Month: September 2016

Having an unwell child can be a very worrying time. We are exhausted from the constant energy they have when they are well but when they are struck down with a virus we feel helpless and would do anything to have them cartwheeling around us once more.

For many years we have been led to believe that a fever in a child is something to fear and is the cause of their current illness. Well, the truth is the complete opposite to what we have been led to believe.

What is a fever? 

A fever is the bodies defence system against viruses. The fever helps the body fight infections by making a hostile environment. The fever stimulates the immune system into producing more white blood cells and antibodies which protect you from harmful microorganisms. This raised body temperature makes it harder for invading bacteria to survive.

But what about febrile convulsions you say!

Febrile convulsions are caused by the rapid rise of temperature, not by the fever itself. Research has proven that pain relievers such as calpol and ibruprofen will do nothing to stop this from happening

There are now many studies showing that paracetomol can inhibit immune response. Which is one of the reasons why they do not recommend giving it to your child after immunisations.

Many are not even aware that NICE guidelines on administering medication changed in 2013. Nice guidelines state:

1.6.3.1 Consider using paracetomel or ibuprofen in children with fever who appear distressed.

1.6.3.2 Do not use antipyretic agents with sole aim of reducing body temperature in children with fever.

With all of this information it is advised that you seek medical attention for fevers that are accompanied by:

• Difficulty breathing
• Vomiting
• A stiff neck
• Unexplained listlessness, confusion and behaviour out of the ordinary.
• A fever that has lasted more then 5 days.

 

 

 

This website shares findings and personal tips from a parental perspective but use your natural instincts and remember to always consult a doctor for professional medical advice and if you have any health related concerns.

It’s that time of year again, the nights are drawing in and the children are back in the classroom coop sharing the usual coughs and colds.

We all know by now the importance of fresh air especially on cold sunny autumn days, and a daily dose of vitamin C. But even the healthiest of people can be struck down by a nasty sore throat.

Here are a few simple home remedies to naturally see you through.

Sip warm honey and lemon tea. 

A traditional remedy that often gets forgotten when handing down to the next generation.

Honey is naturally antibacterial and lemons are high in vitamin C so this lethal germ fighting combination make a great team.

You will need…

• 1 teaspoon on lemon juice or generous lemon wedge (Squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon of good quality honey
• 1 Mug of hot water.

Combine all ingredients and enjoy 2-3 times a day.

Gargle warm salt water

It is all the traditional potions that granny would tell you about as a youngen that are the true cures for the popular cough and colds. Many believe this is the first to try in the event of a sore throat. The gargling of salt water decreases the swelling and inflammation which in turn eases the pain.

You will need…

• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (Sea salt or pink salt is preferable)

Combine ingredients making sure all salt has dissolved gargle twice 2-3 times a day.

Steam

Steaming is a great way to ease a sore throat especially if you are completely congested. You can also use eucalyptus oil with this.

You will need…

• One medium sized bowl with hot water filled about half way.
• A large towel. Bath towel will do.
• Eucalyptus oil

Fill the bowl with boiling water add the eucalyptus oil if using and lean over it placing the towel over your head, let the towel drape to the sides to form a seal. Repeat as needed.

Here are a few ideas for avoiding the daytime cartoons. We all feel better for getting some fresh air and children especially thrive from it.

Build a den

A very simple and easy activity. What’s especially lovely about this one is that the whole family can get involved.

Go on a bug hunt!

Feeling brave? Grab a plastic container and head out into the woods for some bug hunting. The children will love you for it.

The Woodland Trust have a great range of spotter sheets.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetectives/activities/2015/06/minibeast-hunt/

Please be careful not to harm the wildlife found and ensure that they are returned to the habitat in which you found them in.

Play Pooh Sticks

A favourite pastime for many and forgotten by most. This is a lovely simple family activity that can easily occupy a couple of hours of the day.

How to play

Every player selects a stick from the local area. At the same time players must throw their stick on the upstream side of the bridge. The first stick to reach the other side wins. It is best to play a best out of 5 to avoid an uproar!

Go sweet chestnut picking. 

Autumn is the best time to go exploring in the woods. The trees are beginning to shed their leaves and it is such a beautiful sight, not to mention fun running in all the leaves!

Sweet chestnut picking is another great family activity. It’s best to take a tough bag for collecting if you won’t be de-shelling them on the walk. Sweet chestnuts are monstrously prickly so it is best to stamp on them with walking boots!

