How to use Hawthorn - Natures Heart Healer

Poor heart/circulatory health is a reality for many people and Hawthorn is natures answer - although it has been used for centuries, we seem to have lost our connection to these simple herbal remedies.

Hawthorn is a common hedgerow shrub/tree which often lines fields and paths in the UK.  Many people can identify it, but less of us know how healing it may be.  Hawthorn has been found to be a heart and circulatory tonic, improving blood circulation around the body.  It has also been linked to emotional support by calming and reducing anxiety.

The flowers (which blossom in spring), the leaves and berries (autumn) all have healing benefits and these can be used to simply make tinctures, syrups and berry leather.

'The great value of hawthorn is that, although is can have profound healing effects, it achieves these in a gentle and supportive way' Conway (2001)

Collecting and using hedgerow herbs/plants is becoming a lost art and discovering these plants again can be a lovely pastime.

http://shamanaflora.com/category/hawthorn/

Hawthorn Tincture Recipe (Julie Bruton-Seal)

The best tincture is made in 2 parts using the flowers and leaves in Spring and adding the berries in Autumn but can be done with either in isolation.

1. Gather the flowers and pack into a jar, covering with vodka.
2. Leave in jar for 1 month until leaves have lost colour and then strain and bottle.

for a mixed tincture...

3. In autumn but the berries in a blender with the hawthorn flower tincture and pour into wide mouthed jars.
4. Leave for 1 month then squeeze the liquid out using a jelly bag.
5. Bottle and label (this keeps for several years!)
 (1 tsp a day as a general tonic, 1-3tsp or as advised for circulatory problems)

Notes: This is not intended as medical advise. Always check with your doctor before using any herb.

References:

Hedgerow Medicine: Harvest and make your own herbal remedies. Julie Bruton -Seal and Mathew Seal

Hawthorn Affects on Atherosclerosis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24126122

How to beat stress with nutrition!

What is Stress?

Stress is a word which gets used constantly in modern life – perhaps overused in some ways – but there is no doubt that it is everywhere and is almost certainly unavoidable. Stress is in fact a very primal process – most of us have heard of the fight or flight response – which is our body’s reaction to a stressful situation.  It would have been triggered many moons ago when we were chased by sabre toothed tigers – but now the queue at tesco or work deadlines are the usual culprits. Pressure in moderate amounts is a good thing; it keeps us motivated and helps us perform.  It becomes a problem when we are under constant low level stress – known as chronic stress.  This type of pressure tends to sit in the background wearing us down slowly but surely.  

Stress and Nutrition

Stress and nutrition are intrinsically linked because stress depletes us nutritionally by using up vital nutrient stores and the wrong type of food actually causes our body physiological stress.  So...the wrong diet can actually deplete us nutritionally and leave us worse off!  And surprisingly this is not only McDonalds – some ‘stressful foods’ may not even sound that unhealthy!

The Adrenal Gland Link

Our adrenal glands sit above our kidneys and they are responsible for producing adrenaline and cortisol – our stress hormones.  These hormones start a cascade of reactions in the body which prepare us for the fight or flight reaction – our pupils dilate, sugar is released into our bloodstream for physical escape, our heart rate rises and we begin to sweat.  When we are continually stressed these small glands are put under a great deal of pressure to perform and in the process they demand large levels of essential nutrients.  When our adrenal glands are continually depleted they start to tire and this can cause our bodies to become out of balance...we may wake in the early hours and find it hard to settle again – we are sooo tired but we feel wired, then when we wake in the morning and we feel sluggish and foggy. 

This cycle often hits when we are stressed and then normalises - but in some cases of continual stress, we become more and more depleted until our systems force us to stop with something harder to heal with - such as adrenal fatigue, oestrogen dominance or a thyroid imbalance.

What can we do about this?

So, that all sounds a bit scary, especially if we have a stressful situation in our lives which we can’t put a stop to!  But be reassured that with the correct nutrition our bodies can survive stress and come out the other side without any long-term negative effects!  In fact with the right lifestyle approach we can actually use stress to learn, heal and come out stronger.

