How to Fight Colds And Flu Naturally and Effectively

It seems a number of my lovely clients are under the weather with cold or flu at the moment. So with this in mind this has led me to write this post...

Image source

In 2011 I was hospitalised with Pneumonia after suffering from countless severe colds and chest infections. I normally steer clear of antibiotics (being the natural kind of lady) but as I'd been ill on and off for over 5 months I had actually taken a good few courses, but nothing seemed to be working.

My doctor was also concerned that I had asthma - this unfortunately took 3 months just to get an appointment with a Respiratory Specialist (which took place after I was discharged from hospital!!)  Turns out I do have mild asthma.

Since then I've been a lot more cautious about coming into contact with people with colds or flu; if I catch one and if I'm not careful they tend to go to straight to my chest which means more antibiotics (which I am loathe to take not only because of the side effects but also I don't want to build up an immunity to them as I may really really need them again one day!)

Don't get me wrong antibiotics have their place and indeed they saved my life. The RVI Hospital in Newcastle did an amazing job getting me back on my feet and I'm forever in their debt.

However I refuse to pop them down my neck them lightly and will try my utmost to find natural remedies first with the help of my amazing alternative therapists.

Enough about me, let's move on to those helpful hints and tips!...


How to Fight Colds and Flu Naturally and Effectively

The tips in these blog articles from my amazing herbalist Nick Hudis have been a huge help to me and has nipped many a cold in the bud for me and let me get on with my daily life and running the salon a lot quicker.

Beyond Echinacea: How to survive the winter part 1
How to treat colds and ‘flu’s naturally

                         

Images via Boots and Holland and Barrett

I now take daily doses of Sambucol Elderberry Syrup (easily available from Boots and usually on 3 for 2!) and a Vitamin D3 supplement from Holland and Barrett all year round.

Why not give these tips a try next time you feel a cold or flu coming on, they've worked wonders for me and may for you too.*

Herbalism and How It's Helped Me

Nick also sends me with a monthly bottle of prescribed herbs to help build up the strength of my lungs and keep my immune system fit and healthy. I've even managed to stop taking my preventative steroids (under the guidance of my doctor) and bonus I clear my throat and cough far less as the steroids were actually exacerbating these major symptoms of my asthma. I still carry around an inhaler at all times, but it's great to know I don't need to take daily steroids at the moment (fingers crossed!)**

If you live in Newcastle and would like to see an alternative therapist I'd highly recommend Nick, he's helped me and my family with various problems for over 9 years. To read more about Nick and his healing herbs click here.

* These links will take you to the website of a professional, certified and practising alternative therapist, but if you have a medical condition and have any concerns they may not be suitable for you, please consult your doctor first.

** Always consult your doctor or medical practioner before reducing or stopping any prescribed medication.

Why Does a Beauty And Health Blog Feature Cupcakes?

My husband asked me this question the other day...

Well...

My 'Beautiful Cupcake Gallery' started off with a 'Beauty' theme and was such a success it grew from there. As the weeks went by I discovered other cupcakes I thought were equally beautiful and I just had to share - sharing is healthy! 

Not only are my Galleries fun to do, but little boy gets involved as he loves scanning the web for inspiration with me; so quality family time is involved - very healthy and incredibly important to me and my family.

To me a healthy life isn't just about looking after your body with products and food; it's also about an all round balance and a huge extra portion of enjoyment.

I love to feed my family and friends, so I share my recipes.

I adore reading, so I share my favourite books.

I love visiting beautiful places, so I share these too.

My blog is about helping you to live a healthier happier life and...

I truly believe that you should...

however...

because we are on this planet to....

so...

ENJOY SOME CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

preferably made with excellent quality ingredients and home baked hee hee!

