There is so much you can do to help Tinnitus!

Tinnitus is a hearing disturbance characterized by a sensation of persistent noise, often described as ringing, buzzing, or roaring. It is one of the most common hearing disorders, affecting around 20% of the general population and 33% of the elderly and it can be difficult to treat as there can be multiple reasons for the condition.  It can be a short term thing, or for some just never goes away.

Tinnitus can be caused by a number of different conditions including build-up of inner ear wax, ear infections, vestibular disorders, exposure to loud noises, Meniere's disease, low thyroid function, hypertension, allergies, and on very rare cases a tumor. Over 250 medications list tinnitus as a common side effect of usage including aspirin and anti-biotics.

If you think you have ruled out these things but still suffer from tinnitus don't despair and there are many things you can try to help get relief from tinnitus....

Lifestyle and Diet for Tinnitus....

We can't start a discussion on Tinnitus without looking at the effects of our diet on the condition.  Research has shown that the many cases of chronic tinnitus are possibly part of a degenerative process characterised by chronic inflammation. This inflammation can lead to poor circulation within the inner ear.

However with certain lifestyle and diet changes it is possible to reverse this inflammatory damage before it is too late.

So what happen is when you have diets high in processed food high in refined sugars, bad fats, junk food, too much coffee, meat, chemical, additives, alcohol, cigarettes and all those things we know are bad, this leads to inflammatory causing 'prostaglandins' being released in high amounts. 

These pro-inflammatory mediators cause an increase in vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation. This decreases blood flow into the smaller capillaries of the body such as the inner ear and increases the buildup of lymphatic fluid in the inner ear. 

This combination increases pressure in the inner ear which stimulates the auditory nerve enough to create a series of action potentials that the brain interprets as sound.

In a way, the presence of inflammatory based tinnitus is possibly a warning sign that your entire system has too much inflammation, and this can lead to all sorts of health conditions.

So while I'm not saying you have to stop eating all the fun stuff, you just need to recognise that you need get some balance back and reduce the amount of the 'inflammatory' foods, as well as  increasing the 'anti-inflammatory foods.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet?

• It is one that consists of lots of colourful fibre and antioxidant dense fruits & vegetables, healthy fat sources (Avoid highly processed trans fats and margarines), and small amounts of healthy keep meat products.  
• It is also important to reduce your intake of sugar & highly processed grains.   And the bad guys: high amounts of caffeine, alcohol and processed foods.  Also if you think you react to a food, like gluten for example, then reduce this as well.
• Eat plenty of coconut, olive oil, free range eggs, avocados, and non-starchy vegetables as primary fuels throughout the day. 
• Include lots of brightly coloured fruits such as berries in your diet and eat fresh unprocessed nuts like almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts.

The Mediterranean style of eating is an excellent diet to follow as it has proven anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

Also focus on including lots of anti-inflammatory and circulation boosting herbs in your diet every day like garlic, ginger, the spice turmeric & green tea.

Nutrients and Tinnitus

It seems that out of all the specific nutrients you should take that Zinc is the one that has the most research behind it showing it can reduce Tinnitus. Zinc is a trace mineral that has many functions in the body. Zinc deficiency is known to cause a variety of neurological disorders, as well as immune dysfunction and skin disorders 

According to one study, People with tinnitus experience significant improvement when given supplemental zinc.  The study examined the prevalence of zinc deficiency and the effect of zinc therapy in people with tinnitus. Forty-one people with tinnitus participated in the study, and more than 31% of them were found to have zinc deficiency. All of the participants were randomly assigned to receive either 50 mg of zinc or placebo daily. 

At the end of two months, 46% of the people in the zinc group had clinical improvement.

But it seems you don’t have to be deficient in zinc to benefit as among the people receiving zinc, those with zinc deficiency did not respond differently than those with adequate zinc levels.

So this means zinc deficiency is not critical in the development of tinnitus, but rather that zinc may help people with tinnitus regardless of their zinc status.

Vitamin B12 too
Another nutrient that should be considered alongside zinc is Vitamin B12. This vitamin is a critical player in the formation of the myelin sheaths that surround and insulate nerve fibers. A B12 deficiency makes nerves more susceptible to the inflammatory damage that causes tinnitus. 

Healthy meat sources are a great way to get Vitamin B12 or a B complex containing B12.  It might be an idea to get your B12 levels tested by your doctor so you can see if you are low.

Ginkgo biloba and Tinnitus
As I have covered above, one of the reasons for tinnitus is poor circulation, and this is why it is more common as we age. 

There is one herb that can tackle this issue and it has been clinically trialled to do so is Ginkgo biloba.  A wonderful herb for Tinnitus as it increases blood circulation to the head and the rest of the body (peripheral circulation). It is also a wonderful antioxidant and is used to improve memory, concentration and dementia as well.

Many studies have been carried on the area of Ginkgo Biloba and ear disorders like tinnitus. Some studies were well designed, others not so, but the results of 8 controlled studies were found for the most part to show a statistically significant superiority of Ginkgo Biloba over placebo or reference drugs. Tinnitus of recent onset had a better prognosis.

Details of one study show how effective it can be. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of standardised Ginkgo extract in dementia investigated the effects on dizziness and tinnitus. After receiving standardised Ginkgo extract (240 mg/day) for 22 weeks, showed that dizziness was improved in 86% of Ginkgo recipients and in 28% of the placebo group.

