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Nutrition

Naturally treating your skin, body and senses™

The simple lemon

The lemon has long been valued as an antiseptic and vitamin C source. In the past, it has been used to treat malaria and typhoid, and as an antidote to meat and fish poisoning. It is well known as a treatment and preventative measure against scurvy and was traditionally taken on long sea voyages and the juice given to sailors.

Nutrition
Lemons are highly nutritious and provide a superb tonic to the circulatory system. They are helpful when treating sore throats, coughs, colds and influenza and help reduce associated temperatures. With their vitamin C content and rich citrus flavonoids (water soluble plant substances which protect vitamin C against oxidation), lemons have excellent antioxidant properties and can assist the healing of wounds, strengthen the walls of the capillaries and blood vessels, and has a hypertensive effect on arteriosclerosis.

There are many nutritious substances in lemons such as vitamins A and B, potassium, phosphorus, silica, fructose, manganese and copper, all working to help strengthen the immune system, make collagen, keep skin and joints healthy and may even help to prevent cancer.

Household cleaning
Lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and antiseptic, and before modern chemical based cleaners, was used in laundry, glass, household and metal cleaning. Lemons are natural bleachers and can lighten anything from wood to clothing.

• Add the juice of 1 lemon to the final rinse cycle. Works best if you hang the washing to dry in the sun.
• Substitute vinegar for lemon juice and use 1 part to 2 parts water for an all-purpose window cleaner.

Lemon for skincare
It is an important skincare ingredient and the juice can be applied direct as an astringent and bactericide. Nothing cleans and bleaches the hands, elbows, heels or neck better than lemon juice. Dilute it in rosewater and a little glycerine for a moisturising cleanser. For really discoloured skin, apply the juice direct after cleansing and leave to dry. Use diluted for a final rinse after shampooing to help keep blonde hair bright and shiny.

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My top 10 superfoods

A good, healthy balanced diet promotes resistance to disease and longevity and helps maintain vitality and energy. It is also key to achieving a clear, young looking skin.

Good healthy food should be high in vitamins and minerals, low in fat, salt and fast releasing sugars. Often these foods are high in fibre, fight disease, are alkaline forming and low in calories. So a body fed on these foods does not crave empty calories in the form of cakes or sweets and so a healthy weight can be maintained. Many of these foods are so-called ‘superfoods’, which are found in nature and don’t require any processing or refining. The following list of foods are my favourite superfoods because they are particularly high in nutrients, have many protecting properties, are tasty and help maintain a healthy body, a clear skin and an active mind.

Apples With thousands of varieties from all over the world, they are abundantly available for most of the year (although I would personally seek locally grown produce as this ensures freshness and has not travelled thousands of miles from New Zealand!). Apples are full of vitamin C to help strengthen skin and gums, and pectin, a soluble fibre which helps to lower blood cholesterol and aids digestion. With a low GI (glyceamic index), apples are digested slowly so are ideal for those wanting to maintain weight and sustain energy. Research shows that apples improve a diabetics’ long term control of blood sugar levels and may help in the treatment of asthma.

Bananas Although bananas are often consumed for sustained energy, they are in fact amongst the foods with the highest glyceamic load. They are higher in energy than other fruits and as a carbohydrate are ideal as an energy boost before, during and after exercise. As with all fruits, bananas contain antioxidants which protect cells in the body against damage from free radicals. With high quantities of potassium and vitamin B6, they also help lower blood pressure and maintain the health of skin and hair.

Blueberries All berries are considered to be ‘super’, and research shows that consuming all berries protects the brain from radiation damage and decline in learning ability. But it’s blueberries that are particularly interesting. Blueberries contain anthocyanin, a chemical which gives blueberries their colour and plays a role in their antioxidant properties. They are shown to have the highest antioxidant capacity when compared to 40 other fruits and vegetables.

Broccoli With just two florets counting as one portion of your recommended daily amount, this vegetable is an excellent source of many healthy compounds including vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium and folate (folic acid) which all help prevent disease. Broccoli also contains two powerful anti-cancer substances, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. They work by destroying any ingested carcinogenic compounds and by killing certain bacteria which can cause gastric cancers.