Boost the with Diet with Specific Nutrients

  

The three big nutrients to look at when supporting the body through stress are vitamin C, Magnesium and the B-vitamins.  

The adrenal glands use more Vitamin C than any other part of the body and if you are stressed the chances of you having enough to support their actions is slim.  Over 200 functions in the body require this vitamin so if you are stressed then supplementing is a really good idea.  It is vital for the production of cortisol and it protects against free radicals that are produced by stress. 

Magnesium is often called natures tranquiliser as it helps your body’s muscles to relax – again it is depleted quickly when we are stressed, so supplementing is a good idea if you suspect you are suffering from anxiety of tension.  It helps to calm the nervous sustem and remove lactic acid from muscles. 

The B-vitamins are a group of water soluble nutrients which release together in the body so need to be taken as a complex.  Insufficiencies are very common when the adrenal glands have been exhausted by stress and supplementing with them can help provide the nutrients needed for energy production and nerve function. 

Beat Stress with Nutrition! 

Josie.x

Stress Busting Bath Recipe!

Aromatherapy baths are simply the best

    On first glance this one always sounds so basic and a bit wishy washy, but aromatherapy baths are truly blissful at the end of a long day. Taking time out and allowing your muscles to relax, your mind to calm and your chosen oil to work its magic is more therapeutic than people realise.

So,  I am going to give you my recipe for a truly stress relieving soak. 

½ pint of Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate - natures tranquiliser)

6 drops of lavender oil

4 drops of chamomile

Candles Optional!

Simply lie back and soak into blissful relaxation.

Enjoy! 

Josie.x

n.b. this is not just for girls!!  Sandalwood is a nice relaxing oil with a more masculine scent for those who need converting :)

How can I feel more positive?

There is nothing more irritating than someone who tells you to be positive all the time.  

Life is a rollercoaster that is meant to come with highs and lows.  If you don't have the lows, you cannot recognise the highs and appreciate them in all their greatness.  So, you cannot stop the low points, but you can take control of how you view them, you can embrace the lows and appreciate them in all their greatness too!  After all, it is in times of sorrow and despair that we learn about ourselves and practice picking ourselves back up.  It is also in these darker times that we take time to reflect and move forward and get rid of things that are not serving us anymore.

There are a million theories about how to feel good and how to learn acceptance.  Some of them work for one person and some work for another.  Some can work for a month and some stick with you for a lifetime.  There is never any harm in reading around the subject of self advancement; it gives you a nice little wardrobe of reassurance in times of change.  I will not recommend one mode of thinking over another, it will depend greatly on your spiritual beliefs and your personality as to which approach will suit you.  

We are in charge of the way we feel about any event in our lives.  This does not mean we have to remain positive all the time, but it should mean that we take responsibility for our own moments of depression.  We cannot choose other's actions, but we can choose how we feel about them, and we can gain tools and methods to control how we react to them and other external events that occur in our lives.  We can make the choice about how we react to things that happen in our days. 

 The best trick is to focus on what is good in your life, not the things that make you feel dreadful.  Focus on the good that can happen, and not the bad that has.We only get one and it would be a great shame to waste it feeling angry or sad about something we cannot change.  Our feelings can change and we should focus instead, on that.

What does this have to do with nutrition?  Everything.  If you want to eat well and look after yourself, you first have to look at your body and your health with a smile.  Do not focus on your lumpy middle, but on your lovely legs.  Forget the chocolate cake you ate for dinner (why did I eat that, I am such a failure?!) think about the green smoothie you will have for breakfast.  Tomorrow is always another day and your body will be patient as your mind trains itself into good habits.

The wrong foods can also affect our moods massively, making shifting our thoughts to more positive ones harder.  Having low energy levels due to blood sugar slumps can also lead to irritability and mood swings.

