way until I found out just what this HEALING could do for me.

Have you opened your mind to different healing modalities?

Many of these healing modalities are discussed in my book, from crystal healing, hands on healing, flower essences, tai chi, aromatherapy, massage, and healing with colour.

What a journey. You can read about it in Allergies and Chronic Fatigue  A Natural Approach. You can get the Table of Contents and the first chapter FREE.


The Table of Contents will show you all the different things discussed in the book. The first chapter starts with the worst of my illness - I didn't think I was going to make it, and nor did my husband. It was some journey. It would have been easier if I had just listened to my daughter and said 'Yes dear.'

Tell us what has helped you. We'd love to hear. I have now opened my mind to many possibilities, but, no doubt, have still further to open.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Is There a Connection between Potatoes and Arthritis?


 
Picture

Alkaloids in Potatoes and Tomatoes

   Part 2
 Last time I wrote about alkaloids in certain members of the vegetable family that may affect people with arthritis. Catch up here.

Cooking Alters Alkaloids

Now here is the good news. If you cook these vegetables - potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant or peppers, then this destroys 40-50% of the alkaloids. So my Mum was able to get away a little bit with eating the tomatoes in her soup as they had been cooked. Raw tomatoes would have been much worse for her.

An easy way to tell if the potatoes in your cupboard are likely to have excess alkaloid in them is to check if they are green or sprouting. Always remove sprouted areas before cooking and if there are lots of sprouts on a potato then throw it away or plant it in your garden. This way you can grow your own fresh potatoes for the rest of your family in six months.

Tobacco

Tobacco, although not a nightshade, has alkaloids in it. Remember that the next time you light up a cigarette, especially if you have arthritis.

There is a substance in the Solanaceae family of plants that blocks activity in an enzyme in nerve cells. This can affect the nervous system control of muscle movement and you can get twitching, trembling and paralyzed breathing or convulsions.

Inflammation and Arthritis

The joints can become inflamed after eating potatoes and/or tomatoes or capsicum and is recommended to eliminate any member of this family group of plants from your diet if you suffer from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or other joint problems like gout.

Some nervous system problems are Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Diabetes, Depression and Anxiety.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato does not belong to the same family as potatoes so you may be able to substitute this for potatoes. If you are affected by tomatoes, then think of all the things tomatoes are in – tomato sauce, pizza sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup.

Sunday 23 March 2014

Clean Air and Insect Spray

Clean Air

Clean, clear air of good quality is important to me. 
  • I like fresh air. 
  • I like sea air.
  • I like forest air.
  • I like crisp, cool air.

I like the air in my house to be fresh and clean and free of chemicals. We live near the sea and have our windows and doors open most of the time. 

How do Chemicals get into your Home?

You may wonder how chemicals can get into the air in your home. 

Do you you use any of these products?
  • toilet freshener
  • air wick
  • room freshener, even the ones that send out a spray every 30 seconds
  • hairspray
  • underarm deodorant
  • cooking sprays
  • insect spray - surface or air
  • ant killer
  • kitchen cleaning sprays
  • oven cleaner
  • laundry detergent
  • laundry spray
  • shoe polish
  • dry cleaning
  • Glen 20
  • scented toilet paper
  • perfumed rubbish bags
  • those little blobs that stick onto the inside of the toilet
These and many more products are continually advertised to us on our televisions as products that we 'must have' to have acceptable homes. If we don't use them then we are not good housekeepers.

Insect Invasion

Recently some ants invaded my laundry. They were marching up the door jamb and around the windowsill. Usually I will get rid of them by other means like using boiling water or lemon aromatherapy oils to deter them. 

Insect Spray

However they arrived on a day when I did not have much energy and I reached for a can of insect spray. This can of spray had lasted about five years so you can't accuse me of keeping the shops in business. 

I gave a quick spray, much as I hate to kill off the little creatures. If they are outside I will leave them alone. But they should not come into my home. 

The smell of the spray was overpowering. I opened the window and closed the inside door for the rest of the day. The next morning when I went into the laundry the smell was still overpowering.

Do you mean to tell me that the chemicals in that product would not affect me? It could kill the ants and blow flies. Surely it must be having an effect on me too. 

