Positive Health Online

Eat Your Weeds! With 90 Delicious Plant-based Recipes

by Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal

Published by Merlin ‎Unwin Books. 2022. Hardback. £25. ISBN: 978 1 913159 37 5

Why should we eat our weeds? Because they are delicious, they’re nutritious, they're too good to waste. And they’re ours for the taking! With Spring around the corner, now is the perfect time to learn a new way to enjoy the abundance of wild plants that grow locally, featured in new book, Eat your Weeds! by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal.

The best-selling authors’ plant-based cookery book shines a light on these overlooked plants, often dismissed as ‘just weeds’. The book encourages the reader to forage for them and to appreciate their flavour in sweet and savoury food, drinks and snacks. Weeds have survived for hundreds of years alongside the cultivated crops that man has engineered. As a result, weeds have not been modified to the same extent as food crops and contain more nutrients than many of the shop-bought vegetables and even so-called ‘super foods’ such as Kale.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eat-Your-Weeds-delicious-plant-based/dp/191315937X

Most of the plants described in Eat your Weeds! are highly nutritious and have health benefits that reflect this. Take the Nettle, for instance, an excellent example of a humble plant that is rich in minerals and vitamins including calcium and iron. The Nettle actively benefits the respiratory, digestive, urinary and glandular systems. The tops make an excellent spring tonic, and address anaemia and gout, high or low blood pressure, coughs and allergies, skin problems, inflammations and high blood sugar. The book dedicates a whole chapter to this wonder plant. Did you know that you can make Nettle Saag Aloo from this plant considered by many to be the ultimate eyesore in a manicured garden? In fact, Saag in Hindi means “leafy greens’’, so nettles are an excellent substitute or addition to spinach in this dish. If your curiosity is sparked, why not surprise your dinner guests with a starter of Chickweed Crostini, followed by Nettle Risotto, with Dandelion Fizz to drink. End the meal with a cup of hot Daisy Tea and a piece of Ground Ivy Shortbread. The dishes in Eat your Weeds! are inspired by dishes from around the world, here is one for you to try…

Nettle Saag Aloo

An Indian classic of spiced potatoes and leafy greens, saag aloo is fragrant with the flavour of garlic, fresh ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric.

• As with any foraging or wild crafting, be mindful about where you are harvesting and how much you are taking; it is also a good plant for wildlife too.
• Make sure to forage before the plant has gone to flower. It’s best when the leaves are young and vibrant green in colour. Edible parts: young leaves and tops are best in spring but will grow fresh when cut back.

Saag is an Indian term for greens, usually taken to be spinach or mustard greens, but here we have used nettle leaves. Saag aloo is greens cooked with potato and spices.

• Simmer about 1kg (2¼ lb) potatoes, cut into chunks, until just tender.
• Heat 2 tablespoonfuls of vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons cumin seed and 2 teaspoons mustard seed for a minute or until they start to sizzle. Add 1 onion, chopped.
• Cook until soft and beginning to brown. Add 3 garlic cloves, crushed and a 3cm (1inch) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated.
• Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, then add the cooked potatoes and stir to mix.
• Add 250g (½ lb) nettle leaves, blanched and chopped. Cook for another 5 or 10 minutes.
• Serve with rice and poppadums, and daisy raita (p68 in the book), ground elder bhajis (p119), sowthistle bud pakora (p231) or any other Indian dishes you like. Alternatives: Nettles can be partly or wholly replaced with many of the other greens in this book. Fat hen, orache and sow thistle work particularly well.

Further Information

If you enjoyed this recipe there are 90 more to enjoy in this new book. Eat your Weeds! is published on 3^rd March by Merlin Unwin Books. It is available to buy online or from your local bookshop. Available from Amazon.co.uk

Open Learning Programme – Masterworks International

In these turbulent times there has been an opportunity to stop and evaluate what the next phase of life might hold, and maybe the possibility of starting something new. More and more opportunities are opening up in many fields through online trainings and home study.

Masterworks International’s Open Learning Programme is a perfect fit for these times.

Delivered by Phil Young and Morag Campbell international trainers and authors who have 35 years’ experience of delivering both group and individual courses around the globe, they bring a world of experience in their speciality, Polarity Therapy.

http://www.masterworksinternational.com/

If you are looking for a course in Natural health and have an interest in a truly holistic modality then Polarity Therapy ticks all the boxes. It is a truly eclectic system of healing with an overriding emphasis on working with the life energy.

