Herbs

What the heck is Candida & how to know if you have it

December 15, 2018 By admin Leave a Comment

If you have any of these symptoms, you may have candida:-

A white coating on the tongue is typical.
You are sensitive to many foods
You carry stubborn weight, no matter what you do
You experience brain fog
You have ongoing tummy bloating
You are struggling with autoimmunity
Your hormones are still wonky in spite of doing many good things
You crave something sweetor anything with carbs
You have itchy ears, rectum or vagina
You struggle with intestinal distress such as constipation, bloating, or gas
You have mental/emotional aspects including depression and anxiety
You have debilitating fatigue or exhaustion
You have chronic sinus infections
Recurring vaginal yeast infections
Hypothyroidism (Candida inhibits thyroid conversion)

What exactly is Candida?

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus or yeast, meaning that it will grow out of balance in the right conditions. We all have it in our bodies, and most of the time it’s harmless. When it overgrows, it causes major problems and symptoms.

It's a very common condition and if you suffer from digestive issues, fatigue, brain fog, recurring fungal infections, skin problems, mood swings, and more, it could be due to a Candida overgrowth.

You can beat your Candida and have your energy and vitality return, mental clarity restored, and chronic symptoms fade away.

For some women, clearing Candida is as easy as abstaining from sugar and processed carbs for 6 to 8 weeks. For others, it can take a well orchestrated effort involving a lot more.

Bottom line: Candida can be an infection that needs to be cleared for good, so you can move forward with your health.

What Causes Candida?

It could be any one from the list below, or a combination of them that reduces your good gut flora, thins your gut lining, compromises your immunity and allows candida to take over.

If you've had it for a while, it can also start start to play havoc on your hormonal and immune health.

The main causes are:

You have a diet high in sugar & refined carbohydrates and alcohol. These break down to glucose, which is candida's preferred food source to allow it to proliferate and begin to take over your intestinal tract.
You may have chronic stress - this suppresses your immune system and signals your body to release stored glucose into the bloodstream, which the candida loves!
You've been on antibiotics or birth control pills, or the antibiotics in your meat supply.

These can destroy the friendly, good bacteria in your gut that play a huge role in your immune system. With your good bacteria destroyed, the fast growing yeasts take over and can grow unchecked. Antibiotics - even just one full-spectrum round can cause it.

Antibiotics kill bacteria—both the good and the bad. So whenever antibiotics are used, you need to repopulate the intestinal flora with good bacteria (probiotics).

Antibiotics can also thin your mucosal lining, leaving you ill-equipped to wrap up pathogens such as parasites and transport them out of the body. This can make us vulnerable to all kinds of foreign invaders and yeast overgrowth.
Your immune system is weakened - if you have an existing inflammatory or autoimmune condition, your weakened immune system gives the yeasts more opportunity to reproduce.

If Candida penetrates your gut lining so that it becomes leaky, it then opens the floodgates for undigested food particles, toxins, viruses, and bacteria to pass through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream. This then triggers an inflammatory response from your immune system in an attempt to fight off these foreign “invaders”.

How to Test for Candida?

There are stool, blood and urine lab tests you can do for Candida overgrowth.

Stool Testing
This is one most accurate test available. This will check for Candida in your colon or lower intestines.

You need to ensure that you do a comprehensive stool test rather than the standard doctors stool test. The lab can usually determine the species of yeast as well as which treatment will be effective.

Urine Organix Dysbiosis Test
Can detect elevated D-Arabinitol, a waste product of Candida overgrowth, and determine if there is Candida in your upper gut or small intestines.

However, many people can't afford to run labs and many don’t want to go through the hassle of testing.

When that is the case, there is a fast, easy, free DIY Candida spit test you can do at home (it was also featured on The Dr. Oz Show).
For six days in a row, when you wake up in the morning, fill a glass halfway with room-temperature water (before you brush your teeth or eat or drink anything).

It’s as simple as this:
Next, work up about a teaspoon amount of saliva and spit it into the glass. Check it three times over the course of forty-five minutes to see if your saliva sinks to the bottom, stays floating on top, or if it grows legs, little spindly tails that reach down the glass.