Well, the can of spray was empty and it went into the recycling bin. Good riddance. 

It's clean air for me!

No more chemicals.

Saturday 22 March 2014

Is there a Connection between Potatoes and Arthritis?


 

Picture Potatoes and Arthritis - an Old Wives Tale?

Part 1


Have you ever heard of not eating potatoes or tomatoes if you have arthritis? Is it an old wives tale? Would you stop eating potatoes or tomatoes if they made your arthritis worse?
 Lots of serious questions to ponder.

A Personal Tale of Arthritis

My Mum had very bad arthritis. She had heard this ‘old wives tale’  and looked for a correlation between when she ate tomatoes – she grew her own in a big veggie garden in the backyard – and the pains of her arthritis.

She did find a correlation so very reluctantly decided that she would no longer be able to eat these beautiful, round, red fruit. She went through a long period of grief about this.

It's Only a Little Bit

One day when I was visiting, we had some homemade vegetable soup. Mum always had soup ready to eat. ‘What’s this?’ I said. ‘There’s tomato in this.’

 ‘Oh, only a little bit,’ she said.’ I had to do something with them. I couldn’t waste those lovely tomatoes.’

 ‘But Mum, they’re tomatoes!’ I said. ‘You know they make your pains worse.’ She shut her lips tightly and I knew the subject was closed.

The next day I innocently asked her how her legs and hands had been through the night.

‘Dreadful,’ she replied. ‘The pains in my hands made me cry.’ This was a common answer to my question.

Some days later I talked to her again about how the tomatoes made her arthritis worse. Yes, she could agree with that.
’Well,’ I said, ‘why do you put tomato in your soup?’

 ‘Oh, but you can’t see it’, she said.’ It’s only a little bit.’


The Potato Family

Potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, capsicum, bell peppers (lots of different names for the same thing, depending on where you live), eggplant, paprika and cayenne pepper all belong to the same family of plants.


Alkaloids, Arthritis and Tomatoes and Potatoes

All these plants have a natural chemical in them called an alkaloid. These can have an effect on our nerve/muscle function. Alkaloids are designed by nature to protect the plants that contain them from being eaten by insects.

Very sensitive people are affected by these alkaloids while others with arthritis may not be. Just like with allergies, some people are affected and others are not.

To see if you are affected by this family of vegetables containing alkaloids, eliminate all of them from your diet for a few weeks. Watch the symptoms of your arthritis and see if the pains subside. If they do, then, if you want to find out which specific vegetable affects you the most, introduce your favourite vegetable one at a time. Have it 2 or 3 times in a week. If there is no reaction, try it again the next week.


If there is no reaction, then on the third week you can try out another of this vegetable family. Continue this till you find one that affects you. It goes without saying that if the arthritic pains worsen considerably when you reintroduce one of these vegetables, then stop eating it and wait for the pains to ease.


Continued in the next blog
Other articles about Arthritis

Swollen Legs

Do You Suffer from Swollen or Tired Legs?
Legs can be tired, cramping or swollen

Many people have lots of problems with their legs. They may be
  • aching
  • tired
  • painful
  • swollen
  • itching

Legs can have
  • dry skin
  • varicose veins
  • swollen ankles 
  • cramping ay night  

 

Butcher's Broom

Butcher's Broom is a supplement that benefits the legs. It works by improving the circulation in the legs. The veins in the legs need to pump the blood in the legs back up to the heart. The little valves in the veins get pretty tired in some people and need some help.

Butcher's Broom helps to strengthen these veins. This means that the blood is sent back to the heart more quickly. The blood picks up oxygen from the lungs and then is able to carry more oxygen to the body.

Venous Insufficiency

This means that that there is not enough blood in the veins.


Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency

  • swelling legs
  • swelling ankles
  • itching skin
  • cramps in legs

Improving the Brain

Because of its effects on the veins and the blood, Butcher's Broom can also affect the brain bringing more oxygenated blood to it. 

Warning

If you are taking any blood thinning medication or have serious problems with your legs, always get medical support before beginning taking this supplement. 

This article is meant for information purposes only and not meant as medical information on the treatment of your health. 