• Chakra Healing
• Working in the electro-magnetic field of the body to affect energy flow and aid pain relief
• Working with the natural elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth
• Influencing the nervous system
• Structural Alignment
• Diet and Health
• Polarity Yoga Exercises

The course is delivered through our unique Learning Pack which consists of 8 set books and 2 boxed sets of easy to follow instructional DVDs. Also included is our Theory and Technique Manual, which includes a Study Guide that helps you navigate your way through the course, and includes Self-check Questions which ensure your understanding of every aspect of the work.

For certification 10 days of mentoring is required with Masterworks Mentors who are currently located in Great Britain, Italy, Canada, United States of America and Australia.

For practising Polarity therapists our Open learning course offers the prospect of deepening your knowledge base and provides a lasting reference pack of knowledge. For the prospective therapist it offers a way to study and practice a unique system of healing in your own time and in your own home, and for practising therapists in other disciplines it offers the chance the expand your expertise and increase the range of conditions that you can help.

Further Information

More details can be found on Tel: +353 86 325 2645;  info@masterworksinternational.com   Masterworksinternational.com

Botanica2022 Open for Registration, Sponsorship and Exhibitors

Botanica2022 has now opened its virtual doors for delegate registration, sponsorship and exhibitors via its website www.botanica2022.com. Here, the full details of the event, pricing and conference program are available for consultation.

https://botanica2022.com/

Celebrating its 10-year aromatherapy and herbal therapeutics anniversary with its themes of Past, Present and Future, this renowned online conference and trade show event goes live May 20^th-22^nd . With three registration tiers to meet different budgets and the possibility of a 30 day post-event replay period as well as multi-language subtitling for all live lectures, no other conference event offers aromatherapists and herbalists the same level of educational content in 2022.
With a world-class line-up of more than 30 speakers and workshop facilitators from around the world, a busy virtual Trade Show for sourcing quality products and a range of dynamic networking functionalities, botanica2022 showcases excellence across the aromatherapy and herbal medicine fields.

Organiser Rhiannon Lewis says “This ten year anniversary edition is our best offering to date of this acclaimed conference series that succeeds in bringing together delegates, speakers, researchers, health care professionals, exhibitors and partners from literally all over the globe for 3 full days of sharing, learning, networking and sourcing. I do hope you will join us!”

Further Information

To register, apply for sponsorship to become an exhibitors, please contact Botanica2022 on Tel: +44 7754 4068 36; botanica2022@eyas.co.uk; rhiannon@essentialorc.com; botanica2022.com

Outwitting Depression – Beginner’s Guide to Lifting Depression

“This exercise will not ‘cure’ depression.  But learning that there is a relatively simple way to block the mental activities which characterise depression is a powerful first step in discovering that depression is not in charge of you – you can be in charge of it.”  Page 91, A Beginner’s Guide to Lifting Depression, by Leslie O. Simpson, Ph.D. and Nancy Blake BA CQSW

And you can try this exercise right now.

http://www.positivehealth.com/advertiser/lifting-depression-me-cfs-beginner-s-guides

The key is to relinquish mental discussion about whether this is true, about the fact that of course it cannot be that simple so it’s not worth trying, about the fact that depression is a serious illness from which it is difficult to recover – which is true, by the way…and all the other negatives which depression itself will be encouraging.  (Depression is sure that you don’t deserve to be happy.)

Take Richard Bandler’s advice and just

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.

 Find someplace quiet and private to sit and let yourself become aware of your feelings of depression.  (That should be easy, shouldn’t it!)

Now, keeping your head level, just direct your gaze at the point where the wall joins the ceiling.  Keeping your gaze angled upward, try to feel depressed at the same time, without letting your gaze drop.

Isn’t that interesting!!  You mean you actually can’t gaze upward and feel depressed at the same time?

Oh dear!

You might find the rest of the book useful…

Further Information

Further information about A Beginner’s Guide to Lifting Depression by Les Simpson PhD and Nancy Blake CQSW  is available here. Available to order from the Author and  Amazon

Fulvic Acid - Why is it Referred to as Nature’s Miracle Molecule?

