Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is required for muscle contraction (especially the heartbeat), blood vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and enzymes, and transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system.  Your body holds concentrations of calcium in your blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids where less than 1% of total body calcium is needed to support these functions.  The remaining 99% is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure.

You may need extra calcium if you have lactose intolerance,  are menopausal, have muscle cramps, are vegetarian or you are of child-bearing age but your periods have stopped (amenorrhea).

Food sources: low fat yoghurt, cheddar cheese, Chinese cabbage, baked beans, seaweeds, kale, chick peas, broccoli, cabbage, whole grains, orange juice, okra, soya, whey, salmon, tuna, tofu, almonds, brazils, sesame seeds, tinned sardines and pilchards (including bones). 

Herbal sources: valerian, kelp, nettle, horsetail, peppermint; sage, uva ursi, chickweed, red clover, parsley, black currant leaf, raspberry leaf, plantain leaf/seed, dandelion leaf, alfalfa, burdock root, cayenne, chamomile, eyebright, fennel seed, fenugreek, flaxseed, hops, lemongrass, mullein, oat straw, paprika, plantain, rose hips, shepherd’s purse, violet leaves, yarrow and yellow dock.

Calcium is depleted by caffeine, sugar, salt, alcohol, some prescription drugs, antacids, laxatives, cortisone, diarrhoea/enemas, unfermented soy products and antacids.

Take BioCare One a Day Vitamins & Minerals for added calcium input.

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GENERAL

• Take a painkiller at the first symptom of an attack.
• Note down attacks, spot triggering factors and avoid them if possible.
• Most people find that it helps to lie down in a darkened room; in fact there may be little else you are able to do.
• Wear tinted glasses.
• Experiment with hot or cold compresses to relax neck and shoulder muscles. 
• Consider cranial osteopathy to correct misalignment of the cranial and neck bones.
• Talk to your dentist about the headaches as your jaw could be out of alignment.

 HORMONE IMBALANCES

• Correct hormonal imbalances. A natural diet and supplementation with essential fatty acids, vitamin B complex (especially B6) and magnesium will help.
• Natural progesterone cream (currently only available on prescription in the UK) has been shown to prevent menstrual cycle migraines.
• Minimize hormone imbalances by avoiding animal products, keeping vegetable oils minimal and taking plenty of fibre.

 FOODS

• Identify food sensitivities through an exclusion diet (or allergy testing). 
• Eliminate caffeine and food additives.
• Eliminate foods containing tyramine (alcoholic, bananas, cheese, chicken, chocolate, citrus fruits, cold cuts, herring, onions, peanut butter, pork, smoked fish, sour cream, vinegar, wine and fresh-baked yeast products) and the amino acid phenylalanine (found in aspartame e.g. NutraSweet, monosodium glutamate and nitrites found in hot dogs and luncheon meats and bacon and ham).
• Eat plenty of fresh foods and good fats e.g. olive oil, flaxseed oil, oily fish and fibre.
• Pain-safe foods include:  brown rice, cooked green vegetables, cooked orange/yellow vegetables, cooked/dried non-citrus fruits.
• Wheat products are migraine triggers for some people, but if you can tolerate them, they might help to reduce headache or nausea.  Try starchy food, such as rice, potatoes, crackers or bread.  Experience will tell you whether these foods help.
• To help prevent headaches eat little and often to help stabilize blood sugar levels.

 RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS   

• Co-enzyme Q10.
• Magnesium.
• B complex.
• Essential fatty acids.

 VERY IMPORTANT!

If any of the following accompany the headache consult GP: blurred vision, confusion, loss of speech, fever, neck stiffness, light sensitivity, pressure behind the eyes that is relieved by vomiting, a pounding heartbeat, visual colour changes.

 RESOURCE:    Migraine Action

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Vaginal dryness can be a common problem for pre-menopausal women with low levels of oestrogen, such as breastfeeding mothers, those who have had a hysterectomy and those who have received chemotherapy.  Here are a few possible solutions:

• Herbs:  Dong quai, chickweed tincture, black cohosh and slippery elm are good.  Motherwort and agnus castus, are thought to regulate hormones and help restore thickness and elasticity to the vagina.  Comfrey ointment can be used as a lubricant for love making.  Aloe gel put directly on the vagina can help soothe dryness and irritation.
• Acidophilus capsules inserted vaginally help prevent yeast infections and create lubrication. Insert one or two about 4-6 hours before love making.
• Foods high in vitamin E may also help reduce dryness or take a 400iu supplement daily. Some women feel that inserting a capsule of vitamin E directly into the vagina every night for a few weeks helps.
• Avoid perfumed soaps.
• Petroleum-based products such as Vaseline
• Take a good menopause health supplement.