Friday 21 March 2014

Keeping Children Amused

We all know that it is not a good idea for children to sit for hours in front of the television. These days there are lots of electronic gadgets that can keep children amused for hours. But is it good for them?

Scientists and doctors tell us that the more we sit, the more unhealthy we are. When we sit our heart and blood flow and breathing and heart are not stimulated. 

Give children something to do
If we go for an exercise walk the blood is pumping through our veins at a faster rate. This gets our metabolism going. It makes us breathe faster. When we breathe we get more oxygen into our body. We need oxygen for our brain to work properly. 

Children need to move. They need to be active. Give them little projects. We all feel more useful when we have something to do.

Get children used to going outside. Get them to participate in sporting activities. What you are really doing is setting up their ideas to be healthy later in life. You are saying to them 'This is what you do with your life. You must be active. You must be healthy.'

Thursday 20 March 2014

Ebooks Just for YOU

Wheezing and Sneezing - All About Asthma and Allergies

 

Announcing New Ebook

Wheezing and Sneezing
All about Asthma and Allergies 

by Thérèse Vahland




A New ebook is here just for you.

Wheezing and Sneezing - All about Asthma and Allergies

is available now. It is a smaller, easy to read book of 30 pages in PDF format just ready for you to read on your eReader, tablet, phone, laptop or computer.

Each topic covers only a page or two so it is quick and easy to read with lots of information.



Language - English

If you would like to order this new book, Please contact me NOW.

It's only $7.75 AU. 


Topics Covered
  • Allergies
  • Sore Throats
  • Homeopathy
  • Asthma in Children
  • Discussion on Milk & Wheat
  • Plus more.....

Benefits 
  • small book 
  • easy to read 
  • lots of information

Ebook: PDF format
A4 size
80+ pages
Words: approx13,000



At a glance:

Table of Contents


About the Author 6
Introduction 7
Allergies and Asthma in Children 8
Four Rules about Allergies 10
Asthma, Allergies and Autumn 11
My Recommendations to ease Asthma 12
Chocolate Milk Drink for People with Allergies 13
Different Allergies to Flowers 14
Asthma, Allergies and Heating 16
Natural Toothpaste for your Health 17
Ingredients to include in your toothpaste 18
Is there a Link between Asthma and Arthritis? 20
My Secret Remedy for a Sore throat 21
Homeopathy and a sore throat 23
Conclusion 26
Glossary 27
Other books by Thérèse Vahland 29


Wednesday 19 March 2014

I HATE Scented Toilet Paper

Why have Scented Toilet Paper?

 
Picture
Everyone Uses Toilet Paper
Why, oh why do they have to make scented toilet paper. When I go into a toilet with these perfumes it takes my breath away. 

'Smells nice’ you say. Have you stopped to think what these perfumes are made of? Do you really think that manufacturers would buy expensive aromatherapy oils to perfume their toilet paper? Of course not!

Well, how do they perfume the toilet paper? What do they use? Have you ever heard of chemicals?

Who are the most sensitive people in our society?


Everybody needs to go to the toilet a few times a day, some more than others. Who are the most vulnerable people in our community? Babies, toddlers, older people and people who are ill. We’ll discount babies in our present discussion because they don’t go into a toilet.


Do you want your toddler exposed to chemicals?


Toddlers go to the toilet often when they are being toilet trained, and later as young children. Every time they go into a toilet that has scented toilet paper available they are inhaling a lung full of chemicals. Even worse is when a basket full of spare toilet rolls is sitting in the open air in the toilet. The perfume is overpowering. If the perfume is overpowering then the chemical overload is overpowering also. Do you want to inhale this? Do you want toddlers to breathe in chemicals that may affect their little tender bodies?

Buy Fragrance Free or Hypoallergenic


To protect ourselves and our loved ones, look for fragrance free or Hypoallergenic toilet paper. These are free of perfumes and much safer for us. Read the back of the packet of toilet paper. Look for the words ‘Fragrance Free’.

