When I was young, the doctor would always ask you to put out your tongue as part of his analysis of treatment. Why? Well, you would be amazed at what the tongue can tell you about your health on a daily basis. Once you get used to checking out your tongue, any problem coming can be easily spotted.

When you look at your tongue in the mirror, it should be salmon pink, smooth, no cracks with a thin white moist coating. If there are teeth marks along the side of the tongue, your tongue is probably swollen which suggests a need to upgrade your diet as it shows signs of poor nutrition, lack of water and an overworked liver.
If there is a thick white coating on your tongue, you may have a viral illness going on, and if the white coating is at the back of the tongue, then you need beneficial bacteria to aid your digestive system – start on acidophillus.
A brown coating suggests excess smoking and constipation so cut down if not stop smoking and eat more fibre.

Now for colour: a pale tongue points to deficiency in the body including vitamins and minerals, a red tongue is an angry system, a red tipped tongue a stressed system and a purple tongue indicates a poor circulatory system.

So, make friends with your tongue and any alteration to its normal state gives you an immediate sign that something is not right and you can quickly bring your system back to health.
Take Vitamin D all winter to make up for lack of sunshine and help keep pain & inflammation away, Vitamin C for clearing those free radicals and fighting infection and tea tree in your bath to kick the immune system from the outside. Take echinacea and burn Witches Gold at the first sign of any infection and also inhale it from a tissue. Eat plenty of vegetables & fruit and keep the diet as good as possible, cutting down on the convenience foods and help your body to help you stay well this winter…

Spring cleaning isn’t just about the home – the body, especially the skin, also needs attention after the winter. For the body, I tend to repeat the Candidiasis diet (get it off my website or pick up free leaflet in the shop). This ensures my body is balanced after all the winter seasonal activities, which in Aberdour, tend to be just finishing (Burns suppers, winter gatherings, 6 Nations rugby etc). A few weeks and the body will be refreshed again as the lighter foods begin to appear in season and the winter stodge can be forgotten until next winter.
The body has, for most of the winter, been covered in layers of clothing, especially after this cold snowy winter (which was exactly what we needed!!), and the central heating has been belting out. Then we throw off the layers and expect the skin to look great and take whatever rays the sun throws at it. Now what we have to remember is that the skin is our largest organ and reflects what is going on on the inside. Eczema and psoriasis can be indicators of omega deficiencies, stress and a liver not coping, whilst cellulite means toxin build-up. We have to learn to both read and respect the skin and look after it more so it can protect us from the elements. So this spring, let’s pay attention to our skin and prepare it for what I hope is going to be a great summer.
Firstly, increase your water intake to 8 glasses per day and cut out the rubbish replacing it with salad and fresh fruit to improve vitamin and mineral levels (try to get your 5+ portions daily). Cut down on drugs and alcohol to rest your liver to allow regeneration and if you smoke – stop…it ages you dreadfully! Take your multi-vitamin & mineral, extra zinc & Vitamin C, omegas 3 & 6 plus probiotics and you should see a vast improvement very quickly if you follow this plan. Good skin means good health…it is that simple and you cannot have one without the other.

Springtime bath…
As the body releases toxins, they are dispersed partly through the skin, so it should be helped with this natural process. When you take a bath, add purifying oil like juniper berry, which I adore, and soak for 20 minutes. Then scrub the body with a bath scrub or a body brush to remove dead cells and reveal beautiful new skin underneath. (Salt scrub is in the pipeline so watch this space or start nagging me). Once out of the bath, gently pat dry and oil your skin – not with baby oil…YUK: use basic good quality carrier oils to which you have added an essential oil such as lavender, geranium or frankincense…whatever takes your fancy, or for sheer pampering, use Argan oil or my fantastic Aphrodite oil which will feed and repair your skin and guys that intend to do this should use my Adonis oil instead. Now you have revealed the Goddess and God within, you are ready to face the summer. TIP: I have done this twice weekly with Aphrodite oil over the winter and I have to say it has made a difference – so much so, even my cellulite has disappeared – double bonus or what and makes all the effort well worth while!! Go on, pamper yourself as you are so worth it…