Improvement rates for tinnitus were 84% of the Ginkgo-treated patients versus 20% of the placebo group. 

I recommend with Ginkgo that you take it in a tablet or a standardised liquid extract (you would have to get the liquid extract from a herbalist). A tea is not going to give you the required amount you need to get a result as you need high doses of this herb.

If you want to buy one from the pharmacy or health food store you could try Blackmores Ginkgoforte - this has a good clinical dose and is a standardised extract.

Medications and Tinnitus
As mentioned above Aspirin, antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are among some of the many common medications that have been linked to tinnitus. 

Aspirin is a common culprit as it commonly taken every day to prevent clotting and reduce stroke or heart attack risk. Generally the odd aspirin won’t cause ringing in the ear, but long term usage of aspirin can, so if you have this problem stop taking the aspirin for a few days as if it is the aspirin causing the problem it will disappear quite quickly.

Tinnitus and Cranial Osteopathy.
If you have unexplained Tinnitus or tinnitus that has come on after an accident or a blow to the head you should seek out an experienced Osteopath who does cranial manipulation.  (Some chiropractors also do cranial manipulation)

It might take a few sessions but I have seen many many times complete recovery from tinnitus from this treatment. 

An injury to the head, however mild you might think it to be, can easily affect the cranial bones and the fluid surrounding your brain to cause inflammation and circulation problems that can lead to dizziness and tinnitus. 

In fact I have found this treatment to be so successful I would recommend you try it, even if you feel there has been no physical trauma.  It may just help to improve circulation to the area.

Without rectifying this physical issue, any other supplements and herbs you might try, may not get the desired effect - so I highly recommend you try it!  

www.aaahtea.co.nz

Tips on how to Detox everyday!

Few of us give our liver a second thought. Yet this overworked organ is responsible for over 500 different functions, including: detoxifying environmental chemicals, storing certain vitamins, controlling cholesterol levels, metabolising fat, and even regulating hormones.  

When talking about this with people, I often get asked if you can drink our Detox-me Herbal tea every day or whether it is just for when you are detoxing. So it inspired me to talk about Detoxing every day.

I think that with so many 'Detox' Kits on the market we have all been conditioned to think that detoxing should be done only once or twice a year, after overindulgence periods. 

But the reality is that is not really the best way to go about it.  In fact many of the expensive detox kits on the market are actually just full of laxatives, so you might feel a bit lighter, but the long term benefits are marginal.

So when I wanted to add a 'Detox' tea to our range I made sure it was safe and easy (eg: tasted good!) to drink every day. 

There are also other things you can do every day to help your overworked liver and digestive tract (some are more overworked than others!!), so instead of doing a once yearly detox here are some tips to on ways to detox every day........

• Firstly start the day with a large glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed into it. Your body needs water to flush out toxins in your bowel movements and urine. The addition of fresh lemon juice helps to stimulate your liver to produce bile that helps flush out toxins and it also reduces acidity.

• Also ensure you eat lots of Garlic and Onions as these contain important phytonutrients and sulphur compounds that help your liver metabolise fats and excrete chemicals.

• And if you are looking for a supplement, make it a daily tablet of Milk thistle extract. Milk thistle contains a potent substance called silymarin that protects the liver by inhibiting damaging substances that can cause liver cell damage. Silymarin also prevents the depletion of the nutrient glutathione–one of the most critical nutrients for liver detoxification. Both alcohol consumption and exposure to various types of synthetic chemicals can deplete glutathione in the liver.  (Milk thistle is far too bitter for a tea, so best in a capsule.  I use dandelion root in detox-me as the flavour is more neutral, but it has similar liver cleansing abilities).

• Eat Indian curries!  Turmeric, one of the main spices used in Indian cuisine, adds a yellow-orange color to curry dishes along with a potent healing boost. Turmeric protects the liver from free radical damage. Add turmeric powder to soups, stews, and curries to bolster your liver’s cleansing abilities.

So with a little bit of  liver care and attention it isn't surprising that these simple measures could make a world of difference to your health.

Click here for more info on our yummy Detox-me Healing Herbalist blend...

Exercise combats depression

In a society where medication for depression is becoming an epidemic, it is great to see more research coming out showing there are drug-free ways to achieve good mental health and help those who suffer from depression.

We all know that exercise can make us feel better, the more the heart rate goes up the more endorphins are released. These make us feel happy, and the impact of them lasts for days. So it makes sense that exercise would be a great thing for depressed people, but just how much impact does it have? Well it appears a lot!

An American university research group looked at the impact of exercise on depression. The university split clinically depressed people into 3 groups: exercise only; exercise plus anti-depressant drugs; and anti-depressant drugs only, to see what treatment best treated depression.

They thought the best outcome would be those who were in the combined exercise and drug treatment group, but in fact ten months later, it was the exercise-only group that was most successful in maintaining wellness!

The final results showed that 30 minutes of brisk exercise three times a week is just as effective as drug therapy in relieving the symptoms of depression.

They also followed up the group in six months, and found that patients who continued to exercise after completing the initial trial were much less likely to see their depression return than the other patients.