Although many of the benefits of fulvic acid have been known for a good number of years, it is sadly not better known or appreciated by nutritionists or the general public. Thirty years or more ago it was heavily promoted as a result of a multi-level marketing product which was giving very encouraging results. Although that product was a multi vitamin, multi mineral much of the credit for the positive results was attributed to fulvic acid.

https://www.water-for-health.co.uk/fulvic-acid-uk.html

What is Fulvic Acid?

Fulvic Acid is a naturally occurring acid produced as a result of the decomposition of organic matter. It used to be plenteous in our soils but sadly it has been depleted by modern agricultural practices, which pay little regard to soil health.  Since it was in our soils, it was in the food grown on these soils.  Fulvic Acid is the smallest molecule in the family of humic acids and is found in nature complexed with a very wide range of trace minerals and other nutrients beneficial for our wellbeing.

What Are the Benefits of Fulvic Acid?

Sadly, as mineral depletion goes down, disease rates increase. Many doctors believe that mineral depletion has been a major contributor to many of our plague of modern day diseases. 

Leading toxicology expert Professor Nuzum describes fulvic acid as “the mailman and garbage man rolled into one because this smart nutrient knows your body’s needs and routes. As fulvic acid delivers the beneficial compounds into a cell, it also exchanges them for cellular waste that it picks up and removes from our systems.”

Fulvic acid is best known as a detoxifier, however it also has many other attributes to help people enjoy better health. It aids assimilation of nutrients, it is a great trace mineral source and an antioxidant. The impact of that is enhanced ATP(cellular energy ) production with particular benefits for immune function, circulation, metabolism, and hormone balance.

Where is Fulvic Acid Obtained From?

There are a number of different sources of fulvic and humic acids. However the best are understood to be deposits of humic acid shale that are the result of the decomposition of organic material over hundreds of years. Typically these deposits are found many metres underground. There are several known deposits in North America. These are now the primary sources for fulvic acid products that are used in food supplements or as nutrients by farmers keen to restore the health of their soils.

Water for Health supply a Fulvic acid food supplement (Fulvic Restore) derived from a deposit of humic material in a protected area of Alberta, Canada. The fulvic and humic acids are extracted by a water only extraction process so that the product supplied is free of harsh chemical extractants. It is highly regarded as an important addition to peoples dietary regime, particularly in these times of pollution from many sources.

Further Information

This article was contributed by Roddy MacDonald of Water for Health Ltd, suppliers of specialist products to enhance hydration and nutrition.  www.water-for-health.co.uk/     

Events and Retreats – Balens Specialist Insurance Brokers

by Claire Squire

It has been a challenging couple of years.  The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the Health, Wellbeing, Fitness and Beauty sectors hard.  Around a third of adults and young people are saying they think their mental health has got a lot worse since March 2020 (www.mind.org.uk), something that Health and Wellbeing professionals are well positioned to assist with.  There is also certainly pent up demand for individuals wishing to ‘get away’, and entrepreneurial individuals may choose to arrange a retreat or event where clients can enjoy the benefits of activities and treatments in the summer sun.  This short article will give some guidance of risks to be aware of, and where you can go for further information. 

If you are a Health, Wellbeing, Fitness or Beauty Professional and hold your Professional Liability Insurance through Balens, you will automatically be covered to carry out the activities that you are insured for at any event or retreat both within the UK and abroad, (Terms and Conditions apply, USA and Canada by referral only.  For those who hold Professional Liability Insurance with other providers, please refer to your policy Terms and Conditions).   As such, there should be no issues from an insurance perspective, with your working at a spa or retreat center for a period.  However, if you are the event organizer arranging two or more elements of the trip itself (i.e. accommodation, travel or other activities) then your levels of liability are increased.  These are defined under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (Package holidays: complying with regulations - guidance for businesses - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).  The new regulations explicitly places Liability for the performance of the travel services included in the package, on the organizer – irrespective of whether the travel services are performed by third parties or not. Liability also allows travellers to be entitled to compensation for damages and loss of enjoyment.  Packages must be financially protected and consumers must be given statutory information. It should also be noted that there may be some compliance with Laws that you will need to investigate to ensure you do not now face criminal prosecution.  It is therefore worth considering specialist insurance packages to cover your legal liabilities for the event or retreat.  Policies start from around £450.00 plus insurance premium tax, and will typically cover your Professional Indemnity Cover, plus Public and Products Liability Cover.  For further details please see our full article at how-balens-pi-policy-responds-for-retreats.pdf 

The aim of an event or retreat will in part be for all participants to have a good experience.  Whilst this cannot be guaranteed, having an insurance safety net will hopefully help to alleviate some of the anxiety, should the worst occur.

