Vital Force

Just put some Windex?

2010-08-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Eczema, rash, Atopic dermatitis, nappy rash, hives, each one of us experienced one or more of those diseases in the past.

So how should we treat those itchy nasties?
Rush to the GP for every rash? Or just put some Windex?
Well, from my experience, skin problems are often an allergic reaction to food, drugs and environmental effects.

That’s the way our body works

Our body is a big metabolic machine; it consumes nutrients from food and discards waste.
Our body tries to get rid of the waste. Besides urine and stool our body gets rid of unwanted waste through our eyes, nose and mouth.
The organs that are in charge of discarding waste are our kidneys, the digestive system and the liver. But when our body is filled with toxins, those organs cannot perform sufficiently, and the skin is the organ that takes control. The skin collects the toxins and tries to keep them afar from more important organs.
Most skin diseases are internal diseases that express themselves by causing various skin problems. That’s why we shouldn’t block the skin by smearing it with balms and lotions, because that is just treating the symptoms and not the real cause.
If we’ll block the skin, a deeper illness will appear somewhere else in our body.
So if our skin reacts because we ate some food that is wrong for us, or it’s a reaction to a certain medicine, it means you are sensitive or allergic to some substance, so its your choice-stop consuming or suppress the problem with what ever you want to use-lotions, balms or Windex.

How to get rid of the skin nasties?
Medicine wise, it’s more complicated, approach your GP and consult with her/him. Perhaps a change of medicine will help.

Food wise, that’s perhaps more emotional and therefore irrational, but hey, there are so many interesting, great new foods out there, why not try some?
It’s a drag to be intolerant or allergic to some foods, trust me, I can’t have any dairy or wheat, and I still survive and enjoy a variety of great foods.
And again, the best option, from my point of view is to Detox and heal our body by using a Homeopathic remedy, and a Nutritional plan tailored for our needs.
And you’ll see that you won’t need that Windex again!

Raw Food

2010-08-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

Israel was steaming hot. It showed in the nervous behavior of red sweaty faced people who yearned for a breeze in the middle of the city.
It was 9 AM and I felt the trails of sweat building on my back.
We were in the middle of the market, busy people hurried with full bags of fresh products, merchants were offering mountains of goodness, it smelled like an overwhelming odor of fresh herbs, vegetables and fish, and it was too hot for us. We forgot how harsh is the summer in Israel.
We stopped by the Juice stall ordering amazing mixtures of juices, mine was pomegranate and carrot. We were five sweaty people gulping fresh juice from huge cups, feeling how the drinks are cooling our bodies, now we were ready to start our shopping day.

Since moving to Arrowtown NZ we have changed our diet. Less raw food more cooked food. Don’t know about you, but I don’t crave cold food in the middle of the winter, and the average temp in Arrowtown all year long, is winter for me. When it warms up to 24°C, it’s a nice spring day. People laugh at the amount of layers I wear, and I’m sure they are fed up by my constant nagging about the weather, but hay, I came from the Middle Steaming East!

So I missed the good old Mediterranean cuisine, and believe me, I’ve ticked every line on my wish list, from watermelon to Malt beer.

Back home with all the frosty days, we no longer crave icy cold watermelon but remember to eat fresh nutrient-packed foods to keep ourselves healthy and strong.

August is a great time to find fresh beetroot in your local supermarket, here is Rami’s beetroot salad recipe

Israeli salad for the kiwi winter
Ingredients:
3 beetroots
Juice from 1 lemon
Handful of chopped parsley
1 chopped garlic clove
1 small onion chopped
Olive oil
Salt, pepper

Raw sugar or crashed palm sugar

How to:

Cook the unpeeled beetroot until soften.

Peel the skin and cut to big chunks.

Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice.

Add spices, onion, parsley and garlic.

Mix well. Let it sit for an hour to absorb the flavors.
Enjoy!

Warming food for winter

2010-06-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Chinese believe that jerseys and heaters are essential, but you should also warm your body from the inside because warming your body from the inside, will strengthen it and increase the durability to winter diseases. And the way to do it is by consuming the right foods and drinks.

So, what should we eat in the winter?
According to Chinese medicine there are, five types of foods:
Warming, slightly warming, cooling, slightly cooling and neutral.
The “energetic nature” of every food is determined by the composition, manner of growth and method of cooking. Prolonged slow cooking in a pot on low heat or in the oven will increase the warming ability of the food. This is why foods like meat stew, cooked beans, soups and porridge, are good for winter.
What should we avoid in winter?
Raw food and food that increases phlegm.
Raw salads and Food that increases phlegm (e.g. dairy products),
Are not suitable for winter as they cool the stomach and make it sluggish and cold and that influences our whole body, weakens the immune system and expose us to various diseases.
Don’t stop eating raw food in winter, keep your fruit and vegetable out of the fridge, and eat them after soaking them in Luke warm water.

Vegetables
Preferred winter vegetables have orange colour, e.g. kumara. They are warming, and they enhance the immune system. But there are other vegetables that are considered warming as onions, garlic, leek, zucchini, green peppers and root vegetables like carrots, radish, parsley and celery roots.
Other vegetables such as green peas, squash, corn and potatoes are considered neutral, but can be added to the dishes.
You can give vegetables like cucumber or lettuce energy heats by a short infusion in hot water or adding it to a quick stir fry.