Weight loss spell to aid your new diet and exercise plan for the spring…
If you would like to improve what you see in the mirror, the here is a little magick to support your plan:
Firstly, at sunset mix together fennel, dill and lavender and add a green tourmaline, ruby or apatite to the mix. Place in a yellow pouch. Next, take a small piece of paper and draw a cross in the middle, and draw a straight line through the centre of the cross to make an elongated star-shape. Fold the paper into a small size and add to your pouch. Close the pouch and hold in your power hand (writing hand). Close your eyes and visualise yourself now and then see yourself changing to how you want to be/see the scales coming down from the weight now to a more healthy weight. Carry this pouch wherever you go in your pocket, visualising daily your aim and magickally, it will help with overeating and weight loss, and positively encourage healthy exercise…and help you achieve what you want to be…but please be realistic – size zero is impossible and unless nature created your body to be that size, extremely unhealthy too. Be real and it will be done…so mote it be

Moisture is what we need…
Most of us have spent the winter in several layers of clothes, big boots and woolly socks and the heating on full blast 24 hours a day. The big shock I have had is how dry my skin has got over the winter and how much moisture will be needed to make it good again by the summer, and I don’t even have central heating! This has been confirmed by the amount of oils such as hemp and jojoba oil, and creams like “Cream for Dry Skin” and “Intensive hand-care Cream” that we have sold since December! What we now need to do is to spend a little time working on the skin to get it back to being fabulous again. After all, it is your body’s first line of defence and must be maintained at all times!

When you can find the gap to have an evening to spend on yourself, try the following bathtime routine:
Firstly, you need a good exfoliater (try my “Salt to Silk”), some dispersing bath oil, a pumice stone, a cleanser & muslin cloth, a face mask and a relaxing essential oil. Run a warm bath and add 10mil dispersing oil to which you have added 8 drops essential oil i.e. Rosewood or Patchouli (both good for dry skin). Get in the bath. Cleanse your face and wipe with muslin cloth to clear dead skin cells. Apply the face mask, lay back and relax for 10 minutes. Rinse off the face mask and dry face. Now exfoliate and moisturise your body all in one motion by using ‘Salt 2 silk’ to rid the body of dead skin and reveal the new skin underneath. Once you rinse, the skin will be soft and rosy…perfect! Next, pumice the feet, which by now will be soft enough for hard skin to be removed and this will help reveal the pretty feet underneath. Pay attention to the heels and balls of the feet.
Get out of the bath and wrap yourself in a warm towel and take 5 minutes to dry & allow the oil to fully sink in.
Meanwhile, use a rich cream such as Intensive hand care cream to fully moisturise the feet and hands, which have had such a hard time this winter! Cut and trim toe nails and paint if necessary. Finish the facial with toner and oil such as “Morgaine’s Fountain of Youth” range. Repeat nightly to repair skin after the raveshing winter. From now on, moisturise the body daily if possible with nice body oil i.e. my new “Oil for Skin” which will feed the skin even if there is Eczema, Psoriasis or other skin issue. For the best body moisture and to help prepare for the summer, use my Goddess oil “Aphrodite’s Aftersun” – it not only repairs and renews the skin but also gets it ready for the sun’s rays!! Use this every day diluted 50/50 with Apricot kernal oil.
Keep up this simple bathtime routine as often as you can and the body will be ready when that sun finally splits the heavens…and we do so deserve it after this winter!!

I have to say I get asked this question a lot as there are many people out there that have no idea what carrier oil is or what to do with an essential oil so here are a few pointers for you adults out there:

For massage, add 3 drops of essential oil per 5ml carrier oil
If you pour 5ml carrier oil into the cup of your hand, you will get a pointer as to how much it is in your hand and won’t need to measure all the time…

For an oil bath, run your bath first, then add 8 drops of essential oil either direct to the bath or into a tsp bath base, cheap vodka or full fat milk – the alcohol or fat helps to disperse the oil into the water which makes it more beneficial and is a must if children are involved

If adding oils to the pillow, add 3-4 drops both sides of the pillow plus on the top edge of the duvet – it makes it that wherever you are sleeping, you will still have access to the aroma.

