Procrastination - the thief of time !!

Hello !  It seems that this blog entry is somewhat overdue - hence my title - 'Procrastination ...' - it is indeed the thief of time !  I have spent way too long thinking of what sort of presentation I wanted for my little blog and what theme of things of wanted to include - instead of just blogging about all the wonderful things I wanted to share !  So - it seems this blog will just be whatever it becomes !!

I have really enjoyed being in the countryside this summer - even though the weather has been somewhat inclement!  My husband and I what is called 'continuous cruisers' in the narrowboat world - meaning that we are - well - continuously cruising the canals of the UK!  I get to walk the countryside towpaths every day with my dogs - and get to see all the wonderful wildflowers that are appearing - different ones day by day !  I have lived in Australia for the past 18 years, where I studied Herbal Medicine - that is, Western Herbal Medicine.  My teacher, Dorothy Hall, had the theory that Western herbs should be used for Western peoples, Chinese herbs for Asian peoples and Indian herbs for Indian (and thereabouts) peoples etc. - as she postulated that these were the local  herbs which support these individual's societies and nourish the people of those lands and cultures.

Anyway - what I am getting at is a sad confession !  I have lived near the City of Sydney for the past 18 or so years - and didn't get into the 'bush' too often (nor the Botanic Gardens !) - so very rarely got to see the raw product of the Herbal Tinctures and Extracts I was using in my practice - that is to say that - apart from pictures in books, I rarely saw the original plants !  Shame on me !

So - with my new 'career' of narrowboater / lock-keeper extraordinaire / tow-path wanderer, I have had a renewed connection with my beloved herbs and wildflowers and will add a few articles in here on what I have been doing with my new 'friends'!

Today I saw a lovely big batch of Horsetail, so that will be the subject of my next blog entry !!

See you there :)

I havn't been to my little blog for ages ... been too busy with trying to sell our house ! Anyway - here I am now for a little ramble !!

Poor me syndrome …

This is taken from my last Newsletter in December 2011, where I was commenting on all the disasters – natural and otherwise of last year – and how last year was also just a ‘strange’ year for many people – full of surprises …

"Talking of ups and downs … when things don’t go to plan or life gets frustrating – or just plain go wrong, it is so easy to fall into a slump of self-pity.    But at times like that I’ve found the best trick is to become ‘the observer’ of your thoughts, eg, when you catch yourself thinking ‘oh poor me’ or variations thereof, observe that thought and turn it around – make yourself think instead of all the good things you have in your life and things that you are grateful for.
 In the film ‘The Secret’ one of the presenters had a ‘Gratitude Stone’ in his pocket – and whenever he felt the stone in his pocket, or saw it when he turned his pockets out, he used it as a trigger to remember all the things he was grateful for in his life.  Great idea !
 By focusing on the things that we are grateful for on a regular basis, it is said that we then attract more things to be grateful for.  So – adopting an ‘ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE’ also brings your focus back to the present moment in your life and the more you are able to live in the present moment, the greater you can build on your foundation for a brilliant future.

Of course, terrible things happen – it’s a fact!  But, whether we have an attitude of a ‘glass half full or glass half empty’ is all our choice !
 I actually found myself in a horrid ‘poor me’ head space the other day and then I read my ‘stars’ which reminded me of all the above … I will copy them here because these are indeed words of wisdom …
 “Aquarius … Every moment in life brings a choice. A bad experience is only ever one negative thought away. A state of joy and delight is equally near at all times. It is a bit like walking on a high wire. If you slip, you can fall a long way. But if you just keep putting one happy thought in front of another, you can travel safely to your destination. The question this weekend is not, is your outlook good or bad? The question is simply, what are you going to make of it? No matter what you think or fear, that choice is yours and yours alone.”

Jonathan Cainer

http://www.cainer.com/

Pretty powerful stuff eh?  That certainly jolted me out of it and back into gratitude mode – I have so much to be grateful for … here are just a few examples–
 I am grateful I …

• have had the opportunity to live in this beautiful country (Australia)
•  
• have beautiful, caring friends and family
•  
• have a lovely, safe house and environment to live in (have a roof over my head !)
•  
• have good health and an amazing health care system
•  
• am able to earn money doing what I love (and have wonderful clients)
•  
• have running water, electricity and gas – sounds funny – but so many people don’t in this world !
•  
• am able to give my (rescued) animals a wonderful life

  etc. etc. – so you see, it is easy and the list is never ending once you get going – and it really makes you feel GOOD !!
 Many of the things we should be thankful for often get forgotten because we are so used to them and it is often only when we lose them that we remember how fortunate
we were.
 So - don’t wait until something’s gone before you are grateful – your sight, your health, your family – always remember to take some time to appreciate these wonderful things …
 I remember when I was younger I used to have a ‘thing’ about my nose and used to whinge about it whenever possible until one day one of my friends turned around and said to me ‘you know, you are lucky you have a nose’  -  from that day, I never whinged about it and became grateful for my fully functioning nose!!  Simple, but effective – and I have never forgotten her words!
 Good or Bad ?