Fruits
Warming fruits are citrus fruits, pears, cherries, strawberries, papaya, pineapple, figs and litchi. Fruit can also be cooked or baked.
Eat dried fruit in winter, the drying process increases their warming energy.

Dairy

Dairy considered to be a cold food that produced phlegm in our body,

butter on the other hand is a great warming food.

Meat, Poultry and Fish
Mutton, beef and chicken are warming foods.
The Chinese, recommend
eating chicken soup when you have the flu.
Freshwater fish that are considered warm are trout.

Grains

The warming grains are spelt, millet, sticky rice and oats,

So porridge seems the perfect dish for breakfast!

Quinoa is also a warm food, it is not a grain but it is
cooked like grains.

Legumes

Legumes are also warming, especially beans with dark colour,
like brown and black beans, brown beans and adzuki beans.
Don’t forget to sprout your beans before cooking,
it eases the digestion.

Oils
Warming oils are butter and coconut oil.

Nuts and seeds
Remember to add seeds and nuts to your diet, especially walnuts, chestnuts,olives, olive oil, pine nuts and sesame seeds. And don’t forget coconut!

Spices and herbs

Spice has an important role in changing the energy of the foods,
some herbs are also used. Warming spices are cinnamon, ginger,

cardamom, chilli, basil, anis, rosemary, coriander, cumin
and turmeric.

Hot Drinks

It is highly recommended to drink hot drinks in winter, mainly various
types of tea, preferably herbal tea that doesn’t contain caffeine
(but not mint tea as it is a cooling tea), green tea and jasmine tea.
Chai (without milk) is a great warming tea because it contains ginger,
cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients (makes 4-5 servings)

• 1cup lentils

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 cups water

• 1-1.5 teaspoons each of turmeric, cumin, cilantro

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• salt and black pepper
• fresh basil, cilantro, dill or chopped parsley (for serving)
How to
Sort and rinse the lentils, then place them and the bay leaves in a pot of water. Bring water to boil and cook over low-medium heat in partially covered pot for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a separate pan. Cook the garlic and chopped onion until it becomes soft with a light golden color. Add the spices and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add mixture to pot with lentils and cook for 10 minutes. (If the soup is too thick, add a little boiling water.)
For serving, use desired herbs to garnish.
Variation: Add chopped carrot or turnip, spinach or Swiss chard. Sauté briefly in olive oil before adding to the pot.

Homeopathy and winter diseases

2010-06-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Next time your G.P tells you:” it’s viral and there’s nothing to do about it", remember that Homeopathy is the ideal solution for strengthening the immune system and fighting winter diseases.

A good episode of high temperature and one or two days off school or work every winter, is the ideal situation. The high fever shows us that our immune system is strong, and it fights back very well. But when winter is a chaos of recurrent ailments, boxes of tissues and lots of sick days, we feel sick of being sick…
If it’s a viral disease the conventional medicine has no answers and the conventional treatment is to stay at home, and to take some Paracetamol.
In the case of an inflammation, your body is bombarded with antibiotics and some more Paracetamol. Well, antibiotics are helpful on the short term, but it can make you sicker on the long term.
That’s why Homeopathy is the best method to use when you’re sick, it acts very fast, it doesn’t harm your body, its non addictive and safe to use for everyone in every age.
Here are some ideas of Homeopathic remedies that are very useful during winter time. If you don’t have those remedies, you can purchase them in the clinic. Some remedies will be found at your local pharmacy.

If you need some professional Homeopathic advice, want to buy some remedies or a flu and cold kit for you and your family, contact us.

Match your symptoms as closely as possible to the most appropriate remedy listed. If you do not find a suitable remedy please contact us for help.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR COLDS AND FLU

Aconite 30C –early stages of colds, fevers, sore throats and the inflammatory stage of other illnesses. Sudden onset often after exposure to cold. Much sneezing with pain at root of nose. Dry mucous membranes.
Worse: evening or night and for touch. Better: fresh air and rest.
Allium-Cepa 30C - Common feverish cold with streaming eyes and nose. Profuse watery nasal discharge which burns upper lip. Red, running eyes with bland discharge. Headache worse in warm room.
Worse: evening and stuffy rooms. Better: open air and cold room.
Ars-Alb 30C - Catches cold easily, burning, watery nasal discharge alternating with dryness. Frequent sneezing without relief. Very chilly and shivery. Nostrils become sore and red and nose feels blocked alternating with watery discharge.
Worse: change of temperature, cold, damp and after midnight. Better: heat and warm applications, hot drinks.

Ferrum-Phos 30C-Tired and weary not feeling quite right. First signs of a cold or flu. Red inflamed eyes. Chill with shivering and fever with flushed face. Hot, burning, gritty eyes.
Worse: quick movements, cold air. Better: rest, cold applications.
Gelsemium 30C- No 1 remedy for flu. Dull, sluggish with heavy looking eyes and dull headache usually at the back of the neck. Chills and shivering up and down the spine. Aching muscles in limbs and back. Burning throat. Colds and flu usually comes on gradually. Worse: cold, damp weather. Better: after urination.
Pulsatilla 30C-Chilliness even in a warm room, nasal catarrh, bland and thick. Dry mouth with no thirst. Painful headache with changing, shifting symptoms. Worse in a warm room, after lying down. Better: in the open air.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR SORE THROATS

Aconite 30C- Sudden onset of sore throat after exposure to cold or cold dry winds. High fever, flushed face with restlessness or anxiety. Pharynx and tonsils bright red without pus, burning and mildly swollen. Painful swallowing though intensely thirsty for cold drinks.