Making your own safe scented toilet paper


If you really want your toilet to be perfumed buy some pure aromatherapy oils. These are sometimes called Essential oils. These are oils of plants themselves. This is where real perfume comes from. Do not buy fragrance oils. These smell nice, but guess what? They are made from chemicals too. The fragrance oils cost around $5. Real aromatherapy oils will cost closer to $20. Which would you choose – the chemical or the pure perfume?

To perfume your toilet paper place a couple of drops of aromatherapy oil on the inner cardboard then place it on the holder as usual. Aromatherapy oils are good for you so long as you choose an oil you like. Fragrance oils are not.

Let me know what you think about inhaling unwanted chemicals in your own home.

Mould can bring on Asthma

 

Picture Allergy to Mould

Many things can cause the bronchial tubes to swell and inflame. When this happens it can be difficult to breathe. A wheeze or cough can start. This is called asthma. You can have an allergy to mould. This means mould can make your body react in a different way. Mould can be a problem in damp humid climates eg the tropics, or it can be a problem in damp, wet areas like the bathroom. It can also be a problem on windows.

Mould on Windows

On windows you say? Sounds weird? Well, check out your windows during winter. You may see black smudges or blurs on the window. Windows are our barrier to the outside world. It is often cold outside and warm inside when we keep our houses closed up during winter. We don't want to let too many of those cold winter drafts in to cool the house. Mould is a canny little thing that will take advantage of anywhere and anything it can get on to.

How to remove mould from your windows

Step 1 

Essentials: bucket, water, vinegar, rubber gloves, old toweling cloth, old toothbrush. Rubber gloves? Well you don't want all those mouldy spores attaching themselves to your hands, do you?

Add half a cup to one cup of vinegar to about one to two litres of water in the bucket. Wash down the window with the vinegar and water. Do this a few times to make sure all the mould is removed as much as possible. Scrub into all the corners with the toothbrush. Wipe over again. If you have a wire screen on the inside of the window, it is essential that it is given the same treatment on both sides of the screen. If the screen is on the outside of the window, treat the inside of the window first then treat the outside wire screen.

Step 2 

Non essentials: steamer, dry old toweling cloth. Using one of those little hand held steamers, spray steam onto the window to kill off any mould spores still attached to the window that you cannot see. Rub window dry with the dry toweling cloth.

Step 3 

This is the important step to make sure the mould does not return for a long time. Take a length of paper towel, damp it and squeeze it out. Onto this place some drops of mould removing aromatherapy oils. These are NOT fragrance oils. As the name suggests with the fragrance oils, they are for the fragrance - the smell. They are made from chemicals and their sole purpose is to smell nice.

We need the real stuff, Aromatherapy oil which is the oil directly from plants. These plants include cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon, eucalyptus. Place a few drops of these on the paper towel and rub this all over the window. These are excellent at removing and killing mould spores. When you are finished, leave the paper towel in the room. It has been shown that these oils can remove many spores from the air in the room in 24 hours.

I hope your asthma improves after you have rid all the mould from your environment.

Monday 17 March 2014

Chocolate Milk Drink for People with Allergies


  Sugar Free Chocolate Milk

Free from Cow's Milk

Picture
Here is a quick, easy recipe to make to make a delicious chocolate milk drink for those who cannot drink cow's milk or have sugar.

You will need 

  • Goat's milk
  • Vitarium Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate
  • Hot water
  • Natvia, a natural sugar supplement

Directions

Into a china mug add 1 teaspoons of Vitarium Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate or other chocolate powder supplement that is suitable for you, add 2 packets of Natvia and some hot or boiling water. Make this in the mug so that your glass does not crack. Stir. Pour the goat's milk into your glass and add the chocolate mix.

Stir and drink, knowing that the drink you are enjoying is free from cow's milk and sugar.

Sunday 16 March 2014

Allergies are NOT Forever


 

Picture Our Immune System

Our immune system is very important. It helps us ward off 'bacteria, toxic chemicals, and viruses that cause conditions like the common cold and flu.' (from altmedicine.about.com see reference below)
We can support out immune system by paying particular attention to out diet, exercise, the stressors in our life, sleep and hygiene. We can also support our immune system by taking herbal supplements, flower essences and homeopathy. 