If it sinks or grows legs, then you can suspect that yeast is overgrowing in your system. Don’t be freaked out, it happens to so many of us these days, and there is a way to cleanse from it permanently.

How do you deal with your Candida overgrowth?

In a perfect world, your good bacteria would keep the Candida in check and it wouldn’t be a problem, however we are doing so many things daily to kill our good gut bacteria.

Effectively treating your Candida involves stopping the overgrowth, restoring the friendly bacteria that usually keep them in check, and repairing your gut so that Candida can no longer enter your bloodstream.

You can accomplish this with a simple and proven four-wave attack as follows:

Part 1: First, you need to starve the Candida by removing the foods that feed it from your diet.

Eliminate all yeast, gluten, sugar, white flour, fermented foods and drinks, and most fruit. Complex carbohydrates such as gluten-free grains, legumes, and root vegetables are allowed, but should be limited. Focus on non-starchy vegetables, clean animal protein, and healthy fats including avocado, butter, and coconut oil for six to eight weeks.our text here...

Coconut oil - Take 1 tbsp of extra-virgin coconut oil daily and use in meals, where possible. Coconut oil exhibits both antimicrobial and antifungal properties and has demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of fungal infections including Candida.

Alkalise with greens - Get your daily greens by adding 1 cup of dark, leafy greens like spinach or kale to every meal or have a vegetable juice twice daily - 4 celery stalks, 1 cucumber, 1 cup spinach or kale, 1 inch ginger, 1 lemon and ½ an apple.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) - Take 2 teaspoons in a small amount of water twice daily. ACV has anti-fungal properties which can kill yeasts and prevent yeasts from reproducing.

Part 2: Attack the Candida by using herbs, oils & supplements that can help remove Candida

Use healing herbs & spices - Cook with garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and oregano. These herbs exhibit antifungal properties that prevent the continued growth of Candida. Black walnut, olive leaf and golden seal are also helpful in combating candida.

Vitamin C - Take 1,000 mg of a wholefood Vitamin C supplement twice daily. Vitamin C helps fight off the ‘die-off’ symptoms of Candida. This is when the yeast in the body releases toxins into the system as it gets killed off.

superman oregano essential oil

Oregano oil - has been used medicinally for centuries due to its potent antiviral, antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies indicate its efficacy in overcoming Candida overgrowth

Part 3: You'll need repopulate your gut with good bacteria using a probiotic supplement to restore your gut’s healthy microbial balance.

Build your gut and intestinal tract using a glutamine-based product, to heal your gut lining.

Part 4: Manage Stress. You can take an epsom salt bath - Enjoy a warm bath with two cups of epsom salt daily. This reduces stress & draws toxins out through the skin. Add some lemongrass essential oil for its refreshing smell and therapeutic antifungal effect that has been shown to kill external candida

You can’t possibly live to your fullest potential if you’re constantly hindered by how you handle stress, on-going digestive issues, tiredness, haywire hormones yo-yo dieting, and not having enough energy to get all you need done. The list goes on….. sleepless nights..

By taking charge of your health you can take charge of how you feel and how you LIVE.

My consultations and health programmes are not your typical diet program. Instead, we focuses on fueling your body with delicious, nutrient-dense foods that boost your metabolism and help you increase you energy levels and release excess weight – and keep it off.

I will coach you through a process that has worked for me and my clients.

If you’re interested in learning more about working with me, schedule a FREE 20 minute Health Strategy Session now – email me sue@suehardman.com

Cinnamon Spice – Superfood, Antioxidant & Sugar Cravings

November 8, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Cinnamon has been used in Chinese medicine and Ayurveda and has long been revered it for its near superpowers, using it to treat things such as colds, indigestion and cramps, not to mention for its anti-clotting properties as well as attributes for the brain function and memory. These societies also believed it could improve energy, vitality and circulation. It’s no wonder Cinnamon is considered a superfood!💚💚

Just some of Cinnamon’s benefits:

☘️ Among Cinnamons most impressive health benefits is impact on blood sugar and ability to improve glucose control. this herb can normalise blood sugar levels, helping to reduce cravings for sugar. By controlling blood sugar levels you can prevent spikes after meals.