Follow a hormone-balancing diet.  Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.  Eat complex carbohydrates e.g. brown rice, oats, wholemeal bread.  Buy organic where possible.  Take phytoestrogens each day (tofu, miso, soya milk, clover sprouts, flaxseed/linseed oil and soya flour).  Eat oily foods, including fish, nuts, seeds and oils.  Reduce intake of saturated fat from dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, additives, preservatives and sugar.  Drink enough fluids and increase your water intake.    Increase your intake of fibre.

NOTE:  if you are on hormone therapy or taking chemotherapy always consult a herbalist.  Do not come off or change any medication without consulting your healthcare practitioner.

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1. ‘Detox‘ is the short form of detoxification and involves the removing of toxic substances from your body. Learning how to detox your body can bring substantial benefits to your health and well being by boosting your immune system. There are natural ways we can strengthen our immune system. Some of these ways are listed here:
2. Make sure you catch your daily dose of sleep, to rejuvenate and boost your immune system. Many convince themselves that sleeping 5 to 6 hrs a day is enough. But the truth is, we require at least 8 hours of un-fragmented sleep per night.
3. Stress raises the levels of steroid hormones in your body. Steroids have a very strong suppressive action on the normal functioning of your immune cells. There are studies that prove that stress and depression affect the body physically and can even weaken the immune system. De-stressing sessions like meditation, aerobics and yoga help a lot. Listening to relaxing music and just doing what you love to do are also help some to unwind.
4. Water helps to flush the body of toxins and keep you well hydrated. Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day improves with healing & toxin removal processes.
5. Nothing is as important as a well balanced diet to sustain a powerful immune system. Vitamins and trace nutrients play very intricate roles in the metabolism of rapidly diving cells like the cells of immunity. A diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, are excellent sources of antioxidants. Vitamins like A, C, E, and beta carotene are the major antioxidants performing the important role of scavenging free radicals and limiting their damage. Antioxidants also improve immune system functioning.
6. Finally, regular exercise makes our body stronger, improves circulation of blood and nutrients, and helps flush the body of toxins; thus indirectly contributing to a healthy immune system.

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Vitamin A is most famous for its topical uses in skin care.  It is the basis for the retinoid treatments which are used to prevent and treat acne as well as anti-aging process for the skin.  Vitamin A is a group of compounds that plays an important role in skin, bone growth, reproduction, cell division and cell differentiation within the body.  It helps to regulate the immune system which is the part of the body that helps to prevent or fight off infections.  It also might help lymphocytes to fight infection more effectively.

Deficiencies are usually rare in developed countries and since it’s a fat-soluble vitamin individuals can develop dangerous levels if taken in large doses over time.  Using a supplement of vitamin A is especially risky for women who are pregnant because of the risks to the developing baby.

Researchers and dietary experts understand how critical vitamin A is for good health which is why many breakfast cereals and low-fat milk is fortified with it.  However, taken in large doses over time it may actually weaken women’s bones and increase the risk of fractures as revealed by a Harvard study.  In this study of 70,000 postmenopausal nurses researchers found that the women who consume the most vitamin A from foods or supplements had nearly double the risk of fractures compared with those who consumed the least.  A Swedish study which took place in 1998 backed up these findings although no other study has since found such a risk.

Excellent food sources for vitamin A include fruits, carrots, green and yellow vegetables, dairy products, Lamb and fish liver oils.  Physicians have used it in external topical preparations to treat acne, eczema and psoriasis because it is encourages a more rapid cell turnover of the outer layer of skin.  Doctors also use it to help treat eye disorders, respiratory diseases and gastric altars as well is to help prevent the development of cancer.

It is extremely unlikely that if an individual consumes any type of fortified foods or takes in enough fruits and vegetables that they will need a to supplement their diet with vitamin A in order to prevent deficiency. Be sure to read the bottle of any multivitamin that you are considering using in order to ensure that it does not contain too much of a specific vitamin which is already in abundance  in your daily diet.

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Our immune system is a complicated, versatile but amazing defence mechanism which protects our body from different environmental invaders. However most of us do not understand its importance till we fall ill. So today we’re going to talk about health foods and supplements to support your immune system and stay from falling ill altogether.