Images via:

Question cupcake - Flickr

Precious moments - My Fun Cards

Take care of your body - Healthy Life Tool Kit

Everything in Moderation - Etsy

Live Laugh Love - Yours Truly Was Here

Baby eating cake - Jen P Photo

My Homemade Alioli (Garlic Mayonnaise)

This is a year round staple in our house, but given its the start of the holiday season and with lots of people off to ‘Sunny Spain’, then what better time to bring a bit of sunshine into your home? Well the darn English weather doesn’t seem capable!!

Frigiliana  - one of my favourite places in Spain. Yes I know it's a funny name but so gorgeous, so many happy memories. 

Image via Trip Advisor

Ingredients

3-4 tbsp Mayonnaise (jarred or homemade if you can be bothered!)

1-2 cloves of garlic* (depending on how brave you are!)

Lots and lots of freshly chopped or dried parsley

Lemon juice to taste (fresh or concentrated)

Salt to taste

* I find bashing and finely chopping rather than crushing helps prevent that awful taste in your mouth the next day. Sorry no cures for garlic breath here!

Method

1. Throw everything in a pretty dish and stir. Easy peasy!
2. For best results leave covered in the fridge for at least an hour – tastes even better the next day!
3. If I am in a rush, I substitute the fresh garlic for dried garlic.

Serving Suggestions

• A must with paella – one day I may reveal that recipe too!
• Goes perfectly with fingers of toasted pitta, drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt – mouth watering heaven! 
• My twist on Patatas Alioli – roast some diced potatoes with olive oil, rosemary and sea salt and pour/dollop the Alioli over the top! Yum yum!
• Amazing in sandwiches or wraps instead of butter or plain mayo.
• Gorgeous stirred into homemade soups and pasta dishes.
• Try this for a simple but delicious lunch: serve with fresh bread, olives, cheese, chorizo and sliced tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a glug of extra virgin olive oil or even better truffle oil! All washed down with a nice cool glass of sangria!

Variations

• Add some chopped fresh chilli for a spicy kick.
• Use roasted garlic instead. You may need more cloves depending taste. A lovely recipe is at The Hungry Mouse - Roasted Garlic Three Ways
• My son’s favourite has 1-2 tsp Paprika added to it. 
• Goes great with hot paprika too.

My son's favourite - Alioli with paprika

Interesting - Alioli actually means garlic and olive oil – I may try this recipe this weekend! Spanish Food - Alioli - Olive Oil and Garlic Sauce

Oh There Are Plenty Health Benefits Too:

Garlic has a vast array of health benefits; its anti bacterial - so great for fighting coughs, colds and candida, warts and toothache. It increases antioxidant levels so a great anti-ager. It has antibiotic properties so good for acne. Great for high blood pressure, cardiovascular health and high cholesterol. It is also believed to regulate blood sugar levels by increasing the levels of insulin so good for diabetics.

Parsley is rich in vitamin C, A and beta-carotene. It can help reduce the risk of diabetes, is cancer fighting, great for cardiovascular health and a healthy immune system. Great for reducing the symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. And with antioxidant properties it helps protect against those darn free radicals in the environment stressing and trying to damage our precious skin - what more could you want?!

Lemon - an antioxidant so great for the skin, rich in vitamin C - great for colds and aids digestion. It's high in Potassium so good for high blood pressure and is a diuretic so helps rheumatism and arthritis.

The mayo is... well the naughty bit!

Enjoy – I’m off to make some now - can’t resist!

Guest Post - Charlotte Roll

Today I would like to welcome my next guest post - written by my little sister Charlotte writer of The Paupers Kitchen blog; who is lucky enough to live in Paris! She has a major passion for food and boy can she cook! Her blog has the most delicious recipes and fascinating musings. You may even be lucky enough to try some of our gorgeous family dishes.

What with me, our mum and my sis it seems blogging is well and truly in the genes! I'm sure she will make you as jealous as I am reading this post! Hope you enjoy.

