Get nut cracking to improve your motor skills

My memories of Christmas always include struggling with the nutcracker and sending shards of shells flying across the room. Brazil nuts were the most intractable, but I liked their taste, whereas walnuts were hard work and I wasn’t very keen on their slight oiliness – though that may have been because they had been sitting in the bowl too long.

Now however I might have to change my mind as some new research shows that adding a moderate, but not high, amount of walnuts to an otherwise healthy diet may help the over 50′s to perform better at tasks that require motor and behavioural skills. Walnuts contain polyphenols, of which I have spoken in praise before, as well as other antioxidants and essential fatty acids.

The study appeared recently in the British Journal of Nutrition and they were looking at the fact that as we age our brain undergoes a number of changes that can result in altered or impaired functioning. Partly this is due to the fact that the ability of the connections between neurons to change in strength and function is lessened, and that there is also increased oxidative damage to our neural tissue.

The trial was done on rats as they apparently have similar brain makeup to ours – which gives me food for thought about some of my acquaintances, but never mind – and they were put on a diet which had either 2, 6 or 9 percent walnuts in it and a trial group that got no walnuts at all. The study found that in the older rats, the diets containing 2 or 6 percent walnuts were able to improve age-related motor and cognitive shortfalls, while the 9 percent walnut diet impaired reference memory.

In human terms, this means that if you eat 7 to 9 walnuts, a day then you could be positively affecting your cognitive and your motor skills, but no more than that or your memory might be affected. Another benefit is that you will also be providing yourself with exercise as you attempt to crack the nuts, in the shell is fresher, but watch out for those flying shells!

Acupuncture can help radiotherapy patients

An uncomfortable and unpleasant side effect of radiotherapy for patients being treated for head and neck cancer can be xerostomia; a severely dry mouth. A new study in Texas at the M.D.Anderson Cancer Center has proved that twice weekly acupuncture treatments can help relieve this debilitating side effect.

People who have cancers of the head and neck typically receive large cumulative doses of radiation which affect the salivary glands, so that they are then not able to produce adequate amounts of saliva to lubricate the mouth and this is when xerostomia develops. This is not a trivial matter, as symptoms can include an altered ability to taste, dental decay, infections of the tissues of the mouth, and difficulty with speaking, eating and swallowing.

Suggested aids are things like chewing gum or lozenges to encourage saliva production, but these can only bring very temporary short-term relief. The most commonly prescribed medication, pilocarpine, has short-lived benefits and side effects including sweating, stomach upset, runny nose, flushing, chills, dizziness, weakness, and frequent urination. This drug may also affect vision, especially at night.

This pilot study was set up to see if acupuncture could reverse this, and although it is frequently used to manage pain and restore health it had never been tried for this particular condition. The patients in the study had xerostomia and had completed radiotherapy at least four weeks earlier. They were given two acupuncture treatments each week for four weeks and the acupuncture points used in the treatment were located on the ears, chin, index finger, forearm and lateral surface of the leg. All patients were tested for saliva flow and asked to complete self-assessments and questionnaires related to their symptoms and quality of life before the first treatment, after completion of four weeks of acupuncture, and again four weeks later.

The twice weekly acupuncture treatments produced highly statistically significant improvements in symptoms and a quality-of-life assessment conducted at weeks five and eight showed significant improvements over quality-of-life scores recorded at the outset of the study. Further studies are underway at Fudan University Cancer Hospital in Shanghai, China, to see if having acupuncture treatments on the same day as the radiotherapy will produce the same results.

If you know anyone who is suffering from this condition, do share this article with them and suggest they seek a qualified acupuncturist if they wish to try it for themselves.

Not into juicing buy a bar instead

I am a very big fan of juicing as you get the maximum nutrition from raw foods, and it tastes good. However, if you don’t have a juicer, or are away from home, then a winner of Best New Food Product at this year’s Natural and Organics Show might be something to add to your shopping list.