Vitamin C supplements prevent and reduce the symptoms of common cold and flu. Excellent sources of vitamin C include all citrus fruits, sweet peppers, strawberries, kiwi fruit and broccoli. They contain hundreds of phytochemicals that provide many preventative health benefits, by boosting the activity of white blood cells called lymphocytes. Vitamin C is also a very powerful antioxidant and helps the immune system by scavenging free radicals in our body.

Vitamin A: Skin is the first line of defence for our immune systems and vitamin A plays a vital role to support it. All yellow colour fruits like carrots, squash, pumpkin are great sources of beta-carotene which the body quickly turns into vitamin A. Research has also shown that older adults with high intakes of Vitamin A had a slower rate of mental decline.

Zinc is a trace metal which is essential for the functioning of the free radical scavenger Glutathione, which can increase the efficiency of immune system to fight against common cold, sore throat.

Few herbs can also work wonders to provide a powerful defence against harmful bugs:

1. Echinacea: The flowers of this herb are well known for their ability to prevent or decrease the duration of the common cold. It also helps prevent the breakdown of the connective tissue that invading organisms encourage, which lets them spread.
2. Turmeric and Garlic have anti-microbial, anti inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and expectorant properties. It is best taken with hot water and honey fresh after peeling.
3. Astragalus increases phagocyte activity, the function of the natural killer cells, as well as increasing the levels of antibodies thus boosting all aspects of the immune system.

Our best bet for staying healthy and reducing our risk of falling ill is to eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and get plenty of exercise and adequate sleep every night.

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For nearly 3000 years or so Asian cultures have harnessed the natural power offered by plants to live healthier and happier lives. Today Western medicine is beginning to discover the powerful effects which herbal supplements have on the overall health and well-being of all of us. Amongst other things, herbal supplements are believed to boost energy, improve memory and even promote a more natural and youthful skin appearance.

While they are growing rapidly in popularity, they are not as yet properly regulated – though as of 2011 the MHRA will require licenses for herbal products. This has both positive and negative effects on the industry. On the positive side it means that pharmaceutical industries are unable to charge an exorbitant amount of money for plants that can be grown in our backyard. The pharmaceutical industry has long been interested in regulating herbal supplements and vitamins in order to increase their financial bottom line.

The flip side of this argument is that because the government does not regulate the production and manufacturing of these products they are also not consistently packaged. Improperly produced supplements could mean quality issues which makes it important for the consumer to actively investigate the companies from whom they are purchasing their products and ensure that they are receiving the active ingredients they believe they are.

Herbal supplements do have active ingredients that affect how the body functions, just as any over-the-counter or prescription medication might. This means that if you’re considering a herbal supplementation in order to improve your overall health, you should also be sure that anything you’re taking does not interact with any medications you might already be on. The best place to check this out is with your pharmacist who is well-versed in the interactions between all medications, including herbal supplements.

Herbal supplements can be risky for individuals who have underlying medical conditions and are taking multiple medications. Educate yourself about any products you intend to use before purchasing them and talk with both your doctor and your pharmacist.

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As the world becomes more and more health conscious we are learning that it has become significantly more difficult to receive adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals from our foods today than it was even just 20 years ago. This is because the land has become over farmed and overused leaving little vitamins and minerals for plants to absorb and pass on to the end user.

Unfortunately, even increased knowledge of how to eat a more healthy diet has not led to more people actually choosing to eat a healthier diet. Families don’t often take the time to plan meals or to perform the necessary tasks required in order to purchase healthy foods and cook them. It has become much too easy to go to a drive up window or grab a processed mail at the supermarket.

Adding nutritional and dietary supplements to your daily regimen are meant to only augment your diet and not replace a healthy diet. The body is an incredible machine designed to function appropriately when fed well. In other words, we really are what we eat. You have to help the body along by providing it with natural vitamins and minerals from raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. If you can’t do this through diet then supplements can help you top up.

Nutritional supplements from vitamin and mineral pills can assist the body in working optimally but the body will always find nutrients from raw food more bioavailable than nutrients from a vitamin produced in the lab. Basically, this means that the body will be able to use the vitamins and minerals from raw food much better than it can a pill. Multivitamins however are a necessary adjunct to raw foods.

Coming from a health supplement retailer this may seem a strange thing to admit. However we realise that for the majority of people getting the necessary vitamins and minerals through food would be the ideal choice, they simply don’t have the time to plan it. This is something that is unlikely to change and is the reason we pride ourselves on providing our customers with quality health supplements!

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