Why Look After You use Organic Shea Butter for Reflexology

When I trained in Reflexology during 1994-5, trainees had to use cornflour or talcum powder to work on the feet.  These were very drying for both mine and my clients skin and once I qualified I opted to use Aqueous cream as this product stayed on the skins surface adequately to work on the feet throughout the session.  A few years later, however, I learned that the parabens used as a preservative in Aqueous cream can have a disruptive effect on the body’s endocrine system which was not good for me or my clients and I resolved to quickly find an alternative.

It needed to be a product that moisturized the skin effectively whilst at the same time being rich enough to leave a slight residue on the skin during the treatment so that I could carry out the necessary Reflexology techniques without straining either my hands or my clients’ skin.  Following some months of experimentation with different raw natural butters and oils from a company in Leeds I came to prefer the texture and richness of organic shea butter to work with.  Organic shea butter gets to work deep in the skin and leaves it feeling soft, smooth and refreshed. It is high in vitamin A and E and suits all skin types, additionally shea butter is also an excellent moisturizer. Apparently it also provides protection from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

The Leeds company I bought organic Shea butter from initially proved to be unreliable as an ongoing supplier and a search on the internet just before Christmas 2009 brought me to a pleasant, helpful discussion with Akoma Skincare.  I ordered a kilogram of the fair-trade organic shea butter to try and was blown away with the quality of the product which is incredibly rich and has an amazing clean, sweet aroma quite unlike any others I had tried working with.

Ethically Akoma also tick all the boxes for me too, as the product is fair-trade and organic.  Akoma Certified Raw Shea butter is produced with great care and pride in Ghana by the Akoma Cooperative Multipurpose Society. It has also been certified organic by the Soil Association and certified Fairtrade by the Fairtrade labeling organization (FLO).

Akoma Organic shea butter is processed from nuts gathered from the karite tree grown in Bolgatanga Upper East Region Ghana, raw shea butter is often referred to there as karite butter. It is known to be soothing and valued for its therapeutic properties, it helps renew cracked, aged and damaged skin and can help heal bruising and soreness.

 Akoma products are all high quality – I also use their organic coconut oil and red palm oil in cooking.  For Akoma Website Link Click Here

Growing Greens and Bean Sprouts in Autumn

To my surprise and delight, having tried to set off 5 pots of green leaves in early September (not tried growing this late in the year!); a month later two of the mixed lettuce pots are really flourishing and 2 of them are coming along.  The spinach pot is not doing so well. Here are the best two:

Then only last week I realised that I had not done any sprouting for ages and with the lack of greens around - some extra sustenance is definitely needed! Below is my "sprout farm" laying fallow!!  Sprouts are so easy to grow - just soak overnight in a bowl or jar and then put them in the sprouter and rinse them in fresh water morning and night.  Sometimes if the weather is warm through the window and I am about, I give mine an extra rinse in the middle of the day!  That's my consultation room on the left there towards the back of the garden in this photo!

Actually, the smallest sprouter has some broccoli sprouts on the go there. Below is a close up at 2-3 days old.  Broccoli sprouts have a great health reputation: research at John Hopkins university in 1992 and 1997 has shown that they contain a cancer beating phytochemical  which is at least 20 times higher levels in 3-4 day old sprouts than it is when they are full grown broccoli plants!

The next picture shows some mixed sprouts I had already grown ready for me to eat!  apart from being a useful source of B vitamins, some of which increase by some 1200% during the sprouting process, they are also a good source of protein and are packed with vitamins and minerals.  Sprouts are also rich in chlorophyll - plant blood - which is a good source of magnesium.  Additionally, sprouts are highly digestible as they contain enzymes produced by the seed that make them extremely easy to break down.

Not only am I still "farming" in pots and on my windowsill but the local hedgerows have been a great source of fresh breakfast blackberries over the last few weeks - Yum!

I believe in harvesting from nature where available - have my eye on the rose hips that are blooming in the hedgerows now!