Dark chocolate is highly nutritious and allowing yourself a treat is always good for you! Compared to other sources such as apples, tea and onions, dark chocolate contains the highest level of flavonoids, which help to lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. With a higher cocoa content, dark chocolate also contains protective antioxidants. By eating a small bar a day, dark chocolate can supplement a healthy diet.

Garlic is well researched as a superfood and trials have shown it to be an excellent cancer fighter. It helps to stimulate the immune system and has the ability to kill the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, a major cause of ulcers and stomach cancer. Some studies have also shown it be resistant against the newer super bugs such as MRSA.

Nuts (Brazil nuts, Almonds and Walnuts). Nuts are all generally healthy, but Brazils, Almonds and Walnuts are particularly good.

Almonds contain the richest nut source of calcium so useful for those that don’t include a lot of dairy products in their diet. With a good source of essential fats, B Vitamins and minerals, almonds are ideal as a snack.
Brazils are an excellent source of selenium which helps protect the immune system, helps depression and prevents damage to cells and tissues. They are high in monounsaturated fats (of which olive oil is a rich source).
Walnuts are a useful source of protein, slow releasing energy and Omega-3. With antioxidant properties and reasonable amounts of potassium, zinc, and vitamins B6, walnuts help with heart and circulatory problems.

Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel are well known for their health promoting properties. Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish helps maintain a healthy heart, reduces cholesterol and protects against arthritis, lupus, asthma and the onset of dementia. All fish is an excellent source of protein and vitamins, but oily fish can reduce the risk of heart disease, blood clotting and inflammation.

Tomatoes are an abundant, highly versatile natural food. Studies show they can significantly reduce the risk of some cancers. The source of this protection is a carotenoid called lycopene which becomes more potent if the tomatoes are cooked. As an excellent source of potassium and vitamin C, they help maintain the health of the immune system and skin.

Whole grains Whole grain produce (such as those made with whole wheat, rice, millet, oats) help protect against cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. It is therefore a wonder why Western countries do not consume the recommended three daily servings (rather than the usual one). Whole grains are rich in antioxidants including minerals and phenolic compounds which have been indicated to prevent disease. Whole grains contain a synergistic compound including lignan, plant stanols and sterols, vitamins and minerals all working to protect the immune system and maintain a healthy gut.

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Fighting infections naturally

In these modern times of advanced medicine and treatments, we are finding old diseases once thought eradicated, resurfacing and new stronger viruses evolving and mutating, and resistant to this modern medicine. These advances are leading not only complementary practitioners, but conventional doctors to treat their patients with natural supplements and probiotics.
The average person can host up to 400 different types of bacteria living in the digestive tract, which are continually multiplying. These are ‘beneficial bacteria’ and provide the first line of defence against pathogens (unfriendly bacteria), viruses and fungi. They are also important in allowing us to derive nutrients from fibrous food.

Antibiotics
work by killing life, but as well as killing the bad bacteria, they also kill the good, often resulting in good bacteria being wiped out for at least 6 months. The more ‘broad-spectrum the antibiotic, the more the good strains of bacteria are killed. Widespread overuse has resulted in new generations of superbugs, each one more virulent than the previous, and are implicated as a cause of new diseases.

Food poisoning
Incidences of disease caused by food bugs has increased dramatically. Post-war, the demand for meat increased dramatically, and so did the demand for cheap feed from tropical countries, where animal infection is widespread. Whilst legislation, codes and practices have addressed this problem, the legacy remains. The animals given these contaminated feeds, in turn, contaminated the environment as the micro-organisms were able to establish themselves. Years after, millions of animals, globally, have contributed to this problem and to the creation of disease and infection cycles. The problem is made worse due to factory farming methods and modern food processing. The decline in home cooking and the increase in mass catering (especially fast food and ready meals) combined with a growing number of people with weakened immune systems is causing a critical situation.

So what can we do
The best way to fight infection is to have a strong immune system and a healthy gut with the right balance of good bacteria. So if you do succumb to an infection, your natural defences are equipped to fight it off. The beneficial bacteria includes the families of ‘Lactobacillus’ and ‘Bifidus’. Supplementing these gives bad bacteria less chance of survival. There are many different kinds of bacteria, some which live in the gut and some which pass through and which are useful while they are there. The resident, such as L. acidophilus and B. bacterium are more powerful at fighting infection. Others can be found in fermented foods such as yoghurt and sauerkraut.

