Viewing entries tagged with 'eczema'
CHICKWEED Stellaria media
When I was seventeen years old I become a vegetarian as well as a skillfull forager. I was the salad queen. It seemed as if I could make a salad appear out of the ether. I would wander through backyards and gardens, searching through hedges picking this and that. Without fail I could produce a bowl of tastiness that was not only packed with goodness and seriously delicious, but also a delight to look at. Full of edible flowers and weeds. Most times chickweed was the base ingredient. When my eldest was a toddler chickweed was a staple of his diet, in salads, sandwiches and soups. Yup, those were the simple times. Recently my mum was reminiscing about my weed salads, and I wondered why I stopped making them. There's probably lot's of reasons and having a massive vege garden that provides generic salad greens is the main one most likely. You've worked so hard to cultivate them, of course you consume them, that's obvious. But I can see myself when I'm much older and gardening is not so easy. I'll be more than happy to go back to my old ways of foraging, gathering a bit of this and a bit of that. For more details read the full post.
REAL SOAP
I've been experimenting with making soaps for about 6 months now and I'm hooked. Once you use a quality hand-made soap, one that is rich with vegetable oils and divinely scented with pure essential oils you'll never go back. I've narrowed down the first soaps I'll soon have up on the web-site shop. All my soaps are made using differing combinations of olive oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, shea butter, castor oil, jojoba oil and rice bran oil. My Pink soap in addition contains soft pink clay as well as patchouilli and clary sage essential oils for fragrance. The Yellow soap is scented with lemongrass, lemon and rosemary essential oils and natural beeswax. A Lavender soap is of course scented with essential lavender oil and scattered through with lavender seed heads as well as blended with honey. The Green soap is scented with essential oils of tea tree and rosemary, strengthened with a fresh manuka and kawakawa tea and kelp granules. I've also created a Shampoo bar, classically scented with rosemary, cedarwood and lemon essential oils. Adding extra hair and scalp conditioning elements with a strong infusion of fresh rosemary and nettle gathered from my garden. The possibilities seem endless, and I'm only beginning. The process itself is very creative but also requires strict discipline and care. For more details read the full post.
RED CLOVER Trifolium pratense
Every fortnight as I write my plant blog I experience it as a little journey. First there's the resistance to the work, then the slow drawn out beginning where I'm still in resistance mode then the buckling down. Then comes the pleasure of immersion in remembering, gathering and sharing information. This fortnightly blog discusses red clover and it's virtues. I got sidetracked looking at the statistics for cancer treatments, herbal or medical and it got me to thinking. One of the sites I looked at recommended to walk bare-footed on the bare earth. And you know there is a lot to be said for just that and all that comes with it. I remembered when I was a child, you only wore shoes to school or if going "out" somewhere special. You experienced so much through the soles of your feet. You stepped out boldly onto the rough grass, the un-expected prickles, the possiblity of bee-stings, the toe-stubbing stones, the hot sand or footpaths, the cold puddles, the deliciously squidgey mud and so on. There was so much sensation, pleasure or pain to be experienced through your feet. Then as we grew we covered our feet and in a way we disconnected from our natural selves, the child, the primitive. Not surprisingly those who are on a journey to heal themselves of cancer or other chronic illnesses will often find the need to reconnect and heal the child within. Becoming re-acqainted with the familiar plants and weeds of our childhoods is undoubtedly another way of reconnection with the earth and our natural selves. For more details read the full post.
