Q.  Michelle – can you help?
I am on Calcium and Potassium.  I need them to stop getting cramps and muscle spasms but have found that lately I have had to up my 2 per day to 3 per day.
Calcium  400 mg and Potassium – slow k.I also eat 2 bananas per day to help.
Am I taking too much? and can you give me something better instead of the calcium I am taking?

A.  You are taking the wrong FORM of the minerals.
1. the calcium in main stream  and supermarket brands is Calcium Carbonate and is very poorly absorbed, so your body may, at a push, be getting 40mg/tablet,  so changing that to a more absorbale calcium will help you a lot.
2 the potassium your medical aid pays for is a slow-release, which is a terrible thing to do to a mineral- minerals absorb at the very top of the digestive system so a slow release tab releases potassium in parts of your intestine that cannot absorb potassium and therefore most of the mineral is  wasted
3. it is extremely hot (in case you hadn’t noticed) and unless you are drinking about 2litres of healthful fluids everyday, chances are you are dehydrating and that is why your minerals are working less well.

Does that all make sense?

At first glance you may well appear fine..but what aren’t you saying?  How is your memory?  How is your sex drive?  Do you wake up with stiff joints?  Does your mouth taste like a bird cage?  Are you constipated? Are you irritable and moody? Do you need a midday nap? Do you battle to lose weight?  Do you suffer from headaches, muscle spasms and tics?  You ARE dehydrated!!A cup of coffee (for example) will produce a cup and a half of urine – coffee, tea, coldrinks and alcohol are diuretics; they make you wee.  The World Health Organisation stipulates 30ml of water/kg body weight/day. For a person of 70kg’s, that is 2.1 litres per day.  This is what your body requires to:  sweat, to manufacture mucous and digestive juices, make blood, lubricate joints and eyes, produce saliva, hydrate your muscles, including your heart, and feed your brain.  Proper hydration allows your body the correct blood volume, which stabilises your blood pressure and improves your sex life, among other things.  When our bodies are under-hydrated each of our cells becomes dry and shrivelled (ever seen a skin that’s been sun-damaged? Apply that to your insides!)  and unable to absorb the little that we do ingest.  It’s true that we stay alive and appear healthy, but generally, we have been dehydrated for so long we no longer realise that there is actually another way to feel.  When you undertake to make the change and begin increasing the amount of water you drink, the first thing that happens is that you wee all day..this is because your poor shrivelled up cells, like parched earth, are unable to absorb the water after all this time.  It takes at least a week of gradually increasing your fluids from 1 extra glass daily to the required 8 or 10 glasses for your body to be able to absorb and use the water.  Also, you increase the water intake but don’t stop the coffee and Coke, which – you guessed right- are diuretics and make you wee!  So, it’s a continuous but worthwhile endeavour to try every day to drink more water than coldrink; to replace some of your coffee with water and to feel as good as you can everyday.  Your body will thank you daily

Bladder infections are also known as cystitis, urethritis, and UTIs (urinary tract infections). When bacteria grow in the bladder, the resulting infection usually causes symptoms such as: a burning sensation when weeing, overwhelming urgency, frequent but minuscule urinations, incontinence, bloody urine, and pelvic pain. Sometimes,  bladder infections in older people can be  silent or symptomless for a long time.

Bacteria enter the bladder in three primary ways: when faeces are spread to the bladder opening (such as wiping from back to front), when the tube leading to the bladder is irritated or bruised (as from use of a diaphragm, pelvic surgery, or prolonged/vigorous vaginal penetration), or when there is an in-dwelling catheter.  The thinning and shrinking of reproductive and bladder tissues that may occur in the post- menopausal years contributes to bladder infections in older women, as does lessening of vaginal acidity.