So what kind of exercise? Well any kind really as long as you get your heart rate up 3x a week for 30minutes.   Walking is the perfect exercise, as long as you make it more than a gentle stroll, but walking and yoga would be even better!

What you might consider a relatively low impact exercise like Yoga can help reduce depression too - it's not just a gentle stretching for aging hippies you know.

It's common knowledge that yoga improves mood and shrugs off stress, but until recently, we didn't know why. A recent study from Boston University School of Medicine discovered that the reason Yoga enthusiasts tend to be happier is that it may be because of yoga's ability to increase levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an endogenous antidepressant neurotransmitter present in the brain.

They followed several healthy individuals who were divided into two groups. The first group practiced yoga over a 12-week long period, while the participants in the other group walked for the same period of time. At the end of the study, researchers evaluated psychological state of both groups and found that subjects who practiced yoga experienced a greater decrease in anxiety and more significant improvements in mood than those who walked.

So it seems these findings certainly indicate that a modest exercise program is an effective treatment for patients with depression, and also just to help lift your daily mood.

But always remember if you are taking anti-depressant medication always discuss with your doctor or health care practitioner before coming off them.

The website www.depression.org also has a lot of great advice on how to help with depression.

Ginger works as well as ibuprofen for Period Pain

Most women have some occasional pain or discomfort during their period. Typical symptoms include cramps, headache, nausea, backache, and fatigue.

Menstrual cramps or period pain are most often felt in the lower abdomen but may also occur in the lower back or spread down the legs. The medical term is dysmenorrhea.

Menstrual cramps affect as many as 50 percent of women of reproductive age and between 60 percent to 80 percent of teenaged girls.

There are basic lifestyle factors you need to consider as in my experience these small changes can make a big difference:

• Walk or exercise regularly. 
• Follow a healthy diet high in a variety of grain, fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables, and plenty of cold water fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines. 
• Reduce sugar, junk food and caffeine intake

For those who really suffer you can try the herb Ginger. A study was conducted in America in 2009 that compared the effects of ginger and ibuprofen on pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea (period pain).

This was a double-blind comparative clinical trial conducted from September 2006 to February 2007. Participants were 150 students (18 years old and over) with primary dysmenorrhea from the dormitories of two medical universities who were alternately divided into two equal groups.

Students in the ginger group took 250 mg capsules of ginger rhizome powder four times a day for three days from the start of their menstrual period. Members of the other groups received 400 mg ibuprofen capsules, on the same protocol. Severity of disease, pain relief, and satisfaction with the treatment were compared between the groups after one menstruation.

Results showed Ginger was found to be as effective as ibuprofen in relieving period pain.

At the end of treatment, severity of dysmenorrhea decreased in all groups and no differences were found between the groups in severity of dysmenorrhea, pain relief, or satisfaction with the treatment.

So you can find ginger in capsule form in most health food stores - often packaged up as a travel sickness aid.

Or you can drink it as Herbal Infusion. Grate fresh root into a cup or use dried ginger root and pour over boiling water and infuse for 10 minutes.

I recommend drinking 3 cups a day - ideally a couple of days before your period, and definately during!

Click here to go the page on my website with more information on other health benefits of ginger....

Leanne 

How to tell if you are drinking enough water

A while ago I talked about why our bodies need water.  But as I said everyone is different and how people eat can also determine how much water they need to 'top up' with.

So what is the magic number of glasses we should be drinking every day?   Is it six glasses per day or is it eight? It can be very confusing and hard to decide if you are drinking the right amount.  

Also confusing is the misconception that we must drink a certain amount of water, when in fact we only need to consume the right amount of fluid to stay hydrated. 

A fluid can be any liquid that has a positive water balance in the body such as herbal teas, milk, juice, water and other drinks, but it also includes foods that are mainly water, such as some fruits, vegetables and soups. 

There are also foods and drinks that have a negative influence on water in our body: salty processed foods, caffeine, soft drinks are some examples.

So what you should do is look for a few sign that YOU might be dehydrated.

        

•       Urine: Your urine should be clear or a very light yellow color. A dark yellow indicates dehydration, so you will need to drink more water. Also you should need to use the bathroom every couple of hours.

•       Stool: It should be easy to pass your stool. If you are straining a lot, this may be an indicator of dehydration. If you have consistently loose stools, this may be an indicator of overhydration. Your body may not be able to handle the amount of fluids you are taking in and it will not be absorbed.

•       Skin: Your skin is also a good indicator of hydration levels. If you pull up the skin on the back of your hand and let go, it should bounce back to its original position quickly. If not, you may be dehydrated. Also, dry skin or a dry mouth may be indicators of dehydration.

•       Thirst: If you are thirsty, you are in need of more fluids for sure. In fact the theory is that if you feel thirsty you were dehydrated a long time ago - you shouldn't wait until you feel thirsty to drink more.

Olive Oil and Nuts better than drugs for heart disease!

I was really pleased to see the results of this study come up - as I'm not a great fan of all the cardiovascular medications that are so over-prescribed in this country (well in most countries actually). So it is heartening to see you can make dramatic changes through diet alone.

Anyway, some really interesting early results have just been published from a large Spanish study that is due to be finished next year on the impact of certain foods have on our health.

