Magnesium and MS

 

Allergies and Perfumes A Natural Toothpaste to Suit YOU Renewable Fuel for Cars Asthma and Magnesium

Major benefits of Magnesium Natural Toothpaste is Best for You OUR HEALTH

Magnesium for Major Illnesses

Well, the wonderful mineral, Magnesium makes for very popular posts each time I write about it. I encourage you to add it as a supplement as we need lots of it and we don't get much in our diet these days.

A few years ago I was in the Emergency ward with arrhythmia - my heart was not beating right, skipping beats etc. Now the nurses were pretty concerned. My main problem was I couldn't breathe properly. You know what they gave me? An intravenous dose of magnesium. Magnesium is needed by the heart. The heart is a muscle. It expands and contracts as it beats away every second of the day and night all our lives. Magnesium helps the muscles relax. We need it in our bones to help make them strong. We need it in our muscles all over the body.

Magnesium and MS

People with MS seem to suffer from problems with their muscles -

• twitching
• jerking
• muscle stiffness
• spasms 

Personally, I would prefer to take Magnesium supplements to relax my muscles than the drugs given to these people. If you are on medication for this, do not stop medically prescribed drugs. But there is no one stopping you from adding a magnesium supplement to your daily intake.

The general recommendation for magnesium supplement is 400mg daily. if you are addressing a more severe problem, you would need more than this.

One doctor who made a 30 year career studying magnesium recommends 8mg magnesium per kg of your body weight. For a person who weighs 50 kilograms (110 lbs), this is 400mg. An 80 kg person (176lbs) would need 640mg.

One other thing - this dose is not calculated on the total magnesium in the supplement. Much of the magnesium in the supplements is unavailable to our body. Manufacturers  often use the cheaper grades of the mineral to bulk out the tablet. Look for the word 'equivalent'. Add up the 'equivalent' magnesium and reach the appropriate dose from this. Otherwise you still won't get enough of this wonderful mineral.

Different Forms of Magnesium

• mineral magnesium taken as a supplement as I described above
•  magnesium in a cell salt form. These are very popular and are used as a quick relief from cramping etc. The football team my husband worked with used these for quick relief when the players got cramps in their legs. This is called Mag phos Cell salts or Tissue salts.
• Mag phos spray is the cell salt or tissue salts available in a spray form. Just squirt a couple of sprays in your mouth. 
• Mag phos cream can be rubbed into cramping fingers, toes or legs or anywhere else the cramp occurs
• Magnesium also comes as a Homeopathy remedy. This is marvelous when the cramps are really bad. It comes in much high strengths like 30c, 200c, M and higher. You will get these from a Homeopath. In some countries you can buy them in a pharmacy.
• Epsom salts is magnesium. Add half a cup of magnesium to your bath. Soak and enjoy. We absorb things through our skin so you will be absorbing the magnesium while you enjoy your bathe.

Many types of magnesium can be bought at my Ebay store

Let me know what your favourite topic is ......

Natural Supplements for Inflammation

 

The beautiful flower of the Aloe from my garden.

Relieving Inflammation

Science is now Proving the Knowledge

There are many natural supplements that can help relieve inflammation. These have been tried and tested over the centuries and increasingly studies have been done on them to prove the knowledge of these substances.

Many of these natural foods or medicines have other properties besides anti inflammatory power. They may be anti bacterial, anti-viral etc.

Lack of Side Effects

Because these natural medicines are made from the whole plant, they do not have the side effects that many Western medicines have. The plants that these natural substances come from have very many ingredients. There may be one that, if taken on its own would cause side effects. But Nature is wonderful, and in these plants that are helpful to us, it also puts other ingredients that will counter any side effects. 

Patents for Natural Supplements

Plants cannot be patented. They come already made, given to us freely by Nature. 

Pharmaceutical companies cannot make much money without a patent so they take out the one ingredient in the plant that they think is the beneficial one, and ignore the rest. Therefore, the medicines they make from the plants do not have the counter checks and balances.
 

Natural Plant Remedies

Some beneficial natural medicines that may help us with inflammation are as follows.