The body has a tremendous capacity to heal and change, so be kind to yourself mentally and your body will smile in reply.

Josie

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How to fight the flu season...

The seasons are changing in most places around the globe in November, some transitions being more extreme than others.  Here in Samui the monsoons have hit hard this last month.  Although we are still in shorts and t-shirts here in Thailand, it is the equivalent of winter and everyone is falling ill with colds and flu. 

Whatever your climate, a change in the season hits us all with pressure changes in the air, the temperature shifting and perhaps a rain shower here and there.  This is a time where we have to pay attention to our diet more than ever, our bodies are so susceptible to illness and we are more likely to be huddled in dark places together, with the windows pulled tightly shut (a breeding ground for colds and flu).

So, how do we boost our immune systems in times of change?

We all think of orange juice immediately and load up on Vitamin C tablets, which is a great start.  However, there are loads of other brilliant ways of getting our immune systems impenetrable.  The best one is prevention of your immune system getting low in the first place. The best thing to do is start to get your body strong as you go along. If you were working too hard or partying too long as the winter approaches you are not in a good position to fight back.

Keep Strong As You Go Along - The Tips To Keep You Topped Up.

1. Here comes the green smoothie again, try and get one in every day of the year and your body will always be in a position of strength nutritionally.

2. Super foods.  Spirulina, goji berries...the list goes on. An immune BOOST INJECTION as you approach the cold.

3. Sleep.  We need healing sleep, under no circumstances miss out.  

4. Nourishing grains. Quinoa, brown rice, lentils.  Mix in with soups, dahl, stews and broths. Power food.

5. FRESH FRUIT and VEGGIES in all shapes and forms, some raw, some steamed. 

6. Supplements.  If you work too hard and your diet is lacking, then there is a place for supplementation.  

7. Laughter.  Keep it light, don't let winter blues get you down.  Feeling low is also the immune system's enemy.

8. Stay wrapped up.  I know this sounds obvious, but your Mum was right, keep that neck covered up.  This is maintenance for all seasons, hot then cold is never good, whatever the weather.  Air-con, central heating, it's all playing havoc with our bodies as we go in and out.

9. Balance.  We need an equal balance of work, play, rest, relaxation and spirituality in our lives.  If this is out of whack...good health is hard to achieve

10. Set boundaries at work.  Try to keep your work life balanced - over working is a recipe for a weakened immune system.

Josie

How to live a healthy life.

I used to scoff at those who ate ‘too' well and called them extremists, puritans and, frankly, BORING. However a few problems with my body and an accident involving a long flight of unsuitably placed stairs robbed me of my health and made me sit up and pay attention (well sort of half listen at first).  I am going to share my experiences of healthy living in general, detoxifying the body and ultimately, how to be the best version of you possible, in a way that feels right for you.

A lot of us think we are healthy. We try to eat the right things and do the best we can given our busy lifestyles. But, we still seem to lack energy. There are so many excuses we come up with for feeling less than our best, but 90% of the time it is related, at least in part, to our diets. I am here to help you feel vital and energetic in a few, surprisingly easy, delicately trodden steps. Once your energy levels improve you can start to take leaps and bounds.

We often create an experience of time limitation in our lives, where there never seems to be a moment in the day to do what we want to do and this leads to neglect of our bodies and our diets. It is amazing how often I hear, ’I don’t have time’. What if I told you that it is actually really easy to increase your energy levels by 20% just by making a few simple changes?

I know we all have our forbidden fruits, our treats, our cravings. I think we should have those things sometimes, just not everyday. You should enjoy your food and make health changes gradually…and who knows, eventually those cravings might disappear? Actually, if you do this right (in your own time) I can guarantee they will, perhaps not overnight but when it’s right for you. If over time you choose to cleanse your diet even more, then that is fantastic.

I see this journey as a ladder to health. We climb it gradually at a speed which is right for us. Food really is the key to making us feel better about ourselves emotionally and physically. It is nature’s medicine.

Best Wishes


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