  

They have been studying 7500 people with heart disease risk and have already seen from some preliminary results that a Mediterranean diet, which is also high in Virgin Olive Oil and Nuts is more effective in reducing heart disease event likelihood than drug treatments.

The study placed each volunteer in one of three groups:

• A Mediterranean diet along with 15 litres of virgin olive oil per 3 months.
• A Mediterranean diet with 30gms of nuts a day, including walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts.
• A Mediterranean diet with instructions and material to follow a low fat diet.

They found significant improvements in the artery narrowing of those following the first two diets: high in olive oil or nuts.   Lesions on the artery walls that causes narrowing of the blood vessels actually decreased in these groups.  

And interestingly those who had the greatest thickening of the layers in the arteries, commonly known as arteriosclerosis, had a greater improvement.

Results were seen after 3 months, but over a year the results were better than what is expected when taking many cardiovascular drugs.

It is important to note that these subjects were already on the Mediterranean diet, and that it is not abnormal to eat a lot of olive oil in these countries.  

This backs up another recent study I have discussed that showed those that consumed more olive oil in their diet had a lower risk of stroke.

When you eat nuts for health make sure they are fresh and raw.  With olive oil buy the best quality you can afford and use it in salad dressings and as a dip for bread.  

More reasons you might need magnesium

Magnesium is a basic but significant mineral that is involved with over 320 biochemical reactions in the body. Because it’s such a critical nutrient, it’s a serious problem that many are deficient in this key nutrient.

The first sign you are deficient in this nutrient is leg cramps, eye twitching, restless legs.  Magnesium deficiency can also lead to constipation, high blood pressure and menstrual cramps.

So it's an important nutrient!  

Some of the reasons for deficiency include the fact that our food has lower magnesium content due to poor quality soil, we lose magnesium when stressed, and sweating causes magnesium depletion.

There are other reasons you need magnesium too.  They are easy to remember as they all start with 'I'....

• Insomnia can be caused by many reasons, with magnesium deficiency being at the top. Magnesium calms the nervous system, relaxes muscles and counters stress. Replenishing magnesium can lead to a longer, uninterrupted sleep pattern.
• Insulin resistance is when cells don’t respond adequately to insulin’s attempt to shuttle glucose into the cell after eating, resulting in elevated blood sugar and increased fat storage. It is the hallmark of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Research shows that people with adequate magnesium levels have improved insulin sensitivity. People with the highest magnesium levels have a lower risk of developing diabetes, even if they have the risk factors such as smoking, low activity level and excessive weight.
• Inflammation is at the root cause of so many health problems, such as arthritis, heart disease and obesity. Magnesium has been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory. More than one study has shown that as magnesium levels decrease, CRP (a marker for inflammation) increases. Elevated CRP is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

A maintenance dose is around 400mg a day – if deficient you can take twice this for a week.

You can find Superfoods everywhere!

We often hear about the latest Superfoods and how good they are for us.  And while they are, they can also be very expensive.

Mustard Seeds

But it may surprise you to find out that inside your cupboards are gems superfoods you'd never suspect are really health foods. 

• Mustard believe it or not, is a medicinal paste made from the seed of the mustard plant. It's a Superfood that's been around for at least 5,000 years, and it's one of the few common sources of selenium, a trace mineral often low in our soils.   Mustard is known to help in reducing migraines, and it's a natural anti-fungal and antiseptic. 

• Coleslaw is made out of one of the most powerful natural medicines in the food kingdom: Raw cabbage.  Raw cabbage is a proven cure for stomach ulcers. Throughout the history of the civilized world, cabbage has been one of the most medicinal foods ever consumed. It's also good for you when cooked (cabbage soup) or fermented (sauerkraut).  Cabbage is rich in indole-3-carbinol (I3C), one of its many anti-cancer nutrients. 

• Raisins may not sound super cool, but if you think about what they really are, it becomes obvious how powerful they can be as natural medicine. Raisins are dried grapes, of course, meaning they contain all the natural medicine of grape skins.    It's best to buy only organic raisins, because grapes sprayed with fungicides have low levels of resveratrol. Organic grapes have high levels of antioxidants and resveratrol.  

How to add more veges to your meals!

We often try to sneak veges into our childrens food to get them to eat more, and we can get very creative with how to do this.

But adults can also get stuck in a rut with veges and end up eating the same veges, prepared in the same way over and over again. You know we should eat a wide variety of vegetables to get our complete daily dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber. I've come up with a few creative tips to help spice up your meals with extra veggies and herbs.

• Roast Vegetables - A favourite in NZ is roast potatoes! There is no need to stop eating potates but when you are roasting them add some other veges to the pan. The deep, rich flavor of roasting brings out the sweetness in many vegetables like carrots, kumara and pumpkin and they roast at the same time. But also think about other veges to roast like cauliflower, red onions, fennel bulbs, celery and many others. Coat diced veggies with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and roast until golden brown and delicious. You can then either have them warm with dinner, or mix them all together, add a dressing, some toasted seeds and maybe goats feta. This makes a delicious and easy salad!

• Mashed Vegetables - Think beyond mashed potatoes; many different vegetables are delicious when mashed or pureed. Cook vegetables in water or stock until tender and then mash or puree in food processor with creative additions like fresh herbs, cheeses (such as goat cheese or parmesan cheese). You can use flavoured olive oils instead of butter too. Try a blend of cauliflower, parsnip and celery root, peas and mint, or butternut squash and fresh ginger.