Apis 30C- Redness and swelling of mucous membranes. Dirty grey covering of throat with or without ulcers on tonsils. Swelling of uvula. Stinging or stitching pains. Worse: warmth and warm drinks. Better: cold applications.
Belladonna 30C- No 1 remedy for sore throats with sudden onset. Bright red, inflamed angry looking throat. Swollen glands. Dry burning heat, flushed face with fever. Burning with pain extending to right ear when swallowing. Neck tender to touch. Worse: swallowing, talking, cold air, touch. Better: sitting up in bed.
Hepar sulph 30C- Pain spreading to ear when not swallowing. Swollen ulcerated tonsils with offensive breath and much saliva. Splinter like pains or, sore, raw and burning. Worse: cold air and drinks. Better: warmth of bed and wrapping up head and throat.
Lachesis 30C- Sore throat starts on LEFT side. Dry, intensely swollen with a sensation of a lump in the throat. Throat dusky, purplish dry with a constant desire to swallow. Worse: left side, pressure and constriction. Better: swallowing solids.
Merc Viv 30C- Ulcerated throat, tonsillitis. Offensive breath with profuse saliva especially at night. Swollen glands. May have bitter metallic taste in mouth. Sore, raw burning pains or splinter like pains that shoot into ear or neck on swallowing. Worse: night, swallowing, heat or cold. Better: moderate temperature.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR COUGHS
Aconite 30C- Sudden onset often after exposure to cold air. Dry croupy cough with runny nose and sneezing. Irritation of respiratory tract, hoarseness/dryness of throat. Worse: cold dry winds, talking and deep breathing. Better: lying on back.

Ant Tart 30C- Noisy, rattling, loose cough as if chest full of mucus. Young children or elderly with cough too weak to expel the mucus.
Worse: night, especially from 10 pm until after midnight, lying flat, eating.
Better: sitting up and after expectoration.
Bryonia 30C- Dry hacking cough in the evening and night without sputum. Spasmodic cough shaking the whole body, pain in the head an abdomen from coughing, better for holding the painful part. Dryness of all air passages with thirst.
Worse: movement, deep breathing, lying in bed. Better: fresh air and for pressure of painful part.
Drosera 30C- Spasmodic, dry irritating coughs like whooping cough. Barking cough which is dry in the evening and loose in the morning. Sputum is yellow/green, bitter or offensive, bloody or pus like. Retching after spasmodic cough. Worse: after midnight, lying down, singing, laughing and drinking. Better: holding chest.

Important note about fever:

Children with fevers higher than 40°C (orally) that do not respond to these remedies or general home care within six hours should obtain medical care. Infants less than six months old should receive medical care for any fever higher than 38°C. Infants less than two months old should receive medical care for any fever. Also, when a child has any fever with extreme irritability, lethargy, and mental confusion along with stiffness of the neck, seizures, recurrent vomiting, or labored breathing, seek medical care immediately.

There is nothing better than butter!

2010-05-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

While traveling to Israel and back, I kept myself sane by reading Julie Powell’s charming book “Julie&Julia, My year of cooking dangerously” a real story of a woman that gets tired from her boring life and decides to learn how to cook from Julia Child’s book “Mastering The Art of French Cooking”. She cooked for a year while blogging about her amazing experiments. The movie Julie& Julia that was inspired from her book, is one of the best I’ve seen lately.
Anyway, Julia Child, used heaps of butter in her recipes, as butter is one of the French Cuisine foundations. Interestingly enough it’s very healthy (and tasty), though there is a whole debate about it.
Sometimes when I try to explain to people that butter is a good food I have the feeling I need to duck before they’ll stone me with little wrapped plastic food, also known as margarine.

“Butter? You tell us we can eat butter?” I can hear them talking in an irritated manner, “have you ever heard of the word “Cholesterol?” well I have, but of course I’ve got another theory about that.

So I butter a good or a bad food (oil)?
The Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional Hindu system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing.) uses Ghee (clarified butter) as a medicine and Ghee is the cooking oil that s used in India.
Samneh is a similar sort of clarified butter which is being used or cooking and medicinal purposes in Yemen Egypt and Ethiopia.
So why not learn from other cultures, that surprisingly enough don’t suffer from high cholesterol, though their diet is based on (clarified) butter?!
Well, the whole scientific side will soon be dealt with, because first I am about to tell you how much Butter is important, especially for people who live in cold places, or people that suffer from cold.
And yes I’m talking about cold feet people who wear socks to bed, hug warm bottles, or sleep with electrical blankets on level 3 all night, and wake up melting from scorching heat.
So butter was invented mostly for you guys, as butter is oil, and the Chinese consider it to be a “Warming food” along with Kumara, walnuts, sorghum, lamb, leeks, onions, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper and much more.