If adding essential oils to a vaporiser, I tend to add 8-10 drops to the water but it also depends on the size of the room too, so use your common sense.

And now for the wee ones;

The oils I tend to use mostly for kids is Lavender (skin issues, headaches and sleep), Tea tree, Niaouli or Cajeput, the Melaleucas (to fight infection & viruses), Myrtle (asthma and chest infections), spearmint (tummy upsets), Roman Chamomile (calming, anti-histamine) and Mandarin (calm, sleep and digestion).

For older ones, I would also add Marjoram for growing pains, strains etc and Geranium for young girls to help with period pains. Once they reach 14, they can tolerate adult oils and doses. The doses for the younger ones are much harder.

For babies’ up to 2 months, no oils should be used, but massage with almond oil is great for mum and baby.
For children under 1, use 1 drop per 10ml carrier oil: For children 1-3, use 1-2 drop per 10ml carrier oil
For children 3-5, use 2-3 drop per 10ml carrier oil: For children 6-13 use 3-4 drops per 10ml carrier oil

In the bath, always add the essential oils to 1tsp full fat milk, vodka or dispersing bath oil to ensure the oil is in the water, not on it. Never add undiluted oils to a child’s bath. The doses used above for 10ml carrier is the amount to add to the dispersant to add to their bath.

Tinctures are much easier, as things like Echinacea, chamomile, feverfew etc can all be used for children, adding one drop into water per year of their age, so a three year old can have 3 drops Echinacea 1-2 times per day when they are unwell with a cold, just to boost their delicate immune systems. Dilute into their drink and they should learn to take them quite easily.

WARNING: It isn’t so important to get exact quantities for room aromas, but when putting oils onto the body, never overdose as you can overload the liver, so never, ever add more than the massage amount indicated unless you are an experienced aromatherapist and know what you are doing. Never put neat essential oils on the skin either – always dilute except in emergency when lavender and tea tree only can be applied to cuts, burns etc

There it is, that dreaded word: the spots, the itching’ the sleepless nights…I remember it so well seems as I caught it off my children. It was one of those childhood diseases I never managed to pick up and back when I was a kid, you played with anyone who had something catching just to get it over with!! This childhood illness strikes with no warning. The child has been infectious for a couple of weeks before you realise so everyone you know who hasn’t already had it will soon have caught it. I was 33 when I got it and was covered from toe to neck…never went out of the house for weeks!!
By the time my 3rd child caught it, I knew what to do to prevent what we went through.

Calming the itching and avoiding scarring is the main issue so here is my magickal bath and lotion remedies to help…
BATH:
To a warm bath, add 1 cupful bicarbonate of soda. Then, dissolve 8 drops each tea tree & lavender in 5ml vodka, full fat milk or bath dispersing oil and add to bath. This dose is for 8-12 year old, so adjust down for younger children and up for older. Let them soak in the bath for 20minutes.
LOTION:
Dissolve in 5ml alcohol, 10 drops tea tree, 10 drops lavender and 5 drops chamomile and add to 50ml rosewater and 50ml witch hazel. Shake well and use as a lotion on the spots, applying it with cotton wool over the entire rash. It will help stop the spread of the infection whilst helping to speed the healing process of the spots, greatly reduce the itching and prevent scarring.

This wonderful mix of bath and lotion should be carried out 3 times per day with extra lotion every time they start to scratch. It is very effective, my son having no itchiness at all by day 4, (day 1 being when the 1st spot appeared) the rash having stopped and all areas healing, most of which never even went into blisters. In fact the only blisters turned out to be those spots that appeared before we realised what was happening and started with the remedy. If only I had made up the mix when I contracted it, I wouldn’t have had lots of sleepless nights itching!!!
SUPPLEMENTS:
Vitamin C is natural anti-histamine so give your child 500mg daily to also help internally with the itching on top of a child’s multi-vitamin as soon as you think they may have even been in contact with the virus. Ensure plenty of fluid in-take, especially when they have a raised temperature and keep them cool – they will be less itchy if in a cool room as opposed to a warm one.