So often I hear people getting upset about trivial things and often the old saying comes to mind …’don’t sweat the small stuff .. it’s all small stuff !’  As an example, say you were making plans for a celebratory event and plans were going a bit askew.  Instead of getting all worked up / cranky and ‘poor me’-ish about it, a better course of action would be to realise that we are actually so blessed to be able to have – and be able to afford – such an event and to make the most of what we do have!   To be able to celebrate with friends and family – with no restrictions is a valuable gift!

Just bringing your thinking back to the fact that we are so lucky for what we do have and blessed to be able to do what we are doing, puts you in a much better frame of mind !

Situations are rarely ‘all good’ or ‘all bad.’  These are, to a large extent, labels we put on situations whereas, in reality, it is our response to the situations that determines what kind of experience it is.  Even in the most apparently awful situation, we can derive some benefit if we can adopt the right mindset.
 I think most people would agree that growth and development usually involves some degree of pain, and so challenging situations are opportunities for such growth.
 I remember a few years ago, I had a cancer scare (that turned out to be a false alarm) but I went through a lot to get to that outcome.  At the time, I think only twice did I fall into self pity mode, but decided to use the experience as an opportunity.  
 I wasn’t working for a while, so I had to opportunity to really meditate on the situation I had found myself in and do a lot of ‘soul searching’ that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have done!  I also found that having gone through invasive tests and surgery that I had an opportunity to (partially) understand what cancer patients have to go through (and also how I could maybe help such patients afterwards!) – having that first hand knowledge and experience was invaluable !  I remember being actually surprised that some people felt that I should be angry or upset at the situation I found myself in !
 A Gratitude Journal …
This is something that many people keep and something very tangible that you can do to ensure that gratitude is a conscious and regular part of your day or week. Once you start writing, it becomes clear that we really do have a lot going for us !  So – at the end of the day, why not take ten minutes to list a few of the good things that happened during the day .. or things that gave you an opportunity to grow or to learn !
 … you will end up with a beautiful record of things you are grateful for which it will be very helpful to read in times of stress or unhappiness.
 If you need some proof of this ‘gratitude stuff ‘ – here it is …

The University of Miami* undertook a Research Project on people who practiced some form of conscious gratitude – they found that the people …

• “exercised more regularly, were healthier, slept better and felt more optimistic …
• made more progress towards personal goals
• were more alert, enthusiastic and could handle stress more effectively”
• Of course, some people are naturally more optimistic and positive than others, and it may be that to an extent, our genes determine happiness.  However, even the most pessimistic of souls can develop a more optimistic and happier mindset with gentle and persistent practice !

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/PWT/index.cfm

 When I was on a plane earlier in the year, I watched a brilliant show (from the ABC) about the topic of gaining happiness – I was so sad (!) when the plane landed and I hadn’t watched the whole programme – but if you get a chance to see it, I would highly recommend it !   I found a link to the website, which is here …

http://makingaustraliahappy.abc.net.au/theshow.php

 .. and here is a summary of what it is about …

 “Eight volunteers. Three experts. Eight weeks. One vision.

• For the first time ever in Making Australia Happy, the latest and most fascinating research from the science of happiness has been compiled, consolidated and taken for a test drive on the suburban streets of Sydney. Three of Australia’s leading experts have been set the challenge: take eight people from Australia's unhappiest area and give them the tools to become happier”.

• You might also like to follow this link for some helpful tools in the quest for happiness !

http://makingaustraliahappy.abc.net.au/positivepsychology.php

 Well – that’s it for my bit on happiness and gratitude but I will say that – as with all things - success requires persistence.  A little bit of gratitude every day can, over time, make a big difference to our level of happiness and well being why not give it a go
… right now ! J

The Gut and the Immune System (and Castor Oil Packs !)

When most people think of their immune system the last thing that comes to mind is the gut ! However, about 70% of the body's immune system is found in the digestive tract!

Our large intestines are inhabited by bacteria often referred to as probiotics (pro=encouraging, biotic=life). These bacteria composed primarily of acidophilus and bifidobacterium species are introduced to our system during the birth process and play a crucial role in our health. Without probiotics, humans would be extremely vulnerable to food borne illnesses, be deficient in key nutrients and vitamins, and have a much weaker immune system in general.

Lifestyle factors play a significant role in determining how friendly our large intestines are to hosting these important bacteria. Eating a diet high in sugar, fat and processed foods prevents them from growing and thriving. Consumption of fibre from fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with lean proteins like fish, chicken and turkey helps to create an environment that promotes the growth of probiotics.  In addition, the frequent use of antibiotics can greatly disturb the probiotic flora in the gut.