How to cook your bounty.

The best ways are to boil or roast. Score the flat side of the chestnuts with a cross first. This should be done for both cooking methods, as it helps with the pealing after cooking. Boil or roast for 15-20 minutes.

Make a mud pie!

You don’t need a trendy looking mud kitchen to make a few mud-cakes. Raid the kitchen cupboards or even grannies for some old pots and pans and create an area in the garden for children to create some recipes and let their imagination run wild!

Help your child collect a bucket of mud or you can use a mixture of play sand and potting soil. Add just enough water to make it mouldable.

Other things to consider adding.

• Glitter
• lentils
• Seasonal flowers
• Old cookie cutters
• Scoops and whisks
• Water dispenser or an outdoor tap that you can monitor!

Build a Stick Raft

Simple and inspiring activity that both boys and girls will enjoy.

• Collect 4-5 sticks per raft that are fairly straight, about 1cm thick and are about the size of a pencil.
• Tie a simple knot around each end of the sticks and continue adding the others with the same simple knot.
• Tie a double knot on the last stick.
• Add sails to the rafts with leaves or a little bit of old fabric.
• Find a local stream to race the rafts together.

 

Do you already start your day with a cup of warm lemon water? If not you may want to start!

You may have heard many celebrities harking on about this as part of their daily routine, or seen constant posts on social media. Are you wondering if this is all just another fad? Well, we have summed up a few positives so that you can make the decision yourself!

Benefits of drinking lemon 

Immune system boost

Lemons are full of vitamin C which our bodies crave when under stress, mentally or physically. Drinking lemon water everyday can ensure that your levels are continually topped up.

Keeps our bodies Alkalised

Drinking lemon water dissolves the acidity in our body. If our bodies become too acidic we can open it up to illness and disease. Drinking this cup of wonder regularly can keep our bodies PH balanced.

Digestion 

Not only lemon juice but plenty of water helps flush out toxins and aids in digestion. It is also known to help with indigestion.

Weight Loss

Lemons along with oranges, grapefruit and limes contain good amounts of vitamin C which help metabolise fat quicker. This can aid in weight loss.

Antibacterial and great for skin

lemons have antibacterial qualities, which can help with acne breakouts. Citric acid is a natural exfoliater and the vitamin C in lemons help give our skin the fresh glow.

Perhaps it is now time to get swept up into the lemon juice frenzy!

BPA (bisphenol A)

So what does BPA free mean and is it harmful to our health?

BPA is a common chemical. It is mainly used in combination with other chemicals in the manufacture of plastics and resins.

BPA can leach into food from the coatings of canned foods and from consumer products such as tableware, food storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles. The amount of BPA that leaches into our food depends on the heat in which the plastic reaches. BPA can be found in small quantities in the urine of most adults and can also be found in breast milk!

BPA may mimic hormones and interfere with the endocrine system of glands, which release hormones around the body. Some scientists think that if it interferes with sex hormones, this could affect puberty or the menopause or cause cancers that are related to hormones.
Those calling for a ban suggest that it may be a factor in a rising numbers of human illnesses, such as breast cancer, heart disease and genital birth defects.

In January 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health through regulation and supervision of food safety, expressed concern over the impact of BPA on the brains and development of young children. It said it was “taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure” to BPA in the food supply. Canada and some American states have banned the use of BPA in baby feeding bottles.

Animal studies on the effects of BPA so far have suggested that infants and children are the most vulnerable.

What can we do to limit exposure?

• Do not microwave plastic food containers. Especially if you are not sure that they are BPA free.
• Some containers have recycle codes on them, Plastics that are marked with a 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.
• When possible choose glass containers, porcelain or stainless steel.
• Use baby bottles that are BPA free. Use BPA free Dummy/soothers.
• Reduce the use of canned foods. Especially those that you know have white protective lining.

So what are parabens?

Parabens have been widely used in products to prevent bacteria growth since the 1950s. They are used in 85% of cosmetics, they are even used in our children’s Calpol! They are a cheap and effective way of prolonging shelf life… Unfortunately, studies found that parabens are carcinogenic. (Cancer causing)

These preservatives were deemed as xenoestrogens during the 90s. Xenoestrogens are compounds that mimic estrogen, the female hormone.
Build up of xenoestrogens have been indicated in many conditions including: breast, prostate and testicular cancer, obesity, infertility, endometriosis, early onset puberty, miscarriages and diabetes.