• Head off that bladder infection by drinking a glass of cooled, boiled water hourly as soon as you feel the first urgency or burning. It is tempting to stint on drinking if you find yourself unexpectedly incontinent, but don’t. Bladder infections only make incontinence worse.
• Urine is ideally neutral to slightly acidic (pH 5.8–pH 7). Very acidic urine (below pH 5.5) encourages infections (this is why it is essential to be well hydrated, so that urine does not become concentrated.  You can easily tell how concentrated your urine is by the colour – urine should be the colour of a good white wine).  An established infection gives rise to alkaline urine (pH 7.5 or higher) which causes stinging and burning. Test your urine with pH paper at any time except first thing in the morning.  A pharmacy or clinic can do this for you, and DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE til you have tested the Ph.  Cranberry juice lowers pH; vitamin C raises it.
• Cranberries contain substances that kill bacteria and make your bladder wall so slippery that any escaping bacteria can’t latch on and thrive there. Unsweetened cranberry concentrate is the most effective form. (The sugar or corn syrup in cranberry cocktail-type juices and cran-apple juices can feed the infection.)
• Solgar’s Uva Ursi  is an old favorite for strengthening the bladder and ending chronic or silent bladder infections.
• An overgrowth of vaginal yeast may be irritating your bladder or urethra.  Probiotics will oust the yeast, return the Ph of the area to normal and strengthen the immune system.  Remember that sugar feeds yeast, so abstain from fruit juices and sugared cordials when fighting an infection.
• Women who wash their vulva with soap and water are four times more likely to get vaginal and bladder infections. Douches, face-cloths, sponges, bubblebaths, tampons, nylon underwear and pantyhose may also irritate the urethra and contribute to bladder infections.
• Known bladder irritants include: alcohol, black tea (as opposed to green tea; not tea without milk), coffee, sodas, citrus juices, chocolate, cayenne, and hot peppers. (A herbal tincture in an alcohol base won’t irritate the bladder if you take it diluted in a glass of water or a cup of herb tea, or add the tincture to boiling water to burn off the alcohol, then add cold water and drink.)
• Urinating after sex is essential! It flushes out bacteria and cuts down on UTIs. Urinating before love play increases your risk of a bladder infection.
•  Antibiotics are the standard medical treatment for  bladder infections. .But taking antibiotics frequently causes vaginal yeast overgrowth (which can lead to bladder infection). One specifically -Macrodantin — seems to cause microscopic scarring and ulceration of the bladder wall, precipitating other bladder complications.
• Pelvic floor exercises help prevent and relieve bladder infections too!  Any time during the day, practice squeezing the internal muscle as if cutting off urine flow (Kegel excercises). Also, after urinating, close your eyes, relax, breathe out, and see if you can squeeze out an extra few drops.
• Anion panty liners, with the magic green Anion strip, kill off bacteria at the entrance to the bladder and vagina and reduce discomfort almost immediately

Parasites and worms are a reality of life! Our Healthy bodies are exposed to them on a daily basis.. you may not have kids or pets but here’s the truth about intestinal worms: worms like tapeworm and pinworm live in your intestines and lay their eggs around the anus. Worm eggs are tiny and fall and fly and settle in towels, sheets, carpets, clothing etc. Worm eggs can lie dormant for more than 70 years (!) waiting for a host body. We can pick up parasite infestations from other peoples homes, walking barefoot in public places, touching things in the supermarket and other benign and normal day-to-day life events.The thing is to know. Parasites are everywhere and generally our immune systems deal with most of them fairly efficiently BUT, we need to de-worm and do parasite cleanses on a regular basis. If you live down here on the coast, or in a sub-tropical environment, every 6 months is optimum. If you live inland where it’s dry or cool then once a year is sufficient.Choose the best parasite cleanse you an afford and remember to do the whole family at once. Worm eggs fly and don’t die!!

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that, when viewed under a microscope, is like miniscule shards of glass; it shreds any insect that walks on it – fleas, ants, lice etc.  It is so safe one could eat it for deworming. Though the South African Medicine Control Council has not approved it for internal use, it is used like this all over the world.  So you could treat your dogs’ flea infestation, your furniture and bedding and your child’s lice attack all with the same safe product!