Very good juicers are made by a company called Juice Master and they have now developed a 100% natural, 100% raw Vege Juice in a Bar you can stick in your pocket and unwrap at your leisure. No artificial anything and it combines the raw power of natural ingredients with a wide range of chlorophyll rich juices from vegetables and plants. I have to admit that doesn’t sound that great, but you need to taste them to experience how well they have combined healthy vegetables, plants, algaes and friendly bacteria infused with the natural sweetness of raw dates and creamy smooth raw almond butter. Because the fruit and vegetable juices are dried at low temperatures they preserve their nutritional value and so this could be an ideal way to fill that gap in your lunchbox, or when travelling. Nor is this something only natural or raw food fanatics would enjoy, as this award comes from a panel of judges, but also from members of the public. If you can’t find them in your local health shop you can order online from here juicemaster.com

Beat gum disease with a cuppa

Now you know how fond I am of green tea, and actually I have found a new one in my supermarket made by Dr Stuart which combines green tea and rice. Sounds disgusting but actually it sweetens the green tea, and makes it more palatable and as I have just found another good reason for drinking it, I encourage you to try it. A cup of green tea per day may help keep gum disease at bay, a new study suggests.

A report in the Journal of Periodontology says that researchers at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan found that among middle-aged Japanese men, the odds of having gum disease declined as their intake of green tea went up. For each daily cup they drank, the risk of having signs of gum disease – including receding, easily bleeding gums – went down and this may be because green tea has a high concentration of antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. Much gum disease arises from bacterial infection, and lab research suggests that green tea polyphenols can inhibit those germs and the damage they cause. It is of course no substitute for good oral hygiene and the dentist, but prevention is always better than cure – particularly when green tea has so many other health benefits as well.

Natural help to heal scars

As someone who has been naturally careless since childhood, I have obtained a number of small scars, not least from my propensity to iron over my hands instead of the garment and despite the longest oven gloves on the planet I can still manage to burn myself getting things out of the oven, so I have investigated natural remedies for some time. Recently I was talking to a client and the subject came up, and as I passed on what had worked for me I realized it might also be helpful for you too – so here goes.

Obviously scars will heal and diminish over time, but you can take action by using the following natural remedies to minimize them:

ACE is the combination nutrition supplement you need first, as vitamin A is essential to maintain healthy skin, collagen is vital for your skin and comes from an adequate supply of vitamin C, and to reduce inflammation and reduce your risk of scarring you can’t do better than vitamin E. Some people take this as a separate supplement and squeeze the oil out directly onto the skin.

Raw, organic honey – such as Manuka – applied directly to the skin will moisturise and its antibacterial qualities help heal scarring.

If you have an aloe vera plant you can cut the tip of a leaf and smooth the liquid gel directly onto cuts and burns to soothe and minimise scarring.

Herbal help comes from lavender oil and comfrey to promote healing and comfrey to help stop scar tissue forming.

Gout in men helped by vitamin C

Crusty old colonels with their feet propped on a cushion and waving a glass of port is the popular stereotype of gout, but sadly the truth is far more common. Traditionally, gout has most commonly developed in middle aged and older people – mostly men – but the condition is now being seen in younger people and also more frequently in women. A recent report suggested that, in the UK, it had increased by about 17 percent between 2007 and 2008. The reasons for this increase are unclear but it may be linked with dietary change and obesity definitely seems to increase the risk of gout.

It’s caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood which forms crystal deposits in and around the joints, a form of arthritis, which is what causes the pain and inflammation typical of the condition. However a new study in British Columbia, Vancouver, has some good news – at least for men. The researchers suggest that vitamin C might affect the reabsorption of uric acid by the kidneys, increase the speed at which the kidneys work, or protect against inflammation; all of which can reduce the risk of gout.

They examined the relationship between vitamin C intake and gout between 1986 and 2006 in 46,994 men and during 20 years of follow-up, 1,317 men developed gout. Compared with men who had a vitamin C intake of less than 250 milligrams per day, the relative risk of gout was 17 percent lower for those with a daily intake of 500 to 999 milligrams, 34 percent lower for those with an intake of 1,000 to 1,499 milligrams per day and 45 percent lower for those with an intake of 1,500 milligrams per day or higher. For every 500-milligram increase in their vitamin C intake, the men’s risk for gout appeared to decrease by 17 percent. Compared with men who did not take vitamin C supplements, those who took 1,000 to 1,499 supplemental milligrams per day had a 34 percent lower risk of gout and those who took 1,500 supplemental milligrams per day had a 45 percent lower risk. and vitamin C appears to reduce the levels of uric acid in the blood.

