Self Sufficient Health Care

Becoming self- sufficient in terms of your health means no longer relying upon over the counter treatments and remedies for your health care. For every single shop bought product, there is an all natural herbal remedy available. Often in fact, many of the chemical preparations sold contain the natural plant extract as the active ingredient.

The first step to self sufficient health care is replacing the commercial elements of your first aid kit with the natural variety. You can keep the basics such as scissors, tweezers, a thermometer, lifesaving and CPR instructions, a first aid book, assorted bandages, sterile gauze, and first aid tape, but anything further should be totally natural. So what should that involve?

Here are a few ideas of what you might add to your first aid kit:

Cayenne Pepper

Why? This is a remarkable treatment for a number of conditions. First and foremost it heals wounds and limits scarring when applied directly to a wound and it stops bleeding both internally and externally. It also prevents shock and reduces the chances of hypothermia setting in when a person is very cold. It can also relieve pain for someone suffering from a heart attack. To administer cayenne pepper for these purposes, simply dissolve one teaspoon in warm water and drink. For the purpose of aiding recovery to frost bitten parts of the body which it also is capable of doing, soak the affected area in the solution of cayenne and warm water.

Golden Seal Root, Comfrey, Oak Bark and Bayberry Bark

Golden Seal Root will counter most infections whilst the other herbs work well to heal open wounds by stopping the bleeding and encouraging the tissues around the wound to pull together and heal it quickly.

Echinacea Extract

This is the perfect natural remedy for stings and bites from insects and even more venomous bites. It should be in a powdered extract form and applied straight to the skin when required.

Ginger Root

Eaten raw, studies have shown that nausea is very effectively reduced. Include it in your emergency kit for gastro intestinal disorder and other instances of nausea.

Slippery Elm Bark

This is a very soothing herb and is an excellent treatment of minor scrapes, burns, bruises and can even be applied to your baby to soothe nappy rash. Either the dry herb can be sprinkled on to the affected area or it can be mixed with water and applied as a plaster as this solution sticks well to the skin.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of natural items that should be included in your emergency kit, but it does give you an idea of the power of some of the natural remedies available to us are. You will find that becoming self sufficient in this way is rather exhilarating and will also reap great rewards. Do any of you follow this idea already and are self sufficient in terms of health? Send in your comments below.

Why use Shea Butter?

I always like to have a supply of Shea butter at home because of the amazing benefits my skin receives when I use it.

It comes from the seed of the nut produced by the Shea tree which is found only in Africa. The nut of the tree is dried and then through a process of boiling and pressing, the fat of the nut is removed and hence top quality Shea butter is produced. It is totally natural and is I believe the best moisturizer for you skin. The reason for this is that the oils within the butter are almost identical to the oils found within your own skin, so you are essentially using your skin’s own naturally occurring moisturizer on your face and body. you can’t really get more natural than that, and natural is so often best!

Benefits of using shea butter include a reduction of inflammation of the skin, reduction of the appearance of stretch marks and even the reduced appearance of wrinkles if used daily on your face. It can also help remove or reduce brown spots or age spots that are a regular occurrence on our skin as we get older.

There is no greasiness with Shea Butter either, it is absorbed quickly and easily by the skin and leaves absolutely no residue. Just daily application can lead to noticeable improvements to the skin in as little as 4 to 6 weeks.

At Baldwin’s this week, Shea Butter is on special offer, so I am going to be definitely be stocking up and taking full advantage of the 20% off offer. I can’t recommend a moisturizer more highly than Shea Butter. Do any of you use it currently? Send in your comments as to whether you agree that it is the best, or whether you disagree.

Supplements for your Kids

In the past supplements were mainly thought of as for adults only, however today with kids eating more and more processed food than ever before, it is becoming more common for supplements to be given to children by their parents. A deficiency of vitamins and minerals in children is a serious problem and that is why some people are turning to supplements for an added boost and to ensure appropriate levels are being reached within their kids.

The difficulty can be however that kids don’t want to swallow a pill, particularly one that tastes bad. Baldwins can help though as we have Vitamer’s new ‘Bengal Bites’ for sale. These are the perfect vitamin supplement for kids because not only do they taste great, they are chewy and in a fun tiger shape. The natural berry flavour makes the chewy tablet more like a sweetie than a vitamin supplement.

They contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance of 11 vitamins and minerals needed by children over the age of 4. They are vegetarian and contain only natural ingredients, sweeteners and flavourings. The yellow colour is provided by Turmeric, not an artificial colouring. There are also no preservatives, yeast, gluten, wheat, egg or milk products within the multivitamin.

Furthermore, you are also giving a helping hand to Bengal Tigers when you purchase this product as a portion of each is donated to the extremely worthy cause of preserving the natural habitat of these incredible creatures.

This week at Baldwins we have these fantastic supplements on special offer. You can now boost your child’s immune system for 20% less than you could before!

Do any of you give multivitamins to your kids? Have you tried “Bengal Bites” and if so did you kids like them and enjoy taking them? As always, send in your comments below.

Soothe Away Aches and Pains

The Synergy range available at Baldwins is an absolute must have. I am so delighted to have discovered this fantastic range of products. The collection is comprised of lotions, balms and creams designed specifically to soothe away all your aches and pains after a hard days work, or even a hard exercise session that has left your muscles feeling rather tender. They are absolutely blissful especially the Body and Bath Oils which when added to your bath or shower give off the most wonderful aroma and really do help you and your muscles relax.

The Synergy range is also not expensive which is another great benefit. All the lotions and potions have been designed in conjunction with the experienced Aromatherapist Nicollanne Turner so you can be sure you are receiving an effective treatment that really works. One test of these products however will leave you in no doubt of their restorative powers.

The ingredients are Nutmeg, Eucalyptus, Marjoram, Rosemary and Black Pepper amongst other items. There are bath oils, body balms, foot lotions, massage oil and even shampoo and conditioner available. Furthermore, this month at Baldwins they are on special offer which means 25% off! I am actually going to stock up for both myself and for others - I know it is only September, but these would make fantastic stocking fillers!

If you want cleansed skin and soothed muscles, I highly recommend seeking out these products. You will not regret it. Have any of you tried the Synergy products from Baldwins? Do you enjoy them as much as I do and do you feel the benefits of using them after a hard day or exercise session? Send in your comments below.

Foods to combat depression and lift fatigue

How many times have we heard that we have to have a healthy diet, but it really is true. What we ingest has a big effect on our health, well being and even mood. This week I thought it would be helpful to list the 10 things we should make sure we include in our diet, and what foods they are contained within to help improve our mood, fight depression and lift fatigue.

Zinc is vital to help our immune systems function and improve our metabolism and digestion. A zinc deficiency can lead to irritability and even loss of appetite. It can be found in wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, whole grain and high protein foods.

Vitamin B-3 (or niacin) needs to present in ample amounts in our bodies otherwise we are prone to depression, indigestion, irritability and even cold sores. Excessive drinking (of alcohol) can cause a deficiency. Natural sources of this vitamin are found in pork, chicken and oily fish like mackerel and salmon.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the hard hitters when it comes to fighting depression. Studies have shown they even help sufferers of more severe mental illness such as bi-polar disorder. Tuna, salmon, walnuts and canola oil are good sources of omega 3 fatty acids although it can also be taken via a supplement.

Water helps combat fatigue and improve mood. Furthermore it helps your skin and motor function. Drink at least 2 litres a day to really experience the benefits. Caffeine removes water from the body so drink even more water if you are a coffee drinker, or better yet, drink a herbal tea instead of the caffeine laden drink.

Vitamin E boosts our immune system and help fights infections as well as contributing to our overall health. Eat some nuts, seeds and plenty of fruit and vegetables each week to make sure you are getting enough.

Folic Acid levels need to stay high as studies in the past have linked low levels with depression. Sources of Folic Acid can be found in leafy green, beans, peanuts and orange juice.

Calcium helps combat stress as well as anxiety and low levels can result in poor sleep among other problems. Non dairy sources include broccoli and tofu otherwise it is milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Vitamin C is an excellent immune booster. Drink a glass of orange juice each day and include other citrus fruits in your diet like lemons and grapefruit.

Iron deficiency has very negative effects on our health. Low energy levels, fatigue and anemia can be caused. Good sources of iron include beans, beef, peas, nuts and spinach. Liver and beef are also sources however generally we should restrict how much red meat we eat.

Stocking up on these vital nutrients will ensure that you stay feeling well, sleeping better and remain in a positive and upbeat mood. Does anyone have any other tips on combatting depression, irritability and lifting our mood?