SHINGLES:
This is the same virus that remains dormant in the body and when run down, it can come back as shingles. It used to only strike elderly people but it seems to have changed now as I have known much younger people coming down with it, which show how deficient our bodies can be these days.
Shingles can be extremely painful, and sensitivity to an area of the body followed by pain and a rash is the onset of this disease. The pain can go on for months!!
I have found one of the best things for the pain and stopping the spread is Ravensara essential oil added to St Johns wort oil and applied 3 times daily to the area of pain. Ravensara can also be added to the bath with Epsom salts.
Boosting your immune system is essential. Ravensara does this from the outside whilst fighting the virus but take St Johns wort tincture 3-4 times daily. This is extremely good for nerve pain and so taking it on the inside as well as applying on the outside will help tremendously. It will also boost the immune system too. My “Kill-or-Cure” with its echinacea, goldenseal and myrrh is another help if you are really struggling with it as it will majorly kill the infection and get your own immune system back on track. Take 2-3000mg Vitamin C throughout the day (up to bowel tolerance), plus B-complex and Vitamin E (it reduces the long term effects of shingles)

Run a warm bath, and to it add a cupful of cider vinegar, a tsp or so almond oil and 15 drops lavender oil. Swish it around and get in. The aarghh will soon turn to aaahh!!

The cider vinegar takes out the sting, the oil replenishes the moisture and the lavender repairs the damage. This mixture will even help the red to go brown and not peel. For bad sunburn, apply lavender in rosehip oil after the bath to aid skin repair.

Now if the day has been set with troubles and you want to be rid of the world as you know it for just a short while, then this is the bath for you.

My favourite magickal cleansing bath is to set the bathroom with candles, run the bath, unplug the phone, lock the door and add 8 drops of Juniper berry oil to the water. Now, get into the bath knowing this is going to free you of your woes.

Close your eyes, relax and inhale that glorious aroma (I adore juniper). Visualise all those daily traumas and worries going out of your body and into that bath, whether illness or stress or whatever. Give in to that warm protective cleansing element of water and for 20 minutes, be free of those problems.

Also know that, whilst pouring your problems into this water, you are using the element of water to help you solve your problems or find a way to help (if you don’t ask, you don’t get in my world so if your guides don’t know what is troubling you, they cannot do anything to help!!).

After it is done, arise out of the bath a newly cleansed and refreshed person and, as you pull that plug and watch the water disappear, know that your troubles are being put out to the greater water element for her help !

I always feel better and know my problems are now on the way out. It may take time as there is no rushing the tide , it comes in when it comes in but one thing you can be sure of,it will definitely come in.

Ever taken more than a couple of doses of anti-biotics in any one year?

Ladies – are you on the pill and have been for a while (did you know the pill was a steroid?) Or HRT? (that is too).

If you answered yes to one of these questions, then chances are that you are one of the many that suffer from the non-existent syndrome of Candidiasis. Ask the doctor about it. I did, and quote ” I am a man of science, and if you can prove scientifically that this exists, then I will act on it, but as yet, there is no scientific proof that it does exist. Science can only prove that there is yeast present in the body, not if there is an overdose of it”.

Yeast lives naturally quite happily in our digestive system, being kept in check by the friendly flora that also live there. Why yeast is there is not known, just that it is. When we take anti-biotics or the pill, these conventional forms of medication sort out whatever needs to be sorted out and killed. The bad news is that they also kill the good stuff – that is how they work – they annihilate everything, good and bad. We have a dose of anti-biotics and yes, many of us ladies are then plagued with the follow-up of thrush, the first sign of an overdose of yeast. So, we are given Canestan to kill the yeast. If at this point, you eat plenty of live yoghurt and take a course of Acidophilus and garlic, the friendly troops are sent in and balance is restored. What happens if you don’t do this? Due to the fact that there is no friendly stuff left to keep the yeast in check, it regroups again and takes over the system – like a riot.