So the butter warms up your body and helps you defeat the cold of winter in a nice and tasty way. And because Butter is usually consumed with some good bread, here goes the winter blues down the drain.
But that’s not all, because here is the scientific part written by Dr Mary Eng, a nutritionist, biochemist, consultant and clinician.
Her brochure about fats and oils was published on the Weston A Price foundation website. Read what they say about. It is an eye opener.
Well, I don’t agree with it all, as I have a slightly different understanding about milk, which I strongly believe is calves food and not people food. But butter, is as I see it, a very important food we should not trade for plastic food.

my Ghee recipe
Ingredients-
Non-salted butter
How to-
Take a heavy bottomed vessel. Place the butter sticks in it, and on medium heat melt them. When the butter starts to melt reduce the flame to low Next the butter will begin to develop foam at the top.
Simmer on low heat, uncovered and undisturbed, for 30 to 45 minutes, until milk-solids on the bottom of the vessel turn from white to beige-brown, and butter on top becomes transparent like clear water. This is the signal to turn off the heat. Never use high-heat to make ghee. At this stage milk-solids separate into 3 layers. Foaming milk-solids on top, clarified butter in the middle, protein milk-solids on the bottom. After turning off the heat, do not cover with lid. Let the ghee stand for ten minutes. Remove any crust that rises to the surface with a spoon. Strain; discard the milk solids at the bottom of the vessel by using a coffee filter or muslin cloth. Or simply ladle off the ghee into a dry jar. Let it reach to room temperature. Then cover with a lid.
Ghee can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation and remains moisture-free.

Homeopathy does work!

2010-04-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Accelerating post-surgical recovery

I hate the month of March. Three of my grandparents, and my Dad passed away on March. This March, my mum had an operation to remove a Lipoma from her thigh (Lipoma, is a benign tumour of fatty tissue) that turned out to be a high-grade Sarcoma (a malignant tumour of connective or other non-epithelial tissue). We hoped the surgeon had removed the whole tumour, and after receiving great results from her CT and MRI scans, we hoped for the best. But again, it was March.
On the 1st of April; I was informed by my mum, that she is going to have an urgent surgery in a week time. They were going to remove healthy tissue; another Tumour that hid in her thigh and do a skin transplant, using a skin that will be taken from the other thigh. I informed her I’m on my way, but it will take me three days to arrive, as we live in New-Zealand, and she lives in Israel.

On April 6th I was at my mum’s house. She was exited to see me but was very weak, cold and lethargic. She felt as if she’s going to faint any minute. Her fingers were icy-cold but she needed fresh air. A dose of Carbo-Veg strengthened her, and we enjoyed a nice day together.
In the morning of the operation, my mum was exhausted from lack of sleep, and she got a dose of Arnica Montana, to relax her soul and body. From my experience Arnica is essential before a surgery. As it helps to reduce fear and anxiety prior to surgery, excess bleeding during surgery, and accelerates post-surgical recovery.
The operation went very well, and from the minute my mum was back in her room, she got three essential remedies: Arnica Montana to reduce soreness, tissue damage and bruising. (Several randomized double-blind studies have shown that arnica significantly decreases bleeding time during and after surgery). Cantharis –that was given to relieve the burning sensation in the skin donating thigh, and Bellis-Perrenis, a remedy that is given after deep tissue injuries. It acts upon the muscular fibers of the blood-vessels, and is the first remedy in injuries to the deeper tissues, after major surgical work.
My mum left the hospital five days later; her doctors were surprised by her rapid recovery. And when I left to go back home, she was totally independent and determined to be back on track as soon as possible.
Today, three weeks since her operation, my mum feels very well; she does her usual everyday work, and enjoys visits from lots of friends. She has a long way ahead of her, and she is well prepared.

This post includes names of Homeopathic remedies that were given by qualified Homeopath. Please consult a Classical Homeopath before using any Homeopathic remedies.

To peel or not to peel?

2010-01-30T02:09:00.000-08:00

If you’re thinking that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is the healthiest diet you can have, think again!

Well, of course fruits and vegetables are great, but on they’re life journey they suffer from severe abuse.
They are being massively sprayed, gassed, coated with wax and much more.
So we have lovely fruits in the supermarket: red tempting apples, yellow sweet bananas, lovely grapes and strawberries, but, do you really want to eat them?
Some (hard to digest) facts:
Fruits and vegetables are massively sprayed to help them grow faster and to prevent insects from “sampling” them. When we eat the vegetables and fruits, we eat the traces of those horrible chemicals.
The bananas we eat are artificially ripened. The green bananas are placed in sealed rooms and gassed with ethylene gas or Calcium carbide (a gas that may contain Arsenic or phosphorus). The gas destroys the chlorophyll and turns the fruit starch to fruit sugar.

Grown fruits and vegetables are often waxed to prevent moisture loss, to protect them from bruising during shipping, and increase their shelf life.

The wax is made from beeswax, beetles, petroleum and palm trees. It is not just the wax that may be of concern, but the other compounds often added to it - ethyl alcohol or ethanol for consistency, milk casein (a protein linked to milk allergy) as "film formers" and soaps as flowing agents.
That’s why some people are sure they are allergic to certain fruits when actually, it’s the wax they are allergic to!

Waxing apples

Unfortunately the only way we know of to remove the wax from non-organic produce is to remove the skin, as washing will not remove the wax or any bacteria trapped beneath it. If you choose to do this, use a peeler that takes only a thin layer of skin, as many healthy vitamins and minerals lie right below the skin.

Well, you can peel an apple, an orange or a cucumber but what about an apricot? Or pepper?
The best solution is to wash them thoroughly with soap and water.
Some people will nod and Click their tongue and say-why won’t you just buy organic food?
Well, not everyone can afford to buy organic food, but there are certain fruits and vegetables you better grow in your garden or buy organic. Fruits and vegetables with penetrable skin such as strawberries and grapes, they haven’t got the protective skin like the apple and they absorb the chemicals easily, so you end up eating chemicals instead of healthy food.

