~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Homeopath-online Newsletter
Newsletter 3
January 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- SAD
-- detox
-- hayfever
Hello and welcome to the homeopath-online newsletter.
This issue will focus on SAD (winter blues), detox strategies and hayfever, even though it seems early!
SAD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression associated with the reduced light in winter months. Typically affecting more women than men, people who suffer from SAD experience weight gain, anxiety, reduced sex drive, general lethargy and a desire to sleep too much.
During the cold dark winter we tend to crave comfort foods, particularly carbohydrates. This combined with a reduction of exercise can pile on the winter pounds. To avoid this, my suggestion is to make a large pot of vegetable soup and have a bowl of this before your main meal. This will fill you up, thus avoiding overeating, while also warming your tummy and providing comfort. Use vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, greens, and avoid making the bulk of it potatoes or grains. As always, add plenty of garlic to boost overall immunity.
Another strategy to overcome SAD is to use light therapy. You can use lightboxes or bodyclocks which simulate dawn, making it easier and more pleasant to wake in the dark. The lightboxes are excellent for stimulating the pineal gland in the brain, regulating melatonin production and keeping you from getting the blues.
Order lightboxes and bodyclocks
detox
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last month I talked about liver remedies. This is the main organ of detoxification and you can continue taking the liver support remedies or switch to the nutritional form of milk thistle tablets or capsules. As a reminder, the remedies were Chelidonium 6c for aching in the middle of the back or on the right side in the front, Carduus marianus 6c for general liver support and Lycopodium 6c for bloating and gas.
There are plenty of books available which focus on detoxing. Some are fairly severe while others more mild. You can decide how far you want to go really, but bear in mind a 'full' detox is best done in the spring when the weather is warmer and there are more fruit and veg to pick from. You can start by modifying your diet now to prepare for a deeper detox in the spring.
The main aspect of a detox is to eliminate as many unnecessary items from your life as possible while adding in more of the good ones. Cut out the refined foods completely and switch to whole grains. Add more vegetables to your diet and eat fruit and nuts for snacks. Sugar, white flour, excessive fats and alcohol should be cut right down or kept as a treat rather than a staple to the diet.
I know this is old news. Most people know what they need to do to get healthy. The problem is doing it. Make your changes gradually such as dipping fruit into melted chocolate rather than having a candy bar. Make the majority of your meals vegetable based and you are more than half way there. Remember to take a walk, stretch, or do an exercise class such as yoga or pilates on a regular basis. After a couple months of this a spring detox will be a piece of, um, tofu???
Seriously, you can still eat tasty food while on a detox. It isn't all carrot sticks and water. Invest in some vegetarian cookbooks for inspiration or look for a detox recipe book.
hayfever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know it seems early but believe me, spring is sneaking up on us (hooray!) While this usually means joy at the sight of greenery, it also spells misery for hayfever sufferers.
The reason I ask people with hayfever to get started on treatment now is that otherwise we are managing symptoms rather than getting to the root of the allergy. It takes time to build up immunity and by starting in January or February, you stand a better chance of less sneezing once the pollen starts.
Hayfever runs in families and is part of the atopic set of diseases, which also includes asthma, eczema and general allergies. Your particular set of symptoms may require a different remedy to another person, which is why homeopathy is so effective in treating it, as it is custom tailored for each individual.
If you know of someone who despairs at the sight of little green buds on the trees, please encourage them to see a homeopath. There are remedies to help with the sneezing, itchy eyes and running nose as well as longer term strategies for dramatically reducing sensitivity.
Also start to increase your Vitamin C as this helps with allergic conditions. 500mg daily is enough to begin with.
To your health!
Adrianna
© Adrianna Holman BSc, LCH, RSHom 2004
Thank you for sharing this email with your friends and colleagues. As well as forwarding to your friends, you may reprint any tip in the newsletter providing you include full authorship, copyright, and subscription information.
