What can help period pain – Part 3?
While taking nutritional supplements suits some women, I know others don’t like taking tablets. So here are a couple of other ideas to assist you with your period pain.
There is scientific evidence that from a trail of women who suffer from period pain that certain yoga poses e.g. cobra, cat and fish reduce both the intensity and duration of period pain. The cobra pose is where you lie on your front, with your hand underneath your shoulders and gently push yourself up bending your back as you come up. The cat pose is when you are on all fours and then round your spine like a cat. The fish pose is when you lie on your back, keep your pelvis and head on the floor and an arch your spine towards the ceiling.
As an aromatherapist there are a variety of essential oils that you can use to help reduce the severity of period pain. Aromatherapists split period pain into two categories:
- Congestive dysmenorrhoea – where the pain starts a few days before the period and can cover the whole abdominal area.
- Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea which comes in spams of pain in the pelvis and/or lower back.
For congestive pain:
10 drops of roman chamomile + 5 drops of clay sage and 15 drops of red thyme in 30 ml of a base massage oil.
For spasmodic pain:
5 drops of lavender, 10 drops of peppermint, 10 drops of nutmeg and 5 drops of cypress in 30 ml of a base massage oil.
In both cases you massage the whole abdomen and lower back daily throughout your period.
References:
Yoga poses >> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21514190
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Mundane superfoods – part 4
This week I explain how to replace goji berries.
Rose Hips can replace Goji Berries
Goji berries are renowned for having a lot of vitamin C. Originally from Asia, they were used by the ancients to replenish body fluids, improve skin and soothe jangled nerves. The bush-like plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants with tomatoes and peppers and is reputed to be beneficial for insomnia, tuberculosis and to increase testosterone. On the other hand, rose hips, contain so much vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, they're actually known to be the most abundant source in the world, which explains why they're so sought after by many markets. It was only in the last several decades that anyone thought to consider if there might be actual nutrition in rose hips. Once used in animal food, today they're an ingredient in jams, jellies and pie, as well as soups, bread and wine. Bon Appetit adds:"The hips, like the petals, are high in flavonoids, those small but mighty antioxidant friends. Like nettle, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips also make it a heart healthy medicine … "
Mother Nature Network adds vitamins A and E to rose hips' benefits, so they can be made into tea or even eaten to help treat colds and sore throat. Because they also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, the anti-inflammatory properties can even treat rheumatoid arthritis. The odd pods also contain pectin, which is good for your heart. Organic Facts reveals more advantages of consuming rose hips in some form, including an ability to optimize cholesterol, boost your immune system, prevent chronic disease such as cancer, regulate your blood sugar and eliminate toxins. References Bon Appétit July 19, 2017 Mother Nature Network July 6, 2011 International Society for Horticultural Science Organic Facts 2017
Natural remedies for the winter blues – Part 1
By January I am seriously missing the sun. While I know we have had the shortest day, the grey weather and the snow jsut reminds me we are in deep winter. So with the Brexit impass being deeply demoralising and frustraing, I wanted to share some tips to combat the blues. 1. Vitamin D Most people are short of Vitamin D in the uk. One of the signs of being short of Vitamin D is feeling blue. 2. Spice it up. Earlier today I was planning my meals for the week before I went to the supermarket. At this time of year I always fancy dishes containting yellow rice i.e. paella or pilau rice. I know its the yellow colour that particularly appeals which you get by adding either Tumeric or Saffron. In clinical trails Curcumin the main active ingredient in Tumeric (the bright yellow Indian spice) has been to be as effective as Prozac. A review of several trains of Saffron found it was a safe and effective treatmetn for depression. While I like to cook with the spices, it isn't as effective as supplements which are standardised extracts. For me cooking with the spice is fine as I am not depressed. 3. 5-HTP A naturally occuring amino acid, 5-HTP is used by the body to make serotonin the "happy hormone". Suplements produced from the seeds of the West African medicinal plant Griffonia Simplicifoia show promised for depression. References Woo YS, Kim S, Jeong JH, Jung YE, Kim MD, Bahk WM. Vitamin D Deficiency/Insufficiency among Inpatients with Depressive Symptoms. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2019 Feb 28;17(1):121-124. Sanmukhani J, Satodia V, Trivedi J, Patel T, Tiwari D, Panchal B, Goel A, Tripathi CB. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2014 Apr;28(4):579-85. Moshiri E, Basti AA, Noorbala AA, Jamshidi AH, Hesameddin Abbasi S, Akhondzadeh S. Crocus sativus L. (petal) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2006 Nov;13(9-10):607-11 Birdsall TC. 5-Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically-effective serotonin precursor. Altern Med Rev. 1998 Aug;3(4):271-80.

Is slouching that bad for you? – part 2
One of our biggest bad habits is slouching. In part 1, I discussed how slouching can be linked to higher blood pressure, but that is not the only health issue... It may cause heartburn... Slumping doesn’t just wreak havoc on your spine but also, in turn, on the alignment of the whole body. According to some experts, one of the consequences can be heartburn — where stomach acid travels into the oesophagus, causing chest pain.
Slumping doesn't just wreak havoc on your spine but also, in turn, on the alignment of the whole body‘The pelvis is like a bowl, and when we stand up straight we hold it flat,’ says Robert McCoy. ‘But as you shift forward, the bowl tips forward and the contents, such as the stomach and digestive organs, shift, too.’ Over time, the sphincter muscle at the bottom of the oesophagus, which usually stops acid coming back up, becomes out of line with the oesophagus and stops working efficiently, leading to heartburn. So think before you slump!

