ADDITIVES AND HOW THEY AFFECT BEHAVIOUR

Whilst this is an old article I feel I should blog about it again. ***It was looking at the label of a bottle of a popular carbonated drink associated with Scotland and a lurid orange colour. To be fair it now gives a warning on the label so that is good but how many parents read lables? It's something I do feel quite strongly about having experience with additives myself many years ago with my own children. At the time I was seen as a bit of a crank, the studies were new and few doctors were sympathetic. I did find one GP who was very understanding an interested in the affect of E numbers on children. I then conducted an experiment restricting foods with these additives and the difference in my child's behaviour was dramatic. My child calmed down, slept better and her attention span and concentration improved considerably. One by one I introduced foods containing additives and the main culprits were the artificial colourants such as Tartrazine and Sunset Yellow, these are often found in comvience foods and snacks and sweets aimed at children. I might add not all E numbers are bad some are entirely natural such as Beta Carotene  found in carrots. My suggestion to all parents aim yourself with a directory of E numbers and check what you are feeding your children and avoid convience foods and prepare food for children yourself. If you have a freezer there is no excuse for this as batches can be cooked in advance for busy parents. If your child suffers from hyperactivity it's well worth looking at his or her diet, you may well find the culprit and take your findings to your GP. Doctors are now much more aware of how diet and E numbers affect children that they were when my child was small.

Parents warned of additives link

Parents have been warned of the effects of food additives on their children's behaviour after new research found a possible link to hyperactivity. A Food Standards Agency (FSA) study of 300 random children found they behaved impulsively and lost concentration after a drink containing additives.
The FSA now says hyperactive children might benefit from fewer additives.
But experts said drugs rather than diet changes could improve behaviour more effectively in the most severe cases.

Dr Andrew Wadge, the FSA's chief scientist, said: "We have revised our advice to consumers: if a child shows signs of hyperactivity or ADHD then eliminating the colours used in the... study from their diet might have some beneficial effects."
He did say though there were many factors associated with hyperactivity including genes, being born prematurely, environment and upbringing.

WHICH ADDITIVES?

Sunset yellow (E110) - Colouring found in squashes

Carmoisine (E122) - Red colouring in jellies

Tartrazine (E102) - New colouring in lollies, fizzy drinks

Ponceau 4R (E124) - Red colouring

Sodium benzoate (E211) - Preservative

Quinoline yellow (E104) - Food colouring

Allura red AC (E129) - Orange / red food dye

The FSA has met representatives of the UK food industry to talk about the study's implications, but food safety campaigners say it has not gone far enough.
Emma Hockridge, of the Soil Association, said the FSA should be taking a leading role in addressing the issue by undertaking initiatives to prevent the development of hyperactive disorders, through new policies to limit food additives.
The Food Commission called on food manufacturers to voluntarily remove additives from their products.
A spokesman said: "These artificial colourings may brighten up processed foods and drinks but it appears they have the potential to play havoc with some children's behaviour."
Julian Hunt, from the Food and Drink Federation, said they accepted the FSA's advice but said the tests did not represent how additives were used normally.
"Manufacturers are very aware of consumer sensitivities about the use of additives in food and drink products. It is important to reassure consumers that the Southampton study does not suggest there is a safety issue with the use of these additives."
Behaviour check
This is not the first study to make a link between additives and hyperactive behaviour, but a wider age range of children were selected than in previous research, and not all had behavioural problems.
The Food Standards Agency paid for Southampton University researchers to examine whether giving additives to a group of ordinary three-year-olds and eight or nine-year-olds had any effect on their behaviour.
The children were randomly given one of three drinks, either a potent mix of colourings and additives, a drink that roughly matched the average daily additive intake of a child of their age, or a "placebo" drink which had no additives.
Their hyperactivity levels were measured before and after the drink was taken. Mix "A", with the high levels of additives, had a "significantly adverse" effect compared with the inactive placebo drink.

“ Parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent hyperactive disorders ”
Dr Jim Stevenson, Southampton University

The older children showed some adverse effects after the second, less potent mix, although the response varied significantly from child to child.
Lead researcher Professor Jim Stevenson said the study, published in the Lancet, showed that certain mixtures of artificial food colours, alongside sodium benzoate, a preservative used in ice cream and confectionary, were linked to increases in hyperactivity.
He added: "However, parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent hyperactive disorders.
"We know that many other influences are at work but this at least is one a child can avoid."
He said it was not possible to say which of the ingredients in the additives cocktail affected the children.
Between 5% and 10% of school-age children suffer some degree of ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - researchers suggest, with symptoms such as impulsiveness, inability to concentrate and excessive activity.
More boys than girls are diagnosed with the condition, and children with ADHD can struggle academically, often behaving poorly in school.

“ While in some cases, a poor diet could make ADHD even worse, a better diet is not going to make it much better ”
Andrea Bilbow, of ADDISS

Andrea Bilbow, from ADHD support group ADDISS, said most parents of children with ADHD had tried diet changes.
While more than half had reported some improvement, this tended to be modest when compared with the effect of medication, she said.
"In some respects the question of food additives is a little bit of a red herring.
"While in some cases, a poor diet could make ADHD even worse, a better diet is not going to make it much better," she said.
And Dr Paul Illing, of the Royal Society of Chemistry, raised questions about the validity of the study, saying extrapolating from the small study population to the general public was very difficult.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/6979976.stm

Published: 2007/09/06 07:41:58 GMT

© BBC 2011

***
Irn-Bru is known for its bright orange colour. As of 1999 it contained 0.002% of ammonium ferric citrate, sugar, 32 flavouring agents (including caffeine—though caffeine is not listed as an ingredient on the Australian labelling—and quinine) and two controversial colourings (E110, E124). On 27 January 2010, A.G. Barr agreed to a Food Standards Agency voluntary ban on these two colourings although no date has been set for their replacement.^[1] The beverage is advertised as having a slight citrus flavour.
Irn-Bru was first produced in 1901, in the town of Falkirk, under the name Strachan's brew. In 1946, a change in laws required that the word "brew" be removed from the name, as the drink is not brewed. The chairman of the company came up with the idea of changing the spelling of both halves of the name, giving the Irn-Bru brand. 1980 saw the introduction of Low Calorie Irn-Bru: this was re-launched in 1991 as Diet Irn-Bru and again in 2011 as Sugar Free Irn-Bru. The Irn-Bru 32 energy drink variant was launched in 2006.
It has long been the most popular soft drink in Scotland, with Coca-Cola second, but recent competition between the two brands has brought their sales to roughly equal levels.^[2] It is also the third best selling soft drink in the UK, after Coca-Cola and Pepsi, outselling high-profile brands such as Fanta, Dr Pepper, Sprite and 7-Up. This success in defending its home market (a feat claimed only by Irn-Bru, and Inca Kola) has led to ongoing speculation that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Inc. or its UK brand franchisee Britvic would attempt to buy A.G. Barr.
Irn-Bru's advertising slogans used to be 'Scotland's other National Drink', referring to whisky, and 'Made in Scotland from girders', a reference to the rusty colour of the drink; though the closest one can come to substantiating this claim is the 0.002% ammonium ferric citrate listed in the ingredients.
A limited edition Irn Bru was released in Autumn 2011. Packaged with a black and orange design, and with the signature man icon with a added image of a fire, 'Firey Irn Bru', had a warm, tingly feeling in the mouth once drunk. The after taste to it is similar to ginger but still has the iconic Irn Bru flavour.

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ASTROLOGY NATAL CHART GENERATOR

Use the widget here to generate your Natal Chart

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GARLIC ANOTHER OF NATURE'S WONDERS

Article from the Daily Mail below, this isn't new, its something us Holistic practitioners have known for years, none the less, very well worth sharing. Incidentally an experiment I used to carry out on my students in Aromatherapy, to show how potent garlic oil is, was to rub a garlic bulb on the soles of the feet and note how long it took to be absorbed into the body and excreted on the breath and it normally takes around an hour and a half for this to occur. This proves how powerful essential oils can be absorbed into the blood stream and thus act therapeutically on the body. Garlic oil, like most essential oils is antiseptic and good at warding of colds as well as vampires. A little tip if everyone eats it at the same meal, you wont smell it on one another. And I'm sure if you have ever worked out at the gym with someone the next day after they have eaten garlic at dinner you can quite clearly smell it in their sweat.