Olive Leaf
This is a natural NSAID, that is it has natural non-steroidal properties similar to Ibuprofen. It enhances the immune system. It has been clinically proven to help rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Aloe vera
Aloe Vera is a well known plant that is well proven for its beneficial effects. When taken internally it can help gastrointestinal inflammation and arthritis. It can also be applied to the skin to ease inflammation of the skin or arthritic pains. Aloe vera has all the essential glyconutrients for our body. This is why it is such a wonderful healer.

Tumeric
Tumeric root extract or Curcumin is a natural COX-2 inhibitor. It has similar anti-inflammatory effects to non-steroidal drugs but without the side effects. It can help arthritis and immune system disorders.

White Willow Bark
White willow bark eases pain and inflammation. It contains salicin. Aspro or Aspirin was made out of it but they did not use the whole ingredients (remember they couldn't patent it then). This remedy does not cause bleeding like Aspirin. It is good for arthritis and other pain.

I hope you find some of these can help you with inflammation and the pain resulting from it.

Cheers

Inflammation is Connected with Emotions

 

The flowers from this willow tree can help ease our emotions

Inflammation and Emotions

Scientists have studied the relationship of inflammation and our emotions. The have found some inflammatory markers in our body that are tied to stress, depression and other negative emotions.

Inflammatory markers can be measured in our blood. Extra protein is given off from the site of the inflammation. These are the inflammatory markers.

Stress, Depression and Inflammation

People who are stressed or depressed have the same kind of inflammatory markers as people who have inflammation of part of their body. Therefore it is always important to treat the person emotionally. High levels of inflammatory markers are found in frail older adults.

Flower Essences

Emotions can be treated naturally and gently with Flower Esences. In the 1920s, Dr Bach, a famed doctor and surgeon of his time in London found a different way to help people. He used the energy of flowers and trees. These worked so well that he found they not only helped people emotionally but also physically. Since then his work has travelled around the world.

Negative Emotions and Pain

Negative emotions have long been tied to arthritis and there is evidence that they can cause the physical symptom of pain. There are many negative emotions including anger, hostility,  irritability, resentment, jealousy, shame and fear.

Bach Essences

Agrimony The person needing agrimony suppresses or denies their feelings and can become addictive.

Beech  This remedy helps people who are critical of others and intolerant of themselves. In the past they have not been allowed to express anger. The part of their body that is affected is around the throat, neck and shoulders and chest.

Chicory  The person needing chicory feels they are a victim. Their physical problems centre around the mucous membranes, sinuses and bronchiole tubes in the lungs.

Holly  Strong emotions are felt here. The person needing this remedy will feel hate, jealousy, rivalry and suspicion or vengeance. They have no compassion. They tend to get boils, skin eruptions and have chronic swollen glands.

Impatiens  Feeling tense, irritable, impatient or argumentative? Then you may benefit from this essence. These people tend to have problems with the colon.

Vine  The person needing this remedy may be very angry and controlling. They experience rashes, pain and infections.

Willow  People that can benefit from this essence feel bitterness and resentment and find it difficult to forgive. They experience colds and infections in their sinuses, ears and bronchial tubes.

Following are just some of my other articles on how flower essences can help you.

I hope you find a flower essence that can help you. To be human is to need help. There are no perfect human beings around yet. Let's work toward it together.

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Survival Remedy Essence Survival Remedy Flower Essence Cream Flower Essence Support for Emotions Flower Essences for Emergencies Flower Essences - How to Use Them Flower Essences and Physics

Death to Dustmites

 

Creepy, crawly dustmites

Deadly Dustmites

I have always been badly affected by dust. I hate the stuff, but on the other hand I am not a fastidious housewife. To be honest I hate to dust.

One of the reasons I hate to dust is because disturbing the dust means that little particles of dust go flying through the air. You can see them floating in the sunbeams when the sun shines through the window. The other reason is that there are so many more interesting things to be doing in life than dusting. 

Dust Under the Bed

When I was a little girl my Mum kept a couple of suitcases under my bed. They were filled with spare linen - sheets and pillowcases etc. We did not have linen presses in those days. There were not many places in older houses to store necessities.