…but then again it is medicine and not a sweet or a snack.  Being free of any flavourant or sweetener, the product tastes like what it is – oils pressed from the seeds of a Pine Tree.  It is so important to the healing process to take the oil in it’s liquid form.  To put it into a capsule  would take away from the oil’s supportive anti-inflammatory functions.  The healing properties of the oil work from the very top of the oesophagus, including the valve a the top of the tummy.  This very tender area suffers a lot of damage from years of heartburn and reflux. The human gastric mucosa is a thin and fragile membrane and prone to inflammation. This is particularly true of  most  people suffering from digestive conditions. The oil’s anti-inflammatory properties, in its liquid form, coats and strengths ALL the gastric mucosa, resulting in inflammation relief.  Once the oil is encapsulated it cannot coat the membranes until the capsule has dissolved.  The tummies we are dealing with here are less than healthy and a lot of them will not be able to digest the capsule in time to release the oil in the actual stomach- the capsule could leave the stomach in-tact, to dissolve lower down the digestive system, where it will still do some good, but not for heartburn and reflux.  Siberian Pine Nut Oil is a revolutionary product in the treatment of indigestion but Buyer Beware!  Stick to the original bottle with the grey label.  www.theotheroption.co.za

Take advantage of the free gift offer running in October and receive a free 4-dose pocket-pal so you can have the oil with you no matter where you are in your busy schedule.

I am often asked if there is a meal replacement to supplement a diet seemingly deficient in nutrients.

Sometimes, while we cannot order our dinner we have some control over breakfast or lunch.  While it is always easy to choose a pie or ready-cooked deli food, rather try choose  a salad or fruit  to include in these  meals.. While one can easily replace vitamins and minerals in a synthetic form, there is no substitute for the enzymes and fibre that one gets from raw food.  No meal replacement could be better than a fresh veggie salad or a fruit salad and youghurt, easily bought from Fruit and Veg City or even a Wimpy.

Remember this: supplements are generally desingned to maintain health and to support the body as it heals itself.  Herbals, vitamins and mineral supplements assisit us in our holistic approach to getting well and staying well, but we can never ‘out-medicate’ poor lifestyle choices.

There is a very nice ‘meal’ called Future Life, which you can buy  for around R30, which supplies your body with it’s daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and aminos, and it has the added benefit of being an immune booster.  Supplements like  BioStrath are grown as opposed to manufactured and, provided one adheres to the dosage, are extremely nourishing to people with dietary restrictions.  E.M. Probiotica is also a living food supplement, rebuilding the healthy gut flora neccesary to maintain good health.  A good quality digestive enzyme, like Solgar Digestive Enzymes or  Vegan Enzymes ensure that when you do eat nourishing food that your body is able to absorb the maximum number of ingredients from that meal to sustain your body’s functions.  A good multivitamin is a foundation to a good diet – working on the assumption that our food is fairly de-mineralised, and that we do the best we can with what we have, the multivitamin supplement is exactly that: a supplement to our diet, not a replacement for food we are not eating.  Ensure your multi has a good quantity of nutrients, as sub-therapeutic dosing is a waste of money.  I recommend Platinum Health Multis for Men and Women, Viridian High 5 Multi (for those of us with high levels of stress) and Vitality AminoSpan, a multi with aminos for extra strength and stamina

My son is 19 weeks old, i started feeding him cereal, apples and

cranberries cerelac stage one. He was fine for 4 days and then started
reacting to it by breaking out in wealts on his chin and neck, we were
told that most babies are allergic to cranberries. so we then gave him
a plain regular cerelac cereal and the same thing happened, so i then
gave him the cerelac maize cereal and the same thing happened again. how do I know if he is intollerant to wheat or gluten and what do I feed him?
Answer:This is what happened.. The baby ate something that he reacted to; this means the body has mounted a histamine reaction.  The little tummy and intestines become inflamed when the histamine levels rise.  You have to let the reaction subside totally before you can actually know what caused the problem.