There are no magic solutions, but there are some reasonable things you can do:
peel,
wash and
grow your own
to keep yourself healthy.

An “obstacle to cure” and the connection between Nutrition and Homeopathy

2010-01-28T20:55:00.000-08:00

The expression “An obstacle to cure” was formed by Dr Samuel Hahnemann the establisher of the classical Homeopathy.

It means that if you want to get healthy, you need to let go of old habits, ideas and lifestyle that may prevent a real deep and permanent cure.

Homeopathy is a great medicine; it heals your body in a gentle, deep and effective way.
But, sometimes there are obstacles along the way.
It is very frustrating for both patients and Homeopath, when a cure is not complete. You may feel great for a while, and then there will be an unavoidable relapse. This pendulum motion is very tiring and discouraging.

Examples for obstacles in modern life

* Smoking nicotine
* Excessive alcohol intake
* Abuse of addictive, mind altering drugs
* Imbalanced diet
* Excessive intake of preservatives, chemicals or other pollutants in the diet
* Vaccinations
* insufficient intake of water
* Lack of regular, good quality sleep
* Physical inactivity
* Stress

Homeopathy and Nutrition
Homeopathy rebalances your body, using the energy of the remedies to heal your ailments.
But if you don’t use the right fuel (food) for your body, homeopathy won’t work properly.
In Nutrition, like in every other aspect of life, not all foods are good for you.
Some people has a strong constitution so they won’t be easily affected from food, but there are many people who doesn’t even know that they are eating foods that harm them.

The Top Allergenic Foods in today’s world are:
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (e.g. walnuts and pecans)
• Fish and Shellfish (including lobster, crab and shrimp)
• Corn
• Soy
• Dairy
• Wheat
• Egg

It’s time to let go
Quitting old habits is a serious task, but essential if you want to feel better.
Our body is a machine, we need to take care of it because no one enjoys being sick, obese, stressed or tired.
Let’s start with our fuel-our food and check if it’s your optimal fuel or perhaps you need to fine-tune it.
Many people are in total shock when they hear they have to change their diet.
I know what they’re thinking-“she is mad!” “I need my milk and ice-cream!”
New-Zealand is known for excellent dairy products, but unfortunately milk products can harm some people.
So letting go, doesn’t mean your calcium intake will be insufficient, you will get a balanced personalized diet that will give you all the nutrients you need.
Be adventurous; learn to eat tasty food that is good for you!
Removing the obstacle will strengthen your immune system and improve your life and wellbeing.
You are welcome to contact me and ask questions about ways to improve your health.

Healthy Packed lunches

2010-01-28T02:33:00.000-08:00

Another school year is beginning. For parents who will be packing their children's lunch, it's time to prepare a tasty balanced meal that provides key nutrients, but is still fun to eat.

Making good packed lunches is a challenging task for most parents, all the more so for parents of kids who suffer from food allergies.
Here is some info about balanced meals and some ideas for packed lunches.
Choose foods that are easy for your children to eat:
• Children with loose or missing teeth have difficulty with some foods
• Children with their little mouths and tiny hands may have difficulty with large foods
• Children want to finish eating quickly so that they can play
• Some foods are messy to eat
What makes a lunch healthy?
• Whole grains, fruits and vegetables (preferably one of each), calcium and lean protein are the components of a healthy lunch.
• Healthy food is fresh and unprocessed if possible. Nature made and not factory made.
Ingredients to avoid:
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Partially hydrogenated oils
• Trans fats
• Nitrite (an additive often used in lunch meats that becomes a carcinogen in our bodies).
• Artificial sweeteners (often found in products marked “light” or “sugar-free,” or you may see aspartame, sucralose or saccharin in the ingredients list).
• Remember-Always check the labels, use the decoder to find out what additives shouldn’t be in your child’s food.
Not all lunches are created equally
Kids compare lunches. Most of them don’t want to be different. So from time to time they can have chips like everyone else. But-
Make sure that the chips are baked and check labels for Trans-fats (typically listed as “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils”).
Instead of white flour high in sugar biscuit, pack some nice healthy biscuits.
Get kids involved
If parents let their children help prepare or shop for foods they like, they are more likely to eat better.
Remember
Wash all fruit and vegetables thoroughly (even if labeled “pre-washed”) before cutting them or placing them into your child's lunch bag.
• Do not reuse perishable foods (meat, fish, and poultry) that come home uneaten from your child’s lunch.
• Keep lunches in the fridge until your child is leaving for school.
• Use an insulated lunch bag with a small ice pack for foods that need to stay cool. Put foods that need to stay hot in a thermos. A thermos is also good for Smoothies.
• Teach your kid to drink plenty of water during the day.

Here’s a list of healthy lunch foods. Mix and match to see what combinations you can come up with. Share the list with your children and ask them to choose which foods they’d like to take to school. Reduce your work load by encouraging older children to pack their own lunches. Make sure you have plenty of choices on hand for them to choose from each day.

click on chart to enlage

Brain Fog

2010-01-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, when I was a young teacher, I’ve realized that for most children, the hours of the day can be divided to periods:
Zombie time–early in the morning
Climbing on walls-after morning tea
I’m an Astronaut-before lunch
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-after lunch
When I asked the kids if they had breakfast before school, most of them answered-I didn’t have time to eat.
Well, you don’t need to have a super brain to understand that there is a connection between food and levels of activity of the body and the brain.
Believe me; trying to teach children that stare at you with glazed-eyes is a frustrating task, but trying to control over-active kids, is Mission impossible!