Further Information

Balens are a Specialist Insurance Broker for Health, Well-being, Fitness and Beauty Professionals.  Further articles and information regarding insurance and risk management may be found on Balens website at  www.balens.co.uk  

Sheik Imam Leading Healer BestHealer; the Imam Jaiteh Charitable Foundation

Imam Jaiteh Charitable Foundation

The Imam Jaiteh Charitable Foundation Charity Registrations Number 58/2013 is registered in the Capital of The Gambia West Africa. The non-profit making charitable foundation, based in Jarumeh Koto Village, supports an integrated development programme in The Gambia.

With the help of sister charities in the Gambia they have distributed food to the needy peoples in the villages, schools and orphans. It helps the village of  Jarumeh and satellite villages in their health care programme, sending doctors, nurses and eyes specialist every two months to provide free health care support. Additionally the charity provides six class rooms to provide help and good care of poor students and helps to provide clean water  for the villages.

Imam Jaiteh Charitable Foundation extending help to the villages and the community in the Gambia for clean water, food, and building education facility for school children in the Gambia.

The Imam Jaiteh Charitable Foundation have built 4 toilets for the community in the Gambia who appreciate how the toilets and hygienic system support their good health. The Foundation has also supported school fees, clothing and extra support to the children in need of and having difficulties in school and living.

Sheik Imam is a leading African healer and advisor with 25 years’ experience who has dedicated his life to solving problems and advising clients from around the world. Sheik Imam’s father Imam Basaikou was born into a family with a reputation for helping people, guiding and solving people's problems for relationship, love and guidance. His grandfather is Sheikh Ahmad Bamba, and his great grandfather Sheik Abdulqadir Jelani. Sheik Imam is fluent in English, Spanish, Arabic and French and is well known throughout Africa for his good work and advice for which he has been honoured.

The Foundation is in need of more support in cash or kind to donate to the charity. The Chairman & Founder of the charity is Mr Imam B Jaiteh - an Imam, who is based in the UK.

Further Information

The Charitable Foundation needs help and the support of philanthropy. To help or for further information please contact Mr Imam B Jaiteh on Tel: 07985691335;  info@besthealer.co.uk   www.besthealer.co.uk

Roadmap to Recovery – Overcoming Long Haul Covid Syndrome

by  JD Goodman

Published by GHR Publishing. 2021; Paperback & eBook. £11.20 / $14.99. ISBN: 1777942721.

Discover the new and best ways that practitioners are using to successfully treat long haul Covid syndrome. Roadmap To Recovery identifies and provides the latest research that underlies many of these new treatments.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1777942721/

From the Introduction

Long haul Covid is pushing the frontiers of medicine to move beyond traditional ways of treating disease and examining new ways of understanding a chronic illness such as long haul Covid.

These innovations are helping to usher in creative medical protocols and complementary medical treatments to treat long haul Covid, which go beyond traditional approaches and utilize a wider field of health science to foster recovery.

This roadmap will identify and present research that underlies many of these new treatments. It asks what would a person suffering from long haul Covid need or want to know? What would be helpful to them? What are some potential solutions? 

It will inform readers of the many new treatment methods used to bring about the alleviation of symptoms, recovery, and gaining your life back. With the knowledge presented here, readers can hopefully accelerate their recovery and return to everyday life as quickly as possible. 

The book also describes the many complementary treatment methods that are being used to alleviate the symptoms of long haul Covid syndrome.

Included is also a listing of patient advocacy groups from around the world. These groups can offer support and provide a forum for the sharing of information by long haulers for long haulers. This book can be an invaluable resource for anyone with long haul Covid syndrome or for someone who wants to help someone with long haul Covid syndrome.