Diet

A diet rich in antioxidants will help our immune system These antioxidants kill off free radicals. Free radicals damage our DNA and suppress our immune system. Antioxidants are found in fruit and vegetables.

Drink lots of water to flush out the waste from your system. Keep away from sugary foods or drinks.

Exercise

When we exercise it stimulates the T cells in our blood. These guard against infections. Walking regularly is a great exercise.

Stress

Prolonged stress wears down the immune system. Meditation, Tai chi or Qi Gong are good ways to relieve stress.

Tip: When learning Tai Chi or Qi Gong, find a teacher who will teach you step by step. This way you will remember the movements and be able to replicate them on your own wherever you are in life. When people attend 'Follow the leader' classes, that is just what they are doing. When they get home after the class, very often they cannot remember the movements on their own.


Sleep

Our body and mind needs to rejuvenate and process the events of the day. We need about 8 hours of sleep to do this properly. Go easy on the caffeine. This is in coffee, milk coffee drinks, colas and chocolate.

Tip: Herbs like Valerian and Kava can help with this.


Hygiene

Keeping our hands clean is very important. We tend to neglect this because things around us appear clean. However we cannot see the germs lurking on our skin.

Tip: Good times to wash your hands are

before preparing food
after coughing or sneezing
after wiping your child's nose
after going to the toilet
after changing your child's nappy

Natural remedies

Magnesium is a natural sedative. It is found in legumes, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, almonds and cashews. It is also good to take as a supplement.

We only have one body for our lifetime. If we look after it by following the steps above we will improve our immune system and banish those niggling allergies.
Tell us your secret to good health.

Saturday 15 March 2014

Is there a Link between Asthma and Arthritis?

  Linking Asthma and Arthritis

A link between asthma and arthritis you say? But these are two totally different illness. Well, scientists today have found a link between these two different diseases. It is Inflammation - heat, redness and swelling. Other inflammatory illnesses are hepatitis, dermatitis, tonsillitis. 'itis is on the end of each of these words. It means inflammation.



Nutrition and Health

If you have read some of my previous blogs you will have noticed how I suggest using food for health. A connection has been made by nutritionists and scientists between deep fried fatty foods and inflammation. If you have any sort of inflammation, their recommendation is NOT to eat deep fried fatty foods. 

Fried Food is not Good for Us

So when your arthritis is playing up, do not have fish and chips for dinner or any other deep fried or fatty foods. Remember also that just a little bit of these foods is not alright when you have any sort of inflammation - that is heat, redness, swelling.

Friday 14 March 2014

Four Rules about Allergies


 
Picture
An EBook by Therese Vahland

Rule No 1

Allergies are not always obvious

Rule No 2

Everybody reacts to things differently

Rule No 3

Your allergic reactions may change.

Rule No 4

Listen to your body carefully. Become aware of how it reacts to foods and your environment. This is very important in learning about your allergies. 

Symptoms

 

Everybody does not get an obvious rash or sneezing if they are allergic to something in the environment.

Instead, some may not be able to breathe properly, some may have an upset stomach, dull or thumping headache or feel plain tired and exhausted.

Where one person may have vomiting in reaction to a food, another may have diarrhoea, and another may have a bloated stomach.

If you are exposed to an allergen for an extended time, your symptoms may change over time, for example, from a dull headache to a piercing headache when around a photocopier or printer or fresh newspaper or magazine.

Symptoms may change over time from an upset stomach when eating seafood to vomiting and diarrhoea, rash and exhaustion.

Asthma, Allergies and Autumn


 
Picture
Goat's milk may ease allergies and eczema. Read more @ www.allergiesandcfs.com/Let's-talk-health.html


Autumn is often a time when asthma appears more generally in the population, especially among children.
Speaking from my own experience, as soon as the weather started to cool down in the evenings my children started to cough and wheeze and experience restless nights.

Asthma, Hay fever and Eczema are said to be in the one family. If you or your children are susceptible to these then they will often have one or the other. When one disappears another will take its place.

Cool, damp evenings are often a harbinger for those coughs, colds and wheezes. Springtime is often a time for hay fever. Eczema has its own rules and may be aggravated by the body being extra warm and rugged up during winter or from the heat of summer.