What all those boring statistics actually mean is that vitamin C definitely seems to lower a man’s risk of gout so it’s worth supplementing to a level of around 1000mg a day, best in two doses of 500mg if you have any history of gout in your family

Chamomile tea helps diabetics control blood sugar

Chamomile, also known as manzanilla, is believed to contain more antioxidants than nearly any other natural dietary source. It is a long-established herbal remedy for relieving stress and anxiety, improving sleep, and many other common complaints.

Now it seems it may also be able to help diabetics control their blood sugar and prevent serious complication. Just by having a cup of chamomile tea with meals could help prevent the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications is the conclusion of a study jointly undertaken by the University of Toyama in Japan and Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Chamomile appeared to reduce the activity of an enzyme called aldose reductase, which plays an important role in sugar metabolism. Aldose reductase helps turn glucose into sorbitol, a different sugar. In diabetics, the build up of sorbitol has been directly linked to neuropathy and blindness, as this sugar moves across cell membranes less freely than glucose and thus has a tendency to build up in nerve and eye tissue.

Chamomile tea isn’t everyone’s favourite – I can’t stand it myself – but this might be worth a try. Some of the best teas with chamomile are from the American company Celestial Seasonings as they have a depth of flavour that others seem to lack, but experiment and see what you like – adding a squeeze of lemon might help too.

The amazing health benefits of coconut oil

Fresh coconut milk is great health drink, but did you know that pure coconut oil has an amazing range of benefits if you add just 3 tablespoons of it to your daily diet?

The countries where consumption of coconut products is highest have very little heart disease compared to the west. India, Sri Lanka and the Phillipines for instance have only 2 deaths per thousand for heart disease as against the USA where it accounts for nearly half of all deaths. The ‘western’ complaints of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity are far less common in these countries and it seems that their consumption of coconut oil is why.

The recommendation is that we don’t take in more than 10 percent of our daily intake from saturated fats, but in these countries they are taking in a whopping 50 percent of their calories from saturated fat from coconut products. You would expect therefore that they would be seriously at risk and yet they show no evidence of the most common heart diseases in the population.

When the study put these people on a western diet, they began to develop heart disease within days to weeks, but when they went back to their normal coconut-based diet, the diseases disappeared. So adding coconut oil to your diet is a good thing, but it has to be the right kind. Avoid hydrogenated or refined oil and only go for pure, unrefined, organic, coconut oil as that is what research has shown is most effective. In fact avoid hydrogenated fats and oils of any kinds as they do encourage high cholesterol.

This latest research using pure coconut oil found that people on the study who were given it were healthier at the end of the study than those who consumed the refined and hydrogenated coconut and/or vegetable oils or a low fat diet. In some US hospitals it is even being added to adult nutrition formulas for tube feeding because it is so nutritious. It helps reduce cholesterol, balance blood sugar and improve energy. You can substitute pure coconut oil for any cooking or baking purpose, even frying, and spread it on your toast instead of butter.

Breast cancer natural preventives

As I always believe prevention is better than cure, I am happy to report two new pieces of information this week on easy, natural and enjoyable ways to reduce breast cancer risk.

Breakthrough 1 gives you even more reasons to enjoy a nice cup of tea. If you are a regular black or green tea drinker then you are already helping to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and endometrial cancer. Regular tea drinking has two important functions: it inhibits uncontrolled cell growth, known as cell proliferation, and encourages the death of cancer cells, known as apoptosis. A recent study found that smokers who drank four cups of decaffeinated green tea per day showed a 31 percent decrease in oxidative DNA damage in white blood cells as compared to those who drank four cups of water. Oxidative DNA damage is implicated in the promotion of many forms of cancer. Now a new study has also linked tea to a substantial decrease in breast cancer risk. Particularly for women under 50, the risk is reduced by 37%, and as this is the group in whom the cancer can be particularly virulent and fast acting this is very worthwhile news. In fact, let’s raise a cup together, preferably green or white tea as these are the least processed. The darker the tea, the more processing as a rule, but these two have even more health benefits, and up that to three cups a day to boost your immune system and lower your cancer risk.