About the Author

Jeffrey D Goodman has a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts. He has been a university professor and has served as the Director of Professional Development for The Ontario Dental Association.  He also suffers from stage 3, bordering on stage 4, chronic kidney disease (CKD). He spent years journeying through the traditional healthcare system and networks of alternative medicine providers as he learned more about how to live with his condition. Goodman has authored two additional publications - A Comprehensive Guide to Non-Conventional Treatments for Chronic Diseases and Strategies to Survive Covid-19.  He may be contacted via JD Goodman < JDGoodmanauthor@gmail.com>

Further Information

Available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Black Garlic – An Introduction

Good old fashioned garlic is well known for its characteristic taste and host of health benefits, but when it’s heated in a specific way, both its taste and chemical make-up change…

When heated slowly over the course of a number of weeks, a garlic bulb darkens in colour and becomes known as black garlic. The process changes the taste of the garlic, but also alters its chemical composition. Amongst other things, the heating process increases the amount of a natural chemical in the garlic called S-allyl cysteine (SAC), which studies, whilst not on humans, have linked to potentially helping protect neurons,[1] acting as an anti-inflammatory[2] and protecting the liver.[3]

Courtesy: The Spruce Eats

https://naturboutique.co.uk/product/black-garlic-400mg-1-sac/

Benefits without Bad Breath

One of the easiest ways to benefit from black garlic, without having to worry about bad breath, is with health food specialists Natur Boutique’s tablets. Vegan and vegetarian friendly, their tablets are formulated to contain a guaranteed amount of SAC, whilst being odourless and convenient.

Please Note: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Consult your doctor before use if suffering from a medical condition, taking medication, under medical supervision or due to undergo surgery. If in doubt over the product’s suitability for you always ask your doctor. Do not exceed the recommended intake. Discontinue use and consult a doctor if adverse reactions occur. Do not use as a substitute for a varied diet and healthy lifestyle. Keep out of reach of children.

References

1. Huanying Shi 1, Xu Jing, Xinbing Wei, Ruth G Perez, Manru Ren, Xiumei Zhang, Haiyan Lou. S-allyl cysteine activates the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response and protects neurons against ischemic injury in vitro and in vivo.J Neurochem; 133(2):298-308. Apr 2015.
2. Zubeyir Elmazoglu , Zehra Aydın Bek, Sanem Gulistan Saribas, Candan Özoğul, Berna Goker, Berivan Bitik , Cem Nuri Aktekin, Çimen Karasu. S-Allylcysteine Inhibits Chondrocyte Inflammation to Reduce Human Osteoarthritis via Targeting RAGE, TLR4, JNK and Nrf2 Signaling: Comparison with Colchicin. Biochem Cell Biol. Apr 30 2021 .
3. Ali-Mohammad Rousta 1, Seyed-Mohamad-Sadegh Mirahmadi 1, Alireza Shahmohammadi 1, Samira Ramzi 2, Tourandokht Baluchnejadmojarad 2, Mehrdad Roghani 3. S-allyl cysteine, an active ingredient of garlic, attenuates acute liver dysfunction induced by lipopolysaccharide / d-galactosamine in mouse: Underlying mechanisms. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. May 26 2020. e22518.

Further Information

For more information or to buy please visit Naturboutique.co.uk 

The Glutathione Revolution: Fight Disease, Slow Aging, and Increase Energy with the Master Antioxidant

by Dr Nayan Patel

Published by ‎ Hachette Go. 2020. Hardcover. £13.77/$11.26  ISBN-10: ‎0306873974.

While there's no real fountain of youth just yet, upping your levels of glutathione (GHS) can help you ward off life-threatening disease and symptoms of ageing. GSH is the disease-fighting, age-slowing, energy-enhancing, beautifying antioxidant that many of us are just starting to be aware of. It helps do everything from bolstering immunity to lowering inflammation and regulating hormones – which means it has the potential to help protect against a long list of maladies (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer's).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glutathione-Revolution-Disease-Increase-Antioxidant/dp/0306873974/ref=sr_1_1

 
At the forefront of research, Dr Nayan Patel offers the first book that really unpacks the power of this super antioxidant. The Glutathione Revolution is a guide that is both comprehensive and practical, outlining what exactly glutathione is – and what happens to us as it decreases over time. Dr Patel shows us how to naturally kick it into overdrive to capitalize on the antioxidant's innumerable benefits. With a 14-day plan, along with recipes, menus, and easy natural steps to boost glutathione levels in the body, you can feel younger and ward off the diseases of ageing – naturally.

Further Information

Available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com