☘️Ranks #1 with it’s protective antioxidant levels than many so-called antioxidant foods, like-for-like. For example, one teaspoon has as much antioxidant capacity as a full cup of pomegranate juice or a half-cup of blueberries.

☘️Over seven kinds of flavonoid compounds so it is highly effective for inflammation throughout the body.

☘️Studies have shown that it reduces several of the most common risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and high blood pressure.

☘️Contains many antioxidants and it’s anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the effects of aging on the body and brain – activates neuro-protective proteins that protect brain cells from mutation and undergoing damage.

💚 A natural anti-microbial, anti-biotic, anti-fungal, and anti-viral agent. The immune-boosting abilities are found in the essential oil.

☘️ Its naturally sweet taste, adding cinnamon to foods and recipes can help you cut down on the amount of sugar you normally use, thereby lowering the glycemic load of your meal.

Balance your blood sugar and keep your energy consistent all day

Sugar may be one of the reasons you tend to get energy highs and lows throughout the day, and the cause of your roller-coaster with energy – can’t get up in the morning and / or you get that terrible afternoon slump! So it’s essential to keep your glucose levels consistent throughout the day. How do you do that? The most important thing to do is to include the right foods at the right time (that’s a whole story on it’s own and for healthy eating guidelines for woman – READ more HERE

When adding cinnamon to your diet, daily, you can also make a big difference to controlling sugar cravings and the glucose spikes. Of course if you want to know why sugar makes you look older than you are – read more HERE What do you need to do to reap the benefit? manage blood sugar with cinnamon

By just having a ¼ or ½ teaspoon of cinnamon you can start lowering and regulating your blood sugar levels. Just remember that unless you’re adding it to a balanced healthy diet – high in vegetables and extremely low in fructose and grains – you’ll likely not experience any benefit.

Sprinkle cinnamon onto your whole grain oatmeal, cereals, yogurt, soups and sauces – even your smoothie! Simmer your favorite tea, coffee or beverage with cinnamon sticks or sprinkle with cinnamon powder, creating the perfect breakfast drink or bedtime nightcap.

To find out more about how you can have optimum wellness as you enter your 40’s and feel radiant have vitality, and energy to do all that you want to have radiant skin, calm any digestive issues, cope better with stress, anxiety and have much higher long-lasting energy levels.

You can make use of my Complimentary 15 minute phone call to get your questions answered Schedule Appointment

Oestrogen Dominance – 9 ways to reduce it

October 31, 2017 By admin 2 Comments

Are Your Oestrogen Levels In The Right Balance?

Hormones are the chemical messengers that control major body functions. Any imbalance can wreak havoc on your health. Some of the most important hormones for us to understand and keep in a healthy balance are our sex hormones.

Each hormone needs to be in the right balance for you. In 30’s your hormones will have different levels to when you’re 50.

As you enter perimenopause (usually after 40) through to the age of 50, there is an approximate 35% drop in oestrogen, and approx. 75% reduction in progesterone occurring simultaneously. This is considered normal, however because oestrogen and progesterone are so dependent on each other, the dramatic decrease in progesterone production leaves many women with symptoms of oestrogen dominance, even if oestrogen levels are lower than before.

Oestrogen is a fabulous hormone:
– it gives you hips, breasts, and thighs.
– It builds up the endometrial tissue in your uterus during your cycle ( important when having a baby).
– It protects your brain, heart, and bones

There’s more than one oestrogen, be sure to have the good one!

Oestrogen is not a single hormone but a group of hormones that are present in both men and women. They’re produced by adrenal glands, fat tissue, the ovaries and the testis.

The term “Oestrogen” is an umbrella term for three hormones – estradiol, estriol and estrone.

Estradiol is the most commonly measured type of oestrogen for non-pregnant women. Estradiol varies throughout the menstrual cycle. After menopause, estradiol production typically drops to a very low but constant level.