Gluten is the ‘stickiness’ you feel in the grains you are accustomed to eating, specifically oats and wheat, though there is also gluten in rye.  So something can be wheat-free but still contain gluten, but if something is gluten-free it cannot contain wheat.  A person can be wheat-intolerant and still be able to eat oats, but if you are gluten intolerant you cannot eat oats, wheat or rye.  Intolerant is not the same as allergic: allergy reactions are usually very quick while intolerances take a few days to manifest.  Allergies cause reaction no matter how much of the allergen you are exposed to but sometimes intolerances have a quantity factor. For example, if youare allergic to peanuts, even something ‘safe’ that touched a peanut can close your throat instantaneously.  If you have an intolerance to nuts you may feel  bloated after eating them but if you ate a desert witha sprinkling of nuts after a big meal you would have no symptoms.

So, if the baby’s not starving please go back to formula only for as long as you can, about 7- 10 days.  Allow the tummy to calm down, the histamine levels to drop and the baby will recover.

Then plain rice porridge is the way to go.  It is gluten-free and wheat-free and is palatable for babies. If he refuses the rice then go for maize, which is also gluten-free.  Mix it with formula and nothing else.  Everything you add to the baby’s diet now must be done 1 at a time for a whole week to see if there’s a reaction.
You also don’t say what quantity you fed him? Day 1 of cereal is 1 tsp.  Increase to 2 tsp after 4 or 5 days only.  By the time he has 4 or 5 tsp of cereal you can add 1 tsp of veg.
For example, after 7 days of plain rice cereal you add 1 teaspoon of sweet potato. Give this mixture everyday for breakfast for 1 week (always add new food in the morning so if the baby grizzles you have the whole day to sort it out).

Week 2 cereal and pumpkin for breakfast.  Formula for the rest of the day.

Veg first, well cooked and well mashed.  Babies hate textures much more than they hate taste.  Sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, squash, butternut, avo.

Remember babies are not small adults.  Their digestive systems and livers are very immature.

Babies don’t have the same taste buds as we do.. they have no taste experience and will learn the tastes you teach them, so if something tastes horrible to you, let baby decide for himself if he likes it or not.

You can use tissue salt #8 if the baby is crampy and colicky.  Solgar Caricol in tiny quantities provides digestive enzymes to babies with  immature digestion

Register yourself with www.babycentre.co.uk.  They will provide you with step-by-step guidelines what to do and when to do it.

Good luck

Our Skin is so different in the winter!  It seems obvious, but skincare should vary with the seasons.  See our Skincare page for advice and tips on Winter Skin care

The first condition that may lead to symptoms of RLS is iron deficiency. The relationship between iron deficiency and RLS symptoms has been extensively studied. In several research studies, low iron levels have been found in the blood and spinal fluid of individuals suffering from RLS. The lower the iron levels, the worse the symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown that the iron content in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra is lower in those with RLS compared to normal individuals, which may contribute to the disorder. In addition, pathological studies have confirmed this change within the brain.It is therefore recommended that you have your serum ferritin level (a marker of iron stores) checked if you have symptoms of RLS. In addition, a trial of oral iron replacement if the levels are low should be undertaken. Even some individuals with normal levels respond positively to iron replacement.But don’t go rushing off to buy iron tablets from your pharmacy – Iron can be a dangerous supplement, hammering your liver and causing a myriad of problems, including constipation.   It’s important to raise dopamine levels in conjunction with the iron, using Theanine or Gaba, and Solgar’s Haematinic factor would be a good iron supplement to try.  Consult a health-care proffessional who understands your concerns and can guide and advise you accordingly

