April 2014 - Help Me Be Healthy

Natural Help for Hayfever

Posted on April 24, 2014April 24, 2014 by jenny

Natural Help for Hayfever

The weather has been so beautiful recently, we even had a lovely Easter weekend! So this week I am going to take a risk and write about natural help for Hayfever. I am very sorry if this jinxes the weather and it rains for the rest of April and May!
There are many people who do suffer with Hayfever – a sensitivity or allergic reaction to grasses and pollens, which leads to problems like itchy, irritated eyes, runny nose a sneezing. One of the most common solutions for this is to take an anti histamine. However, some of the stronger anti histamines can make you feel quite drowsy. The other problem is that it is recommended that you don’t have alcohol with them, which for many people means that summer dreams of beer gardens and chilled wine are ruined. Which is why we look for natural help for Hayfever.
Natural remedies can offer a real alternative. They are completely safe and non drowsy. Many of them can be used in children. Plus, they do not react with alcohol – win, win!

Sneezing & Runny Noses

My remedy of choice at this time of year tends to be Vogel Pollinosan. This is a tablet which you can chew or swallow and it works by desensitising your system to the grasses and pollens. This in turn can drastically reduce symptoms. I take this home for my husband at this time every year. I actually tend to find his constant sneezing throughout May and June really quite irritating – which I know is awful, but it really did used to be non stop and he does sneeze quite violently! I started him on the Pollinosan around 5 years now and it has been consistently great for him – and me – by significantly reducing the amount of sneezing and getting rid of the sore red eyes altogether when he’s taking it. It also tends to work for him quite quickly as well, relieving symptoms within the first half an hour of taking the pills. This is helpful because with the seasons being so unpredictable, it means he only needs to use them on days when the pollen is high.
As well as the Pollinosan tablets, Vogel also make a nasal spray which is great for those looking for quick relief for a bunged up nose due to Hayfever – we have had some great feedback on this, with one lady saying that she used to struggle hugely with her sinuses every summer before starting on the Pollinosan Nasal Spray

Sore, itchy eyes

For those struggling with simply red sore eyes, then look for eye drops made with the herb eyebright. Eyebright has a natural anti inflammatory effect on the eye and again can offer quick relief. There are two options here, Potters Allerclear eye drops, which are individual servings or Vogels Eye Drops for sore eyes. We used the Vogel ones last year when my daughters eyes became sore in the summer and it worked really well.
I hope all of this means that whatever the issues you have with Hayfever, we have a safe natural remedy which will offer you relief – with no restrictions or drowsiness! Hopefully you will all be able to find your own natural help for Hayfever.

Strong healthy Nails

Posted on April 15, 2014April 15, 2014 by jenny

This week I am writing about healthy nails after receiving a request, via our Facebook page (Facebook.com/MorecambeHealthFoods), for an article on that topic.
Healthy Nails are often spoken about in the same breath as healthy hair. This is because the growth of hair and healthy nails are affected by the same nutrients and issues. For this reason many of the products we sell for strengthening the nails will also be beneficial for brittle or falling hair.
The main considerations for strong and long nails and hair are:
SILICEA –
This important mineral is involved in providing the structure onto which healthy hair and nails are built. It provides the strength and structure. It is therefore the best product to choose if you are struggling with weak or splitting hair or nails. We have had some great feedback on this – in fact I started using this myself late last year when I noticed that my nails had started to peel and break quite a lot. You do have need to be patient because you have to grow new nails – which takes around three months, but I have to say that my nails are now one hundred percent better – no flaking or peeling and they are growing really well – as is my hair!
IRON –
This is particularly important for women. Partly due to menstruation and also many of us eat very little red meat – the main source of dietary iron.
People often think that iron only affects the blood and energy levels – but low iron levels can also affect the hair and nails. Low iron levels can lead the hair to become quite thin, as you will have less active hair follicles. With the nails it can cause ‘spoon shaped’ nails to grow – with a real dip in the middle, the nails could also be really brittle, if iron levels are low. If you suspect this could be the case – it may be worth using a good iron supplement like Solgars Hematinic Formula for a month or so.
THYROID FUNCTION –
If you have ridges in your nails, weak, brittle or falling hair and you are struggling with weight issues, it could be worth getting your thyroid levels checked. Your thyroid is a major part of your metabolism, so most people know that it can have an impact on weight loss or gain. But low levels of thyroid hormone can also lead to problems with hair and nails, low energy, low mood and problems with temperature regulation. If this sounds like you – find out your thyroid levels. Sometimes your thyroid may not be bad enough you to need medication, but a ‘borderline’ type reading could still give rise to the problems we have listed here. We have seen many people with lower thyroid readings find benefit from a thyroid support supplement including an increase in energy and weight loss and an improvement in their hair and nails.