It was always an excitement when Mum pulled those cases out from under the bed. We could peer inside them to see what wonders were there. Honestly there was nothing special, but they had been a mystery for the last six months.

On top of the suitcases was a layer of dust an inch thick. Well, of course this was disturbed as the lid was opened. Dust floated into the air. Along with the excitement of looking at something that had been hidden for so long, the musty smell of the goods inside and the dust floating in the air, I always had another asthma attack with lots of wheezing, coughing and sneezing. 

Helping Out at Home

When I was a teenager I had to dust the lounge room every week. I hated it. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I did not want to help. It was the dust!

In those days my Mum would give me a fluffy duster made of fluffed out natural wool nailed on a stick - called a fluffy duster - to get rid of all the dust on the cupboards, shelves, skirting boards and venetian blinds. All it did was chase the dust from one resting place, sent it flying through the air until it settled on another resting place and waited for me to shift it again the next week. 

Well, you know the outcome of that. Yes another wheezy chest, coughing and LOTS of sneezing. I hated dusting. 

Capturing the Dust

So when I got married I experimented how to capture that dust and not have it transfer from one resting place to another. I dampened a piece of cotton toweling, wrung it out well and captured all that horrible dust. Yeah! Wash out the cloth and start again on the next section. Gradually I kept that build up of dust under control.

Science and Dustmites

These days we know that dustmites live in this dust and it is really, so they tell us, the droppings of the dustmite that affect us! On with technology!

I still hate to dust.
Down with dust!

A Natural Toothpaste to Suit YOU

 

Some brands of natural toothpaste

Natural Toothpaste is Best for Us

We are very lucky these days that there are so many good natural toothpastes on the market. There is a wide variety of ingredients so that surely there will be one that will be just right for you.

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 and polyol.
If you have allergies be careful what you use to clean your teeth. You are putting toothpaste in your mouth and the inside of your mouth is very sensitive.

Weleda make two natural toothpastes - Calendula toothpaste and Salt toothpaste
Calendula has been known for centuries to be a gentle healing herb. This toothpaste is free from peppermint and has fennel oil in it and licorice.

Salt toothpaste has sodium bi carbonate (the salt part of the toothpaste) and peppermint oil and lots of different herbs.

Olive Leaf toothpaste contains olive leaf extract and is a natural antibacterial. It is Paraben Free, Artificial sweeteners free, Fluoride Free, and SLS Free.

Propolis toothpaste had extract of honey bees in it. It helps protect against plaque & gum disease. Test carefully before use if you are affected by bee stings. Propolis is Paraben Free, Sugar Free, Fluoride Free, SLS Free and Saccharin Free.

Jack and Jill toothpaste is a cute little toothpaste for children as young as 6 months old. You can use this on your baby's first teeth. It contains some certified organic ingredients and other natural ingredients.

Vicco toothpaste is a stiff paste made from lots of herbs and barks. It is an Ayurvedic toothpaste used to encourage healthy teeth and gums. Ayurveda is an ancient form of medicine used in India.

Following are some previous articles with more details about natural toothpaste.

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Click here to purchase some natural toothpastes

Natural Toothpaste is best for you Salt Toothpaste Some More Natural Toothpaste

Allergies and Decorative Painting

 

People with Chemical sensitivities can be allergic to paint

Allergies and Paint

I LOVED to paint. It was my life for a long time. 

If you read my book, Allergies and Chronic Fatigue  A Natural Approach, you will know that from a very young age I have been fascinated with painting, whether it is transforming and beautifying a door or wall or decorating a canvas, piece of paper or some wood.

Throughout my book you will see that every time I was exposed to paint from childhood, I became very ill. We now know this as chemical allergies.

Modern paint is full of chemicals. Goodness knows what they were full of in the 'Old' days. I passed my thirties a good while ago.

Paint contains a good dose of chemicals including toluene and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are BAD for people with allergies to chemicals. 

My Painting Career
For many years I painted - artistically - up to 12 hours a day with artists acrylics. I would not use artists oil paints as the brushes had to be cleaned in turpentine - another strong smelling chemical. One video I watched of an artist explaining how to paint even used petrol to clean his brushes!!!!!