Everyone likes the idea of using herbal solutions instead of taking chemicals. But just because Kava is an herb, it does not necessarily make it safe.Most users will not consider researching side effects and dangers if they believe the product to be a natural remedy. This could be a huge mistake. Side Effects of Kava Herbal definitely need to be considered:Surprisingly Kava has more side effects over health benefits. Have a look at huge list of negative effects below.*Risk of liver damage which has resulted in the need for liver transplants for some users.
*Reduced protein levels
*Muscle weakness
*Respiratory problems
*Dizziness
*Damage to eyesight
*Dry skin
*Dilated pupils
*Dry mouth
*Headaches
*Stomach upset
Clearly the term “herbal” or “natural” doesn’t mean risk free. Like many other natural plants and herbs, there are many risk to health associated with Kava. Below is a cautioning onKava before the ban was finalalised – CAUTION: Kava is not the type of supplement, like vitamin C, that you take every day. At most use one capsule three times a week and take a full week off each month. In fact, it is preferable to use this herb no more than two times a week. Use on a daily basis may harm the liver in some individuals. In very rare cases, daily use can lead to severe liver harm that may result in total liver failure. Do not take a kava supplement if you are taking medications that can harm the liver, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or statin drugs for cholesterol such as Lipitor and Zocor. Do not take it if you are an alcohol drinker. Kava does not seem to influence serotonin levels to any significant degree. However, one should always be cautious when combining herbs and pharmaceutical drugs, such as SSRIs, and dosages should be kept as low as possible.Kava has been off  the market since the FDA banned it in 2002.  It is still available in South America; Kava Root (the only part of the plant that is used) is largely employed as a celebratory drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West

I have had so many questions about heartburn this week I have writen the whole story up on the advice page http://www.thegoodhealthshop.co.za/category/advice 

When the thyroid is overactive all the body’s processes speed up so one can experience symptoms of nervousness and irritability, feeling hot and perspiring constantly, insomnia and fatigue, increased frequency of bowel movement, decreased menstruation, hair and weight loss, change in skin thickness, rapid heartbeat, separation of the nail from the nail bed and in extreme cases, protruding eyeballs.The mechanism of an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism is not known but is thought to be auto-immune.
Chronic infection or inflammation and certain prescription drugs can cause temporary hyperthyroidism.The pituitary gland, parathyroid gland and sex glands all work together and are influenced by thyroid function; if there is a problem in one place, they ay all be affected.Essential supplements include:  Therapeutic dose Multivitamin and mineral, omega 3, and vitamin c.Eat in abundance: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peaches, pears, spinach, turnip (these foods suppress thyroid function)Ensure sufficient water intake – at least 30ml/kg body weight/day but avoid reverse osmosis water

Can you tell me what you know about aspartame.  I have a friend who has been sick for about 6 weeks… nauseous all the time, just generally feeling lousy.  She has been on diet and so is taking lots of sugar-free colddrinks and sweeteners in her food and drinks.  She is starting to suspect that aspartame is the culprit and has now cut all those things out.  Advice please?My Answer: Who would think that food we eat every day, often in abundance, could be poison?
Your friend is on the right track, though.  Aspartame is a toxin.  She should avoid consumption.   Aspartame is an artificial sweetener containing phenylalanine. Found in almost all  diet drinks, fat-free sweetened yoghurts, sugar-free products and just about everything ‘sweet’ these days.Phenylalanine excites neurons in the brain to the point of cellular death. And an ongoing intake of aspartame can lead to severe discomfort, illness and in some cases, death.  Aspartame, acesulphame K, Saccharine and Sucralose are not toxins to be taken lightly.  And keep in mind that for adults, a can of Zero coldrink in realtion to our body weight is 10x greater than that of children, which makes the toxic load greater for small people.  Buyer beware!   Sometimes these toxic ingredients are hidden from us with E numbers, and aspartame is E951.  Just because food is  packaged and marketed as safe doesn’t mean it is.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again..our lifestyles have never been more toxic.  The onus is on us to know our ingredients and avoid toxins wherever possible.  Keep your ratio of G-d’s food to man’s food at 80-20

Children are not small adults (sounds pretty obvious?); children and babies metabolise in a different way to adults and their liver and digestive systems are ‘immature’. Children have huge nutritional requirements, seeing as they are growing bone, brain and muscle in an enormous way.Children body’s respond differently to toxins, especially when they are very young and ‘clean’. For example, putting a 340ml diet cold drink and it’s associated additives into a 75kg adult is completely different to putting 340ml’s into a 15kg body – the ratio of toxins is extreme in this case.Children need Omega 3 fats to nourish the brain and feed and grow the nervous system. Children require multi-vitamin supplementation for the same reason adults do- we just are not getting sufficient nutrition from our food. And children require deworming at least twice a year (and the whole family should undertake this together).Food allergies, obesity and behavioral problems are ever present in the children of today. Healthier lifestyle, good habits and effective supplementation can benefit growing children of all ages