My Recommendations to ease Asthma

No more cow's milk
Cow's
milk includes cust
ard, yoghurt, cheese, cream, ice cream, chocolate and anything made with milk. Substitute this with Goat's milk which is often available in your supermarket or health food store. It is also available in powdered form.

No more wheat
 Many people are susceptible to wheat and do not realise it. If you are affected by wheat, this can increase the mucous in you lungs and sinuses. Therefore colds are worse with lots of mucous. There are plenty of other grains to eat and good products available made from them. Look at the Gluten Free products here as these have no wheat in them.

Try going without cow's milk or wheat for a few weeks and see how your health improves. You may feel it hasn't improved. Then try introducing either wheat or cow's milk and see how you feel.

Often you don't feel anything particular when you are having a product regularly. But when you have been without it for a few weeks and then have it again, if it affects you then you will notice a difference. It maybe excess mucous, colds, asthma, sick stomach or diarrhoea.

Be your own best detective and detect for your health and those of your loved ones. Happy detecting!

Wednesday 12 March 2014

What is an Allergy?

 
This wonderful video will explain to you how allergies work.
Please click on it to activate it and have a look. It is well worth listening to this doctor explain how allergies work.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Flowers Essences Ease the Emotions

Flower Essences, the Gentle Healer

Flower essences are a gentle healing liquid that, when ingested, soothe the emotions. They work gently, not with a big bang.

You have probably heard that when people are put on medication for depression by a doctor it can taken a couple of weeks to work. 

How Flower Essences Work

Flower essences are a bit like that. They work away gently and in a week or two the problem has eased. Often people do not realize that they are no longer feeling the way they were. it might take someone else to say comment to them about the disappearance of their previous problem.

'Oh, yeah, that's okay now' might be the response. 

The flower essences have done their job and the person doesn't even realize. That's the way it should be. 

The Benefits of Flower Essences

Here are a few of the articles I have written in the past about the benefits of flower essences.

 
Picture
The depth of a flower

Flower Remedies


'Flower essences provide support in maintaining or regaining physical health.' They also enhance awareness, support and assist personal growth and facilitate spiritual development.
 
 
 

Monday 10 March 2014

Some More Natural Toothpaste


 
Picture
Calendula toothpaste contains fennel oil

Calendula Natural Toothpaste

Calendula Oral Care Dental Paste is a natural toothpaste designed for healthy teeth and gums.

Calendula is a herb well known for its soothing properties.  


This toothpaste has also been designed to be suitable to use when taking Homeopathy. Usually it is recommended not to take homeopathic remedies close to cleaning yur teeth. Often toothpaste has peppermint oil in it and this can affect the homeopathic remedy


Free from Peppermint Oil

Calendula toothpaste is free from peppermint oil.

In another post I talked about how peppermint in toothpaste can bring on asthma


Calendula toothpaste has fennel oil in it. See how you go with this. To me fennel oil is like licorice which also affects my breathing. How are you with this? Go carefully when trying this toothpaste out if you have asthma.

Ingredients:
Water, Calcium Carbonate, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Alcohol, Calendula Extract (Organic), Myrrh extract, Xanthan Gum, Fennel Oil (Organic), Ammonium Glycyrrhizate (from Licorice)

Calendula toothpaste is free from peppermint oil, surfuctants, synthetic fluorides, flavours, colourants and preservatives. 



Natural Toothpaste, www.allergiesandcfs.com

More info can be found in this article:



Natural Toothpastes are free of most chemicals

Natural Toothpaste Best for your Health

Natural Toothpaste is Best for You

 
Natural Toothpaste, www.allergiesandcfs.com
Natural Toothpastes are free of most chemicals

Natural Toothpaste Best for your Health


Natural things are good for us, much better than goods with chemicals in them. In these modern times we are surrounded by chemicals. They are in lots of foods we eat as well as the toiletries we use. Who would have thought that we would have to clean ourselves with chemicals? That just doesn’t make sense to me.

As the inside of the mouth is one of the fastest ways of absorbing anything into our body, it makes sense that anything we put in our mouth should be as pure as possible and this includes toothpaste.