Although antibiotics are intended to kill only the bad bacteria, they also affect the good ones.  This is why many people experience diarrhoea and yeast infections when they take antibiotics. As the good probiotic bacteria are killed, bad (pathogenic) organisms like yeast are able to get a foot hold in the system.

Frequent or long term antibiotic use can dramatically alter the gut flora and can be a significant contributing factor to other long term health problems related to immune dysfunction and intestinal conditions.

Protecting the System:

Probiotic bacteria are unique in that they do not cause infection and actually help to prevent infection from other aggressive micro-organisms related to food borne illnesses like salmonella and bacteria associated with traveller’s diarrhoea. When healthy populations of probiotics are present in the large intestine, other bacteria that can potentially make us ill are crowded out, preventing them from causing a major infection. Without them we would be extremely susceptible to food borne infect

GALT

GALT stands for Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue.  The GALT is a vast network of  several types of lymphoid tissue in the gut that store immune cells, that carry out attacks and defend against pathogens.

Probiotics in our gut are constantly interfacing with the GALT and essentially priming the immune system for contact with other bacteria. They serve as a way for the body to learn how to respond to bacteria without actually having to suffer an infection. This becomes particularly important in young children whose immune system is in constant state of development until about age 7.

Foods like yoghurt are made by using these probiotics (acidophilus and bifidobacterium species) to culture the dairy product. Some residual live organisms are left in the final product and these can help to support healthy bacterial levels in the gut. However, most shop bought dairy products do not contain any live organisms by the time the product hits the shelves. For this reason, taking a high quality probiotic supplement is the best way to guarantee maximum health benefits. 

Castor oil packs and the immune system

One area of the GALT lymphoid tissue referred to above are named ‘Peyer's patches’, which are  aggregations of lymphoid tissue that are usually found in the lowest portion of the small intestine.

Castor oil ?  Isn’t that what they used to give to kids for constipation?  Well, yes – they did – but these days it can help us and our immune systems via topical application !  Castor oil contains a substance called  ricinoleic acid and it is this responsible for castor oil's remarkable healing abilities.

Ricinoleic acid has been shown to be effective in preventing the growth of numerous species of viruses, bacteria, yeasts and moulds.  Castor oil application has been used to successfully treat such things as ringworm, keratoses, skin inflammation, abrasions, fungal-infected finger- and toenails, acne and chronic pruritus (itching). Generally, for these conditions the area involved is simply wrapped in cloth soaked with castor oil each night, or if the area is small enough, a castor oil soaked Band-Aid can be used. (For persistent infections and those finger- and toenails that have discoloured and hardened, a good 10 to 20 minute soak in Epsom salts, prior to applying the castor oil, usually speeds up the healing process.)

I was first introduced to the concept of castor oil packs about 15 years ago, and I have found these fascinating and useful ever since then !  

The theory behind the castor oil packs (and I will explain how to do them down the track .. ) is that the castor oil is absorbed into the body and helps to improve the function of the thymus gland and other areas of the immune system – in particular the Peyer’s patches. 

In studies it has been found that patients using abdominal castor oil packs had significant increases in the production of lymphocytes* compared to increases among those using placebo packs.

*Lymphocytes are the disease-fighting cells of your immune system. They are produced and housed mainly in your lymphatic tissue. This includes the thymus gland, the spleen, the lymph nodes and the lymphatic tissue that lines the small intestine (Peyer's patches)

Castor Oil Packs – how to !

These are one of the most useful methods of using castor oil. Packs are an economical and efficient method of absorbing the ricinoleic acid and other healing components of castor oil directly into body tissues.

To make a castor oil pack you will need the following items: cold pressed castor oil, a heating pack of some description, some plastic or some cling wrap, a flannel and a couple of small towels.

Start by placing your flannel (wash cloth) on top of the piece of plastic or cling wrap (this should be big enough to cover the abdomen) or area being treated.

Apply a good layer of castor oil onto the flannel (about half a cup should do).

This pack can now be placed against the body with the oil-soaked flannel on the skin.  Then apply the heating pack on top of the pack and cover with a big towel to hold it all in place and prevent any spillage onto furnishings !

For general conditions the pack should be placed on the abdomen. (For treating lower back problems, the pack can be placed there.)

The pack should remain in place for at least half to one hour and the temperature of the heating pack should be kept high.

When you remove the pack, the remaining oil can either be massaged into the skin or cleaned off using a little soda water made from 1 quart of warm water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.

The flannel can be reused if stored properly after removing the pack. Put the flannel in either a plastic bag or air tight container and place it in the refrigerator. Before using it next time let it warm up and always add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh cold pressed castor oil. (After a month of use I would recommend using new flannel.)

