How to get rid of headaches

Headaches and migraines are a common problem and can easily ruin a perfectly good day. Here are a few ideas on how to rid yourself of a headache in both the short and long term.

Avoid processed food
Don’t consume anything that is not totally natural when you have a headache. In particular avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and preservatives which are often found in man-made, processed food. These types of foods create work for the body to digest which means your headache is likely to continue as the body goes into overtime dealing with these substances.

Drink water
Dehydration is one of the major causes of headaches, and even other illnesses. Water helps the kidneys function and removes toxins from the body. Drink 2 litres of water every day.

Keep blood sugar levels constant
Don’t skip any meals as this will affect your blood sugar levels. Include plenty of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and pulses.

Avoid chemicals
Chemical smells from perfume, deodorant, shampoos, cigarette smoke and other nasties can all contribute to the onslaught of a headache or migraine. Switch to natural shampoos, conditioners and other cosmetics to avoid this. Natural oils can be used instead of manufactured perfumes and natural cleaning products should replace chemical varieties.

Relieve stress
Don’t be afraid of gentle exercise when you have a headache. This is an excellent way of relieving stress which can reduce the severity of a headache. Yoga, meditation or even just abdominal breathing can also help.

Holistic Therapies
Acupuncture and acupressure points is effective for relieving pain from a headache. Try applying a moderate pressure to the webbing between the thumb and forefinger on both hands for 30-60 seconds. There are other places on the face, head and at the back of the skull that can help when pressure is applied. Massage, reflexology and hypnotherapy have also been shown to help battle migraine sufferers.

Have any of you any other ideas of how to combat headaches and migraines? Send in your comments below.

Protect yourself from Flu this winter

Winter is upon us once again, only this year we have seen a rather rampant and dangerous flu reeking havoc across the globe that although has simmered down now, could potentially rear its ugly head again in the future. Although health care professionals in the UK seem confident another bout could be dealt with efficiently and risks kept to a minimum, there are a few natural things you can do to protect yourself and decrease the chances of catching any flu, swine or the plain old seasonal variety.

Solid deep sleep, plenty of exercise and a diet packed full of fruits and vegetables is the number one step to take. This will ensure your immune system is working at its peak performance levels which is important when battling illnesses and disease. Berries, beans and green tea are especially good for your immune system.

Try and get at least 8 hours of deep uninterrupted sleep each night. Instead of watching TV until 11, go to bed at 10 with a book and you will find yourself dropping off in no time. Watching TV tricks our bodies into thinking we are not tired, when really we are. For exercise, spend at least 30 minutes each day doing something that raises your heartbeat just a fraction. Even just hoovering the house is enough, no one is asking you to train for a marathon!

Introduce more garlic into your life if you really want to fight the flu! Studies have shown it is not just vampires that it wards off, but also cold and flu symptoms. You could make some really garlickly salad dressings, or make a healthy pizza with masses of garlic sprinkled on top. Yes, you may smell a little, but that is still better than catching a cold or even worse the flu.

Have any of you got any ideas of how to ward off colds, coughs and the flu? Send in all your comments below including any top tips you have.

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.

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?

Help in the battle against hayfever

Hayfever affects millions of Britons every year with around one in 10 adults being affected. It is caused by an allergy to either tree pollen or grass pollen and is therefore more prevalent in the summer months when pollen counts are higher than in winter.

There are a few precautions you can take to help fight against the itchy eyes and continuos sneezing that hayfever causes which I shall outline below. If I have missed any out or you have a home made remedy that helps, please send them to me!

• Rub vaseline inside each nostril.
  This will help reduce soreness and to capture pollen before it heads into your nasal passages.
• Wear wrap around sunglasses.
  Wrap around glasses reduce pollens affecting the eyes, so wear them any time you are outside.
• Close windows.
  Never sleep with the bedroom window open, now matter how hot it gets! Also keep the car windows closed when you are driving.
• Don’t change your clothes in the bedroom.
  Taking your clothes off before entering the bedroom will ensure that allergens cannot be transfered to where you sleep.
• Wash hair before bed.
  Pollen sticks to your hair and will be transfered to your pillow at night, so remove as much as possible with a hair wash before bed.
• Hang your washing out mid-morning.
  Furthermore, bring it in no later than early evening to avoid bringing into your home more pollen than is necessary.

These are a few top tips for helping combat the nuisance that is hayfever. Of course there are also a variety of anti-histamines that you can take to help too, but if you want to try natural remedies before reaching for the pills and capsules, the ideas above are a good place to start.

Rid yourself of fatigue

If you are feeling a little less than sparkling at the moment there are a few things you can do to perk yourself up. Fatigue effects millions of Britons a year. With long working hours, families to care for and to-do lists a mile long, it is not surprising that at times we all feel a little, well.....exhausted.

I thought this week I would provide a quick list of the things we can all do to revive ourselves quickly and easily.