Reflexology - A Stroke patient

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEgqaD_28xM&feature=youtu.be
The above link is an inspiring short film from Kevin and Barbara Kunz about a stroke patient who was treated with Reflexology.  It reminded me of a Residential Home I used to visit to carry out Reflexology treatments. I never used to know who wanted a treatment until arrival and on this particular day I was asked to treat a lady who had had a stroke some months before.  She had been given painkillers but they had not touched the pain and she was crying with it and was very anxious and fearful.  I carried out a gentle treatment, using some Precision Reflexology and Linking techniques.  She gradually became calmer whilst I was working and relaxed, breathing more deeply.  She told me on my next visit that the pain had eased and had not returned, and she continued to enjoy treatments at each visit.
http://www.positivehealth.com/article/reflexology/reflexology-for-stroke - this link is a case study about a client who had suffered a stroke from Polly Hall, a fellow member of the Association of Reflexologists

Bee Kind - Growing a Bee friendly garden

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust have just launched their new website and there is a great section on it for helping focus your garden on Bee friendly flowers and plants at this address: http://beekind.bumblebeeconservation.org/ Buddleia above being one of the flowers that both bees and butterflies love.

You may have heard that the bee population is declining and this presents cause for concern for the future of farming as bees pollinate the food crops we eat.  Apparently we have lost 97% of our flower rich grassland since the 1930's and as flowers are Bee's food source - this has contributed to a major decline in their numbers.

In addition Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy has carried out a study which demonstrates that Cell phone tower radiation affects the honeybees ability to navigate their way back home as it disrupts their ability to tune into the earth's magnetic fields which they use to find their way back to their hive.  Other researchers have duplicated these findings.  Please see this link: http://www.emfnews.org/Cell-Phones-and-900-Megahertz-frequency-Diminishing-Bee-Population-Study.html

Living in the present with Alice through the Looking Glass!

"You couldn't have it if you wanted it." the Queen said "The rule is, jam tomorrow, and jam yesterday.........but never jam today."
"It must sometimes come to 'jam today'," Alice objected.

Wayne Dyer offers this quote in his book 'Your Erroneous Zones' as a reminder not to worry about the future or to live in the past but to stay right now in the present moment.  He writes: "How about you?  Any jam today?  Since it must come sometime, how about now?"

Whilst as a nutritionist, I wouldn't advocate the use of jam every day or any day for that matter - far too sugary!! - I do love the idea that if we are just living in this very moment without letting our mind delve into a past guilt or hurt or letting it dive into a terrifying future that life is good and we can get on with doing what we came here to do.  As Wayne Dyer points out if we are sitting worrying we are not being productive or useful!  

For me, the time I find it easiest to be in the now is when I am in nature - transfixed by the way the sun enhances every view I look at as beautiful to behold.  Especially when nature sneaks in - like these poppies into a local field crop, for me to enjoy whilst I walk the dog.

Eat Your Greens! - Britons eat fewer greens than the rest of Europe

http://www.onmedica.com/newsarticle.aspx?id=6cb98116-2efb-4a40-a3b1-92427a8c2a9e 

I had intended to comment on the above article much earlier than this, you know - NewYear's resolutions and a weekly blog - ahem!  The article summarises interesting research showing that Britons do not eat enough fruit and veg, such a pity that we are tailing so far behind, although most of Europe is not making the 400g daily of fruit and vegetables recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Vegetables in particular provide a rainbow's worth of nutrition when included in our diets and to boot are highly alkalising.  Our cells, tissues, and blood are at their healthiest when alkaline so alkalising foods help maintain our wellbeing at a necessary pH for optimum function. 

Additionally, vegetables are high in antioxidants those helpful vitamins and minerals that keep us from oxidising inside, extend our shelf life if you like!!  A little fruit is also helpful and alkalising, but no need to overdo it as too much brings in too much sugar.  Fruit is high in prebiotic sugars which feed the good probiotic bacteria in the gut.   Have a piece of fruit with your breakfast and then one more piece for a snack later with a few nuts and seeds.

Five vegetables a day is a small quantity really - a good salad could contain that if it is to have any flavour, e.g. rocket and watercress, cucumber, grated carrot, red pepper, tomato, spring onion etc. plus some fresh herbs off the windowsill like basil and mint added - hmm delicious.  Email me for a scrumptious home made dressing recipe to go with your salad!

The evening meal is another great opportunity to bring in a good selection of vegetable - ideally it should be 80% vegetables on the plate with just 20% protein, this again helps the acid versus alkaline balance as the majority of proteins are acid forming.

Vegetables are amazing, they provide not only nutrients but also a wealth of colour, texture and sensory experience on a plate, go on, Eat ya greens!!