Homeopath-online Newsletter
Newsletter 3
January 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- SAD
-- detox
-- hayfever
Hello and welcome to the homeopath-online newsletter.
This issue will focus on SAD (winter blues), detox strategies and hayfever, even though it seems early!
SAD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression associated with the reduced light in winter months. Typically affecting more women than men, people who suffer from SAD experience weight gain, anxiety, reduced sex drive, general lethargy and a desire to sleep too much.
During the cold dark winter we tend to crave comfort foods, particularly carbohydrates. This combined with a reduction of exercise can pile on the winter pounds. To avoid this, my suggestion is to make a large pot of vegetable soup and have a bowl of this before your main meal. This will fill you up, thus avoiding overeating, while also warming your tummy and providing comfort. Use vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, greens, and avoid making the bulk of it potatoes or grains. As always, add plenty of garlic to boost overall immunity.
Another strategy to overcome SAD is to use light therapy. You can use lightboxes or bodyclocks which simulate dawn, making it easier and more pleasant to wake in the dark. The lightboxes are excellent for stimulating the pineal gland in the brain, regulating melatonin production and keeping you from getting the blues.
Order lightboxes and bodyclocks
detox
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last month I talked about liver remedies. This is the main organ of detoxification and you can continue taking the liver support remedies or switch to the nutritional form of milk thistle tablets or capsules. As a reminder, the remedies were Chelidonium 6c for aching in the middle of the back or on the right side in the front, Carduus marianus 6c for general liver support and Lycopodium 6c for bloating and gas.
There are plenty of books available which focus on detoxing. Some are fairly severe while others more mild. You can decide how far you want to go really, but bear in mind a 'full' detox is best done in the spring when the weather is warmer and there are more fruit and veg to pick from. You can start by modifying your diet now to prepare for a deeper detox in the spring.
The main aspect of a detox is to eliminate as many unnecessary items from your life as possible while adding in more of the good ones. Cut out the refined foods completely and switch to whole grains. Add more vegetables to your diet and eat fruit and nuts for snacks. Sugar, white flour, excessive fats and alcohol should be cut right down or kept as a treat rather than a staple to the diet.
I know this is old news. Most people know what they need to do to get healthy. The problem is doing it. Make your changes gradually such as dipping fruit into melted chocolate rather than having a candy bar. Make the majority of your meals vegetable based and you are more than half way there. Remember to take a walk, stretch, or do an exercise class such as yoga or pilates on a regular basis. After a couple months of this a spring detox will be a piece of, um, tofu???
Seriously, you can still eat tasty food while on a detox. It isn't all carrot sticks and water. Invest in some vegetarian cookbooks for inspiration or look for a detox recipe book.
hayfever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know it seems early but believe me, spring is sneaking up on us (hooray!) While this usually means joy at the sight of greenery, it also spells misery for hayfever sufferers.
The reason I ask people with hayfever to get started on treatment now is that otherwise we are managing symptoms rather than getting to the root of the allergy. It takes time to build up immunity and by starting in January or February, you stand a better chance of less sneezing once the pollen starts.
Hayfever runs in families and is part of the atopic set of diseases, which also includes asthma, eczema and general allergies. Your particular set of symptoms may require a different remedy to another person, which is why homeopathy is so effective in treating it, as it is custom tailored for each individual.
If you know of someone who despairs at the sight of little green buds on the trees, please encourage them to see a homeopath. There are remedies to help with the sneezing, itchy eyes and running nose as well as longer term strategies for dramatically reducing sensitivity.
Also start to increase your Vitamin C as this helps with allergic conditions. 500mg daily is enough to begin with.
To your health!
Adrianna
© Adrianna Holman BSc, LCH, RSHom 2004
Thank you for sharing this email with your friends and colleagues. As well as forwarding to your friends, you may reprint any tip in the newsletter providing you include full authorship, copyright, and subscription information.