• Give your diet an overhaul. If you take a very close look at your diet it is likely that you can find areas of improvement. It may be that simply swapping the afternoon biscuits for a handful of grapes will do the trick, or it might be a more thorough change of eating habits is required. Either way, ensuring the majority of your diet is made up of fruit and vegetables will go a long way to cure day long fatigue. Beans, pulses, nuts and seeds in particular provide your body with a good boost of energy. Try some infinity whole foods for a while and see if your fatigue goes away.
• Drink herbal teas. Sad it may seem, fizzy drinks and other caffeine filled, sugary beverages need to go if you want to feel at your best at all times. These drinks are loaded with sugar that will rot your teeth and leave you feeling exhausted. Try delicious herbal and fruit teas instead. Green tea in particular is excellent for waking us up.
• Remove caffeine altogether. We automatically reach for a cup of coffee when searching for some va va voom, but it in fact has the opposite effect in the long term. It is particularly bad to drink caffeine filled drinks at night as it causes our sleep to be interrupted making us groggy in the morning. Herbal teas like nettle, lemon balm and peppermint are an excellent substitute and will ensure your overall health improves too.
• Give up smoking. Smoking causes all sorts of havoc for the body not least of which is poor sleep. If you want to give up smoking but cannot do it on simple will power alone, why don’t you try a hypnosis CD to give you that added helping hand.
• Go to bed earlier. This may seem a little obvious, but instead of watching TV until late, why not go to bed a little earlier and take a great book with you? Reading is much more conducive to sleep whereas the TV simply zones you out and keeps you up when you could be in the land of nod.

I can guarantee that if you put all or even some of these ideas into practice you will soon feel revived and back to your old self. To find out how Baldwins products can help, visit out site. If anyone has any other ideas on how it is possible to rid yourself of fatigue, send in your comments below.

Protect yourself in the heat wave

It so lovely having glorious weather. The parks are filled with people, the paddling pools have all come out and everywhere I look, people are enjoying feeling the sun on their faces. Not wanting to be a killjoy, I just thought I would offer a bit of advice on how you can protect yourself from the dangerous side effects of getting too much sun - the dreaded UV rays can damage the skin, burn it and even cause skin cancer.

Use at least SPF 15 all over your body. As soon as you get up in the morning, coat yourself head to toe in sun cream. Even if you don’t think you’ll be going out in the sun that particular day, it is still possible to get skin damage just from walking to buy your lunch or unloading the car. Just a few minutes is all that the sun and its UV rays needs to cause havoc to your skin.

• Use at least SPF 15 lipbalm. The above advice can also be applied to your lips. They burn too and need protection against the sun.
• Wear a hat. Ideally one with a wide brim or a type of fishing hat as this offers the most protection shading your eyes, ears, head and neck.
• Wear sunglasses. This will help protect your eyes against the ferocious sun. Just remember to give your face a good covering of sun cream or else you will end up with panda eyes!
• Do not sit out in the hottest part of the day. By all means we should enjoy the sun, but sitting out and roasting your face and body between the hours of 10 and 4 is really not a good idea. The sun is at its most fierce during this time and can burn the skin quickly.

Who knows how long this heat wave will last, but whilst it does, enjoy it, let it lift your mood and have a nice BBQ with friends. As long as you take sensible precautions, drink plenty of water and keep your sun cream topped up, you will be fully protected and safe. Contact us at G Baldwin & Co, to buy or know more about Sun Screen Lotion.

Tired? Stressed? Overworked?

Did you know that us Britons work the longest work week out of all our European neighbors? Our average week is 43.4 hours long compared to the European average of 40.3 hours. Here in the UK we also get a rough deal with our holidays by receiving on average a meagre 20 days per year, a full 16 less than most Mediterranean countries.


Well, here at Baldwin’s we can’t get the hours down for you, but we can ease the tension and stress associated with being overworked. Whether it’s more energy you need to tackle your 44 hour week, or the ability to relax and unwind since you are short changed by your holiday time, we can offer a variety of effective methods.

Our herbal capsule range is extensive and covers all of the most popular herbs. They are supplied in vegetable capsules which makes them very easy to take. We have 3 herbal capsule ranges. Our Bio-Health range is totally additive free and the capsules are made from powdered dried fresh herbs which are encapsulated under the strictest quality control. The Bio-Health range includes the full A to Z range of bio-health products and bio-health licensed medicines.


We also have a supply of Pukka herbal products which have been formulated by Ayurveduc Practitioner Sebastian Pole to promote your overall health. The range of Pukka products include Arjuna Heart 90 Capsules, Brahmi Plus 90 Capsules, Guggul Plus 90 Capsules, Shatavari 90 Capsules and Trikatu 90 Capsules. The third and final range of herbal capsules we supply are those of Rio Health Direct who have specialised in the herbs of the Amazon Rainforest for over 15 years. The Amazon Rainforest holds the greatest concentration of plant species found anywhere on the planet and Baldwin’s can supply the full range of Rio Trading products direct to you.

Natural and herbal supplements are becoming more and more popular throughout the nation as our lives become busier and more high pressured. We are proud of the range of natural supplements we supply as they are of the highest quality and made with care and expertise. We want to hear from you if you have reaped the benefits of herbal supplements. Perhaps you were skeptical at first but were soon bowled over by the positive effects you received; We want to hear your views.