Detoxing is a big issue today because we are bombarded daily with the news that our lifestyles are toxic.. insecticides, preservatives, colourants, alcohol, pollution, stress – all these things accumulate and we end up carrying an incredibly heavy toxic load.But we stay alive.Our bodies are masters of adaptation and protect us from our environments in hundreds of miraculous ways, and one of those ways is protection from the toxins we take in. The body ‘parcels’ up the toxins and stores them out of sight, where, even though they accumulate, they offer no immediate danger. Then, when we decide to ‘detox’ we mobilise all these toxins back into the bloodstream for elimination.Within a few hours we begin to feel headachey and fluey and we know that this is what it feels like to detox.WRONG! This is what it feels like to be poisoned! The released toxins are now coursing through your bloodstream, hammering every organ, muscle and nerve, unable to find an efficient exit channel and making you feel like a bus ran you over.An efficient detox does not feel like that. Your body is able to control the movement of toxins and more importantly, is able to eliminate what has been released in an efficient and timorous way.Please do not take detoxing lightly. Ensure you are in the best possible health before undergoing a detox. The weather should not be extreme. Complete an efficient parasite cleanse before attempting a detox.And consult a health-care professional who understands the intensity and complexity of detoxing before you begin so you are equipped with the tools to complete the detox in a healthy and balanced way

Healthy eating is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, it’s true; but sadly, in the world we find ourselves, it’s not enough.If you were consuming 5-7 portions of organically-grown fruit and veg that had not been exposed to pesticides and radiation, which had not traveled hundreds of kilometers to get to your door and which you did not cook or refrigerate, you might stand a chance of aging well and staying healthy without supplemental help.But this is not our reality.Don’t worry! The secret is to do the best with what you have at your disposal, food-wise, and supplement with a good quality, high-dose multi-vitamin, providing your body and mind with a solid nutrient foundation on which to build good health.And remember, not all multivitamins are created equal. Dosages from vary from bare minimum to really therapeutic

Anxiety attacks are more frequent than you think – a lot of people don’t recognise them and even more troubling is that people prefer not to worry those around them and hide their symptoms until they can no longer be hidden. Anxiety attacks are not something a person can control; as with depression, one cannot ‘pull yourself together’.An important tool in treating anxiety is to keep the blood sugar well balanced – yo-yo blood sugar can trigger anxiety attacks and worsen existing ones, so eat regularly and well and ensure that you are well hydrated!  In many cases anxiety attacks are Inappropriate Adrenal Responses, and this tends to draw in your Insulin, messing with you blood-sugar and your digestion.There are reliable over-the counter ‘safe and healthy’ anxiety supplements, such as GABA, L-Theanine, Tones Eqilibrium and Rescue Selent Anxiety, to name a few.  However, of utmost importance is your B-Vitamins, the foundation of a healthy nervous system, and a foundation for other supplementation.  Different supplements have different reactions in different people and there’s no way to know what is going to work quickest in your particular case; instead of fiddling around and wasting time and money, not to mention frazzling your already-frazzled nerves, seek advise from a Homeopath for the best available remedy for your particular problem

