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All hail the 5 best natural health tips of 2007
21st December 2007
At this time of year, I love reading 'best of' lists.
All those 'Best albums of 2007'... 'Favourite films of 2007'... 'Most dramatic news moments of 2007'...
Even if I'm not interested in the subject area, I still tend to read them.
You know.... 'Best hairdos of 2007'.... I have no idea what makes a good or bad hairdo, but I like reading the list anyway.
Yes, of course, it's ridiculous to take a whole year of events and trends and put them in a list. But somehow it's soothing. Like the complexities of life are all simplified in an easy-to-swallow format.
Over a cup of tea, you can cruise through a hundred reviews, ideas and recommendations. And still keep your eye on Sky Sports or UK Food!
So keeping with the spirit of the season, I thought I'd list some of the best little nutritional remedies of 2007.
Settle in with a cuppa. This is going to be a BUMPER Good Life Letter!
The best of Good Life 2007...
Serve this with your steak and reduce the risk of cancer I've just read that compounds found in watercress help prevent damage to the DNA in white blood cells... and that's a truly great leap forward.
Because scientists believe this kind of damage that can trigger the formation of cancer.
By eating raw watercress (and it must be raw), you can increase the presence of these compounds in your body, and help prevent cancer latching onto damaged cells.
Of course you don't have to eat watercress with a steak -just include it in salads or even have a watercress sandwich (which is actually pretty tasty).
But whatever way you like it, make sure you up your intake... especially if you're a smoker. Because studies suggest you'll benefit the most from this.
So throw some locally produced watercress in your shopping basket this week, and get eating!
4 natural cleaners that keep you home toxin-free My wife and I swear by these natural cleaning tips...
For windows and mirrors, pour a quarter of a cup of vinegar into a spray bottle. Fill with water and you're ready to go.
For sinks and baths, sprinkle baking soda onto the porcelain and rub with a wet cloth. Add some soap if you like, then rinse well.
For ovens, mix a cup of baking soda with water to make a paste. Spread it on your oven surfaces and wait for a while. Check every few minutes to see if the food has loosened. Then scrub away food and grime from oven surfaces with a nontreated scourer, damp cloth or steel wool.
Suffer from a dust mite allergy? Apparently, black tea kills dust mites. Just make some black tea as you would normally and let it cool. Fill a spray bottle and apply it to the carpet, (always test a spot first to make sure it won't stain).
Of course, there are times when nothing but a strong industrial cleaner will do.
But remember... the key to a good healthy life is to do avoid man made chemicals and substances wherever possible -so if you have to use artificial cleaning products, use them as sparingly.
A reader reveals her weight loss 'honey secret' Remember this email from earlier this year?
A Good Life reader said:
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I'm indebted to you for the weight loss from the honey, garlic and vinegar tablets. Weight had slipped on through the menopause. It wouldn't shift by the usual cutting-down methods and exercise, which had always worked in the past.
Over a period of 18 months I spoke to my doctor, a dietician and a herbalist, read widely and tried some ideas from other companies. What I was looking for was a way-of-life diet so the weight would go off and stay off and I would be eating healthily as well.
But it was the honey, garlic and vinegar tablets that actually worked and shifted much of the excess weight.
I have gone back to my original size in clothes, I feel very well and it's been a huge boost to my confidence. Furthermore the weight has stayed off, although I have not taken the tablets for a little while. I eat differently now and often include honey, garlic and cider vinegar in a meal. The solution is simple. All you need to do is get some honey, garlic and vinegar into your daily routine. It's widely available in your cupboards or a supermarket near you.
Or go for the easy, convenient option and try the capsules. You can do that if you click here:
Honey Garlic & Vinegar capsules
A handful of these a day could help prevent heart disease For ages, the health industry was a bit like the witch hunts of the middle ages.
'All fats are evil and must be destroyed!' the health fascists screamed, and we were bullied into thinking their way.
Which meant along with bad fats, good fats were burnt at the stake as well.
And chief amongst the victims were nuts - because they committed the crime of being.
Luckily, the truth about nuts is finally hitting home.
After all, nuts have been part of our natural diet since we were crawling around on all fours (in my case that was last weekend after I'd been playing with the kids at the local park for an hour).
And at last research championing the nut as part of a sensible diet.
Take these two studies...
The first monitored the dietary habits of 31,000 men and women for six years, and recorded the number of counts of heart disease in the group.
The results seem pretty conclusive to me...
People who ate nuts at least four times a week had 51% fewer heart attacks than those who didn't.
Likewise, a Nurses' Health Study tracked 86,016 women for 14 years (now that's what I call a study!).
The results showed that women who ate at least five ounces of nuts per week were 35% less likely to a suffer heart attack than those who ate less than one ounce per month.
So my advice - get chomping on a handful of nuts a day! Not only are they rich in healthy fats, they're also packed with fiber, protein, selenium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper...
... and Arginine, an amino acid that helps blood vessels go about their daily work. In fact, it seems to help blood flow so well, it's used as a supplement to help tackle erectile problems.
In order to maintain an erection, the nerve endings in the penis need to produce nitric oxide, which in turn helps blood flow into the penis (which causes the erection).
And Arginine is one of the substances that creates nitric oxide as soon as it's introduced into the system.
So surely there's no argument - nuts are good.
A tea that can boost your health Rooibos (or Red Bush) tea grows in the Cedarburg mountain area near Capetown.
Clinical studies in Japan and South Africa claim amazing health benefits from these tiny leaves.
The tea is anti-allergic, anti-mutagenic, anti-spasmodic, anti-bacterial, anti-aging and anti-viral.
In short, it's got the lot...
With no caffeine, it has a relaxing effect on the central nervous system. This makes it good remedy for insomnia and mild anxiety. |
It had no oxalic acid either. This means you can drink it if you suffer from kidney stones.
Rooibus contains calcium, manganese and fluoride. These can help build strong bones and teeth.
Rooibos contains magnesium, which is vital for a healthy nervous system. It also increases the absorption of iron into your body.
The tea is packed with alpha hydroxy acid and zinc for healthy, smooth skin. You can even apply it externally to itchy skin, eczema, sunburn and acne.
You can refrigerate used tea bags them put them on tired eyes in the evening to help you relax.
Not a bad roll call of benefits, eh? Go on, get some from your local shop or look online.
How Vitamin B3 could battle the problems old age A powerful weapon in the frontline against premature ageing is vitamin B3.
Vitamin B3 (or niacin) has long been known to lower cholesterol. But in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry they claim that it can also arm you against Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline.
In their study they found that those getting the most niacin (22 mg per day) were 70% less likely to have developed Alzheimer's disease than those eating about 13 mg daily.
You can boost your vitamin B3 by eating foods like mushrooms, tuna, calf liver, halibut, asparagus, venison, lamb, turkey and chicken breast, green vegetables, prawns and peanuts.
You can also use Vitamin B3 to help 'reduce swelling, pain and joint stiffness.'
Dr. Jonathan V. Wright, an American physician, says that '...analysis of Xrays has shown that this vitamin can also halt the degeneration of joints in cases of arthritis.
'Another great advantage of this vitamin is that it does not cause unwanted side-effects (weakening of bone mass, gastric ulcers, etc.) as do common anti-inflammatory medications.'
Yours, as ever
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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