A Rosbif in Frogland

It has been a long and turbulent love story between us Brits and the French. Most of the English find the French arrogant and too proud. I've been living in France for the last eight years, so they must be doing something right for a Brit born and raised to stay their side of the Channel.

The French themselves are indeed arrogant and too proud, but once you dig a bit further they can be a warm people. They have a right to be proud too. Their health and social care is amazing, they have 5 weeks holiday a year, 10 days of which you have to take by law during the summer months! But the best thing the French have to be proud of is their food.

They have such a respect for anything and everything edible it can be quite breath taking. I'm not talking about the Cordon Bleu part of French cuisine, but the everyday stuff. I can spend hours in a French supermarket.

The array of fresh fruits and vegetables, all loose and so you can choose the best.

The cheese counters are to die for.

The fish counters are always beautifully presented.

The bread aisle smells heavenly.

Lest we forget the wine section. Take a look at those prices, no wonder the French gulp the stuff down as if it were water!

The supermarkets even hold mini festivals called Foires, in the entrance of the supermarket where they pay particular attention to a certain product. The most appreciated is of course the Foire aux Vins (the Wine Festival). The French come in their thousands to pick up a good deal on the crème de la crème of French wine (and of course have a little taste).

However, even though these huge hypermarkets are everywhere and offer extremely competitive prices, all French towns, however small, have

a bakers

a butchers

a grocery store

and a bar tabac.

The French love nothing more than coming out on an evening, usually around 6.30pm, picking up a freshly cooked baguette, popping in for their meat for that evening's dinner, swinging by the grocery store for a bottle of wine to go with it all and last stop at the bar for a packet of Gauloises and an aperitif before heading home to some good wholesome home cooking.

Another thing I take my hat off to French for is their food legislation regarding regional specialities. Cognac can only come from Cognac, as Champagne can only come from Champagne. Coulommiers cheese is from.....you guessed it Coulommiers. This protects the regions' own creations and means that there can be no inferior quality products trying to pass themselves off as the original. So look out for the AOC logo.

Last, but by no means least, the markets. Now these are the real gems of French cuisine. Nearly all French towns have a weekly farmers market. The best thing about the French markets is the stall holders will always let you taste before you buy. They are confident with their produce that they are sure once you have that slice of cheese or cured ham you just can't resist.

So there you have it. The reason I've stayed so long. Bon Apetit and Cheers everyone!

All images via Carrefour and Leclerc

Looking After Our Precious Teeth!

Today has been a big day for my little family; our 6 year old son had a big tooth removed as it has severe decay. He was extremely brave, bless him and has bounced back fantastically. Don't worry I won't show you his tooth!

Image via http://www.forlifeandstyle.com

We have always prided ourselves on having a healthy, balanced and freshly prepared diet, with the odd treat here and there. So you can imagine we were absolutely mortified when we were told it and the opposite one would have to be removed and that if he was an adult it would require a root canal!!

Image via Natural Health Tips

After chatting to the dentist we were relieved to discover the cause of the decay wasn't through negligence (we were told he has fantastic oral hygiene - phew!!) In fact her daughter had a very similar problem with the same teeth; we then discovered both of our children were raised mainly on Soya Milk and she is convinced that caused the decay.

Image via http://lactosefreemilk-s.com

Once I had stopped breast feeding, he was prescribed a special Hydrolysed formula (partly digested whey proteins) by our GP, as his lil tummy couldn't tolerate the large milk proteins in cow's milk. We then moved him on to mainly Soya Milk, ensuring it was non GM and organic. As the unsweetened variety tastes like cardboard, we decided to opt for the one sweetened with apple juice. He also had a very slow weaning process (nearly 2 years) as his digestive system was so sensitive. He was renowned for being a pained baby.

Image via http://www.itsamummyslife.com

I'm not berating Soya Milk in any way, but it appears to be the acid in the apple juice that sweetens it that has contributed to the decay, together watered down apple juice (he didn't like water) and healthy snacks; such as raisins and dried fruit bars - which we now understand their sticky texture tends to grip to the teeth! You can't win can you?!? These are great things to give your child and a much better option than sweeties, but following the tips given at the end will help you decide the right time to give them.