It’s only natural for men of a certain age to be thinking ‘Prostrate’..The common thinking is that ‘if you can hear your urine hitting the water, don’t worry’.Very often the frequency of urination at night is not prostrate at all, but simple Body Mechanics – let  me explain what I mean..The days are very hot and very busy. you don’t drink much with all your running around. When you get home you have 2 cups of coffee, a glass of wine with your dinner and a coffee before bed. You Have deprived your body of desperately-needed fluids during the day when you are perspiring, breathing and functioning at your peak; then you have filled your tank with diuretic fluids – fluids that cause you to lose more than you take in (a cup of coffee will produce a cup-and-a-half of urine!), and you’ve filled your tank in the coolest part of the day.  Your body is chronically dry and under-hydrated and the night time fluids are of no benefit to it, and you are no longer sweating, so from 6pm to 6am, all you do is pee.Just like you cannot give a starving man a 3 course dinner, you cannot provide a dehydrated body with litres of fluid.  Learn to drink throughout the day, hydrating your body gently, thoroughly and continuously, slowing down the fluid intake as the day draws to a close. Ensure that the majority of your fluid intake is water. And then, if in a few weeks there is no change in the urine pattern, have the prostrate checked out.There are beautiful and natural supplements that specifically target the prostrate, like Saw, Palmetto, Opuntia, Lycopene and Zinc, all of which slow down the rate of swelling and deterioration

Kids’ hygiene in general may leave a bit to be desired, and they transfer germs at an alarming rate.. a runny nose is unsightly but it is the way the body was designed to work; mucous is produced to lubricate nasal passages and remove debris through the nostrils.  It’s only when we interfere with this process, drying up the mucous and preventing the natural healing that things go awry.  The body also uses the mucous to let the mom know what’s going on inside; clear mucous is good; yellow means germs are invading and steps need to be taken and green indicates a full on infection.  How will you read the signs if you suppress them all the time?Should you choose to visit your Doctor when your child or anyone in your family has The Flu,   Flu IS A VIRUS..  Antibiotics KILL BACTERIA.  The only time you need an Antibiotic for flu is if you have developed a secondary chest, sinus, tonsil or other infection.Taking an Antibiotic for the flu is taking a chemical drug you do not need, allowing it to annihilate the good bacteria that reside in the billions in your gut.  Besides all the digestive uses of healthy gut flora, they are also the building blocks of our immunity (strange but true!)  So a course of unnecessary antibiotics actually depletes you immune system and slows down your body’s ability to heal itself. Proceed with caution, but don’t be silly.. If you are more sick that just the flu, if you have a fever and malaise, or if you can’t ‘shake it off’ , an antibiotic is a good way to go, but remember to supplement your Flora, to rest and eat small meals.When your kids start with The snotty Nose, here are some simple steps to follow:1. minimise dairy intake: dairy thickens mucous and slows down drainage2. go slowly with sugar: sugar fuels the mucous factory (so things like yogurt, a combo of sugar and dairy will make your kid feel and sound worse.3.  Old fashioned steam works wonders to open a blocked nose.  Close the windows and steam up the bathroom and feed your infant in there.  Cool the water and bath your child in the steamed environment. Or just breathe it in over a bowl if you don’t have an Humidifier.4. big meals burden your system at a time when it needs energy for healing, so snacking through the day is preferable.5. Lots of fluids keep mucous thin and drainage more efficient; fluids also keep us well hydrated and minimise the impact of a fever.6. First aid for kids: try Doc Moriss’ Never ending snotty Nose, or Pegasus Mucodrainol.  treat a fever with Heel Engystol and calm the tots with Viburcol Suppositories.Hang in there -  little bodies heal fast and are very resilient

The simple answer is yes, but that’s where the simple part ends!Depression is as complicated and diverse as the people who suffer from it, so getting the right supplement is a complex issue.One should always start with the most obvious first – diet and lifestyle; are you well hydrated? Does your diet include raw veggies and fruit? Are you taking in too much sugar? are you eating regularly enough to stabilise your blood sugar?Having taken care of the basics, a good multivitamin and mineral and a good quality fish oil are essential to the health of the nervous system.Then  look at the cause of the depression – is it gone? will it ever be gone? is there stress involved? is it long-term? can you take steps to change things and regain control? is your situation making you ill?  All these things change the way the depression will be treated.So a good, ‘natural’ and drug-free way to treat depression would be:*a healthy balanced diet*moderate exercise*a strong, therapeutic multivitamin*a good quality fish oil*sound advice on your choice of herbs and amino acids for depression and stress-related symptoms, for example;RhodiolaSt John’s wortSceletium5-htpAshwagandaAstralagusGinsengor a combination of the above.always get advise and always be honest with the Health-care practitioner who is assisting you – anything you don’t ell will hinder your own recovery