Estriol levels usually are only measured during pregnancy. And Estrone may be measured in women who have gone through menopause to determine their oestrogen levels.

Excess estradiol can be dangerous. Many diseases, including cancers and fibroids, are associated with too high estradiol levels.

To complicate matters, when oestrogen is broken down into metabolites in the liver, “good” or “bad” metabolites and they can either help or harm your health and wellbeing.

Oestrogen breaks down into 3 different type of metabolites. They are:

2-Hydroxyestrone (or 2-OH for short)
4-Hydroxyestrone (or 16-OH for short)
16-Hydroxyestrone (or 16-OH for short)

2-OH is beneficial. You need to make at least 70% of this.

4-OH is mostly not beneficial. You want to make 10% or less of this.

16-OH is mostly not beneficial. You want to make no more than 20% of this.

Women who metabolise a larger proportion of their oestrogen via the 16-OH pathway may be at a significantly elevated risk of breast cancer compared with women who metabolise proportionally more oestrogen via the 2-OH pathway.

The “good” metabolites are known to have high antioxidant activity, which provides protection for the brain and heart.

The “bad” metabolites have been tied to cancer and weight gain.

It would make sense that you would want to do what you can to increase the good metabolites and decrease the bad metabolites, increasing the 2-OHE:16-OHE ratio. It is believed that by doing so we decrease the risk for a number of oestrogen-responsive cancers.

So what happens if your body is producing too much or too little oestrogen?

When women experience insufficient oestrogen, they can experience symptoms – including trouble sleeping, headaches, decreased labido, irregular periods, mood swings and hot flashes.

You want oestrogen sticking around, but you also want it to stay in check. When it starts running the show and knocks other hormones like progesterone out of whack, oestrogen imbalance occurs.

Whether it’s extra inches (especially) around the middle, ongoing fatigue, skin issues, trouble sleeping, PMS, PCOS, fibroids or fertility issues you may have a hormone imbalance.

Hormones can effect your size and shape and may be the reason you’ve struggled with losing weight and keeping those extra inches off. Too much fat below the belly button, hips and buttocks may indicate you have a hormone imbalance, in particular oestrogen dominance.

As oestrogen levels rise, controlling your weight becomes really difficult, because fat cells also produce oestrogen. So the more fat cells, the more oestrogen is released into your body, and the more your fat cells grow.

The following symptoms are common among those with oestrogen dominance. What begins with mild symptoms in younger years often becomes moderate in the mid to late 30s, and severe by the time a person reaches their mid-40s.

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, you may be experiencing some level of oestrogen dominance. You’ll be in a far better place if you address your hormone imbalances when they are still mild, it will also mean you’ll have an easier transition to the menopause.

MILD	MODERATE	SEVERE
Premenstrual breast tenderness	Irregular menstruation	Uterine fibroid tumors
Premenstrual mood swings	Weight gain	Endometriosis
Premenstrual fluid retention, weight gain	Hair loss	Fibrocystic breasts
Premenstrual headaches	Depression	Polycystic ovary syndrome
Menstrual cramps	Fatigue	Breast tumors
Thyroid dysfunction	Infertility
Adrenal gland fatigue	Thickened uterine lining
Headaches, migraines	Accelerated ageing
Severe menstrual cramps	Miscarriage
Heavy periods with clotting	Anxiety and panic attacks
Joint and muscle pain	Autoimmune disorders
Decreased libido	Impotency
Insomnia and restless sleep	Oestrogen related cancer
Dry eyes
Lowered libido
Prostate problems

What can cause oestrogen excess?

Oestrogen is a vital hormone for many functions in your body, but if it’s not in it’s natural form or at the right level for you then it will interfere with your hormonal activity.

According to the work of Dr. John Lee, the balance of your body’s natural hormones are disrupted because we are living in a ‘sea of oestrogens’ as a result of:-

Eating non-organic animal foods with high levels of hormones i.e meat, diary, chicken.