Interestingly when we spoke to our family Acupuncturist, he asked which teeth were decayed, when I said the 2nd back bottom teeth on either side, he said "Ah that makes sense, these point to the stomach meridian (energy pathways) and the digestive system" - fascinating!

Links between the teeth and the body.

Image via http://www.drnirvana.com/your-teeth-and-your-health

So What Causes Tooth Decay? 

Your mouth is full of bacteria; this combined with small food particles and saliva form a sticky film - plaque, which builds up on your teeth. When you have food and drink high in carbohydrates (sugary or starchy), the bacteria in the plaque turn the carbohydrates into the energy they need and produce acid. And over time, the acid in the plaque starts to break down the surface of your tooth.

Why not change your cane sugar to tooth kind Xylitol like we have? I've written an article about the benefits of this tasty, healthy, natural sugar: Delicious, Healthy and Tooth Friendly Carrot Cake - Yes Really!

Here are some simple tips we've gathered from dentists and my favourite nutritionist, dietician and chef Jane Clarke, to give your whole families toothy pegs the best chance of a long healthy life!

Image via LOC

1. Sweet foods aren't just foods containing sugar; they also include fruit, fruit juices, smoothies, sucrose, glucose, honey, maple syrup and starchy foods which convert to sugar (carbohydrates). 
2. 'No added sugar' doesn't mean it doesn't mean its sugar free!
3. Brush teeth before breakfast if having fruit or fruit juice OR wait one hour after eating or drinking anything acidic before brushing.
4. When brushing spit out the toothpaste, do not rinse out with water; this will wash away the fluoride coating that protects your teeth throughout the day.
5. Use a straw when drinking acidic drinks to reduce contact with teeth. We let our son choose his own straws to make it more fun.
6. Drink water between meals instead of juice and fizzy drinks 
7. Diet drinks aren't any better as they, as well as the 'full fat' versions contain acids, which have been said to draw calcium from our bones. Sugar and acid combined give the teeth a double hit.
8. Chew sugar-free gum for 10 minutes after meals, this will produce more saliva to help neutralise the acid in the mouth. We use Orbit Complete® with Xylitol.
9. Finish a meal with cheese or milk to help neutralise any acids.
10. Avoid giving food an hour before going to bed as you don't produce as much saliva when you are asleep.
11. Avoid snacking between meals, this limits the times the teeth are under attack from acids.
12. If having sweet treats, juice or fizzy drinks, give them with a meal rather than on their own.

Life would be Très Boring if we didn't have the occasional treat, everything in moderation I say. So these little toothy treats are dedicated to our gorgeous brave boy, who has a major sweet tooth (like his mum LOL)!

Image via kCreative Cake Pops

These were made a dental student Erica Sweet Tooth who has a passion for baking! Don't worry she's not trying to give us all cavities, like me she just believes in everything in moderation.

These were made for a Dental Practice grand opening by Sweet Simplicity Confections

Image via Azucar Con Amor

Cake for her dentist by Jocelyn Cakes

Chicken Pox - Natural Remedies

Chickenpox is doing the rounds again, one of my clients little girls has it and popped a comment on Facebook asking for advice, which lit the fire for this post!

Image via http://babesabouttown.com

Chickenpox is a common childhood disease. It is highly contagious and is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, part of the herpes family. It can be very uncomfortable and can vary in its severity. A child or adult can catch chickenpox, which develops into itchy, fluid-filled blisters that erupt and form a crust.

It can be a severe illness, but in Chinese medicine is it seen as eventually bringing benefits to the child, in relation to the process of growing up and expelling poisons from the body - Extract from Natural Medicine for Children by Julian Scott MA PHD 

Baths 
Baths are very soothing and should be with luke warm water. For best results, soak for about 15 minutes. Be careful to gently pat the skin dry to avoid lifting the scabs - ouch!