What kind of products contain parabens?

Makeup, moisturisers, hair care products, shaving products, medication, deodorants to list just a few.

Cosmetics are not regulated by the FDA, something many campaigners have worked tirelessly to change. Considering Parabens have been proven to be a probable factor in the cause of some Cancers wouldn’t you say its about time the FDA got involved?

How can I avoid them?

It only takes 26 seconds for the chemicals in our personal care products to enter our bloodstream, so we think its important to know what is in these products first.

The most common types of parabens are butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Look out for these on the packaging. They are also listed as:

E218 – Methylparaben

E214 – Ethylparaben

E216 – Propylparaben

E209 – Butylparaben

Other names given are:

Ethylparaben
Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
Methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
Propyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
Butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
Parahydroxybenzoic acid
Parahydroxybenzoate.

Products that do not use parabens have a “parabens-free” label shown prominently on the package.

Opt for organic or products that show preservative free on the packaging.

Sensitive range is less likely to contain Parabens as they can cause skin rashes but please do check the labels. You can also look out for Hypoallergenic ranges.

You can also find information at Breast Cancer Research UK
https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/science-and-research/background-briefings/parabens/

Nature provides us with thousands of medicines and natural antibiotics but they have been forgotten since the introduction of Penicillin in 1928. The idea of eating garlic or drinking gallons of lemon Water to recover from a cold have been given the reputation of being earth loving and weird and wonderful.
But the fact is drug based antibiotics really should only be used for life threatening situations – as a last resort, when all other avenues have been exhausted.

When antibiotics became widespread in 1940, natural antibiotics became a thing of the past. The overuse of antibiotics over this time has now led to an increase of antibiotic resistant strains of infections such as MRSA ( methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) and TDR (Total Drug Resistant)

GPs are now constantly battling to fight off patients that believe that the general cold symptoms they are experiencing must be treated with yet another round of antibiotics, believing that to be the only cure.
If other more natural alternatives were used, we may just see a drop in the number of patients clogging up the GP surgeries.

Did you know that antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria but also the good bacteria that the body needs to function?

Natural antibiotics to consider.

Garlic
It has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral qualities. It is a strong antioxidant that kill off free radicals. (Rouge damaged cells) Garlic should be used daily in cooking but would be even better eaten raw! We eat ours with a lump of cheese and cracker!

Oregano oil
An antibiotic used to treat infections. Takes care of the bad bacteria without disrupting the beneficial bacteria that we have. The key ingredient in this oil is Carvacrol.

Cayenne pepper
Used for thousands of years for its healing power and antibiotic qualities.

Raw honey – Manuka
This is an ancient natural antibiotic.

Echinacea –
A herb widely used to fight infection, especially upper respiratory and the common cold.

Turmeric
Anti-inflammatory and antibiotic qualities. We like to make a hot tea of fresh turmeric, ginger and honey. It’s lovely, you should try it!

Colloidal Silver
It has been known as an effective antibiotic for centuries. Recent research has stated that it can even destroy antibiotic resistant microbes like MRSA.

1 Animals are happier and healthier

They are able to thrive and grow as nature intended. They are free to roam outdoors and are not subject to modern factory farming where animals are routinely given antibiotics and steroids. Organic farming prohibits animal cruelty

2 – Better for you

Organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and mineral such as calcium, magnesium and iron as well as cancer fighting antioxidants and omega 3.
Organic food avoids all pesticides and additives including, aspartame, Msg and hydrogenated fats.

3 – It is safer

There are thousands of brands of insecticides, herbicide and fungicide approved for use in the UK. Fruit and vegetables can be sprayed up to 10 times before they reach the supermarkets. Genetically modified (GM) foods are also banned from organic food.
Poisonous chemicals such as pesticides, can kill animals and cause disease such as cancer, autoimmune disease, respiratory problems and allergies.

5 – More wildlife and Biodiversity

Organic farming relies on wildlife to control pests. The edges of farmland are kept uncultivated to help bugs, birds and bees to flourish. The governments own advisories have found that wildlife is 50% greater in organic farming.

5 – It tastes better

Organic food generally tastes better due to the well balanced and nourished soil that the plants thrive on!

