Toe nail fungus

Maybe just an old wives tale

I have never tried this but thought it worth passing on to those of you who suffer from toe nail fungus. First of all cut down your sugar intake as this helps the fungus grow, bathe in salt water regularly and rub on Vick’s Vapour rub!!! I don’t sell it so it’s not a plug but came from a good source that it is really effective. Simple, cheap and worth a try? Alternatively there is Tea Tree Oil. That I do sell and know that it is a very effective natural antisceptic. Usually you will need to dilute it, but it woud be OK undiluted on an adults toes.

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Black Cohosh and Hot flushes

I am amongst the millions of women battling menopause and the nightmarish symptoms that come along with it. In the night when you wake up hot and then a few moments later cool down again it’s not so much about why or how a remedy works to relieve the hot flushes as long as it DOES! Black cohosh is the perfect example. For decades, it’s been one of the herbal go-to remedies for providing safe hot-flush relief. No one seemed very sure as to how it worked but work it does and that has kept us women coming back for more. But now we’ve got some research results which show us that -yes- it really is an effective relief.

Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago recently published a study indicating that black cohosh may go straight to the source of body temperature regulation – the body’s opiate receptors. Opiate receptors are exactly what they sound like: chemical sensors that are activated by opiates like morphine and heroin – but opiate drugs aren’t the only substances that affect them. Other chemicals can also bind to them and activate responses in the body like controlling pain, initiating an immune response or regulating core temperature.

The researchers found that, specifically, black cohosh can bind to the opiate receptor known as the human mu-opiate receptor or hMOR, which is associated with mood, body temperature and sex hormone levels.

I know this news doesn’t change my opinion of black cohosh: Like many women out there, I was sold long before there was “proof” but sometimes seeing is believing. So here’s to hoping that some of the naysayers out there will see this research and become believers.

Blueberries protecting against colon cancer

According to the Daily Mail Blueberries protect against Colon Cancer

The Daily Mail have discovered the wonders of blueberries. I really love that musty blueberry flavour and am not at all surprised that it has become a really popular berry for us over the last couple of years. My Swedish friend, Eva, tells me that blueberries have always been really popular in Scandinavia, whereas they have been rather overlooked here, even though they grow wild in many places. The report in the Daily Mail stated that these juicy fruits contain a compound called pterostilbene which could help prevent cancer. I’m always very hesitant to hail such claims, but reasearchers are stating that the compound in the blueberries inhibits inflammation to such an extent they may make it into a preventative pharmaceutical pill for colon cancer. Well until then let us just enjoy the real little berries from the freezer as they are not in season at the moment. Blueberries are available in jars, dried, frozen, or as juice.

Free salad boxes for lettuce and pea risotto

We’ve been giving away free organic fresh salad boxes with orders over £50 of fresh organic produce. All the hype for the offer and the oodles of fantastic seasonal produce led me search for some more unusual recipes for the good old salad veg. Here is one I particularly liked the look of!?

How does Lettuce and pea risotto grab you? This is a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe that is quick to knock up and very different. Here goes:

You will need:
2-4 mixed lettuces, depending on size
1L/1¾pt vegetable stock (this one is both organic and gluten free)350g/12oz Arborio rice (the classic risotto rice from the north Italian region of Piedmont. It’s a great all rounder and can absorb a lot of liquid but still has a good ‘bite’ when cooked)30-45ml/2-3 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 onion or 2-3 shallots, finely choppedsalt and freshly ground black pepper 100g/3oz fresh garden peas, shelled 12 spring onions, cut diagonally into 1cm/½in pieces

With a knob of butter (or non-dairy similar) and fresh parmesan to finish

What to do:
1. Check, wash and roughly shred the lettuces.
2. Bring the stock to the boil then turn the heat down to simmering point.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan and add the onion or shallots. When they have started to soften, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes (do not allow the onion or garlic to brown).
4. Add the Arborio rice to the pan and stir well until each grain of rice is coated with oil. Pour in the first spoonful of hot stock. Stir the risotto until the stock has been absorbed, then continue to add the stock at intervals in this way.
5. About 15 minutes into the cooking time, when the rice is almost done- but is still just a little bit chalky in the middle- add the shredded lettuce, peas and sliced spring onions. Stir gently to mix the vegetables through the rice. At first it will seem like you have added far too much lettuce, but it will soon wilt and give up its juices to the rice.
6. The risotto is ready when all the liquid has been absorbed, the peas are just tender and the rice is cooked (ideally about 3 minutes after you’ve added the lettuce). It should be creamy, not dry.
7. Stir in the knob of butter and serve immediately offering parmesan and a grater to your guests at the table.

Lovely!