Garlic oil 'can protect the heart by preventing cell damage'

Lifesaver: Garlic oil contains an ingredient, diallyl trisulphide, that has the power to prevent the destruction of heart tissue

Garlic may provide protection against heart damage as well as vampires, research suggests.
The pungent bulb contains an ingredient that has the power to prevent the destruction of heart tissue which can lead to heart attacks.
Scientists tested the compound, diallyl trisulfide, on mice at risk of heart damage from blocked coronary arteries.
Treatment just before blood flow was restored reduced the amount of heart tissue damaged by almost two-thirds.
Diallyl trisulfide releases hydrogen sulphide, which has previously been shown to protect heart tissue in low concentrations.
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine in the United States have turned to diallyl trisulfide, a garlic oil component, as a way to deliver the benefits of hydrogen sulphide to the heart.
Normally the unstable and volatile gas is difficult to deliver as a therapy because it needs to be injected. Now, thanks to garlic oil, it can be administered orally.

HYDROGEN SULFIDE: VERY USEFUL IN SMALL DOSES

In high concentrations, hydrogen sulfide is a strong poison: Just a few breaths can be fatal.
But in small amounts, like those the body makes naturally, hydrogen sulfide serves several key functions.
It reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure and keeps cells alive.
After a heart attack or heart surgery has interrupted the flow of oxygen-rich blood to tissues, hydrogen sulfide allows oxygen to keep reaching the heart muscle.

Doctors could use diallyl trisulfide in many of the situations where researchers have proposed using hydrogen sulphide.
David Lefer, professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, said: 'We are now performing studies with orally active drugs that release hydrogen sulphide. 
'This could avoid the need to inject sulphide-delivery drugs outside of an emergency situation.'
Researchers blocked the coronary arteries of mice for 45 minutes, simulating a heart attack, and gave them diallyl sulphide just before blood flow was restored.
The compound reduced the proportion of damaged heart tissue in the area at risk by 61 per cent, compared with untreated animals.
The findings were presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Further research reported by the team suggests diallyl trisulfide could also reduce heart enlargement caused by heart failure.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2062314/Garlic-oil-protect-heart-preventing-cell-damage.html#ixzz1e52G8zle

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BROKEN HEART SYNDROME

 For those of us working in the psychic and holistic field this is not news, but something we have known for a very long time. It's very common for the surviving spouse in a long partnership to pass over within a couple of years, or the other partner may develop cancer, where the couple have been very very close. To understand this you have to view ourselves not just in a physical sense but holistically, 'mind, body and spirit', each influences the other.

For those of you who have been in a long relationship, that has suddenly been broken up, its not uncommon to feel part of you is missing, like you have a hole in your head, like you feel empty, like you have lost an arm or leg, this is because in effect you have, for when we become very close to someone our auric field, part of it, reaches out to the aura of the other person, this happens with every close relationship, be it a member of out family or a lover. If the other person suddenly breaks the relationship off, well part of our aura is missing hence creating that 'empty feeling. *(SEE CUTTING TIES)

In holistic medicine disease begins in the 'spirit' first, how we feel in ourselves, that then affects the mental and emotional aspects of us, 'the mind' and this in turn affects the body. The belief in holistic medicine is if we work on the 'spirit' we can prevent disease taking root in the physical body. Holistic medicine treats the whole of the person and not a pigeon holed part of the body.

Stress too affects the physical body, it depletes the immune system by raising levels of damaging stress hormones, such as corticotrophic hormones and adrenaline. These hormones are fine for what they are designed for, as part of a survival mechanism for emergences only, they were never designed for long term use. More details on this can be found on the tab at the top of the page here on stress.*(STRESS AND HEALTH)

Women are naturally more emotional and empathetic than men so this article I found in the Daily Mail below here doesn't surprise me in the least

Women NINE times more likely than men to suffer broken heart syndrome

• Condition brought on by sudden or prolonged stress can lead to heart failure
• Tests show dramatic changes in rhythm and blood substances typical of a heart attack, but no artery blockages

Females are up to nine times more likely to suffer 'broken heart syndrome,' a study revealed today.
The condition - when sudden or prolonged stress caused by an event such as an emotional breakup or death causes overwhelming heart failure or heart attack-like symptoms - is far more likely to strike women than it is men.
Although the symptoms can be life-threatening, patients usually recover with no lasting damage.