Apart from assisting the immune system, castor oil packs may also

- be applied to an area of inflammation or pain, such as in swollen joints, arthritis, bursitis and muscle strains; 

- it may also be applied to the right side of the abdomen to stimulate the liver or used as part of a detox programme;  

- be applied abdomen to relieve constipation and other digestive disorders; 

- be applied to the lower abdomen in cases of menstrual irregularities and uterine and ovarian cysts;

- it may also help to loosen adhesions and scarring after surgery.

Buying Castor Oil

Any oil that enters your body either orally or through the skin should be of the highest quality. Castor oil is no different. Always ensure that you buy cold-pressed castor oil for these purposes.

To be effective, a castor oil pack must be used at least 3 times a week, although 5 times a week is better. In cases of long-term chronic pain, it works best to commit to a 6 week treatment period using a castor oil pack 5 times per week, then as needed for episodes of pain.

Who would have thought this little plant could do so much ?!

Cheesy Herb Damper

I made some pumpkin soup the other night and realised I didnt have any bread in to go with it .. so I dug out this recipe for good ol Aussie Damper ... it was pretty tasty if I say so myself !!!

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 cup (160g) wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 cup (150g) white self-raising flour
• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (40g) grated tasty cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped oregano leaves
• 3/4 cup (185ml) milk, plus extra to glaze
• 1 tbs grated parmesan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Sift the flours into a large bowl (adding in any flakes from wholemeal flour) with 1 teaspoon of salt. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in tasty cheese and oregano.
3. In a separate bowl, combine milk with 1/4 cup (60ml) water. Make a well in the centre of flour and stir in three-quarters of the milk mixture. Add remaining liquid a little at a time until mixture just comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 1 minute.
4. Shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking tray. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Serve warm

Yummy (and Healthy) Brekky bars

This is one of my well-used recipes and, having just baked another 'loaf', I thought I would share it on my blog here ...

Makes - 18 pieces
Ingredients

3/4 cup self-raising flour

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup sultanas

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

3/4 cup low-fat milk

1 egg

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 17cm x 27cm (base) slice pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at long ends.

Combine flour, coconut, sugar, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sultanas and apricot in a bowl. Whisk milk and egg together in a jug. Add to flour mixture. Mix to combine.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm. Stand slice in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 18 pieces ... enjoy ! 

Today I didn't have any seeds, so used some ground up almonds and brazil nuts that I had.  I also used half the amount of sugar and used a 'dollop' (technical term) of Manuka honey.  I also added in a dollop of LSA (Linseed, Sunflower and Almond meal) and some Lecithin - just for good measure.  Also - instead of sultanas - I used 'Craisins' - which are the cranberries.  It takes pretty good to me .. just shows you can modify it with whatever you do have !

Hello !

Well, here I go with my 'Natural Health Musings' - recipes / hints / helps etc.! I hope you enjoy this blog and if I can help you with anything, please let me know!  My contact details can be found on my regular website at www.holistica.com.au 


As a bit of background, I am Naturopathic Herbalist (Dorothy Hall Graduate), Aromatherapist, Massage Therapist, Bowen Therapist, Dorn Therapist, Reflexologist and Reiki Master.  My business is called 'Holistica Natural Therapies' and I currently practice in Sydney, Australia.  My hope is that I will still be able to 'do a bit'  when we eventually get cruising on our Narrowboat in the UK (hopefully in March next year! See our blog NB the Manly Ferry for more info. on that !) 


To kick off, I would like to give you the following recipe, which is a herbal drink to help kick colds / respiratory conditions etc ... It is also really soothing to a bad throat in a hot/cold/smelly kind of way !

Ingredients: 

• One (or two, depending how brave you are!) small cloves garlic crushed in garlic press
• Juice of a lemon plus some of the rind shredded / grated too
• Half tsp ground powdered ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Tablespoon of honey (preferably Manuka honey for the beneficial antibacterial effects)
• as an optional ingredient, you could add a dash of Whisky / Brandy - to make it into more of a 'hot toddy' type drink ! 

Mix together and add to a small cupful of water, just off the boil.

Drink the whole lot down ... the solids and the liquids if at all possible - as it is bearably cool and 10 - 20 mins before bed.  

This blend will probably make you sweat a bit - the heat and the lemon, garlic, ginger, cayenne will all produce excretory action through every channel possible ... lungs, nose, skin and ?? bowel and bladder as well !!  (If you do happen to have loose bowels the morning after drinking this, it just means that your body has fought hard all night and has removed a large proportion of toxic, yukky (technical term) stuff from your system ! 

This will probably be more useful for my Aussie friends at the moment as we are just coming into winter !  Today is the Saturday of the Easter weekend - and it has barely stopped raining all day ! Winter is looming for us - but I had better start getting used to it if we are to battle a few winters in the UK soon !!

See you again soon !

Elaine x