There are many reasons why we become fatigued beyond normal tiredness.  Waking up  tired or needing a catnap in a lunch-hour are signs that our body is clearly not functioning at its peak.Generally people push themselves beyond their sensible edge, sleeping too few hours, lackadaisical approach to food and drink and excessive levels of stress .. sounds like most of our autobiographies!Also, while we regularly service our vehicle, maintain our home and inoculate our pets, we seldom observe the same rules of maintenance with our bodies.. The very place we live every single day!?!Fatigue is a clue that maintenance is overdue!The first step is to look at  lifestyle. Are you ..1) Drinking enough water? Keeping cells hydrated, avoiding brain dehydration and flushing toxins is essential to peak functioning2) sleeping 6-8 hours in a well-ventilated room?  we rest, repair and renew at night. Our sleep cycle is essential to physical and mental well-being3) how sedentary are you? our bodies need to move in order to oxygenate, hydrate and lubricate, so a little exercise goes a long way4) does our daily diet include raw fruits and vegetables? Eating everything cooked, even if it’s ‘healthy’ deprives your body of essential enzymes that it requires from fresh produce5) are you miserable or in pain?  These negative impacts on out body and our lives are utterly exhausting!  Use supplements like MSM and Turmeric to help you deal with physical pain, and Rhodiola, 5Htp and Gotu Kola to help cope with emotional stressors6) do you EVER stop rushing?  just stop. walk on the beach or in a garden. watch your kids play. nap. The world will still be turning when you bring yourself willingly back into it, refreshed, revitalised and much less exhausted

It is important to note that all sunblocks are not created equal!  There is no ‘umbrella body’ ensuring that the number on a sunblock means the same thing across all brands and countries and products.   An spf 60 that wears off in 2 or 3 hours is degrading and weakening from the minute you apply it. …whereas the slowsun is maintaining it’s integrity for 8 hours

The Solrx cream spf 44 or spray spf 35 is certified 8 hours protection in an organic base, and the fact that the number is not a 50 does not mean it gives less protection.  The fact that is does not degrade at the same rate means, in fact that the protection is greater, even if the number is lower

When the body develops an allergy to something that should be benign (like grass) it is an auto-immune issue and one should look to the liver,  and in a young child you would need a good homeopath to assist you with that.
In the meantime the biggest thing you can do for him is control the symptoms so that he is not constantly ending up on antibiotics and the way you do that is by cutting dairy products out of his diet ASAP!.  The allergy response causes a build-up of mucous to protect the membranes from the grass ‘poison’.  The dairy thickens the mucous to the point where his little sinuses and lungs cannot eliminate it; the bacteria thrive in this moist environment, and the child is swallowing so much mucous that his gut is battling as well as his nose.  He can’t sleep well as he can’t breathe well, and his body can’t absorb nutrients efficiently through the mucous wall in his gut – this leaves you with a child who is irritable, moody and ‘difficult’, and often there is a weight concern.
so here’s my advice (having done it with my own child): NO dairy (at all – yoghurt, cheese, chocolate, milk, ice-cream), no bread and no colourants (at all!) for 4 weeks.  (so you are basically eliminating processed foods like juice cordials, coloured sweets, packet food like 2-minute noodles, etc) In this time give him a double dose of a good, live probiotic supplement (that lives in the fridge).  Complete 21 days of Health Tones Sinus and Allergy  and encourage him to drink water (which helps thin the mucous).  During the 4 weeks he may exhibit symptoms of ‘detoxing’ but just push through it, it will be worth it.  At the end of the 4 weeks you gradually(!) start introducing ‘forbidden’ foods back into his diet 1 at a time.  He may never tolerate certain colourants and he may never tolerate dairy in anything more than miniscule quantities, but your child will be as well as you have ever seen him.
Long term, after the 21 days of Health Tones you can keep him on Natura Sinfrontal or Pure Herbal Remedies Snotty Totty