My Toothpaste should be FREE from:

Make sure your toothpaste is free from salicylates, fluoride, artificial sweeteners for example saccharin, and sodium lauryl sulphate. Try to avoid anything with the words glycol, propylene, polyol.
Chemicals to avoid in toothpaste are

Saccharin – an artificial sweetener

Antimicrobials – alcohol or triclosan. These can result in antibiotic resistant bacteria

Chlorine dioxide – an industrial bleach

Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) which is an industrial detergent and may cause allergies

Sodium lauryl sarcosinate is used as a foaming and cleansing agent.

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) which is caustic soda. It is also an industrial detergent and drain cleaner

Salicylates which cause allergies. Aspirin is salicylic acid


PEG/PPG is polypropylene glycol which acts as a wetting agent. It is also in the substance used as a gel when having an ultrasound and is found in baby wipes etc.


Vicco Toothpaste

Picture

Ingredients to include in your toothpaste

Baking soda which helps remove stains and Xylitol, a sweetener which is proven to prevent tooth decay

Three different natural toothpastes are Propolis, Olive Leaf and Vicco


Olive Leaf Toothpaste


Olive leaf extract is a natural antibacterial. Olive leaf toothpaste is·         Paraben Free

·         Artificial sweeteners free

·         Fluoride Free

·         SLS Free
  • Vicco is an Ayurvedic toothpaste used to encourage healthy teeth and gums. Ayurveda is an ancient form of medicine used in India. Vicco toothpaste
  •         contains 20 pure herbal extracts

    ·        It is made from herbs, barks, roots & flowers

    ·        No artificial ingredients are used

    ·        no harsh abrasives and

    ·        it does not contain fluoride

    ·    

Propolis toothpaste

Propolis toothpaste has a unique formula to freshen your breath & to help protect against plaque & gum disease.  Propolis is a natural substance produced by the honey bee and is composed of organic acids, flavinoids, minerals & other essential elements. If you are allergic to bee stings then be wary of products containing propolis. Propolis toothpaste is 
 ·         Paraben Free

·         Sugar Free

·         Fluoride Free

·         SLS Free

·         Saccharin Free

Picture

Jack and Jill 

 Jack and Jill is a natural toothpaste for children as young as six months old. It contains some certified organic ingredients and other natural ingredients.

Contains Certified Organic Products and flavouring               Hypoallergenic·               SLS Free            ·        No fluoride         ·        No Preservatives             No added colour

Any of these brands is less likely to cause you any allergies than the normal brands available in the supermarket. Each has different ingredients. Have a look at these toothpastes here

Picture

Sunday 9 March 2014

Gluten Free Curry Tuna Pasta Bake


 

Picture

Gluten Free Tuna Curry Pasta Bake

Easy Gluten Free Recipe

Here's a good Gluten Free recipe that is very easy to make. I had it for lunch today and there's some left over for tomorrow too!

Gluten free pasta 3 x 250 cups (dry)- use your favourite. I always like the curly one. It doesn't hold any water in it like the penne and it doesn't stick together like the fetuccini.

Cook the pasta in 1 1/2 litres boiling water.
Add to the cooking pasta
1 carrot and 1 bunch of curly kale or other favourite green leafy vegetables. Chop these in a food processor so they are nice and fine.

Cook the pasta and veg for about 10 mins. Don't overcook it because it is going to cook further in the oven.
When cooked, drain and set aside.

Sauce

1 tin light evaporated milk
1 450gr tuna
2 tspn curry powder
1tspn tumeric powder - this is very good for you
1/2 tspn Vegeta vegetable salt
Black pepper
Light cheese, grated, 1 handful

Warm the sauce, place the pasta and carrots and kale in a cooking dish. An 8 inch (20cm) cake tine is OK if you don't have a casserole dish.
Pour tuna sauce over the pasta and stir with a fork. Sprinkle with another handful of cheese.
Cook at 180 degrees C /350 degrees F for 30 minutes

The pasta absorbs the milk in the sauce so it is not runny when baked.
Enjoy!!!
For more recipes check out the following links:

Red Link - Aussie Bush Tucker
Purple - Cuisine Australian food