So if you’ve been feeling disconnected or spaced out during certain hours of the day. If you consume a lot of coffee or sugar to kick-start your brain, if the words “mentally confused”, “lacking clarity, focus and concentration” describes you well; you need some help getting rid of your brain fog.

What causes brain fog?
1. Dehydration
2. imbalanced blood-sugar levels
3. food allergies
4. Imbalanced diet and lack of essential vitamins and minerals.
5. lack of sleep
6. stress
7. Alcohol, Cigarettes and drugs.
8. chemicals-from food colouring, preservatives, sprayed food
9. Heavy metals, vaccinations
10. certain ailments such as parasites
And much more.

There are several myths about Brain Fog:
Myth number one-coffee is good for brain fog

Well, I love coffee, and I think that some people can benefit from drinking some good coffee during the day. But when you drink coffee all day long, loaded with sugar/sweeteners and milk, you are living in a loop.
Coffee and sugar are loan sharks; they imitate a boost of energy, but weaken your immune system. Same goes for all energy drinks.

Myth number two-eat something sweet
When you eat something sweet you overwork your body. The sugar gets into the blood stream forcing a quick production of insulin. Our brain loves sugar, that’s his favorite food, and yes-Houston we have a liftoff. But the quick released sugars only give you a temporary lift, and then a deep dive…and again you feel the need for some sugar.

Myth number three- only adults experience Brain-fog

Many children have Brain fog! it contributes to problems in functioning in school and study problems, frustration, low self-esteem, accidents and problem with other children.
ADHD, ADD are some examples of the labels given to children who suffers from a biochemical imbalance that expresses itself in Brain fog, hyperactivity, lack of concentration, violence and more.

Can we get rid of Brain Fog?
Certainly! We just need to follow some simple steps:
1. See your GP to rule out any undetected abnormalities. Test your blood for Vitamins and Minerals imbalance and food allergies.
2. Eat balanced diet-get a designed dietary plan from a professional.
3. Drink water!
4. Sleep more.
5. Reduce your coffee, alcohol intake
6. Do some moderate exercise.
7. Consult a Homeopath. A homeopathic remedy with a balanced diet-will re-balance your body.
8. Get rid of the chemicals in your food and environment
9. Eliminate the allergens-some foods are wrong for you e.g. wheat, dairy.
Believe me, it’s simple then it sounds.
Anat, who got rid of her own fog.

Bee Well Balms

2009-12-12T00:46:00.001-08:00

Apitherapy, is the use of products of the common Honeybee for therapeutic purposes.

Propolis, Royal Jelly, Raw Honey, Pollen, Beeswax and even Bees venom are the products that have medicinal benefits.
Homeopathy also consider those products to have healing powers, and there are very useful Homeopathic remedies like Apis Mellifica- a remedy made of the honeybee,
And Propolis-a remedy made of Propolis, a product of the honeybee.

The honeybee products are effective against a wide range of ailments, from arthritis and chronic pain to multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Some interesting facts-

Human consumption of bee products is praised in the Bible.
The ancient Greeks and Romans fed their athletes "bee bread", a combination of raw honey and bee pollen, to enhance their stamina and athletic abilities.
The father of the western medicine, Hippocrates used bee venom to treat arthritis and other joint problems.
Early Egyptians and Chinese used a combination of pollen and honey as a rejuvenating medicinal agent.
Honey mixed with Royal Jelly has been called the "fountain of youth" and "ambrosia of the gods".
Researchers have discovered that honey and bee pollen are a natural food source supplying nutrient dense food.

Our product brand“Bee Well Balms” aims to provide natural, gentle and effective products using the health benefits of the Honeybee.
We combine Manuka honey, Propolis and Beeswax with other healing ingredients such as Calendula, Shea butter and Vitamin E.

All balms are Hand made in Arrowtown from pure natural ingredients. Chemical and preservative free.
You are welcome to read more about our products
in the following link-

B Well Balms

Bee Happy!

2009-12-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

My grandmother was an Apiarist, another name for a Bee keeper. My mum inherited from her a tremendous knowledge of bees and honey. She can taste honey and tell you exactly what sorts of flowers were involved in the amazing production of the honey.
My childhood memories of my parent’s kitchen are of shelves filled with jars of Honey, Royal jelly and Propolis and of course Pollen. One of my favourite treats was a dripping piece of honeycomb.
Sore throats were treated with Propolis drops; a cough was eliminated with a mixture of honey and
onion, and a cold was healed with a ginger-lemon-honey tea.
No wonder my parents were delighted when I brought them Manuka-Honey from New-Zealand.

In the clinic I had in Israel, I have used some health products that contained Honey and Propolis, worked well with the homeopathic idea and didn’t interfere with the work of the remedies.
But here in New-Zealand, the land of the Manuka-Honey, I couldn’t find similar products, and that was really frustrating for me. Importing those products was out of the question, and against the law. The only solution was to make it ourselves.

So Catherine, who works with me in “Kids Clinic”, and I decided to make our own line of products.
We combined ideas and chose carefully ingredients with specific qualities and created
“Bee Well Balms” a small line of products with the health benefits of the Honeybee products.

Our products were tested on our family members before we started to sell them to our friends and patients and i'm happy to say we got great responses that made us really pleased.