Women are seven to nine times more likely to suffer a heart attack from shock or distress - with no sign of blocked arteries or previous history of cardiac problems

The study, which was carried out by Dr. Abhishek Deshmukh of the University of Arkansas, was reported at the American Heart Association in Florida.
The syndrome was first identified in 1990, when Japanese doctors named it Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (tako tsubo are octopus traps that resemble the unusual pot-like shape of the stricken heart).
It happens when a big shock, even one with positive results, like winning the lottery, triggers a rush of adrenaline and other stress hormones that cause the heart's main pumping chamber to suddenly balloon and malfunction.
Tests show dramatic changes in rhythm and blood substances typical of a heart attack, but no artery blockages that typically cause one. Most victims recover within weeks, but in rare cases it proves fatal.
Dr. Mariell Jessup, a University of Pennsylvania heart failure specialist who has treated many such cases, reports that the classic case is a woman who has just lost her husband.
One woman, Cyndy Bizon, 63, from Maine, U.S., became a victim of the condition six years ago after her husband Joel, suffered a massive heart attack.

 

Broken heart syndrome can occur as a result of shock - usually from bad news, but occasionally from good, such as a lottery win

Convinced her husband was going to die, she said her prayers as he was wheeled past her into the operating room.
She later collapsed at a nurse's station and was transferred to an emergency coronary care ward, diagnosed with so-called broken heart syndrome.
'I remember grabbing the counter and a black curtain coming down before my eyes,' she said.
Cyndy's attack was so severe that she went into full cardiac arrest and had to have her heart shocked back into a normal rhythm.
Both Cyndy and her husband survived, but while most such attacks resolve without permanent damage, Cyndy later needed to have a defibrillator implanted.
Dr. Abhishek Deshmukh carried out his study after noticing that the majority of patients he treated for the condition were female.
Using a federal database with about 1,000 hospitals, Deshmukh found 6,229 cases in 2007.
Only 671 involved men. After adjusting for high blood pressure, smoking and other factors that can affect heart problems, women seemed 7.5 times more likely to suffer the syndrome than men.
It was three times more common in women over 55 than in younger women. And women younger than 55 were 9.5 times more likely to suffer it than men of that age.
No one knows why, said Dr. Abhiram Prasad, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist who presented other research on this syndrome at the conference.
'It's the only cardiac condition where there's such a female preponderance,' he said.
One theory is that hormones play a role. Another is that men have more adrenaline receptors on cells in their hearts than women do. 
Dr Deshmukh suggests this may mean that men are better able to handle stress and the chemical surge it releases.
About 1 per cent of such cases prove fatal, the study shows.
'In the old days, we'd say someone was scared to death,' said Prasad.
About 10 per cent of victims will have a second episode sometime in their lives. And although heart attacks happen more in winter, broken heart syndrome is more common in summer.

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CURRENT MOON

lunar phases

This diet plan comes from courtesy of

The Moon Diet Plan

It's well known that the moon affects the earth's oceans and rivers with its gravitational pull. It is less known that the moon also affects the water contained in the human body. The moon diet takes advantage of the moon's power to help you cleanse your body and lose weight. On certain days you can lose up to 6 lbs in a single 24-hour period!

The Moon's Effect on the Body

Human knowledge and mythology throughout time have spoken of the moon's effect on the earth and the human body. The moon's gravitational pull dictates the action of the ocean's tides. A woman's menstrual cycle runs in parallel to the cycle of the moon. Some believe the moon affects the emotions—for example, the full moon stimulates aggressive behavior.

In addition, the moon can affect the water contained in the human body. The human body is 60% water. When the moon reaches its full phase and new phase, its gravitational pull combines with the sun for the greatest gravitational effect. This period of increased effect lasts about 24 hours.

Two Plans

There are two moon diet plans—basic and extended.

1. The basic moon diet plan consists of a 24-hour fasting day in which you consume only water and juice. It must take place during either the full moon or the new moon. During the fasting day your body is cleansed of toxins, and you can lose up to 6 lbs of water weight in one day.