Natural help for Menopause

Posted on April 7, 2014April 7, 2014 by jenny

Over the last few weeks I have been writing about PMS and the problems that it can bring as well as the natural remedies which may help to offer some relief. This week I am completing that series with a look at menopausal issues.
HOT FLUSHES AND NIGHT SWEATS – for many women the main irritation associated with the menopause is having to deal with the hot flushes and nights sweats. The night sweats particularly as they lead to disturbed sleep and therefore fatigue. The first herb we always turn to to try and help with this problem is sage. Sage has been found to help reduce the symptoms of hot flushes and night sweats quite effectively – with apparently up to 8 out of ten women reporting significant reduction in symptoms – this is well worth a try.
LOW MOOD, ANXIETY AND FATIGUE – these issues can all affect women who are going through the menopause. This is because our hormones actually have quite a strong effect on our moods, oestrogen for example is naturally anti depressant, whilst progesterone helps to keep you calm. So falling levels or these hormones during the menopause can cause issues with low mood, anxiety and fatigue. We often suggest products like Soya or Red Clover, due to their content of Isoflavones – substances which mimic hormonal action in the body – to try and help relieve these issues. Our favourite for those really struggling with low mood or anxiety is Vogels Menosan Menopause Support this is a fermented soya based product, which we have had great feedback from. For those struggling with mood issues and fatigue, we tend to try Natures Aid Red Clover Complex first as this combines the effects of red clover with Siberian Ginseng, which has a reputation for helping to boost energy and stamina.
DRYNESS – with falling oestrogen levels, women can notice that their skin, their vagina and even their eyes may become more dry. Vaginal dryness can of course lead to irritation and discomfort. Dry eyes can actually lead to your eyes streaming with tears – as your body attempts to compensate for the lack of lubrication, by producing extra tears. All this happens because the oestrogen we produce during our cycle helps to produce natural lubrication. Therefore, as the levels of this hormone drop, these uncomfortable symptoms can arise. Again looking to Isoflavones from fermented Soya products, such as Vogels Menosan Menopause Support could be helpful. This is due to the fact that it is believed these Isoflavones could mimic the oestrogenic actions in your system.
Our favourite product for these problems though is often Sea Buckthorn – Omega 7. I wrote about this last year, mentioning how helpful my mum had found it for her dry eye problems – her streaming eyes had been stopped within weeks of starting to use this supplement! Since then we have had literally scores of people report the same results.
We have had other women tell us that it has also helped them with the vaginal dryness which had been irritating them as well. Which is why we love it!

Low Oestrogen – Low Mood

Posted on April 1, 2014April 5, 2014 by jenny

Over the last two week we have been looking at PMS and have discussed progesterone and androgens. This week I am going to take a look at the third hormone involved with the cycle – oestrogen. Oestrogen is very important to the proper functioning of the cycle and is very much involved with ovulation. Falling oestrogen levels could therefore mean that periods become lighter, more erratic and could even go missing for a month or so. Oestrogen also has a huge impact on the mood as it actually has natural anti depressant activity. Low oestrogen could therefore be indicated by your mood dropping suddenly during your cycle or before your period. If you suddenly feel inexplicably low, tearful or depressive – ask yourself – could you have just ovulated or are you due on – if the answer to either (or even both) of these questions is yes, your falling oestrogen levels could be at the root of it. It is often thought that dropping oestrogen levels signal that a woman could be pre menopausal, but whilst this may often be the case, these problems may also occur earlier in life as well.
As well as lighter, more erratic periods and low moods, the following issues could also indicate lower oestrogen levels being involved with your hormonal problems –vaginal discomfort– dryness, soreness and itching – without thrush, thinning skin, painful or tender joints, increased body temperature, sweats and also problems with urinary continence.
NATURAL HELP FOR LOW OESTROGEN
It is often suggested that when oestrogen levels are low, natural remedies which contain plant oestrogens, could offer relief from uncomfortable symptoms. We should be clear here though – plants do not actually contain any oestrogen, they actually contain substances known as isoflavones, which have a similar chemical make up to the oestrogen in your body. What this means is that taking a plant which contains isoflavones could actually ‘con’ your body into thinking that your oestrogen levels are higher than they are and therefore reduce some of the symptoms associated with low oestrogen levels. Possibly the most well known plant oestrogens are Soya Isoflavones. However, it is worth noting here not all soya products are equal. As soya needs to be fermented in order to ‘activate’ its oestrogenic action, just taking a plain soya product or eating soya rich foods, may not provide the benefits you seek.
If you want to try plant oestrogens to see if they could be helpful for you, look for a soya product which has already been fermented, such as Vogels Menosan Menopause Support. This is relevant, even if you are not menopausal, if you think you may have low oestrogen. We have had some great reports back on this product with one woman telling us that she has found it reduced this vaginal discomfort she was suffering, another telling us that it had been a ‘life saver’ as it had helped her low mood so well and another who tells us it is the only thing which has ever helped her pre menstrual sweats!