Vitamin Supplements

Research is constantly being carried out on vitamin supplements and offering new insights into the positive effects and advantages of taking them. Even aside from the obvious long term benefits or our bodies receiving adequate vitamins, there are a number of conditions that vitamin supplements can help. Below are a few ways taking vitamins can help us in our everyday lives.

Folic Acid and Vitamin B can ease migraines and headaches.

Research carried out at an Australian university has shown that an increased intake of these vitamins can quell migraine attack on both frequency and severity.

Vitamin D prevents bone fractures

A daily dose of Vitamin D can drastically reduce the chances of bone fractures and breaks in people over 65. A review published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that fractures (not involving the spine) are up to 20% less likely if Vitamin D is taken daily.

Vitamin C helps prevent Gout

Gout is a very painful arthritic condition, and the number of cases is increasing. Those with very heavy, rich diets full of red meat are more likely to develop the condition. Research carried out at the University of British Columbia has shown that men who have a higher intake of vitamin C are less likely to develop gout than men who consume very little.

So there are a few ways in which taking vitamin supplements can greatly help us in our daily lives. We have a large selection available on offer at Baldwin’s including our brand new range which we are proud to now have on sale. If you would like further information about our vitamin supplements, please feel free to contact us.

Are there any conditions that you take herbal or vitamin supplements to help with, and what effects do they have? Send in all your comments!

How to use Floral Waters

Flower waters are made from water that have been infused with flower essences. There are a good number of ways that floral waters can be used that I shall outline below:

1. Cooking - Dishes in the Middle East are often made with an addition of floral water. Sweet dishes such as pastries and puddings often have floral waters such as orange blossom added to them. Rose water is another popular floral water to be added to desserts. It is important however that you make sure you are using a floral water that can be consumed safely. Those that have additives to make them last longer are generally not suitable for consumption and you should read the label for clarity.

2. Skin Care - You can apply floral water directly to your skin which helps keeps it soft, supple and smelling very nice. It can also be used to calm very hot and sensitive skin. Often people use it after taking a bath. With a very mild and subtle smell, floral waters are a perfect natural alternative to a perfume or scent.

3. Relaxation - Lavender in particular is a natural relaxant and aid to sleep. Many people use floral water as a way to unwind after a particularly stressful day or to help them receive a long and peaceful night’s sleep. Drops can be added to your bath or applied directly to your skin for the smell to envelop you and help you relax.

4. Shine to Hair - Give your hair one final rinse with some floral water to give it that extra bit of shine. It will give it a lovely smell too that will last right up until your next wash.

5. Sooth Eyes - If you soak cotton wool in floral water and place them over your eyes you can help reduce puffiness and with continued and regular use you can even remove those dreaded dark circles that we all sometimes suffer from.

Do you use floral waters regularly? If so what is the best way you have used them – got a great skincare secret or dessert recipe, then share them with us!

Why not to eat late at night

There has been quite a lot of research into whether eating late at night is detrimental to your health, and whilst some scientists and doctors say it makes no difference to your body when you eat, new evidence suggests otherwise.

The Spanish are renowned for eating extremely late at night, often between 10 and 11pm in the summer and they have among the highest life expectancies in the world - it obviously doesn’t do any harm you might say? Well, that’s not quite the whole story because they only eat a very small serving of food at night as they have their big meal at around 2pm which gives them the rest of the day to ‘burn’ it off through general day to day activity.

Eating red meat in particular late at night is not good for us as it is quite difficult for the body to digest and requires a lot of energy to do so. So when we go to bed (which is meant to be a time for the body and mind to totally relax and recover from the day’s activity) our bodies have to go into overtime to digest the food consumed. This can lead to interrupted sleep and leave us feeling lethargic in the morning. Our bodies quite simply aren’t allowed to rest when we follow the pattern of eating very late at night.

If you are one of those however who like to have their largest meal at night, there are some small changes you can make to ensure you don’t suffer any of the consequences. Use vegetables as the bulk of your meal to enable your body to digest the food quickly and easily. Fruit is another good group that the body can digest without too much ‘effort’. Taking a brisk walk after you eat will give your body some help with digestion too and help you get a better night’s sleep.

It is possible to retrain your body into good habits and to stop craving heavy and sugary foods late at night. By bringing your supper time forward by even just a few minutes each night, you will gradually want to eat earlier which your body will thank you for! If you do find yourself hunting around for a late night snack, try drinking a cup of hot water with lemon and honey, or a nice cup of herbal tea. Making small changes here and there will do wonders for your body and your health. Do you find that eating late at night had adverse effects on you? What do you do to combat the snack attacks late at night?

Cleanse your home

Have you ever walked into a home and just felt calm and relaxed and surrounded by warmth? Many people strive to create a positive and nurturing atmosphere in their home, and it seems the ones that are most successful are those who care not about expensive furnishings but instead about paying close attention to the use of colour and other decoration.

There are plenty of tricks and tips on how to create a home that is full of warmth and positive energy, a few of which I will outline below.

1. Give your home a good scrub

It is important to have a good clean of your home every now and again, sweeping up dust and making sure you get into all the corners. A clean house is important if you want to ensure a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere is created.

2. Use correct colours

Greens and blues are both very calming colours, so use these in rooms you want to be able to unwind in. Reds, oranges and other intense colours are natural stimulants and so are unsuitable for sitting rooms or kids bedrooms.

3. Don’t forget smells

Smells are an important aspect of setting a particular mood in a home. They should be created in as natural way as possible however rather than through a chemical air freshener. An increasingly popular method to give you home a pleasant scent is through burning a smudge stick. These are bundles of herbs used frequently by native Americans in various rituals.

4. Buy plants

Plants not only provide a calming influence on your home, they also oxygenate the air making your environment cleaner and reducing your indoor air pollution.

These are some of the most important aspects to bear in mind when decorating your home if you wish to provide a healthy and positive atmosphere. There are other ideas you can incorporate if you would like to take this idea further - perhaps even having a dabble in the Feng Shui principles?

Who else has some ideas on what makes the ideal atmosphere in a home?