Increased synthetic oestrogens found in things like plastics (BPA), medications, synthetic hormones (the pill and HRT) and chemicals from beauty products and chemicals in your environment.
Pesticides that mimic oestrogen in your body and send messages to the hypothalamus that it needs to keep producing more and more oestrogens.

Dr. John R. Lee coined the term ‘oestrogen dominance’ to describe what occurs when a woman has deficient, normal, or excessive oestrogen but little or no progesterone to balance oestrogen’s effects.

Even low oestrogen levels can create oestrogen dominance symptoms if you’re also low in progesterone. In my practice, I’ve found that these factors can create oestrogen imbalance:

Being overweight or obese (fat cells produce excess oestrogen)
Being overly stressed (adrenal hormones are overly stimulated)
Poor diet choices
Autoimmune conditions
Gut conditions i.e. constipation and dysbiosis
Environmental toxins

Chemicals—called xenoestrogens— can set the stage for oestrogen dominance. One study found that mineral water with xenoestrogens leached from plastic packaging material could create oestrogenic activity, and sadly, these chemicals are all over the place in our modern world.

That being said, oestrogen dominance doesn’t occur in a vacuum. often when oestrogen gets out of balance, other hormones like insulin and cortisol can quickly follow.

9 ways to take charge of your oestrogen levels so that you can have your best life:

There are some simple changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle that may be just what the Doc ordered.

Get more fibre – Plenty of complex carbohydrates and fibre from beans, lentils, wholegrains, vegetables and fruit. Fibre helps your body eliminate excess oestrogens. That’s why the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’, is still so relevant to you today.Eat moderate amounts of protein – legumes, fish, eggs & chicken. Good fats such as nuts, seeds, oily fish and cold pressed vegetable oils. Eating enough fats and protein are key to ensuring the correct hormone levels in our body.
Help your body detoxify daily by supporting your liver. Among its copious nutrients, studies show indole-3-carbinol (I3C)—prevalent in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables—prevents the development of oestrogen-enhanced breast, endometrial, cervical, and other cancers.Eat ‘a cup a day’ of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and kale ) to help your liver produce enzymes and provide sulphur needed for the liver’s detoxification processes and help you liver remove the bad oestrogens and keep the good ones.Milk thistle is also an excellent herb for the liver as it not only supports detoxification but it also repairs liver cells.Liver-healing strategies include eating quality protein, garlic and onions, taking a B vitamin.
Heal your gut. Once the liver processes oestrogen for elimination, your gut moves it out. Gut issues mean oestrogen probably isn’t making its way out efficiently and instead could be recirculating in your body. As you can see, identifying and treating underlying causes of your digestive issues becomes crucial to balancing hormones.
Do some exercise. Moderate to high intensity exercise helps your body maintain normal levels of oestrogen – according to research. Do a mixture of exercise, including aerobic and try increasing your muscle mass by doing strength building exercise.
Avoid the following as best you can.
Alcohol – it impairs the optimum functioning of your liver by making it difficult to metabolise and remove excess hormones.
Pesticides – Wash if You Can or Go Organic. There are a variety of chemicals and pesticides found in your food or drink that exert oestrogen like activity when absorbed into the body. These are found on non-organic fruits and vegetables as well as animal products.
Plastics – these are also similar in structure to oestrogen and confuse the body’s hormone balance because they mimic the body’s own oestrogen. Use BPA-free plastic, glass or metal containers for water.
Reduce the following.
Body fat because it stores chemicals, if you carry excess fat around the middle you will tend to have higher oestrogen levels.Chronic stress – any form of stress (nutritional, physical, chemical, mental, environmental) can increase your cortisol levels and disrupt hormonal balance. Cortisol becomes the predominant hormone and starts to reduce other hormones like progesterone and thereby increasing oestrogen levels. If yoga or meditation aren’t your thing, even five minutes of deep breathing or laughing with your best friend can help lower cortisol and reset estrogen levels.
Supplement smartly. A functional practitioner can help you design an oestrogen-balancing supplement protocol.Optimal vitamin D is also crucial, as studies show sufficient vitamin D levels can inhi
bit breast cancer cell growth. Ask your doctor or health care practitioner for a 25(OH)D test.
Get tested. Lab testing can reveal whether and why you have oestrogen dominance. I like the DUTCH test which stands for “dried urine total complete hormones” and this has more benefits than other testing methods.
The biggest and brightest names in health are reccomending the DUTCH test….Dr Mercola and Chris Kresser are all loving this test. If you would like to own your hormones, it starts with knowledge and I can help you.
Sleep becomes mandatory to balance your hormones. If you have trouble drifting into eight hours of solid sleep nightly, try a relaxing tea, a warm bath.