Marvellous Elderberry Winter Tonic

Elderberries are a marvellous wild berry that are known for being a powerful immune system booster. Elderberries are rich in antioxidants and are high in Vitamins A, B and C

Ingredients

1 cup of elderberries
1 cup of water or 3 cups if using dried elderberries
½ cup of honey
2tbs fresh grated ginger
1tsp cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

Method

Bring elderberries, water and spices to to boil, then lower the heat to simmer.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or about 45 if using dried elderberries
Strain the berries using a sieve, being sure to sneeze all of the goodness out of those berries using a wooden spoon.
Leave to cool
Stir in the honey
Bottle in a preserving bottle and keep in the fridge. This lasts for months.
Take 1tsp a day to boost your immunity.

The Elderberries can be harvested from mid August to mid September.

Fighting colds naturally

We live in a world that demands a lot from our bodies. The everyday stresses we put our bodies though can leave us feeling very low and run down. We forget to drink enough water, we forget to fuel our bodies with the nutrients it needs to keep these germs and viruses at bay. This unfortunately opens up an opportunity for virus to attack.

It is all too easy to grab some over the counter medication and carry on, but these only suppress the symptoms, they do very little to aid in the healing process and often interfer.

Here are some safer and more natural ways of beating the winter colds and Flu.

Drink plenty of water

Drinking that H2O will flush out the build of toxins along with the germs and viruses.

Get plenty of rest

Resting when you first come down with a cold or the Flu allows your body to direct its energy to the immune system that is battling to get you back on track. This battle exhausts the body. Give it a little help and put those feet up.

Drink hot liquids

Drinking warm water with Lemon is very soothing to the throat, it breaks up congestion and gives your body an extra dose of Vitamin C. Adding Honey and Ginger or a mix of the two is also great. Ginger is an effective decongestant. Honey contains many vitamins such as vitamin B6 and Zinc, which both help boost our immunity. Honey has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidants qualities, great for flushing out nasty toxins. (Buy natural and local as possible)

Steam

Steaming regularly during illness breaks up the congestion and eases some discomfort
in your nose.

Eat garlic

Garlic is a cure in its self! It is a natural antibiotic and great immune system booster.

Cut out sugar and caffeine 
Sugar and caffeine especially suppress the immune system. They make it very sluggish and ineffective at fighting off viruses.

Elderberry syrup
Take a regular dose of elderberry syrup. Elderberries are very high in vitamin A, B and C. This is how we make our natural syrup.

Do not fear that fever
Remember the fever is just a great sign that your immune system is doing a great job at killing the virus. Just rest and keep comfortable.

 

Vitamins for cold and flu

Doing all of the above will see you recovered in no time. The vitamins listed below can also give you an extra boost. Please consult your chosen practitioner for advice before taking.

• Vitamin C
Taking a high dose of vitamin C can greatly speed up recovery.
• Zinc
Zinc is important for a healthy immune system. Zinc has been found to shorten the duration of the common cold dramatically.

• Vitamin D
Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D is essential for a healthy functioning immune system. You can get a sufficient amount just by spending 10 minutes outside in mid day sun, during the winter months though this can be tricky. We recommend using the more natural brands such as Viridian and Pukka.

Natural foods that are high in this vitamin are oily fishes especially salmon, mushrooms and eggs. (Mushrooms exposed to sunlight when growing or before eating contain more Vitamin D)

Immune enhancing herbs
Echinacea
The most thoroughly researched herb is Echinacea. Prior to 1950 and the introduction of antibiotics, Echinacea held an esteemed medicinal status. It has the ability to boost general immunity. It stimulates our white blood cells, one of the first lines of defence against viruses. It is said to reduce the duration of the common cold dramatically. It is most effective taken as soon as symptoms appear.

Oregano 
This is nicknamed by many as “Natures antibiotic” Oregano oil has anti-fungal and antiviral properties. It is loaded with vital nutrients like magnesium and zinc and vitamins C and E.
If you are blocked up it may help to add a few drops to a diffuser or hot water to inhale for a few minutes. It is also great for a sore throat, adding a couple of drops to some fresh juice or herbal tea may provide some relief. Be warned it tastes terrible (Vision the scene from Nanny Mcphee where she dishes out gross looking medicine to the children) This is natural medicine remember not liquid covered in sugar. This oil is only recommended for short term use and is not recommenced for all. Children and pregnant or nursing mums should speak to their preferred practitioner before using.

Peppermint and Eycalyptus 

These herbs contain compounds that relax the airways and open congested sinuses.