Then, all hell breaks loose. A change takes place and this yeast develops roots and metamorphoses into a new strain of Candida and travels out with the digestive system. Horrid eh!!

So, what are the typical symptoms of this syndrome, I hear you ask. Here are but a few of the ones that I personally experienced and seem to be the typical symptoms:-

1. Fungal infections i.e. thrush, athlete’s foot, fungal growth under nails (usually toes).

2. Skin problems i.e. eczema, psoriasis, itching skin, unexplained rashes, new skin allergies to metal, perfumes etc

3. Recurring urinary tract infections.

4. Unexplained aches and pains within the body, or arthritic-like pains in the joints (inflammation)

5. General feeling of being “unwell”, but no explanation – lethargy, exhaustion, tiredness, run-down feeling.

6. Hormonal problems such as PMT, irritability, mood swings, menstrual problems

7. Headaches and/or migraine type symptoms, when never suffered prior but now reoccurring.

8. Cloudy, foggy feeling in the head (not quite in). Lack of concentration. Memory loss or forgetfulness.

9. Cravings for sweet things (I could eat chocolate for Scotland)

10. Bloating, digestive upsets, flatulence, IBS.

11. Weight gain that cannot be lost but went on for no apparent reason.

That’s just to cover the most common symptoms. Things like ME are also being linked to this syndrome, as improvements are made when it is addressed.

How many of you have gone down the list going yes, yes, yes? Well, if you have, chances are that you are one of 85% that suffers from this syndrome “that doesn’t exist”. They also said that about PMT and SAD and now they are common occurrences.

Personally, things came to a head for me when I just couldn’t get up in the morning, as my joints were just too stiff. I was taking meadowsweet for the arthritis but to no avail. I was tired all the time, my head was constantly fuzzy or with a dull headache and was generally feeling old before my time. The doctor dismissed it but I knew I wasn’t going mad. These symptoms were real. I just had to find the cause.

Then, a bunion appeared over the period of a week and just kept growing (inflammation of the joints) and when it happened on the same foot as a fungal infection, I started to investigate on the net and, lo and behold, there was the answer. In America, it is well known but doesn’t exist, if you get the drift.

Well, it has changed my life. I got out of bed the other day and suddenly noticed that I didn’t hurt anymore. It had taken quite a few months but it was gone. The bunion is slowly shrinking. My nails are regrowing and the peeling skin on my feet has healed just about. I am bursting with energy, my mind is clear and I haven’t had a headache for weeks.

So, what miracle drug made this all happen? None. As it doesn’t exist, then no cure was offered. The local pharmacist said he could kill it with one dose of something, but explained that it would kill everything else as well, and he knew I wouldn’t be into that. Anyway, you kill the yeast, but without the friendly stuff to fill the gap, it just regenerates and comes back again.

So, what is the answer. Simple. You simply starve the yeast and kill it naturally, whilst also putting the friendly flora back into your system.

Getting rid of Candidiasis the Green Witch Way.

For a minimum of one month, (this is the hardest bit, but you get into the swing)

Cut out all sugar including sweets, foods containing added sugar, fruit and sweet vegetables such as peas and carrots, fruit juices.

Cut out all yeast products such as bread, crackers, biscuits, alcohol, soy sauce and other fermented products.