The great news is that you CAN shift your hormones back into balance by following these steps, and reduce not only the inches but also the detrimental effect of excess oestrogen.

Schedule Appointment

5 Foods that will boost Your Energy Levels and Help You Lose Weight Naturally.

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE HERE

You may be struggling with low energy or wanting to lose your excess weight, you might have tried a number of diets and strategies that haven’t worked for you.

I know how frustrating this can be, and how confusing it is to try to make sense of all the conflicting nutritional information out there.

I put this guide together so you can start to learn how and why specific foods, and drinks, can help you have more energy and lose weight naturally. The information I’m sharing is not about the latest fad diet; it’s about adding in nutrient-dense foods that have been proven to both aid in weight loss and improve overall health at the same time.

While some of this may be new to you, with a little bit of practice you will find it is easy to add these ingredients into your diet on a daily basis. In fact, at the end, I’m going to share one simple recipe you can make in under five minutes that incorporates all of these foods. How’s that for healthy eating on the go?

I’m excited to share this information with you, so let’s dig in!

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE HERE

Bittersweet Chamomile – Medicine for the ‘brain & gut’

October 25, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Chamomile – Why it’s way more than a calming tea

What is Chamomile used for?

The combination of essential oils and the bitter taste together make for a powerful ability to:-

– reduce any inflammation and promote healing, especially in your gut.

– a mild relaxant for the smooth muscles of your gut, uterus, bladder and respiratory tract

– excels at treating “nervous stomach”, which generally implies digestive upset alongside anxiety and nervous tension.

What makes Chamomile so effective?

Chamomile’s has a high essential oil content, that has a specific relaxing, calming effect on your nervous system.

These aromatic oils are also responsible for Chamomile’s actions as a digestive – relieving stagnation in the form of gas, gu

t cramping and mild constipation.

Herbalists – call it the ‘Mother of the gut’ as its bitter flavour gives it the distinct effect, it has one’s digestive system, increases the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes, also providing calming properties.

Why should you keep Chamomile in your herbal first aid cabinet?

A simple cup of chamomile tea is a wonderful healing tool use it to:

reduce gut inflammation, pain and cramping. It will promote healing of your gut lining and improving overall digestion.
And of course, reducing any anxiety that may be aggravating or triggering the gut issues in the first place.

I recommend you always have a box of chamomile tea as it’s an essential tool in your home’s ‘Natural First Aid Kit’ and you can use it for when you (or anyone in your family) has:-

Stress or anxiety
Nerves or a nervous stomach
Stomach ache
Upset tummy
Constipation
Inflammation
Insomnia

How will a herbalist use chamomile?

I will more than likely include Chamomile when I create a herbal formula for a client when they’re experiencing anxiety or stress along with any digestive disorders (ie a leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or dysbiosis).

A Herbalist will tailor your herbal formula depending on your specifc needs, with the correct dosage and combination of herbs.

You can make use of my Complimentary 15 minute phone call to get your questions answered

please contact sue@suehardman.com.

Wonderful Ginger – so much more than an anti-nausea remedy

August 12, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Ginger a wonder botanical medicine

Ginger, has been cultivated and used medicinally since antiquity and is used throughout the world as a medicinal agent, from the traditional medical systems of the west, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa and South America.

It’s from the same family as turmeric, which possible explains its amazing benefits. The medicinal benefits come from the pungent gingerols and shogaols, and they account for the majority of ginger’s health benefits acting as a highly potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Gingerol, has been thoroughly evaluated clinically, and the research backs up why you should use this herb on a regular basis.