• Add Extra Vegetables to pies, sauces and casseroles - When you make one-pot meals, think about adding extra vegetables with your usual sautéed onions or garlic to boost both the flavor and nutrition content of the dish. For example, add a little bit of chopped celery and carrot to your pasta sauces or load your lentil soup or chili with a variety of colorful veggies, like kale, spinach, peppers, squash, zucchini or corn.  A favourite of mine is to add a can of brown lentils to the mince when making pies - the consistency is the same as the mince and it adds extra vitamins, minerals and fibre to the pie. No one will even notice!

• Sneak Vegetables into baking - Carrot cake is a good example. Try the same recipe with half grated zucchini and half carrot. Zucchini loaves are really nice too. Add these two veges into as many of your baked goods as you can think of for added moisture and a hidden serving of vegetables.

Seriously toxic fumes come from your dryer!

The results from a really interesting study have recently been released from America, looking at the chemicals that come out of dryers when the clothes are washed in a leading brand of washing detergent. They found lots of seriously cancer causing agents in the fumes.

In fact, University of Washington researchers have pinpointed 25 compounds...including seven hazardous air pollutants and two carcinogens…wafting out of dryer vents. 

The study focused on three different scenarios:

• dryer-vent fumes from a load of pre-rinsed organic-cotton towels washed with no products, 
• one washed with a leading brand of scented liquid laundry detergent, 
• and finally one both washed with the detergent and later dried with a leading brand of scented dryer sheets.

The researchers placed a special canister inside the dryer vent to capture the exhaust 15 minutes into each of the three drying cycles. They were able to easily identify a number of hazardous cancer causing chemicals in the scented air of both of the loads that were treated with the laundry products.

This is a real health issue if you use your dryer a lot and also if the room your clothes drier is in is not vented properly. But even if these toxic fumes flow outside, they are pretty bad news for the environment too.

I highly recommend for this reason, and lots of other health reasons, that you consider switching to more natural detergents.

Be careful of the so called natural brands you find in the supermarket - this word is used very
flippantly on many products and often means nothing much.

Good natural brands are Ecover, B_E_E and Eco store.  And also Wendyl Nissan has some great recipes for making your own on her website www.wendylsgreengoddess.co.nz/

And seriously what is the point of those dryer sheets?  They are laden with cheap artificial fragrances.  Put a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil on a handkerchief and throw that in - save a lot of money and better for your health.

(Just a note for us Kiwi's - in America they use a lot of scented dryer sheets and also dry their clothes in dryers much more often than us)

So dry your clothes on your clothes line whenever you can! 

The link below takes you to an article with more information....

http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/scented-laundry-products-emit-hazardous-chemicals-through-dryer-vents

Hibiscus Flowers Health Benefits

Hibiscus flowers are used to flavour and colour many of our fruit infusions.  Quite tangy and a bit sour by themselves, they are great blended with sweeter fruits like apple to create the perfect balance of flavours.  And it seems Hibiscus flowers are equally as good for your health!

While the tea plant normally gets all the attention regarding health benefits of it's antioxidants, it appears that we might be able to get as excited about the Hibiscus!

Hibiscus flowers with their bright red and orange colourings have been found to contain flavonoids, polyphenols and anthocyanins - similar to those found in red wine.

Some recent studies have shown just how beneficial Hibiscus tea could be for our health if consumeed regularly....

• A study conducted in the US has found Hibiscus tea could lower blood pressure.  The participants in this study found that if they drank 3 cups of hibiscus tea a day they had a 7.2% drop in their systolic blood pressure.  Also those with the highest readings saw their systolic blood pressure drop by 13.2% and diastolic blood pressure reduced by 6.4%
• Another study showed that the antioxidants in Hibiscus prevented oxidation of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).  The oxidation of this LDL has been implicated in hardening of the arteries.
• A third study showed a potential cholesterol lowering effect where blood cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fat) were significantly lowered over a period of 12 weeks.

You can find Hibiscus flowers in the following teas from our Fruit Infusions range: 


Berry Beautiful, Berry Nice Spice, Sweet Cinnamon Pear, Ginger Peach Blush, Steamy Pina Colada, Tropical Passion

Diets High in Olive Oil Reduce Stroke Risk

Before I summarise the results of this fascinating new study, I want to make a note that these types of results are only going to achievable if you use good quality virgin olive oil.  Spend a little more money on the bottle you use for dipping bread, drizzling or salad dressing.

Margarines made from Olive Oil are NOT THE SAME!  They may have been (cheap) olive oil once - but they are no longer when hydrogenated to make them solid.  Please stay away from them - no matter what the marketing about them says, they are not good for you!  Use the real stuff!!


Anyway...off my soap box and onto the study......

Consuming high levels of olive oil may help prevent a stroke in older people, according to new research.

The study, published in Neurology, reports that higher dietary intakes of olive oil may reduce the risk of developing stroke by over 40 per cent. The researchers also reported that those with the highest levels of plasma oleic acid – a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found at high levels in olive oil – had a 73% reduction in the risk of stroke.

The researchers followed 7,625 people with no history of stroke, aged 65 and older from three cities in France: Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier.