No mushrooms (fungus)

No meat or chicken (contains too many anti-biotics so feeds the yeast)

Minimum dairy products (I allowed myself just 2 cups of real coffee daily with milk) and butter

Minimum caffeine (I cannot live without my coffee, sorry, but it didn’t affect me)

Lots of organic live full-fat yoghurt (to replace the friendly flora naturally)

Lots of water to flush out the system including the dead yeast

One-a-day garlic perle (I chose odourless)

Acidophilus 3 times daily (from the Health food shop) to replace the friendly flora quickly to control the yeast

A good A-Z multi-vitamin & mineral which contains biotin plus

2000mg Vitamin C (yes, double the usual dose)

Echinacea tincture to boost the immune system and gain control again

Calendula tincture to gain control of the yeast and fight and cure the symptoms

Eat plenty of salads, potatoes, stir-fry vegetables (but no sauce) with fish, tuna etc

Eggs can be eaten every other day if you love eggs but only 2 max.

I found toast well-done and wholemeal was OK, as was cheese if well toasted and bubbling hot, so cremated cheese toasties became a staple working lunch instead of sandwiches – investment in a toasting machine was a necessity.

Remember, the cravings for sugar are not a breakdown of will-power as we have always been led to believe, but simply, when a female’s body changes over the month, the hormonal change enforce a die-off in the yeast (I think that is the reason). As the yeast lay dying, it screams out for sugar for it to survive. The sugar feeds the yeast, as any wine-maker will tell you. Starve the yeast and it dies. It is amazing how this little piece of information changes your perspective on this situation and you suddenly don’t pamper the cravings anymore. Watch the weight fall off without even trying. I lost a stone in about 4 weeks, just like that.

After the first 4 weeks, the die off and subsequent control of the friendly flora will be more balanced and you can start re-introducing some of the things you have cut out. But, don’t be surprised if you no longer feel the need to eat chocolate or drink alcohol. Also expect that if it still upsets your system, you will either bloat up or feel as though something is sitting like a lead weight in your stomach. Either way, leave it out a bit longer, then try again. You may find that some things generally upset you and just avoid them altogether. My favourite tipple of red wine is now a no-go for me. My system likes it no more and it has had to go completely for the time being, as it makes me palpitate and go hot and gives me a thumping head so I simply don’t push it and have found an alternative tipple which doesn’t upset me.

A normal daily menu for me would include:-

Organic muesli and live organic yoghurt for breakfast with coffee and grapefruit juice (and all the tablets which I still take 7 months later), cheese toasties on the hop for lunch and salmon, trout or tuna with salad, stir-fry veg or pasta for tea with fruit and live yoghurt for dessert. The occasional chicken is OK but it sometimes upsets me, depending on how it is cooked, but generally, my eating habits have been altered for the better due to this healthy diet.

So, there you go, Candidiasis sorted. You will be amazed who you know that will benefit from this info.

Update on Candidiasis……

I’m back on my soapbox again. Yes folks, it is a Candidiasis update for you. For those of you who have read my Candida leaflet, (keep on reading and you will come across it), I want to fill in a few more bits as to why this diet is a must and why we need to kill this thing affecting 90% of woman and a fair few men too. If you have children and your child suffers from eczema, asthma or other allergies, and they had cradle cap when they were wee, chances are both mum and baby/child have Candidiasis. So, you have to do your best to wean them away from sweet things that are simply feeding the yeast for a while, (and definitely no marmite fingers) and feed them plenty of organic natural yoghurt to rebalance their digestive system to fight the invader. The majority of children today that have a sweet tooth will suffer from Candidiasis in some form, whether slight or not. (I came up with the cradle cap link a couple of years ago and the Midwifery Association has now proved it).

Another aspect that is alarming is the current link to cancer. Cancer cells, like Candida cells, live naturally in the body. It is my opinion that one of the reasons that cancer spreads so quickly through a small amount of the population today, undetected, and why it travels in families, is the candida link. When the candida alters its structure and spreads throughout the body, it attacks the weakest area in each person. Every person suffers differently and, in some people, I firmly believe that it alters the cancer cells in some way and allows it to spread quicker through an area of the body. Don’t be alarmed as, of course, you will be now changing this situation after having killed the candida and restored the normal balance with the help of my diet suggestions. It is also being linked to M.S. and, the candidiasis diet is the only cure for sufferers of ME. So, for those of you who haven’t done this yet, it is really a health restorer, long term as well as short term so, for those of you who need this sheet, check out above on the News page here on my website, where it is permanently situated, because it is so necessary to get this info out there, and half the health issues that walk through my door are linked to this problem. And that is just my little domain.