Glowing praise for the Solar-X Balm
Here is a fantastic letter I received from a customer the other day, wanting to share in the hope that others may benefit.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
I attended a seminar yesterday talking about herbal solutions for skin problems. We all get (well I know I do) overwhelmed and confused by the information about the "bad" ingredients in shampoos, conditioners, moisturisers, hand creams, washing powders, detergent, etc etc etc. For more details read the full post
Eczema - Dealing with it Naturally
Eczema - Dealing with it Naturally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Jill Dunn - MHSc Complementary Medicine, Registered Naturopath, Registered Medical Herbalist, Registered Nurse (Non-practising) "Eczema is a common condition in children and affects two to seven percent of the population. Most children with infantile eczema grow out of it by three or four years of age, but in others it can continue into adulthood, and maybe a forerunner of other allergic conditions such as hay fever or asthma. In two-thirds of those with eczema, there is a family history, and most improve with a diet that eliminates common food allergens. How to recognise eczema The terms eczema and dermatitis refer to the same condition and are used interchangeably. Eczema's appearance is slightly different depending on what stage it is at, whether it is acute, subacute or chronic. In the acute stage little vesicles (fluid-filled bubbles) appear, in the subacute stage the skin is red and scaly, and maybe inflamed and crusted if secondary infection is present. Chronic persistent eczema appears thickened and is the result of constant itching or rubbing. Those who are prone to eczema have altered immune responses, whereby specialised white blood cells called mast cells release higher amounts of histamine and other allergic compounds that trigger inflammation. They are also more susceptible to skin infections, warts and cold sores. Teething, skin or other infections, contact with animal dander, severe anxiety or stress, and exposure to food or environmental allergens (chemicals, wool, and detergents) maybe precipitating factors. Food and environmental allergens Eczema is in part due to food or environmental allergies, and often starts to develop when solid foods are introduced around four to five months of age. Sometimes eczema occurs earlier when a baby is totally breast or bottle-fed. An environmental allergy to wool, washing powder, detergents, clothes-softening products, and perfumes in shampoo, soap or creams or even nappies maybe a factor, and a change to low allergen, perfume free, low-chemical and natural-based products is advisable. In others, food allergy or a combination of food and environmental sensitivities can be responsible. Eczema in a totally bottle-fed baby may indicate an allergy to the milk formula, and in a totally breastfed baby maybe related to something the breastfeeding mother is having in her diet, causing a transfer of allergic antigens into her breast milk. Having said this, breastfeeding during infancy provides significant protection against eczema and allergies in general. Introducing foods to your baby A baby's digestive system is immature at birth and relies solely on colostrum and breast milk for nutrition. Until the digestive system matures, foreign proteins may be absorbed into the blood stream, and this is why exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life can help reduce the likelihood of food allergies. Start introducing foods slowly and if there is a family history of allergy wait until baby is six months old. Breast milk is a food in itself, but if you are concerned about low iron levels, there are infant liquid iron supplements available. To reduce the likelihood of allergies to dairy or soy, breast milk is the best milk for the first twelve months of a baby's life. Care needs to be taken when introducing new foods to all babies. Only introduce one new food each week and always give the food in a cooked form. This makes it easier to digest and enables the easy identification of any problem food. Keep a diary identifying the food introduced and any reactions that occurred, such as nappy rash or colic. If a reaction occurs, stop the food and reintroduce in several weeks time. Start with foods such as stewed pears, kumera or pumpkin and rice. When baby is about eight or nine months old, finely chopped unprocessed meat and chicken can be introduced together with green leafy vegetables like silverbeet and spinach. Continue the slow introduction of new foods and delay the introduction of the common allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, legumes, tomatoes and citrus) until after the child is one year old. Eggs and berry fruits can be added around eighteen months to two years of age and ground nuts (including peanuts) and fish/shellfish after age three. Organically grown foods that are free of pesticides, herbicides, colours, flavours and preservatives are best. Physical reactions to foods can change, often beginning as colic or eczema, but as the child grows older may result in migraines or bronchial tendencies. This is where your food diary itemising your baby's reactions to foods, becomes a useful tool for the identification of problem foods later in life. Identifying food allergies Tracking down food allergies can become complex and may require trained naturopathic or nutritional advice to unravel the culprit(s). Food allergens are identified by systematically eliminating a suspect food from the diet for ten days followed by reintroduction of the food. Common allergens include: dairy products, milk, eggs, peanuts, fish, soy, wheat, citrus and chocolate, although virtually any food can be involved. Any removal of foods from the diet should be compensated for, by use of other foods or dietary supplements in order to avoid nutrient deficiency. Eczema and essential fatty acid metabolism Those with eczema appear to have altered essential fatty acid metabolism. Analysis of fatty acids present in blood, and red and white blood cells has indicated that in those with eczema, essential fatty acids are not well converted into their long chain form. The omega-3 essential fatty acid (alpha linolenic acid [ALA] found in flaxseed oil and leafy green vegetables) and omega-6 (linoleic acid found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils) require conversion into the active long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], gamma linolenic acid [GLA]) which if decreased, leads to a tendency towards allergy and inflammation. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids has also been found to be lower in those with eczema, this can be improved by eating more fatty fish such as mackerel, herrings, salmon and tuna or supplementing the diet with omega-3 fish oils. Evening primrose oil (EPO) and omega-3 fish oils are both beneficial for those with eczema. Supplementing the diet with these products provides a ready useable source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) which reduce the body's tendency to produce inflammatory prostaglandins. It takes approximately three months to see the full benefits of supplementation, as it requires this time for the LCPUFAs to be taken up into cell membranes. The dose of EPO or fish oils required varies with age. For infantile eczema (when the child is breastfed), the mother's diet can be supplemented with two Evening Primrose oil 1,000mg capsules and one Omega-3 (1,000mg) fish oil capsule daily with food. Evening Primrose oil can also be applied to the affected areas of skin. For babies who are not breastfed and for children under three years of age Efamol Efanatal can be used as an additional source of essential fatty acids that is suitable for this age. For children aged two to five years use one capsule of Evening Primrose oil 1,000mg daily, and children aged six to twelve years take two capsules daily. For children twelve years and older two to four capsules of Evening Primrose oil 1,000mg maybe required. Also include fresh fish, tuna, salmon, sardines and herrings in the diet at last three times per week. Most eczema responds to dietary changes and supplementation with essential fatty acids. For those with a family history of allergy (eczema, asthma, and hay fever) supplementation with omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids during pregnancy is particularly advisable, and there are specifically formulated products for this time. Eczema and herbal medicine More severe cases of eczema will require herbal medicines to help correct underlying metabolic imbalances. Herbalists use combination formulas that hasten removal of metabolic wastes while supporting proper digestion. Nettle and heartsease are used for their blood cleansing properties, and liver and kidney supporting herbs such as dandelion and St. Mary's thistle, open up the body's natural channels of elimination and the removal of metabolic wastes, while strengthening digestive function. Flavonoid-rich herbs like grape seed extract, bilberry, Ginkgo biloba, Albizzia lebbeck and Scutellaria baicalensis have natural anti-allergy properties and form part of the treatment for troublesome chronic allergic conditions. Use of external creams or ointments containing herbs such as Calendula, Nettle and Chickweed are prescribed for itching and inflammation, and possess natural antimicrobial properties. On their own may provide relief from mild eczema, but in chronic cases are used to help reduce hardening of the skin and to heal any cracks that provide an entry point for bacteria. Evening Primrose oil combined with Manuka honey and Tea tree oil can also be useful to help prevent skin infection, although some individuals can be sensitive to Tea tree oil. Before using Manuka or Tea tree oil products, always test them on the inside of the wrist and leave for 24 hours. If skin redness or itching develops, avoid all products containing these ingredients. If there is no reaction, as with any ointment choose a small patch of affected skin to treat initially, until you are sure no aggravation is occurring. Relief is at hand External preparations are useful, but it is the LCPUFAs on the inside that make most difference. Although having said that, adding one tablespoon of almond, jojoba, grapeseed or sunflower seed oil to a nightly bath, soothes and moisturises the skin. The oil will float on the surface of the water and moistens the child's skin when they get out of the bath. Calendula oil is even better as it has antimicrobial and skin healing properties and replaces soap that should never be used by those with eczema. It can be added to bath water or applied externally following a bath. Also when making dietary changes always supplement with a multivitamin and mineral formula, especially in children and if dairy products are removed ensure your child is receiving adequate calcium from elsewhere (almonds, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, tofu, miso, dried figs, broccoli, seaweeds, calcium fortified dairy substitute milks). Children aged one to ten years require a total of 800mg of calcium per day and teenagers require 1200mg and to reach this amount you will probably need to use dietary supplements. And finally if your child is troubled by eczema, consider the clothing they are wearing. Avoid skin contact with synthetic fabrics. Wool, untreated cotton or linen fabrics are best and are readily available today."
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