Now I thought I could get away with these tubes of acrylic paints. After all it said on the plastic tube 'Non toxic'. Mmmm. To whom?

I painted folk art style and still love this simplistic version of painting. This style is often painted on wood or tin. The background has to be painted first. Here come the larger quantities of paint. Get the picture?

I also used to mix large quantities of background colour for my students - I taught painting for years too. Painting classes were a delight for me but I found that going home after a couple of classes I was totally drained. I had been exposed to paint from 12 students for 5 hours.

Well eventually my chemical allergies all came to a head and I ended up in bed - for years. But here I am.

My style of painting has changed a lot over the years, as happens. I used watercolour paint for a while as very little paint or pigment is used. It is different to acrylic paints. Now I can use acrylics again, but I will never use them to the same extent as before.

Chemical Sensitivities
If you have chemical sensitivities be careful with acrylic artist's paint too. It is not only the paint in the tubes but the tubes themselves are made out of plastic - more on that another day. People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) need to be careful.

To see my Folk Art Books click here.
For more information on my book Allergies and Chronic Fatigue  A Natural
Approach click here.

Asthma Control

 

The airways in the lungs close during an asthma attack

Warning: Always take your medication as prescribed by your medical practitioner.

What happens when you have an asthma attack

When you experience an asthma attack, the airways in your lungs contract, that is, get smaller and tighter. This makes it harder for the air to get in and out. The airways become inflamed and fill with mucous. This mucous blocks the airways even more.

Why do your airways contract?

Your airways are more likely to contract when you are anxious, have a viral infection or are exposed to allergens. Allergens are something that upsets your system. Your reaction to the  allergens is a tightening of your airways.

There are many allergens that can affect people. They can be specific or varied. You may react only to one thing, or you may react to many different things. Everybody id different.

If your immune system is lowered you are more likely to react to more and more triggers.

Some common triggers are pollen, smoke, dust, chemicals, cold air, latex or aspirin. Find out your own triggers and avoid them if you can.

How to Boost your Health

By boosting your immune system and general overall health hopefully you will be able to say goodbye to asthma.

General Recommendations - Supplements

Take a Magnesium supplement. Magnesium is known as 'the great relaxer'. It relaxes the muscles and vessels in your body. By having a plentiful supply of magnesium in your body, the muscles and airways are relaxed, not tight and ever on the alert for the next thing that will come along to trigger a reaction. Very many people do not have enough magnesium in their body because our diet does not supply it any more.

It is generally recommended to take at least 400mg of magnesium daily. Take this in divided doses. One in the morning and one at night.

Vitamin C is another important natural remedy. It is an antioxidant. Our bodies do not make Vitamin C. Guinea pigs are also not able to make vitamin C and need a replacement. All other mammals can produce their own vitamin C. Who would have thought we had a similarity to a guinea pig?

Selenium is a mineral, a trace element and another important supplement.  We need very little of trace elements in our body, but we still need them. Take up to 200mcg. Notice this is mcg which means micrograms. It is a much smaller quantity than milligrams. Check any other vitamin/mineral mix you may be taking as selenium is dangerous if you take too much. 200 mcg is enough. Selenium is also good for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or ME or any other immune system illness.

Other articles that you may find interesting about asthma
Are You Worse for Windy Weather?
Asthma and Magnesium
Asthma and Tissue Salts
Mould can bring on Asthma


More next time, Cheers

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Order my ebook Wheezing and Sneezing, All about Asthma and Allergies

Flower Essences for Emergencies

 

Flowers share with us their gentle, healing vibrations

Major Flower Essences for Emergency

Flower essences or remedies help correct emotional imbalances.

Bach Rescue Remedy 

 is a well known group of flower remedies that are tried and tested to helps us recover in times of stress. This can be as simple as staying calm during a busy day at work, when we are depressed or when a major event happens in our lives.

Bach Rescue Remedy now comes in drops, pastilles, cream or spray. They are easy to carry around with us ready for when they are needed.

Australian Bush Flower Essences 

have a group of essences called Emergency Essence from the flowers of Australian bush flowers that help address the emotions of panic, distress and fear. Certain flower essences are there to help us in an emergency during times of stress. Take as drops under the tongue.