It is only when you are afloat on a ship with nothing in view except the sea yet having to buy bottled water and bathe in water from the ship’s own processing plant, or travelling around the USA trying to keep water supply topped up, that you appreciate how lucky we are to have fresh clean water daily (and up here in Scotland, it falls more than average from the sky). Most of you probably drink plenty but how much is actual plain water? When I mean drink water I mean actual water or herbal tea – not fizzy water, not sugared or flavoured water, not tea or coffee but just plain water.I still filter water to take out any residue chemicals. Here are a few reasons why you should drink more and invest in a filter (no need for bottled water unless you are caught short).

Water is needed for every function the body provides. We lose 6 cups of water a day through various means of elimination (skin, urine, gut). It flushes out waste and toxins which are aplenty these days and helps keep the body hydrated. This needs replacing if the body is to protect us and do its job. Sometimes we even mistake the body’s need for water as the need for something to eat – hence why we snack.

Water helps keep weight down (it contains NO calories) and if we drink plenty, the body doesn’t need to hold on to fluid, as it knows there is no drought. Another point to remember – tea, coffee and alcohol are diuretics and as such, lose the body fluid so remember whilst drinking alcohol, always replace with water and flush the body the day after for minimal damage (the Europeans always drink their espresso with a glass of water so take heed!!). So help you to help yourself and drink plenty of mineral/filtered water and you will feel the difference.

Here are some facts: –

*Mild dehydration slows down your metabolism as much as 3% (so you put on weight basically). The majority of the population is actually dehydrated (75% of Americans are and look at the weight issues and problems they are having).

*Lack of water triggers the syndrome of daytime fatigue.

*8-10 glasses of water per day could significantly ease joint and back pain in up to 80% of sufferers.

*Sufferers of symptoms like bloating, constipation, PMT, headaches and fluid retention may have these problems simply because their intake of water is too little. Drink 8 large glasses of water to solve these annoying problems.

*A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

The Problem is…

The body simply thinks it is undergoing a drought. Add to it environmental issues like central heating, double-glazing and air-conditioning and the conditions worsen. We need water to live – simple as that.

Make a point of getting all the family to increase their intake of plain water, whether tap, bottled or filtered, and you could be taking a positive step to ensure a healthy life later.

A water rant…

However, don’t rely on drinking loads of bottled water that is in the supermarkets in large quantities in plastic. Remember, some water has been bottled for up to 2 years…yuk!! Drink lots of tap water and, here in Scotland, our water is fab for drinking and tap water passes a lot more stringent tests than bottled water does.

Also, you may laugh at Del Trotter when he bottled tap water and sold it as mineral, but that has actually happened in real life so these bottled waters are not always what they are cracked up to be, especially the cheaper bargains. So, the best option is to use a filter jug or under-the-sink filter for your tap water than to rely solely on bottled (though some of the major cities may be a bit iffy…) see if the filters alter the taste. I can actually tell by taste when my filter is done because I can taste the impurities are back in the water!!.

They do actually work and you can always fill up the water bottle daily with fresh filter water: add some crystals and make your very own personalised mineral water: much better than water that has been sat in the plastic for 6 months, don’t you think? Fair enough, sometimes you just have to buy a bottle of water and that is fine as better to drink bottled water than dehydrate, but at the price it is sold (coke is cheaper than water), let’s use the free stuff from the tap much more and get our bodies the fluid it needs for optimum health. I know I have the office bottled water in the shop but I use a company that has only had it bottled for up to 7 days before I get it unlike the previous company that I found out stored it for up to a year!!! See what I mean…

Did you know that an estimated 10million people in the UK suffer from high blood pressure? Isn’t that an awful figure!! So, time to do something about it me thinks…

even with the stresses and strains of 21st Century living, as high blood pressure is a major risk for cardiovascular disease so let’s not wait shall we… and as I attack everything from inside and out, we will use herbs, oils and supplements as well as crystals and lifestyle changes where necessary, as per usual.