2. The extended moon diet plan begins with a fasting day on a full moon, as described by the basic moon diet plan, then provides additional guidelines for weight loss and healthy eating during each of the major phases of the moon.

In addition, each of these plans is compatible with many other diet programs. Combining the moon diet with another diet program can give you an extra boost in your weight loss efforts. The fasting days of the basic moon diet plan can be implemented in many weight loss programs. A single day of consuming only water and fresh juice simply detoxifies your body, and the lack of toxins makes further weight loss even easier.

The moon diet also helps you decide when to start a new diet plan. The period of the waning moon that immediately follows the full moon is often the best time to start dieting, due to the corresponding decrease in the body's appetites and cravings.

For example, if you are familiar with the very popular HCG diet, here's how it would work: The loading days would begin during the two days immediately prior to the full moon, when food cravings are at their height. The low-calorie phase would begin on the first day after the full moon, when due to the waning moon, cravings begin to decrease and the body enjoys a natural detoxifying stage. While on the HCG diet, you might also choose to enjoy a fasting day during the next new moon or full moon (it is allowed on the protocol because you are not required to consume the full allotment of calories). You can also follow almost all of the guidelines for the waxing and waning phases of the moon (see extended moon diet) during the HCG diet.

Benefits of the Moon Diet

Besides the potential to lose 6 lbs in a single day, the moon diet is also a great way to detox your body and improve your immunity. Furthermore, it can also be used to lose additional weight throughout the moon's cycle and to boost the effectiveness of other diet plans.

If your hectic lifestyle makes it hard for you to cook special foods or stick to lengthy, demanding schedules, the moon diet can be a great way to lose some weight and help you feel lighter and healthier.

Many women worldwide have seen positive results from the moon diet, and it poses no health risks; however, it is always recommended that you speak to your doctor before starting a diet. Note that fasting is not recommended for women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding a baby.

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ASTROLOGY IS A SCIENCE

An interesting article I came across today. Whether some would like to dismiss astrology as hokum pokum or say its evil and occult, its never going to go away, and why should it? As I see it if the moon is powerful enough to control the great oceans, it stands to reason, it must have an effect on us, after all we are 70% water. The general forecasts you see in newspapers and magazines are much too generalised and it's because of these Astrology does not get the credibility it rightly deserves. Before you follow the crowd and dismiss Astrology because of those generalised forecasts I urge you to have a proper natal chart and forecast done in detail, then you too will see what an incredible science Astrology is.

Astrology is a science, court rules

Astrology, the study of interplanetary alignments as the explanation for everything, is a credible science, an Indian court has ruled.
 

 For years it has been dismissed by the world's scientists, but according to the Bombay High Court astrologers are officially their colleagues Photo: ALAMY

The judgment will be met with relief in India, where engagements are decided, wedding and election dates are chosen on the basis of detailed charts drawn up by revered astrologers. A day deemed "auspicious" by an astrologer can lead to thousands of weddings and traffic gridlock.
For years it has been dismissed by the world's scientists, but according to the Bombay High Court astrologers are officially their colleagues.
The ruling was made in a case brought by a campaign group, Janhit Manch, which sought a ruling against practitioners of "tantric" black magic and "fake" astrologers. Their "work" should be prohibited by India's Drugs and Megical Remedies Act (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 which bans false claims in advertisements.
The judges rejected the application, however, relying on an affidavit by Dr R Ramakrishna, a government deputy drug controller, who said: "The Act does not cover astrology and related sciences. Astrology is a trusted science and is being practised for over 4000 years."
Lakshman Das Madan, one of India's leading astrologers and editor of the bestselling 'Babaji' magazine, offers detailed predictions ranging from domestic political tips on ministerial resignations to the wedding dates for top cricket stars. He remains hugely popular despite several errors. In 2009, he predicted the Hindu nationalist opposition BJP and its allies would win the election. In fact it lost spectacularly to its Congress rivals.