Top 8 Benefits of Ginger

Ginger is a mainstay of traditional medicine with powerful benefits for just about every system in the body. Research shows it’s effective in several health conditions and that it is a multi-faceted remedy:-

1) The best-researched use of ginger is in combating nausea, cramping and vomiting, by neutralising stomach acids and stimulating the production of digestive juices.It has powerful anti-inflammatory botanical hence it’s effectiveness in relieving digestive irritation. Use it to treat your stomach ache (especially when due to undigested food), poor appetite, dyspepsia, flatulence and nausea.

2) Heart health – It can help to lower high blood pressure and keeping the blood thin in higher doses.

3) Ginger root contains compounds called gingerols which, studies say, help calm down the inflammatory “heat” that triggers swelling and discomfort in joints, muscles and other tissues.

75% of Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis patients experienced relief in pain and swelling, and all patients with muscular discomfort experienced relief of pain – in an uncontrolled clinical study using dried ginger.

Being a warming circulatory stimulant ginger increases circulation to the affected joints and enhances the effectiveness of other anti-inflammatory’s in a formula.

ginger2

4) Poor Immune and respiratory health – it’s an anti-viral and makes a warming cold and flu remedy. In addition, this root is a natural decongestant and antihistamine, and is often included in herbal cold and cough preparations.

In Ayurvedic medicine it is used for the immune system because it is so effective at warming the body, it can help break down the accumulation of toxins in your organs. It’s also known to cleanse the lymphatic system preventing toxins from accumulating so that your less susceptible to infections.

5) It has anti-pain properties by lowering the body’s production of prostaglandins (hormones involved in inflammation).

6) Poor digestion and malabsorption – if your body is not digesting or assimilating nutrients correctly you will end up with nutrient deficiencies. This is why ginger is so important. As we age our digestive ‘fire’ also decreases, try some fresh ginger just before a meal to stoke your digestive fire and support a healthy gut!

7) Fungal infections are increasingly resistant to conventional medicine, of the 29 plant species evaluated in a University study, ginger won the prize for having the extract most effective at killing fungus.

8) Researchers have found that compounds in ginger interrupt the cycle of cancer cell development—in a sense, throwing a spanner into the gears of the tumour machinery. Ginger oils provide compounds that interrupt inflammatory triggers that can cause the development, growth, and spread of tumors.

How To Use Ginger For Maximum Benefit

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In India, ginger is liberally used in daily life. Ginger-infused Chai is a household favourite.

On dining tables in India, you’ll see fresh ginger that’s turned a soft pink from being soaked in lemon juice and salt: a zingy accompaniment to any cooked meal.

You can grate it up and squeeze it into a hot tea (this is my favourite), add it to juices, baked goods, smoothies and more… experiment and have fun.

For a powerful anti-fungal, mix several drops of pure ginger essential oil with tea tree oil with one teaspoon of coconut oil, and apply up to three times a day.

Herbalists frequently add ginger to herbal formulas, as it’s known to play a role in increasing the bio-availability of other substances and it’s actions – Clears Heat & Toxins.

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Broccoli and Potatoe Soup

May 8, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Broccoli Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 cups salt-reduced vegetable stock

400g/14oz potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped

450g/1lb broccoli, cut into florets

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup light sour cream (optional)

1 tablespoon store bought basil pesto / homemade

METHOD

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil.

Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned.

Add stock and potato to the saucepan. Bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer for 6-7 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat, add spinach and stir until wilted. Leave to cool slightly so you can blend. This might take up to 15 minutes.

In a blender add basil leaves and half of the soup mixture and blend until smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan and repeat until all the soup mixture has been blended into a smooth consistency.

Heat soup over medium heat for 2 minutes or until just before boiling point.

Combine sour cream and pesto in a bowl. Divide soup among bowls. Top with pesto cream and serve. For vegan option, simply top with a half teaspoon of the basil pesto and omit the sour cream.