Hee hee this cool bumble bee bath would cheer any poorly kid up!
Image via http://theluxhome.com

Oatmeal Bath
Give them a Cleopatra style milky bath - take a few handfuls of porridge oats* (rolled oats not the likes of Oats So Simple!) into a sock or muslin cloth and tie. Pop it in when you start running the bath. Oats are soothing, anti inflammatory and anti bacterial. Squeeze it over the body when the bath is ready, you will get a lovely thick milky liquid. You can also add a few tablespoons of healing bicarbonate of soda to the running bath.
* Not to be used for anyone with sensitivity to gluten

Image via http://naturelivings.blogspot.co.uk

Tea Bag Baths!
Pop 2 to 3 tea bags into a running bath:
Chamomile - soothes the skin
Nettle tea - helps relieve itchy skin
Peppermint - calms and cools the skin
Or make a cup of the tea, keep covered and use throughout the day to bathe the affected areas with a cotton pad or muslin.

Image via http://www.soapdelinews.com

The above remedies are also great for soothing eczema, psoriasis, prickly heat and sunburn.

Aromatherapy
Add 5 drops of both healing Lavender and anti inflammatory Chamomile German to 100ml of Calamine lotion or cream. Shake/stir well before use.
(Always do a patch test first, on the inner elbow to check there are no sensitivities)

Image via http://www.nightingalehealth.co.uk

Alternative Therapies
My family and I have found Bach Flower Remedies, Homoeopathy and Acupuncture extremely helpful for all sorts of illnesses and it's reassuring to know there are other options than the conventional drug route.


Bach Flower Remedies
Chicory, Hornbeam or Cherry Plum may help relieve irritation. For more information on remedies visit Bach Original Flower Remedies.

Image via http://www.joanneburrell.com/blog/

Homoeopathic Remedies
This Homoeopathic Remedies for Chicken Pox article from Dana Ullman, M.P.H. (Masters in Public Health, U.C. Berkeley) has some great remedy suggestions. Dana is widely recognized as the foremost spokesperson for homoeopathic medicine in the U.S, author of 10 books and has a regular column at the The Huffington Post internet newspaper.

You can buy Homoeopathic and Bach Flower remedies from Holland and Barrett, Boots and other good health shops or online at Helios. Helios has a fantastic telephone service where you can speak to a qualified Homeopath for free advice. I am never without our Helios Nursery Kit or Basics Kit and I used their amazing Child Birth kit during and after having our son.

You can book in for a thorough consultation with a registered Homoeopath to achieve the best results. To find one near you, click here.

Here are some tips from Natural Medicine for Children by Julian Scott MA PHD. Julian is an experienced practitioner of natural medicines, specialising in herbal remedies and acupuncture. We were given this book as a gift from our family Acupuncturist Ferris Jerjis when our son was born and it has become invaluable to us:

1. During the feverish stage, keep your child quiet, preferably in bed.
2. Cotton gloves tied on the hands will help prevent a baby or young child from scratching the skin.
3. Cotton garments worn next to the skin are the most comfortable. (I still remember insisting on trying my new denim skirt with elasticated waist band and have the scar to prove it!)
4. When temperature starts to fall, start off with simple foods including cereal and porridge* as the digestive system will be weak.

Ahhhh soon your child will be back to this peaceful state of bliss... well I can't guarantee the peaceful bit lol!
Image http://www.sheknows.com/

As with all illness it is very important to drink lots of fluids particularly water, to flush the toxins away from the body. Regular drinks of calming Chamomile tea will soothe from the inside and help soothe the digestive system too (if necessary you can sweeten with a little honey it if your child is over 1 year).

Image via http://karenjeffery-acupuncture.com

I do hope this post helps anyone you know get relief from their pesky Chicken Pox. xx