The participants were categorized by olive oil consumption into one of three groups:

• No use, 
• Moderate use: such as using olive oil in cooking or as dressing or with bread.
• Intensive use: which included using olive oil for both cooking and as dressing or with bread.

After adjusting their findings to account for diet, physical activity, body mass index and other risk factors for stroke, the researchers reported that people who regularly used olive oil for both cooking and as dressing had a 41% lower risk of stroke compared to those who never used olive oil in their diet.

The authors also measured blood plasma oleic acid, finding that high levels were associated with lower stroke incidence.

“Compared to those with lowest levels], participants who had the highest levels of plasma oleic acid had a 73% reduction of stroke risk,” said the authors.

Olive oil has been associated with potentially protective effects against many cardiovascular risk factors. Rich in phenolic compounds, such as oleuropein and cafeic acid, the oil has attracted attention because of their potential anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Such compounds have been also associated with the antioxidant activity of olive oil.

It's important to note that a person's risk of stroke would only be reduced through consuming olive oil as an alternative to other cooking fats and as part of a healthy balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and salt.

Why does drinking water matter so much?

Why are we always being told to drink so much water?  Do we really need to or is it a bottled water companies marketing dream?  I think a bit of both really!  
But there are some very good, often not considered reasons for making sure you drink enough water.

• Water ensures we remain energized: Suboptimal hydration slows the activity of enzymes, including those responsible for producing energy, leading to feelings of fatigue. Even a slight reduction in hydration can lower metabolism and reduce your ability to exercise efficiently.  If we are not drinking around 25-35ml per kg of body weight daily this dehydrates our cells and we cannot then produce enough energy at a cellular level. 

• Water is important for proper detoxification: Water helps our body to flush out residual toxins created from our own metabolic waste, as well as toxic chemicals, pollution, cleaning products, skin care/hair products, foods, alcohol, medications etc.   Without essential water it puts further pressure on our detoxification pathways – liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, digestive system and skin which can lead to further complications and increased sluggishness.

• Water is also crucial for our Digestion: Our bodies produce an average of 7 liters of digestive juices daily. When we don’t drink enough liquid, our secretions are more limited and the digestive process is inhibited.   Not enough water can also cause problems with regularity and lead to constipation.

• Important for healthy blood pressure:  A lack of fluids can also contribute to high blood pressure.  When we are chronically dehydrated, our blood becomes thicker and more viscous. In response to this reduced overall blood volume, the blood vessels contract and the body must work harder to push blood through the veins, resulting in elevated blood pressure.

So some pretty important reasons to remain hydrated.  If you are bored with plain old water add a squirt of lemon juice or some leaves of peppermint or lemon balm from the garden.  

Herbal Infusions and Fruit Infusions are another way to get water into you, as they don't contain caffeine and can be good for those who struggle with lots of plain water.    You can chill them
down and sip cold through out the day if you prefer.

Soft drinks, diet or not, will deplete you and do not count as fluid intake!

How much should you drink?
We're often told 6-8 glasses of water a day and this is a relatively good guideline. But it depends on each person - if you eat a lot of fruit and veges then you will be getting more water from them than someone who doesn't.

Also if you drink a lot of caffeine, salty processed foods, are stressed or exercise a lot then you will need to drink more fluids to make up for the extra that is lost.

Sugar and Stress Reduce Immunity

Keep sugar to a minimum as the higher your intake of sugar the lower your immune function. This is very important!!!! This also includes store bought fruit juices. 

A mere 100gms of sugar can inhibit your white blood cells ability to engulf foreign bacteria by 50%! This immune suppression is immediate and acts like this for around 2 hours but continues for 5 hours after ingestion.


Think that sounds like a lot? It’s not really....

• A can of coke contains 39 grams of sugar – that is nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar 
• A glass of Just Juice Apple and Orange contains 26gms of sugar – 6.5 teaspoons of sugar. 

One of the reasons that sugar supresses immune function is that it closely resembles the vitamin C molecule and can competitively inhibit vitamin C for entry into the white blood cell. That means the more sugar you eat, the more vitamin C you need. (See below for more information on Vitamin C.

Stress and Immunity

Stress is particularly detrimental to our immune systems. Not so much short term stress, but the ongoing day to day stress that we never get a break from.

This has the ability to create havoc in so many ways, but is directly attributable to lowering your immunity in several ways.

The release of all the stress hormones like adrenaline, have a huge impact on your body. Long term they actually suppress the production and activity of many of our white blood cells.

It reduces levels of good gut bacteria, which are essential for good immunity, it leads to hormonal imbalances which impact inflammation. It can make allergies get worse or appear when you've never had them before.

Try to recognise if you are under constant stress and put some measures into place to reduce it, or include things in your life that will help you deal with it better. Walking is ideal, yoga, meditation - these are not just new age hippy things any more. If you can incorporate them into your life you will find your immune system will be so much stronger.

Vitamin C for Winter Immunity

Vitamin C is a well known and very important nutrient for immune function. The body’s disease fighting white blood cells depend on Vitamin C for normal functioning. It also acts as an anti-histamine and will reduce sneezing (it’s a great nutrient for those with allergies).

• Dosage: During winter take 2000mg a day as a preventative and increase the dose if you have a cold to about 6000mg per day. 