My Heartsong Survival Remedy 

is made from flower essences and tinctures and crystal energy. This has been proven to work countless times in times of trouble.

This remedy addresses the physical as well as the emotional. It is great in times of emotional stress. It is also fantastic for headaches, pain, coughs, sneezing, colds, or when you just feel as though you are going down with the flu.

Take a few drops under your tongue. Often the results will come quickly.

My Heartsong Survival Remedy 

 is also made in a cream which works well. The cream has helped people with back pain, severe acne, leg cramps and arthritic pain and much more.

Contact me if you would like any of these remedies.

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Asthma and Tissue Salts

 

Tissue Salts to the Rescue

Mag  phos

Two Tissue salts that may help relieve asthma are Mag phos and Nat phos.
Mag phos (Magnesium phosphate) is one of the twelve essential minerals our bodies need. Mag phos eases spasms.

As mentioned in my last post about Magnesium, the bronchioles in the lungs, that is the airway passages in the lungs, go into spasms throughout an asthmatic episode. They become inflamed, go into spasms, and produce mucous trying to wash away the thing that is bothering them - it may be dust, smoke,  terpenes or some other substance.

Directions for taking Mag phos
Mag phos may help to ease the spasms so that you can breathe more easily. If your chest is tightening up, try some Mag phos. Take it at the first sign of spasms. Get in early. Stop the spasms before they get really bad. Take every 15 minutes for an hour. As the spasms ease, slow down the tablets. Remember to take your prescription medicine if needed.
 
Nat phos
Nat phos or Natrum phosphoricum may also ease asthma. It may help if your asthma is brought on by mould or by exercise. Exercise can be as simple as walking or talking. Yes, talking can bring on breathlessness in some people. It is a form of exercise of the vocal muscles.

Running or walking may bring on an asthma attack in some people. It does not have to be fast walking, it can also be slow walking, depending on your own personal makeup.

Depending on the brand, take 1-4 tablets as needed. The tablets should not be touched. Shake the tablet into the top of the bottle and tip it into your mouth from there. DO NOT SWALLOW THE TABLET/S. Suck them. Let them dissolve in your mouth. These tablets are like Homeopathy. They have the energy of the salt in the tablet. This is absorbed into the channels of energy that circulate from your mouth to other parts of the body.

Do not take them with tea or coffee or food. They work best in a clean empty mouth.

The most important thing for you to do is to TAKE YOUR NORMAL MEDICATION FOR ASTHMA. Tissue salts are a companion natural medicine that may help your body along with doctor's prescriptions. Remember, asthma can be dangerous.Treat it with caution.

Tissue salts or Cell salts, as I have mentioned before, are very safe to take.
They can be purchased in the health food store or chemist.

Quinoa Porridge

 

Healthy Quinoa porridge for breakfast

Quinoa Porridge is Gluten Free

This recipe is chock full of antioxidants which are very, very  good for us. We have already talked about quinoa and about all the ingredients to make a beautiful rich Rhubarb compote.

If you have already made the compote then you are ready to make this very easy breakfast which will set you up and see you through the morning.

Ingredients

•  Quinoa flakes
• Compote made of rhubarb, goji berries,  prunes, raisins, crystallised ginger and dark grape juice sweetened with a little stevia or xylitol if needed.
• Goat’s milk or almond milk or natural milk of your choice
• Chia seeds, ground, black
• Natural yoghurt, 99% fat free

What to do next

Into your breakfast bowl place 2 or 3 flat dessertspoons of quinoa flakes. Add 1/2 flat dstspn of chia seeds, 2 heaped dstspns compote, 1 dstspn yoghurt and 1/2 cup ( about 125ml) milk. Place this in the microwave oven for 66 seconds. This time may vary depending on the wattage of your microwave.

Remove from oven and enjoy. This is just the right temperature to eat right away.

After your breakfast you will know that you have set your body up for the morning. Have a good day!

Antioxidants  in the Goji Berry
Quinoa
Antioxidants  in the Goji Berry
Antioxidants in Rhubarb