Useful supplements for general protection include probiotics (which your chemist or doctor can advice on), Vitamin C and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet. For specific treatments of infections such as stomach bugs and diarrhoea I would recommend grapefruit seed extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, garlic and aloe vera. For throat related infections (including tonsillitis and laryngitis), Vitamin C, zinc, propolis and cat’s claw herb are recommended. Chest infections response to Vitamin C, echinacea and zinc and for fungi related illnesses try artemisia, garlic, grapefruit seed extract and acidophilus.

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Food combining

Many people find that certain types or combination of foods do not suit them. Based on this observation, Dr Howard Hays in the 1930s devised a diet plan that became known as ‘food combining’. In this diet, Dr Hays recommended a healthy diet with an optimum nutrition approach. This consisted of rules about which foods could be eaten together, such as eating ‘alkaline-forming foods’ avoiding refined and processed foods, eating fruit on its own and not mixing protein-rich and carbohydrate-rich foods together. This is because protein and carbohydrates are digested differently. Carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth when digestive enzymes start to break down food. Protein, on the other hand is not digested until it reaches the acid environment of the stomach. So, a fundamental rule of food combing is that carbohydrate and protein should be eaten separately. Of course, most items of food do not consist exclusively of either protein or carbohydrate, so it means not combining concentrated protein foods with concentrated starch foods. Meat, fish and eggs are mostly protein and very little or no carbohydrate, potatoes are mostly carbohydrate with very little protein. In between are rice, pulses and quinoa.

We have to remember that human beings have eaten a predominantly vegetarian diet for millions of years with the occasional meat when it could be found and caught, so our digestive systems can only handle easily digestible foods. It is generally thought that this digestive system helped us improve our sensory and mental processing so that we knew when and where to find the food we needed and it gave us the nutrients to develop a more advanced brain and nervous system. There would be certain times of the year when early man would have access to fruit. It would be eaten on its own and used for instant energy, requiring very little digestion. Many fruits ferment rapidly once ripe, particularly if put in a warm acidic environment and so can take only around thirty minutes to pass through the stomach. A steak can take up to three hours. A good reason not to eat fruit as a dessert. Observations show that people who eat a lot of protein tend to have a more acidic blood and can be more likely to fall ill. Of course, many factors can effect the acid/alkaline balance, but eating foods rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium such as vegetables, fruit and pulses, tend to be alkaline forming and improve our health. Research has shown that over-acidic people tend to be sensitive, tired, inclined to aches and pains with problems sleeping and acidic digestion.

The Hays diet emphasises eating good nutritious food, so refined foods are not recommended. Refined and high sugar foods are relatively new in terms of our digestion being able to cope with them. Our bodies have not adapted to deal with fast releasing sugars which cause our blood sugar levels to rocket, unbalance our hormones and feed potentially undesirable micro organisms in the gut.

It might be worth considering food combining if you suspect a digestive problem, particularly if you eat a lot of protein rich foods. Check with your doctor who will diagnose a digestive enzyme deficiency, a food intolerance or Candida and advise on a sensible eating plan. However, by following simple guidelines, a healthy food combing diet can be easily achieved

• Eat 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. So your diet should consist of mostly fruit and vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains and less amounts of meat, fish, cheese and eggs.
• Eat fast fermenting and acidic fruits on their own, perhaps as a snack. Most soft fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, melons and mangoes ferment quickly. Some fruit are highly acidic (and alkaline forming) but may inhibit digestion in some people. These include oranges, lemons and grapefruit. These should all be eaten when you need an energy boost in place of a more usual sugary snack.
• Eat protein rich food with vegetables and do not combine with fast releasing or refined carbohydrates. Protein requires a lot of stomach acid to digest. Food should not ‘lay heavy’ in your stomach.
• Avoid all refined, fast releasing carbohydrates. Instead eat fruits that do not ferment easily such as bananas, apples and coconut.
• Importantly do not rush your digestion. Many people can’t eat breakfast. But your body isn’t ready to digest until an hour after waking. Never start the day with a stimulant such as coffee as this induces the digestion into a state of stress thereby inhibiting digestion. Instead start the day with a cereal, fruit or wholegrain toast.

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