Breakthrough 2 concerns another favourite staple, and that is olive oil. Australian researchers have reported that that olive oil has a host of positive health effects, and now researchers from the Catalonian Institute of Oncology (ICO) in Girona have discovered specifically that extra virgin olive oil appears to be a powerful weapon against breast cancer.

The key ingredient is the polyphenols that are present in extra virgin olive oil. These are powerful natural antioxidants found in abundance in olive oil and are highly active against both HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancers cells. Polyphenols in the oil not only inhibit the activity of cancer-promoting HER2 activity but also promotes the protein’s degradation.

As Jamie Oliver would say, give it a good glug and not only will your food taste better, but your cells will thank you.

Why skin brushing helps more than just your skin

Our skin is the biggest organ of elimination that we have, in fact we get rid of more than 1lb a day in waste products through our sweat glands and pores. If our elimination is poor then the toxins become trapped in the system. One of the major factors in poor elimination is that the skin is being clogged with dead cells. Regular exfoliation is needed to keep these pores open and one of the simplest, and cheapest ways to do this is through regular dry brushing. The action of the brush stimulates the lymph and blood circulation and removes impurities from beneath the surface of the skin. This helps keep your pores clear, and as the bristles work directly on the lymph vessels and capillaries, you are stimulating the circulation so that toxins can be easily expelled through the pores.

When you brush daily you will see improvements in your skin texture, digestion and general energy levels. Because you are always brushing upwards you are also encouraging the flow of blood towards the heart and this is where the majority of lymphatic nodes are. In this way you are therefore improving the lymphatic drainage to your whole system and a sluggish lymphatic system can be the cause of many common ailments.

Clearing cellulite
Alternative practitioners have long advocated the use of dry skin brushing, but it is only in the last few years that its effect on cellulite has been recognized. There are many expensive anti-cellulite regimes on the market, but most experts agree that some simple steps are the most effective. The aim is to get rid of the toxins in the body, as it is these that cause the lumpy deposits we recognise as cellulite. Skin brushing works by gradually breaking down the fatty tissues and releasing the toxic fluids they contain so that they can be eliminated. It also stimulates the blood flow tothe heart and the lymph to the lymphatic ducts and this is the best way to gradually reduce those stubborn cellulite deposits.

Cleansing the Colon
Many practitioners advise skin brushing as the best start to any new health regime. It is a vital part of any colon-cleansing programme, and herbalist Kitty Campion recommends it to all her clients as a first step on their way back to health. As well as it’s acknowledged health benefits she believes it helps prevent premature ageing and brings a sense of well-being and energy as the blood and oxygen supply to the body is stimulated.

What’s Involved?
Dry skin brushing is suitable for everyone except if you have broken skin, eczema or psoriasis. The right brush is essential, you need one with sufficiently hard natural bristles to produce the necessary stimulating effect.

Dry skin brushing is simple, and is best carried out before your bath or shower. Your skin may feel tender at first, but you will soon gain the benefits if you persevere. Always begin with light pressure and move up the body from the feet to the head. Use long strokes upwards towards the heart for all of the body except for the head and shoulders where you will be brushing down towards the heart. For the buttocks circular movements will bring you the most benefit, particularly for working on cellulite. After a few weeks you can adjust the pressure of your strokes to what feels comfortable for you.

Never brush over areas of broken skin or varicose veins, and you can help the elimination process by paying attention to your diet. Make sure you are drinking a lot of water and minimising red meat, dairy, caffeine and sugar.

If you can’t find a good natural skin brush locally there is a very good one from Simply Nature. Call them on 01580 201687 or visit their website at www.simply-nature.co.uk.

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