One herb renowned for helping hypertension is Gingko Biloba. Used to treat and delay all age-related problems, the Chinese have used this for centuries. It keeps the mind active, the blood flowing and the senses working so is a very useful herb for memory, concentration and keeping the blood pressure balanced. Valerian is another useful herb for hypertension, being nature’s tranquilizer, it is to calm the whole person if stressed, so if your life is stressful and causing your blood pressure to rise, then this is the remedy for you. It helps you cope in the day and get all you have to do, done, but at night, it helps restore restful sleep. My Stress and Fatigue tincture blend will give you both of these herbs plus immune system support too.

One of my favourite oils for sleep and sore muscles (following gardening or belly dancing) is sweet marjoram but this is also great for high blood pressure, in the bath, inhaled from a tissue and added to your pillow at night, again ensuring restful sleep. Lavender and my Restful Sleep blend are also useful to promote good sleep and less stress, as is Ylang-Ylang, which calms the heart in panic attacks and palpitations, so use these regularly to help rebalance your blood pressure. Another oil that is actually taken as a supplement is garlic and this is great for hypertension, so add garlic to food at every opportunity to help your circulation.

Calcium and magnesium, which are generally supplemented for bone health, but this time also helps to lower blood pressure whilst also benefiting the heart and blood vessels, and Vitamin C, which we take as an anti-oxidant and for colds, also helps to lower it too. Your omega 3 (fish oils) are essential too, and if you have tried everything and if it still isn’t going down, then try COQ10 which protects the heart (just so you know, I take all of these already…so I should live forever).

Crystal wise, the best thing for hypertension is to wear apatite next to your heart (the job of a necklace) – this is the stone I introduced to you on the last newsletter, but if you have green fluorite, bloodstone or even amethyst (to deal with the stress), these will all be helpful to wear or carry.

If high blood pressure is a constant in your life, then a life reassessment may be in order, as it is fine to be stressed occasionally as our fight or flight kicks in, but living constantly in stress-mode is bad for the body. Do you need to lose weight? Are you a smoker? Do you take exercise – not go to the gym particularly but take walks daily after tea? Do you get time to just sit out in the sunshine for 20 minutes a day (Vitamin D is essential in maintaining blood pressure)? Is your diet healthy with 5 portions fruit and veg a day? I know I nag but Lammas is a time to set your aims for the winter and it could be simply to set about improving your health – after all, you don’t want that cardiovascular disease to become a reality, do you??

It can be a temporary situation brought about by a viral infection, or something more serious such as cancer treatments. Whatever the cause, it is very distressing, especially for women, so here are some pointers that you can try.

Neat lavender can be rubbed directly into the scalp twice daily for small patches. Also get a simple shampoo and add to it a few drops rosemary oil at each hair wash to stimulate the follicles. Rinsing with a nettle infusion is also good for the problem.

If the problem is more serious, use a daily massage mixture. Add 5 drops each rosemary and lavender to 1 tbsp cider vinegar, then add to 100ml rose or lavender water and shake well. Massage into scalp.

A weekly application to encourage hair growth is to warm 5tsp jojoba oil and add 12 drops each rosemary and lavender. Now massage the mix into the scalp and wrap the hair in a warm towel and leave for an hour or two (depending on the amount of time you have). Then apply shampoo directly, shampoo in and then rinse. Shampoo again to ensure hair doesn’t remain greasy. All this and patience should help improve things greatly.

In addition, take a good vitamin tablet, plus yeast tablets, and eat a good healthy diet full of essential fatty acids and vitamins B, C and F.

Another wee factor – don’t make the problem worse by using chemical treatments such as colours and perms. It may make you feel better but will make things worse.

Avoid hot hair dryers too.