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SPELL TO MAKE A WISH COME TRUE

The following spell is from a lovely new website I have discovered on the net:
http://www.spellkitsforbelievers.com/

Spell To Make A Wish Come True

• Cast your circle.
• Light a charcoal disc and sprinkle some ORRIS ROOT, CINNAMON, and NUTMEG on it.
• Light a blue candle.
• Pass a piece of Golden Beryl Crystal through the smoke while you think of your wish.
• Write your wish on a square piece of parchment paper.
• Drip 7 drops of wax from your candle on your paper and fold the corners of the paper inward.
• Continue folding the paper until it is about an inch wide and long.
• Read aloud the following:

This night I light,
With a Candle of Blue,
The Goddess I call,
Make this wish come true.
So It Is, And So Shall It Be! 

• Carry your folded paper and your crystal with you until your wish comes true.

This Free Spell to make a wish come true uses the following significant elements; 

• Oris root is commonly used in the manufactur of perfumes and carries the scent of violets. In witchcraft, Orris Root is used as a love drawing herb to assure the love you give out will be returned.
• The blue candle symbolizes the element of water. It is used in witchcraft for many things, including connecting the mind in meditation and bringing good health, patience and wisdom.
• Golden Beryl Crystal is used in ritual magic as an aid in scrying. It offers the power of manifestation and is an important ingredient in any spell, particularly ones involiving the desire for a wish to come true.

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WORLD DIABETES DAY

Although the incidence of type 1 Diabetes is relatively unchanged there is a continued rise of type 2 Diabetes, largely in part to do with growing obesity and lack of exercise and unhealthy eating. This disease as explained below causes all manner of problems to our health and its not just related, to feeling tired and passing more urine. Type 2 Diabetes is one of those insidious conditions that creep up on us causing unrepairable damage to our eye sight, kidneys, our cardiovascular system, which can lead to gangerine and the loss of our limbs. 

Type 1 is an acute disease that happens rapidly and its pretty easy to spot that there is something obviously wrong, type 2 can be difficult to spot. Diabetes is a systemic disease irrespective of whatever type you have, for every single cell in the body is affected by it. To put it simply each body cell is unable to process energy in the normal way, cells are unable to taken in glucose, the cell's fuel, so it has to break down fat and protein instead this leads to ketones forming in the body, deadly if unchecked in type 1 but it creeps up slowly in type 2. The bodies cells then cannot function correctly so the nerve cells, blood cells are affected in fact every single cell in the body, leading to the problems of poor circulation, increased infection and diminished nerve sensations etc. As the body tries to create homeostasis within the body, it tries to get rid of the excess sugar (glucose) in the blood by excreting it as urine, this of course creates the classic, passing excess urine and increased thirst. The symptoms of tiredness are because all the body's cells are not getting the glucose they need for energy.

Type 2 is less likely to develop if we have a good balanced diet and watch our weight. Sadly this type of diabetes is now showing up in overweight children, who have a diet high in refined carbohydrates and high in fat and who do not have adequate exercise

The following article below I have taken from Yahoo Health News

Diabetes: do you have it, but don't know it?

World Diabetes Day

© evgenyb - Fotolia.com

Around 2.6 million people in the UK currently have diabetes, but an estimated 500,000 people have type 2 diabetes and don’t know it, because they ignore or are unaware of its early warning signs.
According to Diabetes UK, most cases of diabetes are detected by accident, when the person visits their doctor with another medical condition.
But a late diagnosis of diabetes increases the risk of serious complications such as stroke, kidney failure, blindness, heart disease and amputation.
Middle aged men are twice as likely to have diabetes compared with women, but are less likely to visit their GP.

Most at risk

Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor. Around 80 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Other risk factors include:

• Having a large waist
• Being of Black or South Asian origin
• Having a family history of the condition
• Being over the age of 40, or over 25 if you’re Black or of South Asian descent

At risk waist measurements are 37 inches or more for men, except those of South Asian origin who are at risk at 35 inches or more, and 31.5 inches or more for all women.

Diabetes warning signs

• Increased thirst
• Having to pee all the time, especially at night
• Extreme tiredness
• Blurred vision
• Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
• Wounds which are slow to heal

Diabetes risk assessment

As part of the NHS Health Check scheme for people aged between 40 and 74, GPs will assess whether you are at risk of developing, or may have type 2 diabetes.
Your BMI, blood pressure and family history will be taken into account. Depending on the results, they may order further tests to check your blood sugar levels.
If the assessment finds you are at an increased risk of developing diabetes, your GP will advise you on steps you should take to lower your risk of developing the disease.