More about the healing benefits of our products in a new post-very soon…

Homeopathy in brief

2009-10-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

People often wonder about Homeopathy, they are sure it’s something to do with Naturopathy and natural medicines. Sometimes they ask me if I use acupuncture or massage.

Well… not exactly.

I do my best when explaining them what’s it all about, but after 2 minutes of explanation people usually get “THE LOOK”, a sort of a glazed expression that usually insinuates –thank you, but we are not interested.

I think it has to do with the idea of Homeopathy that can be somehow confusing, because it is so different from any other sort of medicine.

That’s why I’ve adopted the “Journey model” as my favourite way to explain my profession.

It’s all about simplicity.

The Journey

Health and sickness

Each and every one of us has his on life journey. It starts before we are born and lasts till we die.

We start our journey with lots of power and motivation; we master the roads, usually highways, because we can. The views are amazing, we get lots of love and food, we have good energy and everything seems just great. We go from one point to the other, we know the way, and travelling is easy as breathing.
This situation is called-Health.

But sometime we are not feeling so great, and we find ourselves deserting the highway and travelling in unfamiliar long and winding roads, far away from our destination. Sometimes we even end up driving slowly in forsaken dirt roads.

We try to go back on the highway, but we can’t, because we forgot the way.
This situation is called-Sickness.

So, what causes sickness?
When we are just tiny cells forming into a baby, we are already influenced by our ancestor’s genes, our mum’s emotions, Nutrition, chemical exposure and much more.

Labour can be a trauma by it self and of course vaccination. Add to that some other circumstances such as a harsh climate, wrong foods; exposure to chemicals, cell phones, power stations… later on in life we add to our list: fears, worries, hard work, disappointments and much more.
No wonder we end up travelling 5 km per hour on a dirt road.

Travelling back to Health
Can we fix it? Can we go back travelling full speed on the highway?

Can we be healthy again?

Yes, we can!

Homeopathy gives us a chance to fix our ailments.
It’s not a miracle, its hard work for the patient and the Homeopath.

This is how we do it…

The Homeopath will ask you a lot of questions about your journey, and will find a remedy that has the knowledge and the ability to take you from the dirt road, through the winding road and back to the highway.
There are thousands of different remedies, so you need to describe your journey to your Homeopath in the most detailed way. That will promise you the most exact remedy. The remedy that will take you back to health.

It might take some time, but eventually you will feel better again.

The secret spice

2009-10-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Imagine that–a professor from a land far away finds a secret spice; a spice that makes every food tastes better.

He sells his patent, and soon enough, people around the world enjoy discovering new flavors in food.
They say the appetite comes with the food in this story that’s exactly what happened. And with the food came obesity and minor illnesses that developed to major ones, and people began to realize that this special spice is the cause of the obesity pandemic, and related to high Cholesterol levels, Asthma, Headaches, ADHD and much more.

The truth is that this is not a made-up story.

The sad thing is, this true story doesn’t have a happy ending.

102 years ago Kikunae Ikeda a Japanese professor at the Tokyo Imperial University managed to identify the umami component in kelp. Within a year, he had succeeded in isolating, purifying, and identifying the principal component of umami (the fifth flavour) and quickly obtained a production patent. This product is called MSG Monosodium glutamate.
MSG is a flavour enhancer that is naturally occurring in some foods, such as cheese. It is also added to many foods. Symptoms attributed to MSG include pressure on the head, seizures, chest pains, headache, nausea, burning sensations, and tightness of the face.
More about MSG you can find here.
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/adversereactions.html

MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.

Browsing the products variety in our local supermarkets is a frustrating task, there’s MSG almost in every product!

I see kids in school eating shocking amounts of food colouring and food additives and it makes me very angry. Our kids are our future. We have so many good and healthy foods, so many better options, but we are encouraged to consume fast, easy, tempting, poisonous food.

Can we control our MSG intake? It’s not going to be easy. MSG is very well hidden
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/II.WhereIsMSG.html

Standard 1.2.4 of the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code requires the presence of MSG as a food additive to be labeled. The label must bear the food additive class name (e.g. flavour enhancer), followed by either the name of the food additive, MSG, or its International Numbering System (INS) number, 621.

The problem is MSG has lots of “relatives” with lots of different names.

If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us see for yourself -

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

Type in the words 'MSG Obese' and read few of many medical studies that appear.

For further reading-

Safe Gluten-Free Food List (Safe Ingredients)

http://www.celiac.com/articles/181/1/Safe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Safe-Ingredients/Page1.html

Feeling confused?
So am I!
And because I try to protect my family and patients,
I made the "decoder for safe shopping".
the decoder is a card (credit card size), that has lists
of number codes for food additives that are not good for
your health. If you are not sure about a certain ingredient,
on the food label, just use the decoder.

Contact me and ask me about the decoder.

My contact details-
email- Anatedwy@gmail.com
phone-03-4420924

Pull your cell phone out of your bra!

2009-10-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

It’s kind of a shocking idea for me to use a bra as a purse.

I’ve seen money taken out of the bra, used hankies being shoved in, and cell phones cruising in and out in a nonchalant way.

Well, I totally understand the idea of light travel, free hands and so on, but isn’t that what bags are for?

The idea of dirty money that was touched by zillion dirty fingers, or a soaking hanky, makes me shiver, but the idea of shoving a cell phone to your bra makes me really wonder, how come people ignore the all the health hazards that are linked to cell phone use?