• You can get Vitamin C as a chewable or tablet or powder. All will do the trick although watch the sugars in some chewable ones.

• Ascorbic acid is the real name for Vitamin C. Or you can find it as Calcium or sodium ascorbate. This just means the vitamin c has been buffered by a calcium or sodium molecule to reduce it’s acidity. I like Blackmores Bio C as they also include Rosehip and Acerola fruit which contain natural vitamin C, and also rutin and hesperidin flavonoids which help the absorption of vitamin C. 

Tip: Vitamin C is best taken split through out the day, since it is a water soluble nutrient and large quantities at once may not be absorbed. 


You may experience mild diarrhoea initially when increasing the dose – just reduce the dose and then slowly increase it until your tolerance is increased.

Magnesium helps reduce hot flushes in menopause

Those who undergo treatment for Breast Cancer, usually those who have had chemotherapy will often suffer ongoing from hot flushes, a side effect of their treatment.

There is something that might help and it's one of my favourite minerals: Magnesium. 

A new study found that breast cancer survivors who took this mineral had fewer sweaty days and nights.

For the study, U.S. researchers recruited breast cancer survivors. Each of the women experienced at least 14 hot flushes per week. To see if they could help ease these symptoms, the researchers gave the women 400 mg per day of magnesium oxide for four weeks.

400mg is a normal dose, and you will often find this amount in tablets in NZ.

A month later, the women reported 41 percent fewer hot flushes. Plus, the hot flushes weren't as bad.  In fact, the women said their intensity decreased by about 50 percent.

So a very simple, cheap and safe mineral to try if you are suffering from this problem.

The other great thing about magnesium is it helps to reduce stress, prevents cramping and increases your energy.

Very easily lost and difficult to get in foods, it is a mineral that is easily absorbed and works quickly in a supplement.

Study Source: Supportive Care in Cancer

Volume 19, Number 6, 859-863
“A pilot phase II trial of magnesium supplements to reduce menopausal hot flashes in breast cancer patients”
Authors: H. Park, G.L. Parker, C.H. Boardman, M.M. Morris, T.J. Smith

Echinacea - your winter MUST HAVE!

Certain herbs have been well researched for their benefit on the immune system and Echinacea is the best known of them - and for good reason!

This amazing herb works specifically to boost the immune system and prevent secondary bacterial infections. You can take a lower dose for prevention (500-1000mg daily) and up the dose to 3000mg daily at the very first signs of a cold and it shouldn’t go any further.

You will often read in magazines or in the paper that there is not enough research on Echinacea to prove it works. This is simply and utterly not true. This seems to stem from two poorly designed clinical trials that seemed to get a lot of publicity. It is not unusual for studies on herbs to use the wrong dose, wrong part of the plant, and even sometimes the wrong species!!!! 

Pharmacologial studies have shown that it isn't just one active constituent in Echinacea that works but many of them working together.  This is usually the way with herbs and what makes them hard to study isolated components.  However it has been found that the alkalymides are one of the key actives, and this is what is found in the blood of research subjects.

It is the alkalymides that give echinacea it's distinctive tingle on the tongue. (If you've ever had liquid echinacea you'll know what I mean!)

Echinacea works by increasing the number and activity of various white blood cells (immune cells) in your bloodstream

Dosage

This is the key to getting Echinacea to work for you!  

You need to start taking Echinacea at the first sign of any symptoms, a tickle in the throat, watery eyes, sneezing.  If you take the echinacea in the higher dose at this stage, you can often stop anything going further.

The biggest mistake people make is not taking a high enough dose!

Tablets: Acute dosing 1000mg 3-4x daily!  

Liquid: Acute dosing 2-5mls 3-4x daily

Prevention - a third of the above dose.

If you miss those first symptoms and are already sick, that's ok, start taking it as it will reduce the duration you are sick, and prevent secondary infections.

Research and Echinacea
A meta-analysis was carried out a few years ago on 14 different clinical trials which evaluated Echinacea containing products in the treatment and/or prevention of the common cold.(1) Phytonews, issue 28, Nov 07, Favourable meta-analysis for Echinacea. 

The overall results showed that Echinacea:-

• Decreased the odds of a patient contracting a cold by 58%
• Reduced the duration of a cold by 1.4 days.

Zinc is an essential winter nutrient

Zinc also has a crucial role to play in maintaining our immune systems. We are low in our soils in NZ and unless you are eating a lot of oysters you could well be deficient. It is vital to normal immune functioning and if you are low you will need 30-40mgs of zinc per day to build up your levels again. You can't get zinc in NZ in a tablet higher than 15mg - so you will need to take 2-3 tabs a day to get this level.

Research and zinc
A recent Cochrane review has reminded us of zinc’s importance when it comes to ensuring the efficiency of our immune defences against viral infections. The review incorporated data from 15 trials and revealed that oral zinc supplementation taken at the onset of cold symptoms reduces the severity and length of illness.

Another interesting finding was that children who took zinc for at least 5 months caught fewer colds and were shown to have reduced use of antibiotics and less days off school.

Zinc’s role in disease prevention and treatment is not fully understood, however studies show that even a mild deficiency can contribute to defective functioning of immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells.

Additionally, zinc is able to interfere with viral replication, halting the development of infections caused by rhinovirus (the common cold) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections in children).