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AROMATHERAPY FOR BABIES

As this holistic blog is for everyone, it also includes babies and if there is one thing babies love its the sense of touch. When we touch one another we are not just interacting on a physical level but also on a spiritual level. Massage is one of the most ancient therapies of all. Think back to your childhood when you fell over what soothed you more than anything else, it was kissing or rubbing your bruised knees better, it is this exchange of energies from one to another that soothes and heals. So what better than to soothe a fretful baby. The best time to massage a baby is not immediately after a feed, their little splincter valve at the top of their stomach is not fully strong and you are liable to make them regurgitate their feed back up. Nor should you massage them when they are very hungry, they wont appreciate your massage. The best time is after a bath.

Massage on its own is soothing for a baby but to relax and soothe a baby for sleep one good way is via Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy oils are very potent and if you are unsure how to use them, don't consult a qualified Aromatherapy practitioner first. They should ALWAYS BE DILUTED and like medications the dosage should be the lowest possible as babies are more receptive and sensitive to essential oils. Not all essential oils are suitable for babies and no essential oils should be used even diluted with a carrier oil on a new born.

Using an electric diffuser such as a ceramic aroma stone is one of the safest ways to diffuse essential oils into the room and can be left on safely unlike a candle type of diffuser. Another way to diffuse essential oils whilst massaging the baby is to put one drop on to a tissue and place near the baby. Essential oils work on the limbic system in that they inhaled in tiny molecules in the atmosphere and picked up by olfactory receptors high in the nasal chambers whereby they have a direct influence on the hypothalamus, the area of the brain responsible for moods and emotions amongst others including homeostasis in the body.

The safest oils to use on babies and small children are Mandarin, Tangerine, Chamomile and Lavender, one drop of these oils can be added to the baby's bathwater but even then the oil should be diluted in a little carrier oil such as grape seed as its the most innocuous of carrier oils or failing this a little milk. Diluting essential oils for adding to bathwater is advisable right across the board babies and adults alike, for oil floats on water and if the essential oil is not diluted it can touch the skin and cause irritation.

Grape seed or Avocado oil, which is richer make the best carrier oils for the massage. Mineral oil, commonly marketed as Baby Oil, is not plant based and is a by product of the petroleum industry and is not suitable as a carrier oil, the essential oils won't blend with it effectively and it sits on the surface of the skin, mineral oil is notorious for blocking pores for this reason, whilst vegetable oils sink into the skin won't block pores and blend with essential oils since they are plant based like essential oils.

The dilution should be NO MORE THAN 1% and blends in carrier oils and bath water and only on babies older than 3 months before this use a diffuser or a drop of essential oil on a tissue near the baby when doing massage. Remember Babies have very delicate and sensitive skin. 

For the massage you do not need a copious amount of carrier oil either  a dessert spoon of carrier oil is more than enough for a small person, which should be measured out into a small bowl.

How do I work out & measure this percentage? 

1 % equals one-drop essential oil to 100 drops carrier and 2% blend equals two drops essential oil to 100 drops carrier. 

Does that mean I have to count out 1OO drops of carrier oil? – No, 100 drops of oil is equivalent to 5mls or one teaspoon, therefore 1 % dilution would be one drop of essential oil per 5mls and 2% would be two drops per 5mls. A dessert spoon is equivalent to 10 mls. Whatever you do NEVER ALLOW UNDILUTED ESSENTIAL OILS ON A BABY'S SKIN Remember essential oils are still effective diffused in the atmosphere, so if in any doubt consultant a qualified Aromatherapist before commencing using essential oils.

Mandarin and Tangerine essential oils are good for colic

Lavender is good for sleep

Chamomile for colic, relaxation and the discomfort of teething

The video above details a simple routine and the oil used should always be warmed in the palm of the hands first never pour the oil direct on to the baby and a little goes a long way, you do not want your baby glistening like an oil slick apart from being unnecessary it makes it difficult to turn the baby over as baby will slip from your grasp and unsafe. Remember the room should be warm and the safest place for the massage is on a warm towel on the floor.

You should find your baby is relaxed ready for his feed and bed

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