So far, in addition to the widespread concern about brain cancer, scientists have found that information-carrying radio waves transmitted by cell phones and other wireless devices can:

• Harm your blood cells and cause cellular changes

• Damage your DNA

• Cause nerve-cell damage

• Accelerate and contribute to onset of autism , and trigger Alzheimer’s disease

• Damage your eyes

• Cause sleep disruptions, fatigue and headaches

Yes, I defiantly believe the scientists, it’s time to think wisely and get some proper bag to put your stuff in, away from our bodies!
Kind of shocking!

Wheat free Dairy free muffins recipe

2009-09-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Delicious orange flavoured muffins

Ingredients-

11/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup corn flour

1 table spoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup olive/coconut oil

1/2 cup palm sugar

Method-

Mix all ingredients together and spoon 2/3 full into greased muffin pan (or use paper muffin cups). Bake in preheated 190ºC oven for 10-15 minutes.

Wheat free-Dairy free diet

2009-09-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Life is full of surprises; one day you are eating dairy products or wheat flour, and later on you realise, you don’t really feel so great...

Bloated stomach, diarrhea or constipation, are some of the common symptoms of food sensitivity. Ignoring those symptoms may lead to severe ailments.

I realized I’m sensitive to dairy products many years ago. I had no idea what to do about it; I was vegetarian and my nutrition was based on dairy products. Every dietician I talked with said I must eat dairy, because there is no other way to get enough calcium. So I started looking for answers in books.

When my son was born, about 18 years ago I followed the non- allergenic diet for breast feeding mums in order to keep my baby colic-free. What an amazing diet-he never suffered from colic!

After not eating dairy for 3 month I realized that I’m feeling much better. Further studying made me decide to eliminate dairy from my diet and I also learned that dairy is more harmful then beneficial.
With the wheat it was trickier, after a weakening flue, my daughter and I felt so bad we weren’t sure if we are still sick or it’s related to something we ate. We decided to eliminate allergenic foods from our diet and realized it was wheat.
We took a homeopathic remedy, changed our diet, and we are feeling great.
So if you suffer when you eat a certain food, what can we do about it?

1. Detox your body with individualized program (no one is alike, so individual program is required)

2. Take a homeopathic remedy from a qualified Classical Homeopath.
The homeopathic remedy will help you regain your health.
3. Adopt new life style; make some changes in your life and your diet.

Food for thought-
1. Wheat is among 1 of 6 products that are responsible for about 90% of all food allergies. Seen most commonly in infants and young children, wheat allergy can also occur in adults.

2. Symptoms of wheat allergy can vary among individuals, ranging from bothersome but relatively unserious symptoms such as rash, hives, or gastrointestinal distress to a life threatening anaphylactic reaction. In many instances, allergic symptoms do not appear until after physical exertion, and is referred to as an exercise induced allergy. This may make a true allergy difficult to recognize

3.The most widely used method to diagnose a wheat allergy is a skin patch test conducted by a qualified health care professional, where small amounts of the suspected allergen are applied to the skin or injected subcutaneously. A positive result would be a localized allergic reaction that indicates the presence of a true, or immune-mediated, allergy.
A safer method is the Food Allergy / Intolerance Testing based on the Kinesiology idea.

Feel free to ask me questions about the wheat free-dairy free diet, the
Non-allergenic diet for breast feeding mums, Homeopathy and the
Food Allergy / Intolerance Testing.

Useful links-
why dairy products are harmful for your child
Homeopathy and nutrition

Feeding kids with crayons and beetle juice

2009-09-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

Would you like your kids to eat crayons?
Chewy, crunchy, waxy crayons with great colours...
And what about some beetle juice?
Sounds sickening, isn’t it?
So, how come so many parents allow their kids to consume so many horrible chemicals, are they aware of the chemicals poisonous affect?

Check this sample food colouring list and decide for yourself-

102 Tartrazine, known to cause Asthma, hyperactivity, anxiety, Thyroid problems, migraines, clinical depression, blurred vision, itching, general weakness, heat waves, feeling of suffocation, purple skin patches, and sleep disturbance.

Often used in drinks, cakes, snacks, ice-cream, confectionery.

110 sunset yellow FCF, known to cause Allergies, hyperactivity, stomach problems, skin rashes.

Often used in drinks, packet soups, dessert, biscuits, confectionery, ice-cream.

120 Cochineal Red color Made of beetles! known to cause Hyperactivity, asthma, skin problems.

Often used in cakes, confectionery, ice-cream.

133 brilliant blue known to cause hyperactivity, asthma and is a suspected carcinogen.

often used in tinned peas, bacon-flavored snacks.

The list of artificial colours is long and shocking. Basically, there are no health benefits in adding colours to our food. On the contrary, the added colorings in juices, cereals, snacks, and vitamin supplements affect the functioning of the nervous system. Our liver cannot break down these chemicals and they affect our neurotransmitters, and eventually our thinking ability. The amount of food coloring found in processed foods is shocking!
Significant increases in hyperactivity occur after getting 20 mg. of food coloring per day, which is much less than the amount found in many processed foods today.
So is there an healthier option?
Well yes, if the food companies are so keen on colouring our food and making it more attractive they can always use the natural dyes like beets for red and turmeric for yellow.

food for thought-We banned smoking but allow our kids to eat poisons!

more about food additives-coming soon.