Supplementing with Zinc
My favourite zinc supplement is Blackmores Bio Zinc. This has zinc in an amino acid chelate – which means it is easier to absorb. It also has other cofactors in it – and by this I mean other nutrients that help in some way the absorption or action of zinc in the body. I am not a great fan of giving single nutrients to people as many of them work together – you get better results if you take them together.

Blackmores Bio Zinc, you will find 14.9mg of zinc, together with vitamin A (which is also required for healthy immune function and the maintenance of healthy skin), manganese (which works with zinc to support the body’s antioxidant defences), and magnesium and vitamin B6 (both of which are involved in zinc metabolism).

I recommend 2 tablets a day for a month, then drop back to one a day. Take with food!

You can also find liquid zinc supplements - sometimes these are easier to absorb for those with lowered digestive function.

For children you are best to get them to take zinc as part of an immunity formulation, something like Blackmores Immunoshield.

Foods that contain high zinc: sesame seeds (tahini, hummus), oysters, beef and lamb, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, beans and legumes.

Excessive Sweating

Since it's winter (well spring now) so you wouldn't think you would have problems with excessive sweating.

But some people have real problems with excessive sweating which can be uncomfortable and embarrassing especially at work - you don't want to be the person giving the presentation with big sweat marks under your arms.

Excessive Sweating is not just a problem that affects menopausal women but can affect people of all ages and both sexes. It is important to note that the hot flushes women experience with menopause will need extra hormonal focussed help to get on top of it - but they will also benefit from some of the suggestions I have below to reduce the excessive sweating.

So if you find yourself in an air-conditioned cool office and are still sweating too much and it is causing you problems then there are a few things you can consider to help reduce the problem.

So lets think about what might be happening in your everyday life that could be aggravating the problem...

Stress and lifestyle causes

The first two possibilitities relate to your adrenal glands and what happens to you when your body releases adrenaline - so it is worth talking about this as overworked adrenal glands are often the cause of excessive sweating.

When you are under stress your adrenal glands make adrenaline which is released into the blood stream. This hormone has a remarkable effect on the body and causes your heart rate and blood pressure to increase, your digestive function slows down and your blood is shunted out to your muscles, your pupils dilate and your heat up - thus you will perspire more!

If you are under long term low stress you may not notice these effects so much but they are still happening!

1. So the first thing to try to get under control or acknowledge is whether Stress causing your excessive sweating - when you are about to give a presentation or go to a performance review or an important meeting you will often find you sweat more. Sometimes you might find yourself in a job where stress is a daily occurence and almost becomes normal - in this situation you will be releasing above average levels of adrenaline and thus excessive sweating.
2. The second thing to consider is the amount of caffeine you are consuming - especially where caffeine is released quickly into the blood stream with coffee and cola drinks. Caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream which increases body heat. In this way it will increase sweating in the same way as stress - so if you are stressed and drink excessive caffeine you have double the effect.
3. Bad elimination – perhaps your bowels, overall digestion or liver aren’t working properly or are overloaded with excess bad food, alcohol and chemicals. One major way our body eliminates it's waste is through the skin so if you are clogged up and toxic in your other elimination channels your body will try to get rid of it's wastes through your skin. A sign this might be a problem for you is if you find your perspiration and/or urine is deeply yellow coloured or excessively smelly.
4. An imbalance of minerals – you might need some mineral therapy with the correct balance of sodium and potassium – an imbalance can cause fluid imbalances leading to excessive sweating.
5. There are a lot of medications that can have the side effect of excessive sweating so check your medications carefully.  Even common ones such as pain relief, nervous disorders, antacids and cold and flu medications can cause this problem.

Helpful natural treatments

• Sage tea!  Sage has been shown in many studies to help reduce excessive sweating - it is what is called an anti-hydrotic herb. (if your sweating is likely caused by menopause then try my Hormone Help blend - this has sage in it).

• To improve help your body cope with stress you should focus on B Complex Vitamins and Magnesium in supplement form.  These nutrients help the adrenal glands to function and also give you energy.

• Try a herbal tea with calming and relaxing herbs.  The tea should contain adrenal tonics too such as licorice root which will help restore adrenal glands that are tired and worn out.  For more information on this click here to see information on my Destress-me healing herbalist blend.

• If you think you need some detoxing then a really easy thing to do is to squeeze half a lemon into warm water and drink this first thing in the morning. It acts as a bitter and stimulates your digestion.  Also look at liver function herbs such as dandelion root or milk thistle.  A tea is a good way to get detoxing going as you will also drink lots of fluid that increase the detox process through your kidneys.   Try my Detox-me blend which has a gentle detoxing effect so you can take it on a daily basis.  It has no harsh laxatives and it tastes great!  Or another option is to take Milk Thistle tablets daily - it doesn't taste so great as a herb so you are better with tablets.  My favourite is Blackmores Milk Thistle as it contains clinically trialled doses and is good quality.

• If you want to still get some caffeine - and I would say it is ideal to come off caffeine completely for a while - but you could start by switching to tea instead of coffee.  The levels of caffeine are less and what caffeine there is is released slower into the blood stream so it is easier for the body to process.  Tea also contains a compound called L-Theanine that reduces stress but keeps you alert!

Try some of these suggestions, herbs and nutrients and you should notice a benefit.